United Nations A/RES/57/188
General Assembly Distr.: General
6 February 2003
Fifty-seventh session
Agenda item 105
02 55070
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/57/552)]
57/188. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian children
The General Assembly,
Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child,1
Recalling also the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and
Development of Children and the Plan of Action for Implementing the World
Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s
adopted by the World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and
30 September 1990,2
Recalling further the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the General
Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session,3
Concerned that the Palestinian children under Israeli occupation remain
deprived of many basic rights under the Convention,
Concerned also about the recent grave deterioration of the situation of
Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
and about the severe consequences of the continuing Israeli assaults and sieges on
Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, resulting in the dire
humanitarian crisis,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence resulting in extensive loss
of human life and injuries, including among Palestinian children,
Deeply concerned about the consequences, including psychological
consequences, of the Israeli military actions for the present and future well-being of
Palestinian children,
1. Stresses the urgent need for Palestinian children to live a normal life, free
from foreign occupation, destruction and fear, in their own State;
2. Demands, in the meantime, that Israel, the occupying Power, respect
relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child1 and comply fully
_______________
1 Resolution 44/25, annex.
2 A/45/625, annex.
3 See resolution S-27/2, annex.
A/RES/57/188
2
with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,4 in order to ensure the well-being and
protection of Palestinian children and their families;
3. Calls upon the international community to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian children and their families and to help in the reconstruction of
relevant Palestinian institutions.
77th plenary meeting
18 December 2002
_______________
4 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
United Nations A/RES/58/155
General Assembly Distr.: General
26 February 2004
Fifty-eighth session
Agenda item 113
03 50388
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/504)]
58/155. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian children
The General Assembly,
Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child,1
Recalling also the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and
Development of Children and the Plan of Action for Implementing the World
Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s,
adopted by the World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and
30 September 1990,2
Recalling further the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the General
Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session,3
Concerned that the Palestinian children under Israeli occupation remain
deprived of many basic rights under the Convention,
Concerned also about the continued grave deterioration of the situation of
Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
and about the severe consequences of the continuing Israeli assaults and sieges on
Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, resulting in the dire
humanitarian crisis,
Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all children in the
whole Middle East region,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, resulting in extensive loss
of human life and injuries, including among Palestinian children,
Deeply concerned about the severe consequences, including psychological
consequences, of the Israeli military actions for the present and future well-being of
Palestinian children,
1. Stresses the urgent need for Palestinian children to live a normal life free
from foreign occupation, destruction and fear in their own State;
_______________
1 Resolution 44/25, annex.
2 A/45/625, annex.
3 See resolution S-27/2, annex.
A/RES/58/155
2
2. Demands, in the meanwhile, that Israel, the occupying Power, respect
relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child1 and comply fully
with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,4 in order to ensure the well-being and
protection of Palestinian children and their families;
3. Calls upon the international community to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian children and their families and to help in the reconstruction of
relevant Palestinian institutions.
77th plenary meeting
22 December 2003
_______________
4 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
United Nations A/RES/59/173
General Assembly Distr.: General
24 February 2005
Fifty-ninth session
Agenda item 101
04-48664
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2004
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/59/499)]
59/173. The situation of and assistance to Palestinian children
The General Assembly,
Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child,1
Bearing in mind the conclusion by the International Court of Justice, in its
advisory opinion of 9 July 2004,2 that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is
applicable within the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Recalling the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development
of Children and the Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the
Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s adopted by the
World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and 30 September 1990,3
Recalling also the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the General
Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session,4
Recalling further the relevant provisions of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,5
Noting with grave concern that the Palestinian children under Israeli
occupation remain deprived of many basic rights under the Convention on the
Rights of the Child,
Concerned about the continued grave deterioration of the situation of
Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
the severely detrimental impact of the continuing Israeli assaults and sieges on
Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, and the continuing dire
humanitarian crisis on the safety and well-being of Palestinian children,
Concerned also about the severely detrimental impact being caused by the
unlawful construction of the wall by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated
_______________
1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
2 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1.
3 A/45/625, annex.
4 See resolution S-27/2, annex.
5 See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
A/RES/59/173
2
regime, on the socio-economic conditions of Palestinian children and their families
and on the enjoyment by Palestinian children of their right to education, to an
adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, to
health and to be free from hunger, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights
of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights,
Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all children in the
whole Middle East region,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, resulting in extensive loss
of human life and injuries, including among Palestinian children,
Deeply concerned about the negative consequences, including psychological
consequences, of the Israeli military actions for the present and future well-being of
Palestinian children,
1. Stresses the urgent need for Palestinian children to live a normal life free
from foreign occupation, destruction and fear in their own State;
2. Demands, in the meanwhile, that Israel, the occupying Power, respect
relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child1 and comply fully
with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,6 in order to ensure the well-being and
protection of Palestinian children and their families;
3. Calls upon the international community to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian children and their families and to help in the reconstruction of
relevant Palestinian institutions.
74th plenary meeting
20 December 2004
_______________
6 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
69
groups at risk of abusing narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances,
Concerned also about the trend towards the development
of lenient policies relating to cannabis and other drugs that are
not in accordance with international drug control treaties and
about the fact that such trends may have a negative impact on
efforts being made to eradicate cannabis cultivation and to
combat drug trafficking,
1. Invites the International Narcotics Control Board to
continue to monitor and report on the application of the
international drug control treaties by Member States with regard
to cannabis and other drugs;
2. Requests the United Nations International Drug
Control Programme, in collaboration with the World Health
Organization, to report on new trends with regard to cannabis.
44th plenary meeting
22 July 2003
2003/42. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the
Secretary-General,98
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women, 99 in particular paragraph 260
concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing
Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on
Women100 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session
of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender
equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,101
Recalling also its resolution 2002/25 of 24 July 2002 and
other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence against Women102 as it concerns the protection of
civilian populations,
Expressing the urgent need for the resumption of
negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed
basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement
between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
_______________
98 E/CN.6/2003/3.
99 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements
of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
100 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing,
4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
101 See General Assembly resolutions S-23/2 and S-23/3.
102 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
Concerned about the grave deterioration of the situation of
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, and about the severe consequences of
continuous illegal Israeli settlement activities as well as the
harsh economic conditions and other severe consequences of
the continuing Israeli attacks and sieges on Palestinian cities,
towns, villages and refugee camps, which has resulted in the
dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and
their families,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence,
including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and
destruction, especially the excessive use of force against
Palestinian civilians, many of them women and children,
resulting in injury and loss of human life,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the
international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to
ensure the immediate resumption of the peace process on its
agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already
gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvement of the
difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced
by Palestinian women and their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major
obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their
advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development
planning of their society;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply
fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,103 the Regulations annexed to
The Hague Convention IV, of 18 October 1907104 and the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,105 in order to
protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all
refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their
homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue
to provide urgently needed assistance and services in an effort to
alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of
relevant Palestinian institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women
to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the
implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for
_______________
103 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
104 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague
Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford
University Press, 1915).
105 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
70
the Advancement of Women,99 in particular paragraph 260
concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing
Platform for Action100 and the outcome of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000:
gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first
century”;101
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to
review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,98 and to
submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortyeighth
session a report, including information provided by the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the
progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
44th plenary meeting
22 July 2003
2003/43. Situation of women and girls in Afghanistan
The Economic and Social Council,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,103 the International
Covenants on Human Rights,106 the Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment,107 the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women,108 the Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women,102 the Convention on
the Rights of the Child51 and the Optional Protocols thereto on
the involvement of children in armed conflict109 and on the sale
of children, child prostitution and child pornography,52 the
Beijing Declaration110 and Platform for Action,100 the further
actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action, adopted by the General Assembly at its
twenty-third special session,111 accepted humanitarian rules as
set out in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949,112 and
other instruments of human rights and international law,
Recalling that Afghanistan is a party to the Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,113 the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,106 the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights,106 the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention
_______________
106 General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
107 General Assembly resolution 39/46, annex.
108 General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex.
109 General Assembly resolution 54/263, annex I.
110 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing,
4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex I.
111 General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex.
112 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970–973.
113 General Assembly resolution 260 A (III), annex.
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Geneva
Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court,15
Reaffirming that all States have an obligation to promote
and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Recalling the importance of the implementation of
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, on
women and peace and security, and Council resolution
1460 (2003) of 30 January 2003, on children and armed conflict,
Recalling also the Agreement on Provisional
Arrangements in Afghanistan pending the Re-establishment of
Permanent Government Institutions, signed in Bonn, Germany,
on 5 December 2001,114
Recalling further the funding commitments made at the
International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to
Afghanistan, held in Tokyo on 21 and 22 January 2002,
Welcoming the establishment of the Afghan Independent
Human Rights Commission in June 2002,
Welcoming also the holding of the Emergency Loya Jirga
in June 2002, establishing the Afghan Transitional Authority,
and the participation of more than two hundred women in the
meeting,
Welcoming further the continuing commitment of the
Afghan Transitional Administration to the full enjoyment of
human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls, to
the active participation of Afghan women in political, economic
and social life, to the education of girls as well as boys and to
the opportunity for women to work outside the home,
Welcoming the return to school of more than 3 million
children, including 1 million girls, since March 2002, and the
international support that has made it possible,
Welcoming also the inclusion of women in the
Transitional Administration, the Judicial Reform Commission,
the Independent Human Rights Commission and the
Constitutional Drafting Commission, and stressing the
importance of the full and effective participation of women in
all decision-making processes regarding the future of
Afghanistan,
Welcoming further the fact that the National Development
Framework of the Transitional Administration reflects the needs
of, and the importance of the role to be taken by, women and
girls in the process of peace-building, reconstruction and
development,
_______________
114 See S/2001/1154.
Resolutions
96
the sound management of hazardous chemicals and dangerous
pharmaceutical products;
8. Emphasizes the need to continue to utilize the work
being undertaken by relevant organizations of the United
Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations in
this area, as well as that being carried out under international
agreements and conventions in related areas, in updating the
Consolidated List;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to report
every three years, in accordance with resolution 39/229, on the
implementation of the present resolution, taking into account
previous Assembly resolutions on the same subject, as
appropriate.
50th plenary meeting
23 July 2004
2004/56. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the
Secretary-General,172
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for
the Advancement of Women,173 in particular paragraph 260
concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing
Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on
Women9 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”,10
Recalling also its resolution 2003/42 of 22 July 2003 and
other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence against Women40 as it concerns the protection of
civilian populations,
Expressing the urgent need for the resumption of
negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed
basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement
between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Concerned about the grave deterioration of the situation of
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, and about the severe consequences of
continuous illegal Israeli settlements activities as well as the
harsh economic conditions and other severe consequences of
the continuing Israeli attacks and sieges on Palestinian cities,
towns, villages and refugee camps, which has resulted in the
_______________
172 E/CN.6/2004/4.
173 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the
Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and
their families,
Concerned also that the route marked out for the wall
under construction by Israel, the occupying Power, in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East
Jerusalem, could prejudge future negotiations and make the
two-State solution physically impossible to implement and
would cause further humanitarian hardship to the Palestinians,
in particular women and children,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence,
including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and
destruction, especially the excessive use of force against
Palestinian civilians, many of them women and children,
resulting in injury and loss of human life,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the
international community, to exert all the efforts necessary to
ensure the immediate resumption of the peace process on its
agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already
gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvement of the
difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced
by Palestinian women and their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major
obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their
advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development
planning of their society;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply
fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,30 the Regulations annexed to
The Hague Convention IV, of 18 October 1907 174 and the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,161 in order to
protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all
refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their
homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue
to provide urgently needed assistance and services in an effort to
alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of
relevant Palestinian institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women
to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the
implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for
the Advancement of Women,173 in particular paragraph 260
concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing
_______________
174 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague
Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford
University Press, 1915).
Resolutions
97
Platform for Action9 and the outcome of the twenty-third special
session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000:
gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first
century”;10
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to
review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,172 and to
submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortyninth
session a report, including information provided by the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the
progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
51st plenary meeting
23 July 2004
2004/57. Participation of non-governmental organizations
in the forty-ninth session of the Commission
on the Status of Women
The Economic and Social Council,
Underlining the significance of the forty-ninth session of
the Commission on the Status of Women, to be held in 2005,
which will mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the
Beijing Declaration13 and Platform for Action,9 the twentieth
anniversary of the adoption of the Nairobi Forward-looking
Strategies for the Advancement of Women173 and the thirtieth
anniversary of the World Conference of the International
Women’s Year, held in Mexico City from 19 June to 2 July
1975,
Noting that the Commission on the Status of Women will
undertake, at its forty-ninth session, a review of the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the
outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the
General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”,10 and will
consider current challenges and forward-looking strategies for
the advancement and empowerment of women and girls,
1. Decides, on an exceptional basis, to invite those
non-governmental organizations that were accredited to the
Fourth World Conference on Women or to the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly to attend the forty-ninth
session of the Commission on the Status of Women;
2. Urges that, in recognition of the importance of
equitable geographical participation of non-governmental
organizations in the forty-ninth session of the Commission on
the Status of Women, relevant bodies of the United Nations
system assist those non-governmental organizations that do not
have resources, in particular non-governmental organizations
from developing countries, including the least developed
countries, and countries with economies in transition, to
participate in the forty-ninth session of the Commission.
51st plenary meeting
23 July 2004
2004/58. Preparations for the forty-third session of the
Commission for Social Development
The Economic and Social Council,
Underlining the significance of the forty-third session of
the Commission for Social Development, which will mark the
tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Copenhagen
Declaration on Social Development61 and the Programme of
Action of the World Summit for Social Development,62
Noting that the Commission will undertake, at its fortythird
session, a review of the implementation of the
Copenhagen Programme of Action and the outcome of the
twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly, entitled
“World Summit for Social Development and beyond: achieving
social development for all in a globalizing world”, held in
Geneva from 26 June to 1 July 2000,175 which constitute the
basic framework for the promotion of social development for all
at the national and international levels,
Building upon its resolution 1996/7 of 22 July 1996, and
also taking into account General Assembly resolutions 50/161
of 22 December 1995, 57/270 B of 23 June 2003 and 58/291 of
6 May 2004,
Considering the special nature of the task before the
Commission for Social Development at its forty-third session,
1. Decides to focus on the implementation of the
Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development61 and the
Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social
Development62 and the outcome of the twenty-fourth special
session of the General Assembly175 through the expanded use of
interactive dialogue, and with broad-based participation of
governmental delegations at the highest level of responsibility
and expertise, and of civil society and organizations within the
United Nations system, bearing in mind the need to integrate the
social development perspective in the comprehensive review of
the progress made in the fulfilment of all the commitments
contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration;12
2. Also decides that the Commission for Social
Development, at its forty-third session, should emphasize the
sharing of experiences and good practices on overcoming
challenges to the implementation of the Copenhagen
Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome of the
twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly;
3. Further decides that the Commission for Social
Development should convene, during its forty-third session,
high-level plenary meetings, open to all States Members of the
United Nations and observers, on the implementation of the
Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action and the
outcome of the twenty-fourth special session of the General
Assembly, and requests the Chairman of the forty-third session
_______________
175 General Assembly resolution S-24/2, annex.
Resolutions
105
Recalling also its resolution 2004/49 of 23 July 2004 on the United Nations Public-Private
Alliance for Rural Development,
Underlining the importance of the contribution of the private sector, non-governmental
organizations and civil society in general to the implementation of the outcomes of United Nations
conferences in the economic, social and related fields,
Recalling the central role and responsibility of Governments in national and international
policymaking,
Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 58/129 of 19 December 2003, entitled
“Towards global partnerships”, in which the Assembly, inter alia, identified the principles and
objectives of such partnerships and welcomed the establishment of a multitude of partnerships at
the field level, entered into by various United Nations organizations, Member States and other
stakeholders, such as the United Nations Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development (the
United Nations Alliance),
1. Encourages the initiative of the Government of the Dominican Republic to serve as
the second pilot country for the United Nations Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development
(the United Nations Alliance);
2. Invites all Member States, the funds, programmes and agencies of the United Nations
system, the Bretton Woods institutions, civil society, the private sector and other relevant
stakeholders to support the programmes and activities of the United Nations Alliance in its
mission to promote sustainable rural development, consistent with General Assembly resolution
58/129 and other relevant resolutions and decisions of the Assembly and the Economic and Social
Council;
3. Stresses that activities of the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United
Nations system at the country level in support of the United Nations Alliance should take into
account the implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Economic and Social Council at its
substantive session of 2007 on the work of the United Nations Alliance.
39th plenary meeting
26 July 2005
2005/43. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,116
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,117 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women87 and the outcome of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development
and peace for the twenty-first century”,88
Recalling also its resolution 2004/56 of 23 July 2004 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions,
_______________
116 E/CN.6/2005/4.
117 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade
for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
Resolutions
106
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women118 as it
concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Expressing the urgent need for the full resumption of negotiations within the Middle East
peace process on its agreed basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement
between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli
settlement activities and the unlawful construction of the wall, as well as the severe consequences
arising from Israeli military operations on and sieges of civilian areas, which have detrimentally
impacted their social and economic conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by
Palestinian women and their families,
Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice
on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,119
and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,77 the International
Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights77 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,47 and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation,
incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians,
many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all
the efforts necessary to ensure the full resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking
into account the common ground already gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvement
of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by Palestinian women and
their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women
with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development planning of
their society;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,76 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention respecting the Laws and Custom of War on Land of 18 October 1907
(Convention IV),80 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in
Time of War, of 12 August 1949,120 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their
families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian
women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by
Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian
institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,117 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
_______________
118 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
119 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1.
120 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
107
children, the Beijing Platform for Action87 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”;88
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,116 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fiftieth session a report, including information provided
by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
39th plenary meeting
26 July 2005
2005/44. Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries
for the Decade 2001–2010
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling the Brussels Declaration121 and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed
Countries for the Decade 2001–2010,122
Recalling also its decision 2001/320 of 24 October 2001, in which it decided to establish,
under the regular agenda item entitled “Integrated and coordinated implementation of and followup
to the major United Nations conferences and summits”, a regular sub-item entitled “Review
and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed
Countries for the Decade 2001–2010”,
Recalling further its resolution 2003/17 of 22 July 2003 and its decision 2003/287 of 24 July
2003, as well as the ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of its substantive session of
2004 on the theme “Resources mobilization and enabling environment for poverty eradication in
the context of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries
for the Decade 2001–2010”,123
Recalling paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 59/244 of 22 December 2004, in
which the Assembly decided to hold the comprehensive review of the Programme of Action in
2006 during its sixty-first session, in accordance with paragraph 114 of the Programme of Action,
and paragraph 6 of the same resolution, in which the Assembly decided to consider at its sixtieth
session the modalities for conducting such a comprehensive review,
1. Takes note of the annual progress report of the Secretary-General 124 on the
implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade
2001–2010;122
2. Expresses its deep concern over the insufficient progress achieved in the
implementation of the Programme of Action, and stresses the need to address areas of weakness in
its implementation;
3. Urges the least developed countries and their bilateral and multilateral development
partners to undertake increased efforts and to adopt measures rapidly, with a view to meeting the
goals and targets of the Programme of Action in a timely manner;
_______________
121 A/CONF.191/13, chap. I.
122 Ibid., chap. II.
123 A/59/3, chap. III, para. 49. For the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 3.
124 A/60/81-E/2005/68.
Resolutions
23
2006/8. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,13
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,14 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women,15 and the outcome of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development
and peace for the twenty-first century”,16
Recalling also its resolution 2005/43 of 26 July 2005 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women17 as it
concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the importance of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of
3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of
31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,
Expressing the urgent need for the full resumption of negotiations within the Middle East
peace process on its agreed basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement
between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli
settlement activities and the unlawful construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, as well as the severe consequences arising from
Israeli military operations on and sieges of civilian areas, which have impacted detrimentally their
social and economic conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinian women
and their families,
Welcoming the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights18 on the
issue of Palestinian pregnant women giving birth at Israeli checkpoints owing to denial of access
by Israel to hospitals, with a view to ending this Israeli practice,
Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice
on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,19
and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,20 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights20 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,21 and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
_______________
13 E/CN.6/2006/4.
14 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
15 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
16 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
17 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
18 A/60/324.
19 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1.
20 General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
21 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
24
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation,
incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians,
many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all
the efforts necessary to ensure the full resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking
into account the common ground already gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvement
of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by Palestinian women and
their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women
with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development planning of
their society;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,22 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land (Convention IV)23 of 18 October
1907 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of
12 August 1949,24 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian
women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by
Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian
institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,14 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
children, the Beijing Platform for Action15 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”;16
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,13 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-first session a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
38th plenary meeting
25 July 2006
2006/9. Future organization and methods of work of the Commission on the Status of
Women
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolution 2005/48 of 27 July 2005, in which the Council welcomed the
progress made in the review of the working methods of several functional commissions and
invited those functional commissions and other relevant subsidiary bodies that had not yet done so
to continue to examine their methods of work, as mandated by the General Assembly in its
_______________
22 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
23 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907
(New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
24 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
25
most cost-effective manner no later than the end of 2007, and to make it available on CD-ROM
and on the website of the secretariat of the Economic Commission for Europe, which provides
secretariat services to the Committee;
4. Invites Governments that have not yet done so to take the necessary steps, through
appropriate national procedures and/or legislation, to implement the Globally Harmonized System
as soon as possible, with a view to having the system fully operational by 2008;
5. Reiterates its invitation to the regional commissions, United Nations programmes, the
specialized agencies and other organizations concerned to promote the implementation of the
Globally Harmonized System and, where relevant, to amend their respective international legal
instruments addressing transport safety, workplace safety, consumer protection or the protection of
the environment so as to give effect to the Globally Harmonized System through such instruments;
6. Invites Governments, the regional commissions, United Nations programmes, the
specialized agencies and other organizations concerned to provide feedback on implementation to
the Subcommittee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling
of Chemicals;25
7. Encourages Governments, the regional commissions, United Nations programmes,
the specialized agencies and other relevant international organizations and non-governmental
organizations, in particular those representing industry, to strengthen their support of the
implementation of the Globally Harmonized System by providing financial contributions and/or
technical assistance for capacity-building activities in developing countries and countries with
economies in transition;
C. Programme of work of the Committee
Taking note of the programme of work of the Committee for the biennium 2007–2008 as
contained in paragraphs 43 and 44 of the report of the Secretary-General,13
Noting the relatively poor level of participation of experts from developing countries and
countries with economies in transition in the work of the Committee and the need to promote their
wider participation in its work,
1. Decides to approve the programme of work of the Committee;
2. Stresses the importance of the participation of experts from developing countries and
from countries with economies in transition in the work of the Committee, calls, in that regard, for
voluntary contributions to facilitate their participation, including through support for travel and
daily subsistence, and invites Member States and international organizations in a position to do so
to contribute;
3. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Economic and Social Council
in 2009 on the implementation of the present resolution, the recommendations on the transport of
dangerous goods and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of
Chemicals.
40th plenary meeting
23 July 2007
2007/7. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,26
_______________
25 Information on the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of
Chemicals by country and through international legal instruments, recommendations, codes and guidelines is
available on the Economic Commission for Europe website at www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/
implementation e.html.
26 E/CN.6/2007/4.
Resolutions
26
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,27 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women,28 and the outcome of the twentythird
special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”,29
Recalling also its resolution 2006/8 of 25 July 2006 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women30 as it
concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the importance of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of
3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of
31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,
Expressing the urgent need for the full resumption of negotiations within the Middle East
peace process on its agreed basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement
between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli
settlement activities and the unlawful construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, as well as the severe consequences arising from
Israeli military operations in and sieges of civilian areas, which have had a detrimental impact on
their social and economic conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinian
women and their families,
Expressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to
alleviate the harmful impact of the financial crisis which has exacerbated the already dire socioeconomic
and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families,
Welcoming the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,31 issued
on 31 August 2005, on the issue of Palestinian women giving birth at Israeli checkpoints owing to
denial to them by Israel of access to hospitals, with a view to ending this practice,
Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice
on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,32
and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,33 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights33 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,34 and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation,
incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians,
many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,
_______________
27 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
28 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
29 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
30 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
31 A/60/324.
32 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1.
33 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
34 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
27
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and resolution as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of
all women in the region,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all
the efforts necessary to ensure the full resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking
into account the common ground already gained, and calls for intensified measures to be taken for
tangible improvement of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by
Palestinian women and their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women
with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development planning of
their society, and encourages all women in the region to take an active role in supporting the peace
process;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,35 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention IV of 18 October 190736 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,37 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian
women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugee and displaced Palestinian women
and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations
resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by
Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian
institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,27 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
children, the Beijing Platform for Action28 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”;29
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,26 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-second session a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
42nd plenary meeting
24 July 2007
2007/8. Flow of information for the follow-up to the World Summit on the Information
Society
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling the outcome documents of the World Summit on the Information Society,38
_______________
35 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
36 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907
(New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
37 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
38 See A/C.2/59/3 and A/60/687.
Resolutions
26
9. Requests the Advisory Group, in accomplishing its mandate, to continue to cooperate
with the Secretary-General and his Special Representative in Haiti, the head of the United Nations
Stabilization Mission in Haiti, the United Nations Development Group, relevant United Nations
funds and programmes and the specialized agencies, the Bretton Woods institutions, regional
organizations and institutions, including the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean, the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community and the Inter-
American Development Bank, and other major stakeholders;
10. Also requests the Advisory Group to submit a report on its work, with recommendations,
as appropriate, to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2009.
40th plenary meeting
23 July 2008
2008/11. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of
and assistance to Palestinian women,17
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,18 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women,19 and the outcome of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development
and peace for the twenty-first century”,20
Recalling also its resolution 2007/7 of 24 July 2007 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women21 as it
concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the importance of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of
3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of
31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,
Noting the resumption of bilateral negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its
agreed basis, and expressing the need for the speedy achievement of a final and comprehensive
peace settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in
peacebuilding, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all
efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and the need to increase their role
in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution,
Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women resulting from the severe impact
of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including settlement activities and the unlawful construction of
the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, the
continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods and the
_______________
17 E/CN.6/2008/6.
18 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
19 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
20 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
21 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
Resolutions
27
many severe consequences arising from Israeli military operations in and sieges of civilian areas,
in particular in the Gaza Strip, which have impacted detrimentally their social and economic
conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinian women and their families,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to
alleviate the dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women
and their families,
Taking note of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of
31 August 200522 regarding the issue of Palestinian women giving birth at checkpoints, and
expressing grave concern at the increasing difficulties faced by pregnant Palestinian women
owing to a lack of appropriate and timely antenatal, delivery and post-natal care due to the
obstruction of access to proper medical care,
Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice
on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,23
and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,24 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights24 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,25 and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation,
incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians,
many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,
Expressing grave concern over the increased difficulties faced by Palestinian women,
including the sharp increase in poverty, soaring unemployment, incidents of domestic violence,
and declining health and education standards as a result of the deterioration in the economic and
social conditions on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the
safety and well-being of all women in the region,
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all
the efforts necessary to support the resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking into
account the common ground already gained, and calls for intensified measures to be taken for the
tangible improvement of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by
Palestinian women and their families;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women
with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society,
and encourages all women in the region to take an active role in supporting the peace process;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,26 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention IV of 18 October 190727 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of
_______________
22 A/60/324.
23 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1; see also Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004, p. 136.
24 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
25 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
26 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
27 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907
(New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
Resolutions
28
Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,28 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian
women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian
women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by
Palestinian women and their families, to promote their development in various fields and to help
in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,18 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
children, the Beijing Platform for Action19 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”;20
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,17 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women, at its fifty-third session, a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
40th plenary meeting
23 July 2008
2008/12. Report of the Committee for Development Policy on its tenth session
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 59/209 of 20 December 2004 on a smooth transition
strategy for countries graduating from the list of least developed countries,
Recalling also its resolutions 2007/34 and 2007/35 of 27 July 2007,
1. Takes note of the report of the Committee for Development Policy on its tenth
session;29
2. Requests the Committee, at its eleventh session, to examine and make
recommendations on the themes chosen by the Economic and Social Council for the high-level
segment of its substantive session of 2009;
3. Takes note of the proposals made by the Committee regarding its future work
programme, in particular regarding the monitoring of the development progress of Cape Verde;30
4. Requests the Committee to monitor the development progress of countries graduating
from the list of least developed countries and to include its findings in its annual report to the
Economic and Social Council;
5. Invites the Chairperson and, as necessary, other members of the Committee to
continue the practice of reporting orally on the work of the Committee.
41st plenary meeting
23 July 2008
_______________
28 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
29 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2008, Supplement No. 13 (E/2008/33).
30 Ibid., chap. I, para. 9.
Resolutions
43
Welcoming the contributions of the Institute to the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals and the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women,55 the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,56 and the
outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,51
Acknowledging the contributions of the Institute in promoting gender equality and the
empowerment of women in the areas of security, international migration, in particular remittances
and development, and governance and political participation,
Recognizing the contribution of the Institute to the ongoing efforts in gender mainstreaming
through its research and training outputs involving national gender machineries, academic
institutes, regional intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the
private sector,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the International
Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women;57
2. Requests the Institute, within its mandate, to continue to assist countries in promoting
and supporting the political participation and economic and social advancement of women
through training programmes;
3. Stresses the critical importance of voluntary financial contributions by Member States
to the United Nations Trust Fund for the International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women to enable it to carry out its mandate, and invites Member States to make
voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund;
4. Calls for the diversification of funding resources, and in this regard invites Member
States to continue to provide assistance and support to the Institute through voluntary
contributions and substantive involvement in its projects and activities;
5. Looks forward to the enhanced implementation of the strategic plan of the Institute
under the leadership of its new Director, and in this regard urges the Secretary-General to appoint
its new Director as a matter of priority.
40th plenary meeting
28 July 2009
2009/14. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,58
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,59 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women,50 and the outcomes of the twentythird
special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”,51
Recalling also its resolution 2008/11 of 23 July 2008 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions, including General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of
_______________
55 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
56 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
57 E/CN.6/2009/11.
58 E/CN.6/2009/5.
59 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
Resolutions
44
armed conflict and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women and
peace and security,
Reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in
peacebuilding, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all
efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and the need to increase their role
in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution,
Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women60 as it concerns the
protection of civilian populations,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,61 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights61 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,62 and reaffirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing grave concern over the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women
and girls living under Israeli occupation, including the sharp increase in poverty, soaring
unemployment, increased food insecurity, incidents of domestic violence and declining health,
education and living standards, including the rising incidence of trauma and decline in their
psychological well-being, and expressing grave concern also about the deepening humanitarian
crisis and rising insecurity and instability on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in
particular in the Gaza Strip,
Deploring the deteriorating economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of
their human rights resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including
the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods,
which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access by pregnant women
to health services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and
freedom of movement,
Deploring also the intensified Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have
caused heavy casualties among civilians, many of them children and women, and widespread
damage to homes, United Nations schools and facilities, hospitals and public infrastructure,
gravely impacting the provision of vital health and social services to Palestinian women and their
families, and emphasizing that the civilian population must be protected,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to
alleviate the dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women
and their families,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the
safety and well-being of all women in the region,
Affirming the importance of exploring means to address the situation of and assistance to
Palestinian women in the resolutions of the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly under
the relevant agenda items,
1. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the
promotion and protection of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its
measures for improving the difficult conditions being faced by Palestinian women and their
families living under Israeli occupation;
_______________
60 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
61 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
62 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
45
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women
in terms of their advancement, their self-reliance and their integration into the development of
their society, and stresses the importance of efforts to increase their role in decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal participation and
involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,63 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention IV of 1907,64 the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in
Time of War, of 12 August 1949,12 and all other relevant rules, principles and instruments of
international law, including the international human rights covenants, in order to protect the rights
of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian
women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire
humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the
reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions, integrating a gender perspective into all
international assistance programmes;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,59 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
children, the Beijing Platform for Action50 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”;51
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,58 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-fourth session a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
40th plenary meeting
28 July 2009
2009/15. Future organization and methods of work of the Commission on the Status
of Women
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolution 1998/46 of 31 July 1998, annex II of which contains the
recommendation that the functional commissions responsible for follow-up to the major United
Nations conferences adopt a multi-year thematic programme in their working methods,
Recalling also its request, in its resolution 2008/29 of 24 July 2008, that the functional
commissions, the regional commissions and other relevant subsidiary bodies of the Council, in
accordance with their mandates, as appropriate, contribute to the annual ministerial review and to
the Development Cooperation Forum, in the context of their respective annual workplans, taking
into account their specificities,
Recalling further that, in its resolutions 1987/24 of 26 May 1987, 1990/15 of 24 May 1990,
1996/6 of 22 July 1996, 2001/4 of 24 July 2001 and 2006/9 of 25 July 2006, the Council adopted
_______________
63 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
64 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907
(New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
Resolutions
29
22. The Chair at each meeting of the Technical Committee shall be elected by the majority vote
of those members of the Technical Committee present and voting.
Resources of the Centre
23. The Centre shall be financed from the following sources:
(a) Support from the host country;
(b) Support from the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia;
(c) Income received by the Centre for services provided to beneficiaries;
(d) Any other funding sources approved by the Board of Governors.
24. The Centre shall endeavour to mobilize sufficient resources to support its activities, in
addition to those received from the host country pursuant to the agreement signed between the
host country and the United Nations.
25. The United Nations shall maintain separate trust funds for donations for technical
cooperation projects or other special contributions for activities of the Centre.
26. The financial resources of the Centre shall be administered in accordance with the Financial
Regulations and Rules of the United Nations.25
Amendments
27. Amendments to the present statute shall be adopted by the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia.
28. In the event of any procedural matter arising that is not covered by the present statute or rules
of procedure adopted by the Board of Governors, the pertinent part of the terms of reference and
rules of procedure of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia shall apply.
Entry into force
29. The present statute shall enter into force on the date of its adoption by the Commission.
2010/6. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,26
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,27 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women,18 and the outcomes of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”,28
Recalling also its resolution 2009/14 of 28 July 2009 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions, including General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of
armed conflict and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women and
peace and security,
_______________
25 ST/SGB/2003/7 and Amend.1.
26 E/CN.6/2010/4.
27 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
28 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
Resolutions
30
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women29 as it
concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,30 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights30 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,31 and reaffirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing
illegal Israeli occupation and all of its manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women
and girls living under Israeli occupation, including the continuation of home demolitions, the
sharp increase in poverty, soaring unemployment, increased food insecurity, incidents of domestic
violence, and declining health, education and living standards, including the rising incidence of
trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, and expressing grave concern also about
the deepening humanitarian crisis and rising insecurity and instability on the ground in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, in particular in the Gaza Strip,
Deploring the deteriorating economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of
their human rights resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including
the construction and expansion of settlements and the Wall and the continued imposition of
closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, which have detrimentally
affected their right to health care, including access of pregnant women to health services for
antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,
Gravely concerned, in particular, about the continuing deterioration of the socio-economic
and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including that resulting from the Israeli military
operations and the imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border
crossings and severe restrictions on the movement of all persons and goods, which has
detrimentally affected every aspect of the lives of the civilian population, especially women and
children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to
alleviate the dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women
and their families,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and
decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part
of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all women in the region, and stressing the
importance of their equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement,
maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the
promotion and protection of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its
measures to improve the difficult conditions being faced by Palestinian women and their families
living under Israeli occupation;
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women
with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development of their
society, and stresses the importance of efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal participation and involvement in all
efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security;
_______________
29 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
30 See General Assembly resolution 2200A(XXI), annex.
31 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
31
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,32 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention IV of 18 October 1907,33 the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 19496 and all other relevant rules, principles and
instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on Human Rights,30 in
order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian
women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
5. Calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire
humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the
reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions, integrating a gender perspective into all
international assistance programmes;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,27 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
children, the Beijing Platform for Action18 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”;28
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,26 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-fifth session a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
42nd plenary meeting
20 July 2010
2010/7. Strengthening the institutional arrangements for support of gender equality and
the empowerment of women
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolution 1998 (LX) of 12 May 1976 establishing the International Research
and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 64/289 of 2 July 2010, in particular the section
entitled “Strengthening the institutional arrangements for support of gender equality and the
empowerment of women”, and the establishment, as a composite entity, of the United Nations
Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to be known as UN-Women,
Noting the transitional arrangements set out in paragraphs 81 to 88 of resolution 64/289, in
particular paragraphs 82, 83, 84, 87 and 88,
Expressing its deep gratitude for the support offered by the host country during all the years
of operation of the Institute,
Decides to dissolve the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women as of the date of the adoption of the present resolution.
42nd plenary meeting
20 July 2010
_______________
32 General Assembly resolution 217A(III).
33 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907
(New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
Resolutions
58
and Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other
relevant international and regional organizations;
(ii) Promote an integrated, international and collaborative approach in these areas,
particularly to meet the needs of smallholder farmers;
(iii) Promote the exchange, dissemination and diffusion of best practice examples in the
area of agricultural science, technology and innovation and promote cooperation between
countries in order to face common challenges in matters of science and technology;
(iv) Facilitate new science, technology and innovation policy reviews, as requested by
member countries, to emphasize science and technology and information and
communications technologies in building human capacity and infrastructure to foster
innovation in national development plans and programmes, in close collaboration with the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Bank and other
relevant international development banks and institutions, and consider new modalities to
monitor progress for their implementation;
(v) In particular, the Commission should identify opportunities and best practices and
synergies in and between e-science, e-engineering and e-education programmes worldwide
in the course of performing science, technology and innovation policy reviews;
(vi) Complete and disseminate the new science, technology and innovation policy
methodology guidelines and share outcomes and best practices resulting from their
implementation;
(vii) Examine new metrics to assess and document outcomes of investments in science and
technology and engineering research and development, education and infrastructure, in
collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the
World Bank and member countries that have established programmes in this field of
research;
(viii) Continue to provide a forum, in collaboration with its Gender Advisory Board, to
share good practice examples and lessons learned in integrating a gender perspective in
science, technology and innovation policymaking and implementation;
(ix) Consider, on an annual basis, an award, in collaboration with the World Summit on the
Information Society World Summit Awards and the International Center for New Media, in
Salzburg, Austria, for the innovative application of information and communications
technologies in the fields of science, technology and engineering that support development.
44th plenary meeting
26 July 2011
2011/18. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,56
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,57 in
particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for
Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women58 and the outcome documents of the
_______________
56 E/CN.6/2011/6.
57 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
58 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
Resolutions
59
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”,10
Recalling also its resolution 2010/6 of 20 July 2010 and other relevant United Nations
resolutions, including General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of
armed conflict and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women and
peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women59 as it
concerns the protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,60 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights60 and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child,61 and reaffirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing
illegal Israeli occupation and all of its manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women
and girls living under Israeli occupation, including the continuation of home demolitions,
evictions of Palestinians and arbitrary detention and imprisonment, as well as high rates of
poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate water supply, incidents of domestic violence,
and declining health, education and living standards, including the rising incidence of trauma and
the decline in their psychological well-being, and expressing grave concern also about the dire
humanitarian crisis and insecurity and instability on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, in particular in the Gaza Strip,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their
human rights resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the
construction and expansion of settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major
obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution, and the continued imposition of closures
and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, which have detrimentally affected their
right to health care, including access of pregnant women to health services for antenatal care and
safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,
Gravely concerned, in particular, about the critical socio-economic and humanitarian
situation in the Gaza Strip, including that resulting from the Israeli military operations and the
imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border crossings and severe
restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the continued impeding of the
reconstruction process by Israel, the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected every
aspect of the lives of the civilian population, especially women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to
alleviate the dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women
and their families,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decisionmaking
with regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts
to ensure the safety and well-being of all women in the region, and stressing the importance of
their equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and
promotion of peace and security,
_______________
59 See General Assembly resolution 48/104.
60 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A(XXI), annex.
61 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
60
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women
with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development of their
society, and stresses the importance of efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal participation and involvement in all
efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security;
2. Calls upon, in this regard, the international community to continue to provide urgently
needed assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire
humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the
reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions, with the integration of a gender perspective into
all of its international assistance programmes, and affirms its support for the plan of August 2009
of the Palestinian Authority for constructing the institutions of an independent Palestinian State;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,62 the Regulations annexed to the Hague
Convention IV of 1907,63 the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in
Time of War, of 12 August 1949,30 and all other relevant rules, principles and instruments of
international law, including the International Covenants on Human Rights,60 in order to protect the
rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the
promotion and protection of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its
measures to improve the difficult conditions being faced by Palestinian women and their families
living under Israeli occupation;
5. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian
women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions;
6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take
action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women,57 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and
children, the Beijing Platform for Action58 and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special
session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace
for the twenty-first century”;10
7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his report,56 and to submit to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-sixth session a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the present resolution.
44th plenary meeting
26 July 2011
2011/19. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolution 2009/6 of 24 July 2009,
Having considered the report of the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS,64
_______________
62 General Assembly resolution 217 A(III).
63 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907
(New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).
64 See E/2011/109.
Resolutions
73
recruitment processes in the relevant organizations, to continue working collaboratively to enhance gender
mainstreaming within the United Nations system, including by:
(a) Continuing to work to better align gender equality programming with national priorities, as requested by
the Member State concerned, with the aim of integrating gender mainstreaming into policies, legislation and programmes;
(b) Promoting a facilitative and evolving environment for gender mainstreaming at the headquarters level
and ensuring that entities within the United Nations system dedicate adequate financial and human resources to
gender equality programming at the country level;
(c) Strengthening the coordination of gender-responsive operational activities among entities of the United
Nations system through existing coordination mechanisms at the country level and in partnership, where
appropriate, with other relevant entities and national partners;
(d) Ensuring that the various existing accountability mechanisms of the United Nations system provide for
more coherent, accurate and effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting on gender equality results and on the
tracking of gender-related resource allocation and expenditure, including through the promotion of the use, where
appropriate, of gender markers, and encouraging the use by United Nations country teams of gender accountability
mechanisms to assist and improve their performance at the country level;
(e) Supporting UN-Women in its promotion of increased accountability for gender mainstreaming,
including through the systematic use of monitoring and reporting mechanisms, including for United Nations country
teams and for assessing individual staff performance;
(f) Securing technical expertise for gender equality in programme planning and implementation to ensure
that gender dimensions are systematically addressed and, in this regard, drawing on the gender expertise available in
the United Nations system, including in UN-Women, to assist in the preparation of the United Nations Development
Assistance Framework and other development programming frameworks;
(g) Providing ongoing capacity development in the area of gender mainstreaming for all United Nations
staff and personnel at the country level, including resident coordinators and members of the United Nations country
teams, particularly gender experts, to ensure that they are better able to advance gender equality and the
empowerment of women;
(h) Collecting, analysing, using and disseminating comparable data, disaggregated by sex and age, in a
regular and systematic manner to guide country programming investments, to support the preparation of corporate
and country-level documents, such as the strategic, programmatic and results-based frameworks, and to continue to
refine their tools for measuring progress and impact;
(i) Ensuring progress, including through managerial and departmental accountability, towards achieving the
goal of a 50/50 gender balance at all levels in the Secretariat and throughout the United Nations system, with due
regard to the representation of women from developing countries and keeping in mind the principle of equitable
geographical representation, in conformity with Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Council at its substantive session of 2013 a report on the
implementation of the present resolution, including the promotion of accountability and progress made in the
implementation of the System-wide Action Plan.
48th plenary meeting
27 July 2012
2012/25. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,127
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 128 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth
_______________
127 E/CN.6/2012/6.
128 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (A/CONF.116/28/Rev.1), chap. I, sect. A.
Resolutions
74
World Conference on Women129 and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,130
Recalling also its resolution 2011/18 of 26 July 2011 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict and Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women131 as it concerns the protection
of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 132 the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights132 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,133 and reaffirming that these
human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the revocation of
residency rights and arbitrary detention and imprisonment, as well as high rates of poverty and unemployment, food
insecurity, inadequate water supply, incidents of domestic violence, and declining health, education and living
standards, including the rising incidence of trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, and expressing
grave concern about the dire humanitarian crisis and insecurity and instability on the ground in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, in particular in the Gaza Strip,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe
impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including displacement and the confiscation of land, particularly in
connection with the construction and expansion of settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major
obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution, and the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on
the movement of persons and goods, which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access of
pregnant women to health services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and
freedom of movement,
Gravely concerned, in particular, about the critical socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza
Strip, including that resulting from the Israeli military operations and the imposition of a blockade consisting of the
prolonged closure of border crossings and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the
continued impeding of the reconstruction process by Israel, the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected
every aspect of the lives of the civilian population, especially women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing
of all women in the region, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all
efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to
their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development of their society, and stresses the importance of
efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their
equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and
security;
_______________
129 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
130 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
131 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
132 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
133 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
75
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions,
with the integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes, and commends the
implementation of the August 2009 plan of the Palestinian Authority for building the institutions of an independent
Palestinian State within a 24-month period and the significant achievements made, as confirmed by international
institutions, including the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,134 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 1907,135 the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,136 and all
other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on
Human Rights,132 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection of
the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
5. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
6. Stresses the urgent need for sustained and active international involvement, including by the Quartet, to
support both parties in resuming, advancing and accelerating the peace process negotiations for the achievement of a
just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement, on the basis of United Nations resolutions, the Quartet road map
to a permanent two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict137 and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the
Council of the League of Arab States at its fourteenth session;138
7. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,128 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action129 and the outcome
documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”;130
8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,127 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its fifty-seventh session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
48th plenary meeting
27 July 2012
2012/26. Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling the Istanbul Declaration139 and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the
Decade 2011–2020,140 adopted by the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held in
_______________
134 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
135 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford
University Press, 1915).
136 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
137 S/2003/529, annex.
138 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
139 Report of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Istanbul, Turkey, 9–13 May 2011
(A/CONF.219/7), chap. I.
140 Ibid., chap. II.
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71
(k) Collecting, analysing, disseminating and using accurate, reliable, comparable and relevant data,
disaggregated by sex and age, in a regular and systematic manner, in order to guide country programming, to
support the preparation of organization-wide and country-level documents, such as the strategic, programmatic and
results-based frameworks and evaluations, and to continue to promote and refine their tools for measuring progress
and impact;
11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session
of 2014 a report on the implementation of the present resolution, including on the promotion of accountability at
both the national and the global levels and on progress made in the implementation of the System-wide Action Plan.
45th plenary meeting
24 July 2013
2013/17. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,53
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 54 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth
World Conference on Women,55 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,56
Recalling also its resolution 2012/25 of 27 July 2012 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict and Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women57 as it concerns the
protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,58 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights58 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,59 and reaffirming that these human
rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the revocation of
residency rights, arbitrary detention and imprisonment, and settler violence against Palestinian civilians, as well as
high rates of poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate water supply, incidents of domestic violence and
declining health, education and living standards, including the rising incidence of trauma and the decline in their
psychological well-being, and expressing grave concern about the dire humanitarian crisis and the insecurity and
instability on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in particular in the Gaza Strip,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe
_______________
53 E/CN.6/2013/6.
54 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
55 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
56 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
57 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
58 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
59 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
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72
impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including displacement and confiscation of land, particularly in
connection with the construction and expansion of settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major
obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution, and the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on
the movement of persons and goods, which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access of
pregnant women to health services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and
freedom of movement,
Gravely concerned, in particular, about the critical socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza
Strip, including that resulting from Israeli military operations and the imposition of a blockade consisting of the
prolonged closure of border crossings and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the
continued impeding of the reconstruction process by Israel, the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected
every aspect of the lives of the civilian population, especially women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families,
Emphasizing the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing
of all women in the region, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all
efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to
their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development of their society, and stresses the importance of
efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their
equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and
security;
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions,
with the integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes, and commends the
implementation of the August 2009 plan of the Palestinian Authority for constructing the institutions of an
independent Palestinian State and the significant achievements made, as confirmed by international institutions,
including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,60 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October
1907, the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,61
and all other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on
Human Rights,58 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
5. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
6. Stresses the urgent need for sustained and active international involvement, including by the Quartet, to
support both parties in resuming, advancing and accelerating substantive and credible peace process negotiations for
the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement, on the basis of United Nations resolutions,
the Quartet road map to a permanent two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict62 and the Arab Peace
Initiative adopted by the Council of the League of Arab States at its fourteenth session;63
_______________
60 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
61 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
62 S/2003/529, annex.
63 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
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73
7. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,54 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action55 and the outcomes of
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”;56
8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,53 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its fifty-eighth session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
46th plenary meeting
24 July 2013
2013/18. Future organization and methods of work of the Commission on the Status of Women
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling that in its resolutions 1987/24 of 26 May 1987, 1990/15 of 24 May 1990, 1996/6 of 22 July 1996,
2001/4 of 24 July 2001, 2006/9 of 25 July 2006 and 2009/15 of 28 July 2009, the Council adopted multi-year
programmes of work for a focused and thematic approach for the Commission on the Status of Women,
Recalling also that in its resolution 2009/15, the Council confirmed that the Commission should maintain its
current working methods, as adopted by the Council in its resolution 2006/9, and should continue to keep its
working methods under review,
Recalling further that in its resolution 2009/15, the Council decided that the Commission at its fifty-seventh
session, in 2013, would discuss the possibility of conducting, in 2015, a review and appraisal of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action64 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,65
Recalling that in its resolution 2009/15, the Council decided that at its fifty-seventh session the Commission
would decide on priority themes for future sessions,
Recalling also its resolution 2012/30 of 27 July 2012, in which the Council called upon its functional
commissions, the regional commissions and other subsidiary bodies, within their respective mandates, to provide
coherent support to the Council in the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes
of all major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social, environmental and related fields, and
noting in this regard the ongoing review of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 61/16 of
20 November 2006 on strengthening of the Council,
Reaffirming the central role of the Commission in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
Recognizing that the organization of work of the Commission should contribute to advancing and accelerating
the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special
session of the General Assembly at the local, national, regional and international levels, and in this regard stressing
the need to further enhance the impact of the work of the Commission,
Recognizing also that the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the
outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and the fulfilment of the obligations of States
parties under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women66 are mutually
reinforcing in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women,
_______________
64 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
65 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
66 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
Resolutions
9
2014/1. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,1
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 2 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth
World Conference on Women,3 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,4
Recalling also its resolution 2013/17 of 24 July 2013 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict and Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women5 as it concerns the protection
of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,6 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights6 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,7 and reaffirming that these human rights
instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the revocation of
residency rights, arbitrary detention and imprisonment and escalating settler violence against Palestinian civilians
and their property, as well as high rates of poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate water supply and
unsafe drinking water, incidents of domestic violence and declining health, education and living standards, including
the rising incidence of trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, and expressing grave concern about
the dire humanitarian crisis and the insecurity and instability on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in
particular in the Gaza Strip,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe
impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the forced displacement of civilians and confiscation of land,
particularly in connection with the construction and expansion of settlements and the wall, which continue to
constitute a major obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution, and the continued imposition of closures
and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, including the permit regime throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which have detrimentally affected their right to health care,
including access of pregnant women to health services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment,
development and freedom of movement,
_______________
1 E/CN.6/2014/6.
2 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
3 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
4 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
5 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
6 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
7 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
10
Gravely concerned, in particular, about the critical socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza
Strip, including that resulting from Israeli military operations, including those in November 2012, and the
continuing imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border crossings and severe restrictions
on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the continued impeding of the reconstruction process by Israel,
the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected every aspect of the lives of the civilian population, especially
women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families, and recognizing the
essential efforts and support being provided by the United Nations agencies and other humanitarian aid
organizations on the ground,
Reiterating the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of
all women in the region, and stressing the importance of their equal participation and involvement in all efforts for
the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to
their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development of their society, and stresses the importance of
efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their
equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and
security;
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions,
with the integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes, commends the
implementation of the August 2009 plan of the Palestinian Authority for constructing the institutions of an
independent Palestinian State and the significant achievements made, as confirmed by international institutions,
including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, and calls for continued support
of these efforts;
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,8 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907,
the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,9 and all
other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on
Human Rights,6 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
5. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
6. Stresses the urgent need for sustained and active international involvement, including by the Quartet, to
assist the parties in advancing and accelerating peace process negotiations for the achievement of a just, lasting and
comprehensive peace settlement that ends the occupation which began in 1967 and results in the independence of a
democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its
neighbours, on the basis of United Nations resolutions, the Quartet road map to a permanent two-State solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict10 and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Council of the League of Arab States at
its fourteenth session;11
_______________
8 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
9 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
10 S/2003/529, annex.
11 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
Resolutions
11
7. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,2 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action,3 and the outcomes of
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”;4
8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,1 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its fifty-ninth session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
22nd plenary meeting
12 June 2014
2014/2. Mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations
system
The Economic and Social Council,
Reaffirming its agreed conclusions 1997/2 of 18 July 1997 on mainstreaming a gender perspective into all
policies and programmes in the United Nations system,12 and recalling its resolutions on the subject matter,
including resolutions 2011/6 of 14 July 2011, 2012/24 of 27 July 2012 and 2013/16 of 24 July 2013,
Reaffirming also the commitments to gender equality and the advancement of women made at the Millennium
Summit,13 the 2005 World Summit,14 the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium
Development Goals,15 the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development16 and other major United
Nations summits, conferences and special sessions, and reaffirming further that their full, effective and accelerated
implementation is integral to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium
Development Goals,
Reaffirming further the commitment made at the 2005 World Summit to actively promote the mainstreaming
of a gender perspective into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in
all political, economic and social spheres and to further undertake to strengthen the capabilities of the United
Nations system in the area of gender,
Reaffirming that gender mainstreaming is a globally accepted strategy for achieving gender equality and the
empowerment of women and girls and constitutes a critical strategy in the full, effective and accelerated
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action17 and the outcome of the twenty-third special
session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twentyfirst
century”,18 as well as in the full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on
Population and Development,19
Underlining the catalytic role played by the Commission on the Status of Women and the important roles
played by the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, and taking note of the agreed conclusions
and decisions of the Commission related to the promotion and monitoring of gender mainstreaming within the
United Nations system,
_______________
12 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/52/3/Rev.1), chap. IV, sect. A, para. 4.
13 See General Assembly resolution 55/2.
14 See General Assembly resolution 60/1.
15 See General Assembly resolution 65/1.
16 See General Assembly resolution 66/288, annex.
17 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
18 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
19 Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September 1994 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
Resolutions
39
to promote more coherent, accurate and effective monitoring and reporting on progress on gender equality, the
impact of the promotion of gender equality and the use of common indicators on gender equality and the
empowerment of women and girls, taking into account the situation of women and girls who face discrimination
and marginalization and those in vulnerable situations;
(o) Continuing to promote the institutionalization of transparency and robust accountability systems, with a
focus on assessing gender mainstreaming, including at the level of United Nations country teams, through
capitalizing on the lessons learned from the design and implementation of the System-wide Action Plan, while both
expanding and drawing on assets and resources instituted to support the implementation of such transparency and
accountability systems;
(p) Facilitating complementarity among accountability instruments at the global and country levels;
(q) Striving for both dedicated results at the outcome level and the mainstreaming of gender equality
considerations through other priority areas;
(r) Ensuring adequate resources for meeting gender-related goals and targets across the post-2015
development framework;
15. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Economic and Social Council, at its substantive session
of 2016, a report on the implementation of the present resolution, including on the promotion of accountability at
both the national and the global levels and on progress made in the implementation of the System-wide Action Plan.
36th plenary meeting
10 June 2015
2015/13. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,66
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 67 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth
World Conference on Women,68 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,69
Recalling also its resolution 2014/1 of 12 June 2014 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003, on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women70 as it concerns the
protection of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,71 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights71 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,72 and reaffirming that these human
rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
_______________
66 E/CN.6/2015/5.
67 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A
68 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
69 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
70 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
71 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
72 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
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40
Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council,
Taking note of the recent accession by the State of Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core
humanitarian law treaties,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including as a result of the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the
revocation of residency rights, arbitrary detention and imprisonment and escalating settler violence against
Palestinian civilians and their properties, as well as high rates of poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate
water supply and unsafe drinking water, incidents of domestic violence and declining health, education and living
standards, including the rising incidence of trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, particularly in
the Gaza Strip, where a grave humanitarian crisis continues to severely affect the situation of women and girls,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe
impact of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the forced displacement of civilians, especially among the
Bedouin community, and confiscation of land, particularly in connection with the construction and expansion of
settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State
solution, and the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, including
the permit regime throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which have
detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access of pregnant women to health-care services for
antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,
Condemning the military conflict in and around the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014 and the civilian
casualties caused, including the killing and injury of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including hundreds of
children, women and elderly persons, as well as the widespread destruction of homes and critical civilian
infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, water, sanitation and electricity networks, economic, industrial and
agricultural properties, public institutions, religious sites and United Nations schools and facilities, as well as the
internal displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and any violations of international law, including
humanitarian and human rights law,
Gravely concerned, in particular, about the critical socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza
Strip, including that resulting from the Israeli military operations in July and August 2014, as well as the long-term
negative impact of Israeli military operations from December 2008 to January 2009 and in November 2012, and the
continuing imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border crossings and severe restrictions
on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the continued impeding of the reconstruction process by Israel,
the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected every aspect of the lives of the civilian population, especially
women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the need for measures to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian
population throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with international
humanitarian law,
Stressing also the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families, and recognizing the
essential efforts and support being provided by the United Nations agencies and other humanitarian aid
organizations on the ground, particularly in response to the grave humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,
Welcoming the convening of the Cairo International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, on
12 October 2014, and urging the timely and full disbursement of pledges for expediting the provision of
humanitarian assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian
women and their families,
Reiterating the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of
Resolutions
41
all women in the region, and stressing the importance of women’s equal participation and involvement in all efforts
for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to
their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society, and stresses the importance of
efforts to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their
equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and
security;
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed
assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being
faced by Palestinian women and their families, in particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and immense
reconstruction and recovery needs in the Gaza Strip, and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian
institutions, with the integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes,
commends the achievements of the Palestinian Government in constructing the institutions of an independent
Palestinian State, as confirmed by international institutions, including by the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund and the United Nations, and calls for continued support of these efforts;
3. Calls upon international donors to fulfil without delay all pledges made at the Cairo International
Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza in order to expedite the provision of humanitarian assistance and the
reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their families;
4. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,73 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October
1907, the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 194974 and
all other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on
Human Rights,71 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
5. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
6. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
7. Urges the international community to make renewed efforts aimed at advancing and accelerating the
conclusion of a peace treaty based on clear parameters and with a defined time frame to attain without delay an end
to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 by resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues, without
exception, for a just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in accordance with the
internationally recognized basis of the two-State solution, and of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole, for the
realization of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East;
8. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,67 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action68 and the outcomes of
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”;69
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those laid out in his report,66 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its sixtieth session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
36th plenary meeting
10 June 2015
_______________
73 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
74 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
18
(b) Sixty-second session (2018):
(i) Priority theme: Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural
women and girls;
(ii) Review theme: Participation in and access of women to the media, and information and communications
technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women
(agreed conclusions of the forty-seventh session);
(c) Sixty-third session (2019):
(i) Priority theme: Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for
gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls;
(ii) Review theme: Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development (agreed conclusions of
the sixtieth session);
2. Requests the Commission, in order to achieve concrete results in each review cycle, to consider and make
a recommendation at its sixty-second session on how best to utilize the year 2020, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, so as to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the
empowerment of women and girls;
3. Affirms that the Commission will contribute to the thematic reviews of progress on the Sustainable
Development Goals taking place at the high-level political forum on sustainable development.
27th plenary meeting
2 June 2016
2016/4. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,21
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 22 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth
World Conference on Women,23 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,24
Recalling also its resolution 2015/13 of 10 June 2015 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict and Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women25 as it concerns the protection
of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,26 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights26 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,27 and reaffirming that these human rights
instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
_______________
21 E/CN.6/2016/6.
22 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
23 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
24 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
25 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
26 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
27 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
19
Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council,
Taking note of the accession by the State of Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian
law treaties,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including as a result of the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the
revocation of residency rights, and arbitrary detention and imprisonment, as well as high rates of poverty,
unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate water supply and unsafe drinking water, shortage of electricity and fuel,
incidents of domestic violence and declining health, education and living standards, including the rising incidence of
trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian disaster
continues to severely affect the situation of women and girls,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe impact
of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the forced displacement and transfer of civilians, especially among the
Bedouin community, and confiscation of land, particularly in connection with the construction and expansion of
settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution
based on the pre-1967 borders, and the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons
and goods, including the permit regime throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access of pregnant women to health-care
services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,
Expressing grave concern about all acts of violence, intimidation and provocation by Israeli settlers against
Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and properties, including homes, mosques, churches and
agricultural lands, condemning acts of terror by several extremist Israeli settlers, and calling for accountability for the
illegal actions perpetrated in this regard,
Gravely concerned by the tensions and violence in the recent period throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and deploring the loss of innocent civilian life, including among girls and women,
as a result of excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupying forces,
Condemning the military conflict in and around the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014 and the civilian
casualties caused, including the killing and injury of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including hundreds of children,
women and elderly persons, as well as the widespread destruction of homes and critical civilian infrastructure,
including schools, hospitals, water, sanitation and electricity networks, economic, industrial and agricultural
properties, public institutions, religious sites and United Nations schools and facilities, as well as the internal
displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and any violations of international law, including humanitarian
and human rights law,
Taking note of the report and findings of the independent commission of inquiry established pursuant to Human
Rights Council resolution S-21/1,28 and stressing the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international
humanitarian law and international human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further violations,
protect civilians and promote peace,
Gravely concerned, in particular, by the persisting disastrous humanitarian situation and socioeconomic
conditions in the Gaza Strip, including those resulting from the Israeli military operations in July and August 2014, as
well as the long-term negative impact of Israeli military operations from December 2008 to January 2009 and in
November 2012, and the continuing imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border crossings
and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the continued impeding of the reconstruction
_______________
28 A/HRC/29/52.
Resolutions
20
process by Israel, the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected every aspect of the lives of the civilian
population, especially women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the need for measures to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian
population throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, consistent with the provisions
and obligations under international humanitarian law,
Stressing also the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families, and recognizing the
essential efforts and support being provided by the United Nations agencies and other humanitarian aid organizations
on the ground, particularly in response to the grave humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,
Recalling the convening of the Cairo International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, on
12 October 2014, and urging the timely and full disbursement of pledges for expediting the provision of humanitarian
assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their
families,
Expressing grave concern that Palestinian women and girls continue to be held in Israeli prisons or detention
centres under harsh conditions, including, inter alia, unhygienic conditions, solitary confinement, extensive use of
administrative detention of excessive duration without charge and denial of due process, and noting that women and
girls also face gender-specific challenges, including inadequate access to medical care, risks associated with
pregnancy and giving birth in prison and sexual harassment,
Reiterating the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of
all women in the region, and stressing the importance of women’s equal participation and involvement in all efforts
for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their
advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society, and stresses the importance of efforts
to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal
participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security;
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed assistance,
especially emergency assistance, and services, bearing in mind, inter alia, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development29 and national priorities, in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families, in particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and immense reconstruction and
recovery needs in the Gaza Strip, and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions, with the
integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes, commends the achievements
of the Palestinian Government in constructing the institutions of an independent Palestinian State, as confirmed by
international institutions, including by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, and
calls for continued support of these efforts;
3. Calls upon international donors to fulfil without delay all pledges made on 12 October 2014 at the Cairo
International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, in order to expedite the provision of humanitarian
assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their
families;
4. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,30 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907,
the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 194931 and all
other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on Human
Rights,26 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
_______________
29 General Assembly resolution 70/1.
30 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
31 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
21
5. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
6. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
7. Urges the international community to make renewed efforts aimed at advancing and accelerating the
conclusion of a peace treaty based on clear parameters and with a defined time frame to attain without delay an end
to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 by resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues, without
exception, for a just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in accordance with the
internationally recognized basis of the two-State solution, and of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole, for the realization
of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East;
8. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,22 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action23 and the outcomes of the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace
for the twenty-first century”;24
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those laid out in his report,21 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its sixty-first session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
27th plenary meeting
2 June 2016
2016/5. United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control
of Non-communicable Diseases
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolutions 2013/12 of 22 July 2013, 2014/10 of 13 June 2014 and 2015/8 of 9 June 2015 on the
United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases,
Acknowledging that the global burden and threat of non-communicable diseases, principally cardiovascular
diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, which are linked to four main risk factors, namely, tobacco
use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, as well as the global burden of mental health and
neurological issues, constitute major challenges for economic and social development in the twenty-first century and
may lead to increasing inequalities within and between countries and populations,
Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which the Assembly adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and
people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets and affirmed its
commitment to working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating
poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an
indispensable requirement for sustainable development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its
three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner, and to building upon
the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business,
Reaffirming also General Assembly resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of
the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, supports and complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets
with concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing
and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and
solidarity,
Welcoming the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while highlighting the integrality of the Sustainable
Development Goals, in particular, goals and targets related to health and non-communicable diseases,
Resolutions
66
2017/10. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,65
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 66 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth
World Conference on Women,67 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,68
Recalling also its resolution 2016/4 of 2 June 2016 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict and Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women69 as it concerns the protection
of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,70 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights70 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,71 and reaffirming that these human rights
instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council,
Taking note of the accession by the State of Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian
law treaties,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including as a result of the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the
revocation of residency rights and arbitrary detention and imprisonment, as well as high rates of poverty,
unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate water supply and unsafe drinking water, shortages of electricity and fuel,
incidents of domestic violence and declining health, education and living standards, including the rising incidence of
trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian disaster
continues to severely affect the situation of women and girls,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe impact
of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the forced displacement and transfer of civilians, especially among the
Bedouin community, and confiscation of land, particularly in connection with the construction and expansion of
settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution
based on the pre-1967 borders, and the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons
and goods, including the permit regime throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access of pregnant women to health-care
services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,
_______________
65 E/CN.6/2017/6.
66 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
67 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
68 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
69 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
70 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
71 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Resolutions
67
Expressing grave concern about all acts of violence, intimidation and provocation by Israeli settlers against
Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and properties, including homes, mosques, churches and
agricultural lands, condemning acts of terror by several extremist Israeli settlers, and calling for accountability for the
illegal actions perpetrated in this regard,
Gravely concerned by the tensions and violence over the recent period throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and deploring the loss of innocent civilian life, including among girls and women,
as a result of excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupying forces,
Condemning the military conflict in and around the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014 and the civilian
casualties caused, including the killing and injury of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including hundreds of children,
women and elderly persons, as well as the widespread destruction of homes and critical civilian infrastructure,
including schools, hospitals, water, sanitation and electricity networks, economic, industrial and agricultural
properties, public institutions, religious sites and United Nations schools and facilities, as well as the internal
displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and any violations of international law, including humanitarian
and human rights law,
Taking note of the report and findings of the independent commission of inquiry established pursuant to Human
Rights Council resolution S-21/1,72 and stressing the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international
humanitarian law and international human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further violations,
protect civilians and promote peace,
Gravely concerned, in particular, by the persisting disastrous humanitarian situation and socioeconomic
conditions in the Gaza Strip, including those resulting from the Israeli military operations in July and August 2014, as
well as the long-term negative impact of Israeli military operations from December 2008 to January 2009 and in
November 2012, and the continuing imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border crossings
and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the continued impeding of the reconstruction
process by Israel, the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected every aspect of the lives of the civilian
population, especially women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the need for measures to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian
population throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, consistent with the provisions
and obligations under international humanitarian law,
Stressing also the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families, and recognizing the
essential efforts and support being provided by the United Nations agencies and other humanitarian aid organizations
on the ground, particularly in response to the grave humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,
Recalling the convening of the Cairo International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, on
12 October 2014, and urging the timely and full disbursement of pledges for expediting the provision of humanitarian
assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their
families,
Expressing grave concern that Palestinian women and girls continue to be held in Israeli prisons or detention
centres under harsh conditions, including, inter alia, unhygienic conditions, solitary confinement, extensive use of
administrative detention of excessive duration without charge and denial of due process, and noting that women and
girls also face gender-specific challenges, including inadequate access to medical care, risks associated with
pregnancy and giving birth in prison and sexual harassment,
Reiterating the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of
all women in the region, and stressing the importance of women’s equal participation and involvement in all efforts
for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
_______________
72 A/HRC/29/52.
Resolutions
68
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their
advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society, and stresses the importance of efforts
to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal
participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security;
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed assistance,
especially emergency assistance, and services, bearing in mind, inter alia, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development73 and national priorities, in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families, in particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and immense reconstruction and
recovery needs in the Gaza Strip, and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions, with the
integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes, commends the achievements
of the Palestinian Government in constructing the institutions of an independent Palestinian State, as confirmed by
international institutions, including by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, and
calls for continued support of these efforts;
3. Calls upon international donors to fulfil without delay all pledges made on 12 October 2014 at the Cairo
International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, in order to expedite the provision of humanitarian
assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their
families;
4. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,74 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907,
the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,75 and all
other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on Human
Rights,70 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
5. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
6. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
7. Urges the international community to make renewed efforts aimed at advancing and accelerating the
conclusion of a peace treaty based on clear parameters and with a defined time frame to attain without delay an end
to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 by resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues, without
exception, for a just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in accordance with the
internationally recognized basis of the two-State solution, and of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole, for the realization
of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East;
8. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,66 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action67 and the outcomes of the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace
for the twenty-first century”;68
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,65 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its sixty-second session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
32nd plenary meeting
7 June 2017
_______________
73 General Assembly resolution 70/1.
74 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
75 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
Resolutions
42
3. Strongly encourages Governments to continue to support the role and contribution of civil society, in
particular non-governmental organizations and women’s organizations, as well as national human rights institutions
where they exist, in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, and in this regard calls upon Governments to collaborate with
relevant stakeholders at all levels on preparations for the 2020 review so as to benefit from their experience and
expertise;
B. Themes for the Commission on the Status of Women in 2021 and beyond
4. Requests the Commission at its sixty-fourth session to decide on its future multi-year programme of work;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its sixty-fourth session a report containing
proposals on the Commission’s priority and review themes for 2021 and beyond.
34th plenary meeting
12 June 2018
2018/9. Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women
The Economic and Social Council,
Recognizing the significance of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in September 1995,
Recalling that the Council, in its resolution 2016/3 of 2 June 2016, requested the Commission on the Status of
Women, in order to achieve concrete results in each review cycle, to consider and make a recommendation at its sixtysecond
session on how best to utilize the year 2020, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth
World Conference on Women, so as to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women
and girls,
1. Decides to recommend to the General Assembly that, in order to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of
the Fourth World Conference on Women, so as to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls, a one-day high-level meeting of the Assembly be convened in the margins of the general
debate of the Assembly at its seventy-fifth session, and that the outcome of the high-level meeting take the form of a
Chair’s summary;
2. Recommends that the President of the General Assembly conduct consultations to finalize the organizational
arrangements for the high-level meeting of the Assembly.
34th plenary meeting
12 June 2018
2018/10. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General,62
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,63 in particular paragraph 260
concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference
on Women,64 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000:
gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,65
_______________
62 E/CN.6/2018/6.
63 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
64 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
65 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
Resolutions
43
Recalling also its resolution 2017/10 of 7 June 2017 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, including
General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003 on the prevention of armed conflict and Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013 on women and peace and security,
Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women66 as it concerns the protection
of civilian populations,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,67 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights67 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,68 and reaffirming that these human rights
instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council,
Taking note of the accession by the State of Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian
law treaties,
Deeply regretting that 51 years have passed since the onset of the Israeli occupation, stressing the urgent need
for efforts to reverse the negative trends on the ground and to restore a political horizon for advancing and accelerating
meaningful negotiations aimed at the achievement of a peace agreement that will bring a complete end to the Israeli
occupation that began in 1967 and the resolution of all core final status issues, without exception, leading to a peaceful,
just, lasting and comprehensive solution of the question of Palestine, and stressing the importance of the inclusion of
women in the peace negotiations and peacebuilding processes,
Expressing deep concern about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations,
Expressing grave concern about the increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living
under Israeli occupation, including as a result of the continuation of home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians, the
revocation of residency rights and arbitrary detention and imprisonment, as well as high rates of poverty,
unemployment, food insecurity, inadequate water supply and unsafe drinking water, a sanitation crisis, shortages of
electricity and fuel, incidents of domestic violence and declining health, education and living standards, including the
rising incidence of trauma and the decline in their psychological well-being, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where a
humanitarian disaster continues to severely affect the situation of women and girls,
Deploring the dire economic and social conditions of Palestinian women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the systematic violation of their human rights resulting from the severe impact
of ongoing illegal Israeli practices, including the forced displacement and transfer of civilians, especially among the
Bedouin community, and confiscation of land, particularly in connection with the construction and expansion of
settlements and the wall, which continue to constitute a major obstacle to peace on the basis of the two-State solution
based on the pre-1967 borders, and the continued imposition of closures and restrictions on the movement of persons
and goods, including the permit regime throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
which have detrimentally affected their right to health care, including access of pregnant women to health-care
services for antenatal care and safe delivery, education, employment, development and freedom of movement,
Expressing grave concern about all acts of violence, intimidation and provocation by Israeli settlers against
Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and properties, including homes, mosques, churches and
agricultural lands, condemning acts of terror by several extremist Israeli settlers, and calling for accountability for the
illegal actions perpetrated in this regard,
Gravely concerned by the tensions and violence over the recent period throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and deploring the loss of innocent civilian life, including among girls and women,
as a result of excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupying forces,
_______________
66 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
67 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
68 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
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Condemning the military conflict in and around the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014 and the civilian
casualties caused, including the killing and injury of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including hundreds of children,
women and elderly persons, as well as the widespread destruction of homes and critical civilian infrastructure,
including schools, hospitals, water, sanitation and electricity networks, economic, industrial and agricultural
properties, public institutions, religious sites and United Nations schools and facilities, as well as the internal
displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and any violations of international law, including humanitarian
and human rights law,
Taking note of the report and findings of the independent commission of inquiry established pursuant to Human
Rights Council resolution S-21/1,69 and stressing the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international
humanitarian law and international human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further violations,
protect civilians and promote peace,
Gravely concerned, in particular, by the persisting disastrous humanitarian situation and socioeconomic
conditions in the Gaza Strip, including those resulting from the Israeli military operations in July and August 2014, as
well as the long-term negative impact of Israeli military operations from December 2008 to January 2009 and in
November 2012, and the continuing imposition of a blockade consisting of the prolonged closure of border crossings
and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, as well as the continued impeding of the reconstruction
process by Israel, the occupying Power, which has detrimentally affected every aspect of the lives of the civilian
population, especially women and children, in the Gaza Strip,
Stressing the need for measures to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian
population throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, consistent with the provisions
and obligations under international humanitarian law,
Stressing also the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the dire
socioeconomic and humanitarian situation being faced by Palestinian women and their families, and recognizing the
essential efforts and support being provided by the United Nations agencies and other humanitarian aid organizations
on the ground, particularly in response to the grave humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,
Recalling the convening of the Cairo International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, on
12 October 2014, and urging the timely and full disbursement of pledges for expediting the provision of humanitarian
assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their
families,
Expressing grave concern that Palestinian women and girls continue to be held in Israeli prisons or detention
centres under harsh conditions, including, inter alia, unhygienic conditions, solitary confinement, extensive use of
administrative detention of excessive duration without charge and denial of due process, and noting that women and
girls also face gender-specific challenges, including inadequate access to medical care, risks associated with
pregnancy and giving birth in prison and sexual harassment,
Reiterating the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with regard
to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of
all women in the region, and stressing the importance of women’s equal participation and involvement in all efforts
for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their
advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society, and stresses the importance of efforts
to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution and to ensure their equal
participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security;
2. Calls upon the international community, in this regard, to continue to provide urgently needed assistance,
especially emergency assistance, and services, bearing in mind, inter alia, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development70 and national priorities, in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families, in particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and immense reconstruction and
_______________
69 A/HRC/29/52.
70 General Assembly resolution 70/1.
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45
recovery needs in the Gaza Strip, and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions, with the
integration of a gender perspective into all of its international assistance programmes, commends the achievements
of the Palestinian Government in constructing the institutions of an independent Palestinian State, as confirmed by
international institutions, including by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, and
calls for continued support of these efforts;
3. Calls upon international donors to fulfil without delay all pledges made on 12 October 2014 at the Cairo
International Conference on Palestine: Reconstructing Gaza, in order to expedite the provision of humanitarian
assistance and the reconstruction process, which is essential for alleviating the distress of Palestinian women and their
families;
4. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,71 the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907,
the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,72 and all
other relevant rules, principles and instruments of international law, including the International Covenants on Human
Rights,67 in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;
5. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families living under Israeli occupation;
6. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to
their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;
7. Urges the international community to make renewed efforts aimed at advancing and accelerating the
conclusion of a peace treaty based on clear parameters and with a defined time frame to attain without delay an end
to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 by resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues, without
exception, for a just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in accordance with the
internationally recognized basis of the two-State solution, and of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole, for the realization
of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East;
8. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to
the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,63 in particular
paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action64 and the outcomes of the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace
for the twenty-first century”;65
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report,62 and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its sixty-third session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, on the gender-specific impact of the occupation and the progress made in the implementation of the present
resolution.
34th plenary meeting
12 June 2018
2018/11. Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations
The Economic and Social Council,
Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991 and the guiding principles contained in
the annex thereto, and recalling other relevant resolutions of the Assembly and relevant resolutions and agreed
conclusions of the Economic and Social Council,
_______________
71 General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
72 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
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15. Encourages the Non-Self-Governing Territories to take steps to establish or strengthen disaster
preparedness and management institutions and policies;
16. Requests the administering Powers concerned to continue their cooperation with the specialized agencies
and other organizations of the United Nations system, in the framework of the responsibilities established in Article 73
of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular subparagraph d, and to facilitate, when appropriate, the participation
of appointed and elected representatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories in the relevant meetings and conferences
of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with relevant
resolutions and decisions of the United Nations, including the resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and
the Special Committee on specific Territories, so that they may benefit from the related activities of those agencies
and organizations;
17. Recommends that all Governments intensify their efforts within the specialized agencies and other
organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to accord priority to the question of providing
assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories on a case-by-case basis;
18. Draws the attention of the Special Committee to the present resolution and to the discussion held on the
subject at the 2019 session of the Economic and Social Council;
19. Recalls the adoption by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean on 16 May 1998
of its resolution 574 (XXVII),195 in which the Commission called for the mechanisms necessary for its associate
members, including the Non-Self-Governing Territories, to participate, subject to the rules of procedure of the General
Assembly, in the special sessions of the Assembly convened to review and assess the implementation of the plans of
action of those United Nations world conferences in which the Territories had originally participated in their capacity
as observers, and in the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies;
20. Requests the President of the Council to continue to maintain close contact on those matters with the Chair
of the Special Committee and to report thereon to the Council;
21. Requests the Secretary-General to follow up on the implementation of the present resolution, paying
particular attention to cooperation and integration arrangements for maximizing the efficiency of the assistance
activities undertaken by various organizations of the United Nations system, and to report thereon to the Council at
its 2020 session;
22. Decides to keep the above questions under continuous review.
37th plenary meeting
23 July 2019
2019/28. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,196
Recalling its relevant resolutions and all other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling also Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, including its call upon all parties
to armed conflict to respect fully international law applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls,
especially as civilians, and its emphasis on the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity,
Recalling further the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,197
_______________
195 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1998, Supplement No. 21 (E/1998/41), chap. III, sect. G.
196 E/CN.6/2019/6.
197 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
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Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women198 as it concerns the protection of
civilian populations,
Reaffirming the obligations of States and all parties to armed conflict to comply with international humanitarian
law and international human rights law, as applicable, and the need to end all violations of international humanitarian
law and all violations and abuses of human rights,
Reaffirming also the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 199 the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action,200 the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,201 and the political
declaration on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women adopted by the
Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-ninth session,202 and reaffirming its commitment to their full, effective
and accelerated implementation,
Reaffirming further the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and
well-being of all women in the region, and stressing the importance of women’s equal participation and involvement
in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
Expressing grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian
people by Israel, the occupying Power, and its impact on women and girls,
Expressing grave concern also at the deaths of and injuries caused to civilians, including children, women and
peaceful demonstrators, and emphasizing that civilian populations must be protected by all parties in accordance with
international humanitarian law,
Stressing the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and international
human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further violations, protect civilians and promote peace,
Deeply concerned about violence against women and girls in all its different forms and manifestations
worldwide, which is underrecognized and underreported, particularly at the community level, and its pervasiveness,
which reflects discriminatory norms that reinforce stereotypes and gender inequality and the corresponding impunity
and lack of accountability, reiterating the need to intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against
women and girls in the public and private spheres in all regions of the world, and re-emphasizing that violence against
women and girls violates, and impairs their full enjoyment of, all human rights,
Noting the accession by Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian law conventions,
as well as other international treaties, and stressing the need to implement fully obligations under those instruments
that protect the rights of women and girls, including during and post-conflict,
Underlining the limitations on Palestinian jurisdiction in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, which undermine the ability of the Palestinian Government to protect Palestinian women and girls in
certain areas,
Noting the importance of the agencies, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in facilitating the
advancement and empowerment of women in development in line with General Assembly resolution 71/243 of
21 December 2016,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard
to the fulfilment of their rights, and their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their
society;
_______________
198 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
199 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
200 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
201 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
202 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2015, Supplement No. 7 (E/2015/27), chap. I, sect. C, resolution 59/1, annex.
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2. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately cease all measures contrary to international law,
as well as discriminatory legislation, policies and actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, that violate the human rights of the Palestinian people, and stresses that Palestinian civilians, particularly
women and children, account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by the conflict;
3. Calls for urgent measures to ensure the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with the relevant provisions of international
humanitarian law and as called for by the Security Council in its resolution 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994;
4. Calls upon the parties to comply fully with their obligations, including as States parties to the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,197 taking fully into consideration the concluding
observations as well as the general recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women;
5. Acknowledges the contribution of national coalitions and committees in advancing women’s rights,
including those pertaining to resolution 1325 (2000), the Convention and combating violence against women;
6. Welcomes the adoption by the Palestinian Government of a national action plan for the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000);
7. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families, including those living under Israeli occupation, and recognizes
the importance of integrating gender considerations across humanitarian programming by seeking to ensure the
provision of access to protection and the full range of medical, legal and livelihood and psychosocial services,
including services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, without discrimination, and through ensuring
that women and women’s groups can participate equally and meaningfully and are supported in being leaders in
humanitarian action;
8. Calls upon the international community, including the United Nations, in particular the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to continue to provide urgently needed assistance,
especially emergency assistance, and services, bearing in mind, inter alia, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development203 and national priorities, in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families, in particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and deteriorating socioeconomic
conditions in the Gaza Strip;
9. Recalls the need for all parties to armed conflict to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of
refugee camps and to take into account the particular needs of women and girls, and stresses that the situation of the
Palestine refugees, including women and girls, continues to be a matter of grave concern and that they continue to
require assistance to meet basic health, education and living needs, pending a just resolution of the problem of
Palestine refugees in conformity with General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948;
10. Reaffirms the necessity of achieving a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, the core of the
Arab-Israeli conflict, in all its aspects, and urges in this regard the intensification and acceleration of renewed
international and regional diplomatic efforts and support aimed at achieving, without delay, a comprehensive, just and
lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference,
including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative,204 the Quartet road map205 and an end to the Israeli
occupation that began in 1967;
11. Stresses the importance of efforts to increase the role of Palestinian women in decision-making and of
their equal and meaningful participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and
promotion of peace and security, and encourages Member States and observer States as well as the United Nations
system to ensure systematic attention to, recognition of and support for the crucial role of Palestinian women at all
_______________
203 General Assembly resolution 70/1.
204 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
205 S/2003/529, annex.
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levels by, inter alia, promoting women’s capacity, leadership, participation and engagement in political, economic and
humanitarian decision-making;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report, and to include information on the gender-specific impact of the
occupation and the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution in his report on the economic and
social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan to the Economic
and Social Council at its 2020 session.
37th plenary meeting
23 July 2019
2019/29. Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions
of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 73/98 of 7 December 2018 and 73/255 of 20 December 2018,
Recalling also its resolution 2018/20 of 24 July 2018,
Guided by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of
territory by force, and recalling relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of
22 November 1967, 252 (1968) of 21 May 1968, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980,
497 (1981) of 17 December 1981 and 2334 (2016) of 23 December 2016,
Recalling the resolutions of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, including resolutions
ES-10/13 of 21 October 2003, ES-10/14 of 8 December 2003, ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004 and ES-10/17 of
15 December 2006,
Taking note of the report of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia on the economic and social
repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan, as transmitted by the
Secretary-General,206
Reaffirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, of 12 August 1949,207 to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories
occupied by Israel since 1967,
Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,208 the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights208 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,209 and affirming that these human rights
instruments are applicable and must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as
well as in the occupied Syrian Golan,
Noting with concern that more than 70 years have passed since the adoption of General Assembly resolution
181 (II) of 29 November 1947 and 52 years since the occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem,
in 1967,
Taking note, in this regard, of Palestine’s accession to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian
law conventions as well as other international treaties,
_______________
206 A/74/88-E/2019/72.
207 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
208 See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
209 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
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22. Decides to include the item entitled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli
occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syria n Golan” in the agenda of its
2022 session.
1st plenary meeting
14 September 2020
2021/5. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,25
Recalling its relevant resolutions and all other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling also Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, including its
call upon all parties to armed conflict to respect fully international law applicable to the rights and
protection of women and girls, especially as civilians, and its emphasis on the responsibility of all
States to put an end to impunity,
Recalling further the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women,26
Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women27 as it concerns the
protection of civilian populations,
Reaffirming the obligations of States and all parties to armed conflict to comply with
international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, and the need to end
all violations of international humanitarian law and all violations and a buses of human rights,
Reaffirming also the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,28
the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,29 the outcomes of the twenty-third special session
of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”,30 and the political declaration on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of
the Fourth World Conference on Women adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at its
fifty-ninth session, 31 and reaffirming its commitment to their full, effective and accelerated
implementation,
Reaffirming further the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and
decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and the peacefu l resolution of conflicts as part of
efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all women in the region, stressing the importance of
women’s equal participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and
_______________
25 E/CN.6/2019/6.
26 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
27 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
28 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
29 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
30 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
31 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2015, Supplement No. 7 (E/2015/27), chap. I, sect. C, resolution 59/1,
annex.
Resolutions
30
promotion of peace and security, and welcoming in this regard the global call by international women
leaders made on 1 July 2020,
Expressing grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of
the Palestinian people by Israel, the occupying Power, and its impact on women and girls,
Expressing grave concern also at the deaths of and injuries caused to civilians, including
children, women and peaceful demonstrators, and emphasizing that civilian populations must be
protected by all parties in accordance with international humanitarian law,
Stressing the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian
law and international human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further
violations, protect civilians and promote peace,
Deeply concerned about violence against women and girls in all its different forms and
manifestations worldwide, which is underrecognized and underreported, particularly at the
community level, and its pervasiveness, which reflects discriminatory norms that reinforce
stereotypes and gender inequality and the corresponding impunity and lack of accountability,
reiterating the need to intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women
and girls in the public and private spheres in all regions of the world, and re -emphasizing that violence
against women and girls violates, and impairs their full enjoyment of, all human rights,
Noting the accession by Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian
law conventions, as well as other international treaties, and stressing the need to implement fully
obligations under those instruments that protect the rights of women and girls, including during and
post-conflict,
Noting also the importance of giving high priority to the swift adoption of the Family
Protection Law to ensure that women and girls are protected from gender-based violence, including
domestic violence,
Underlining the limitations on Palestinian jurisdiction in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, which undermine the ability of the Palestinian Government to protect
Palestinian women and girls in certain areas,
Noting the importance of the agencies, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system
in facilitating the advancement and empowerment of women in development in line with General
Assembly resolution 71/243 of 21 December 2016,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women
and girls with regard to the fulfilment of their rights, and their advancement, self -reliance and
integration in the development of their society;
2. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately cease all measures contrary to
international law, as well as discriminatory legislation, policies and actions in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, that violate the human rights of th e Palestinian
people, and stresses that Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children, account for the vast
majority of those adversely affected by the conflict;
3. Calls for urgent measures to ensure the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian
population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with the
relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and as called for by the Security Council in its
resolution 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994;
4. Calls upon the parties to comply fully with their obligations, including as States parties
to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, taking fully
into consideration the concluding observations as well as the general recommendations of the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women;
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31
5. Acknowledges the contribution of national coalitions and committees in advancing
women’s rights, including those pertaining to resolution 1325 (2000), the Convention and combating
violence against women;
6. Welcomes the adoption by the Palestinian Government of a national action plan for the
implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) as well as of initiatives at the legislative, administrative
and security levels to advance women’s rights, notably in relation to family law and combating
violence against women;
7. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the
promotion and protection of the human rights of Palestinian women and gi rls and to intensify its
measures to improve the difficult conditions being faced by Palestinian women and their families,
including those living under Israeli occupation, and recognizes the importance of integrating gender
considerations across humanitarian programming by seeking to ensure the provision of access to
protection and the full range of medical, legal and livelihood and psychosocial services, including
services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, without discrimination, and through
ensuring that women and women’s groups can participate equally and meaningfully and are supported
in being leaders in humanitarian action;
8. Calls upon the international community, including the United Nations, in particular
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to continue to
provide urgently needed assistance, especially emergency assistance, and services, bearing in mind,
inter alia, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development32 and national priorities, in an effort to
alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families, in
particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in the
Gaza Strip;
9. Recalls the need for all parties to armed conflict to respect the civilian and
humanitarian character of refugee camps and to take into account the particular needs of women and
girls, and stresses that the situation of the Palestine refugees, including women and girls, continues
to be a matter of grave concern and that they continue to require assistance to meet basic health,
education and living needs, pending a just resolution of the problem of Palestine refugees in
conformity with General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948;
10. Reaffirms the necessity of achieving a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine,
the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, in all its aspects, and urges in this regard the intensificati on and
acceleration of renewed international and regional diplomatic efforts and support aimed at achieving,
without delay, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the relevant
United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace,
the Arab Peace Initiative,33 the Quartet road map34 and an end to the Israeli occupation that began in
1967;
11. Stresses the importance of efforts to increase the role of Palestinian women in
decision-making and of their equal and meaningful participation and involvement in all efforts for
the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and encourages Member States
and observer States as well as the United Nations system to ensure systematic attention to, recognition
of and support for the crucial role of Palestinian women at all levels by, inter alia, promoting women’s
capacity, leadership, participation and engagement in political, economic and humanitarian decision -
making and by improving the gender balance in senior civilian government positions and in security
functions;
_______________
32 General Assembly resolution 70/1.
33 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
34 S/2003/529, annex.
Resolutions
32
12. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those set out in his rep ort, and to include information on
the gender-specific impact of the occupation and the progress made in the implementation of the
present resolution in his report on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on
the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan to the Economic and Social Council
at its 2021 session.
1st plenary meeting
14 September 2020
2021/6. Programme of work of the United Nations Forum on Forests for the period 2022–2024
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling its resolution 2020/14 of 17 July 2020, entitled “Outcome of the fifteenth se ssion
of the United Nations Forum on Forests”,
Adopts the programme of work of the United Nations Forum on Forests for the period 2022 –
2024, as contained in the annex to the present resolution.
8th plenary meeting
8 June 2021
Annex
Programme of work of the United Nations Forum on Forests for its seventeenth, eighteenth and
nineteenth sessions
Table 1
Seventeenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, 2022 (policy session)
Priorities in support of implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030
1. Thematic priorities for the biennium 2021–2022: selected global forest goals and associated targets in
accordance with the sixteenth session of the Forum and consideration of relevant proposals contained in the
Chair’s summary from the sixteenth session
2. Other policy session items and consideration of relevant proposals contained in the Chair’s summary
from the sixteenth session
(a) New announcements of voluntary national contributions
(b) Updates by stakeholders and partners on activities in support of the thematic priorities
(i) Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its workplan
(ii) Regional and subregional organizations and processes
(iii) Major groups and other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and philanthropic
community
(c) Interlinkages between the global forest goals and targets and the Sustainable Development Goals
under review by the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2022 and international forestrelated
developments
Resolutions
121
between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian
people, in order to pave the way for the realization of the two-State solution of Israel and Palestine living side by side
in peace and security within recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 borders, and the achievement of a just, lasting
and comprehensive peace settlement;
21. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session, through
the Economic and Social Council, a report on the implementation of the present resolution and to continue to include
in the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator an update on the living conditions of the Palestinian people,
in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies;
22. Decides to include the item entitled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the
living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the
Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” in the agenda of its 2023 session.
34th plenary meeting
22 July 2022
2022/23. Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,161
Recalling its relevant resolutions and all other relevant United Nations resolutions,
Recalling also Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, including its call upon all parties
to armed conflict to respect fully international law applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls,
especially as civilians, and its emphasis on the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity,
Recalling further the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,162
Recalling the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women163 as it concerns the protection of
civilian populations,
Reaffirming the obligations of States and all parties to armed conflict to comply with international humanitarian
law and international human rights law, as applicable, and the need to end all violations of international humanitarian
law and all violations and abuses of human rights,
Reaffirming also the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,164 the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action,165 the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,166 and the political
declaration on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women adopted by
the Commission on the Status of Women at its sixty-fourth session,167 and reaffirming its commitment to their full,
effective and accelerated implementation,
Reaffirming further the importance of increasing the role of women in peacebuilding and decision-making with
regard to conflict prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts as part of efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing
of all women in the region, stressing the importance of women’s equal participation and involvement in all
_______________
161 See A/77/90-E/2022/66.
162 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
163 General Assembly resolution 48/104.
164 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15–26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.
165 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13),
chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
166 General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
167 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2020, Supplement No. 7 (E/2020/27), chap. I, sect. A.
Resolutions
122
efforts for the achievement, maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and welcoming in this regard the global
call by international women leaders made on 1 July 2020,
Expressing grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian
people by Israel, the occupying Power, and its impact on women and girls,
Expressing grave concern also at the deaths of and injuries caused to civilians, including children, women,
peaceful demonstrators and journalists, and emphasizing that civilian populations must be protected by all parties in
accordance with international humanitarian law,
Strongly condemning, in this regard, the killing of the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and stressing the need to
promptly ensure accountability,
Stressing the need for the protection of civil society actors to allow them to conduct their work freely and without
fear of attacks and harassment from any party, and rejecting any attacks against civil society,
Stressing also the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and
international human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further violations, protect civilians and
promote peace,
Deeply concerned about violence against women and girls in all its different forms and manifestations
worldwide, which is underrecognized and underreported, particularly at the community level, and its pervasiveness,
which reflects discriminatory norms that reinforce stereotypes and gender inequality and the corresponding impunity
and lack of accountability, reiterating the need to intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against
women and girls in the public and private spheres in all regions of the world, and re-emphasizing that violence against
women and girls violates, and impairs their full enjoyment of, all human rights,
Noting the accession by Palestine to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian law conventions,
as well as other international treaties, and stressing the need to implement fully obligations under those instruments
that protect the rights of women and girls, including during and post-conflict,
Noting also the importance of giving high priority to the swift adoption of the Family Protection Law to ensure
that women and girls are protected from gender-based violence, including domestic violence,
Underlining the limitations on Palestinian jurisdiction in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, which undermine the ability of the Palestinian Government to protect Palestinian women and girls in
certain areas,
Noting the importance of the agencies, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in facilitating the
advancement and empowerment of women in development in line with General Assembly resolution 75/233 of
21 December 2020,
1. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard
to the fulfilment of their rights, and their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their
society;
2. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately cease all measures contrary to international law,
as well as discriminatory legislation, policies and actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, that violate the human rights of the Palestinian people, and stresses that Palestinian civilians, particularly
women and children, account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by the conflict;
3. Calls for urgent measures to ensure the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with the relevant provisions of international
humanitarian law and as called for by the Security Council in its resolution 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994;
4. Calls upon the parties to comply fully with their obligations, including as States parties to the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, taking fully into consideration the concluding
observations as well as the general recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women;
5. Acknowledges the contribution of national coalitions and committees in advancing women’s rights,
including those pertaining to resolution 1325 (2000), the Convention and combating violence against women;
Resolutions
123
6. Welcomes the adoption by the Palestinian Government of a national action plan for the implementation of
resolution 1325 (2000) as well as of initiatives at the legislative, administrative and security levels to advance women’s
rights, notably in relation to family law and combating violence against women;
7. Urges the international community to continue to give special attention to the promotion and protection
of the human rights of Palestinian women and girls and to intensify its measures to improve the difficult conditions
being faced by Palestinian women and their families, including those living under Israeli occupation, and recognizes
the importance of integrating gender considerations across humanitarian programming by seeking to ensure the
provision of access to protection and the full range of medical, legal and livelihood and psychosocial services,
including services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, without discrimination, and through ensuring
that women and women’s groups can participate equally and meaningfully and are supported in being leaders in
humanitarian action;
8. Calls upon the international community, including the United Nations, in particular the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to continue to provide urgently needed assistance,
especially emergency assistance, and services, bearing in mind, inter alia, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development168 and national priorities, in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian
women and their families, in particular for addressing the humanitarian crisis and deteriorating socioeconomic and
psychosocial conditions in the Gaza Strip;
9. Recalls the need for all parties to armed conflict to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of
refugee camps and to take into account the particular needs of women and girls, and stresses that the situation of the
Palestine refugees, including women and girls, continues to be a matter of grave concern and that they continue to
require assistance to meet basic health, education and living needs, pending a just resolution of the problem of
Palestine refugees in conformity with General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948;
10. Reaffirms the necessity of achieving a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, the core of the
Arab-Israeli conflict, in all its aspects, and urges in this regard the intensification and acceleration of renewed
international and regional diplomatic efforts and support aimed at achieving, without delay, a comprehensive, just and
lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference,
including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative,169 the Quartet road map170 and an end to the Israeli
occupation that began in 1967;
11. Stresses the importance of efforts to increase the role of Palestinian women in decision-making and of
their full, equal and meaningful participation and involvement in all efforts for the achievement, maintenance and
promotion of peace and security, and encourages Member States and observer States as well as the United Nations
system to ensure systematic attention to, recognition of and support for the crucial role of Palestinian women at all
levels by, inter alia, promoting women’s capacity, leadership, participation and engagement in political, economic and
humanitarian decision-making and by improving the gender balance in senior civilian government positions and in
security functions, while recognizing the need to protect women participating in public spaces from threats and
reprisals;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, including those set out in his report, and to include information on the gender-specific impact of the
occupation and the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution in his report on the economic and
social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan to the Economic
and Social Council at its 2023 session.
34th plenary meeting
22 July 2022
_______________
168 General Assembly resolution 70/1.
169 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
170 S/2003/529, annex.
UNITED
NATIONS
Economic and Social Council Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1986/6
27 January 1986
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-first session
Vienna, 24 February-5 March 1986
Item 5 of the provisional agenda*
PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL
PEACE AND CO-OPERATION
Interim report of the Secretary-General on rhe preparation of
a comprehensive report on the situation of Palestinian women
living within and outsiue the occupied Arao territories
1. In paragraph 2 of its resolution 1984/18 of 24 May 1984, the Economic and
Social Council requested the Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive report on
the situation of Palestinian women living within and outside tne occupied Arab
territories and to submit it to the Commission on the Status of Women at its
thirty-second session.
2. In paragraph 3 of the resolution, the Council requested the Secretary-General
to submit an interim report on the preparation of that comprehensive report to the
Commission at its thirty-first session. The present report is submitted in
response to that request.
3. It should be noted that, in paragraph 1 of tne resolution, the Council
requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its thirty-first
session an updated version of the report on the situation of Palestinian women and
children in the occupied Arab territories submitted to the Commission at its
thirtieth session. The updated report has been circulated as document
E/CN.6/1986/7.
E/CN.6/1986/1.
86-02284 4848e (E)
v.86-51231
E/CN.6/1986/6
English
Page 2
4. With respect to the comprehensive report of the Secretary-General on the
situation of Palestinian women living within and outside the occupied Arab
territories, it is proposed that the first part of the report should deal with
Palestinian women living within the occupied Arab territories. Since this subject
is covered in the updated report mentioned in paragraph 3 above, that report, duly
adapted and further updated, will constitute the first part of the comprehensive
report.
5. The second part of the comprehensive report will contain information on the
situation of Palestinian women living outside the occupied Arab territories. It is
proposed that, in keeping with established procedure, this part of the report
should focus on the situation of Palestinian women in the host countries as defined
in United Nations practice, namely, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon ana the Syrian Arab
Republic.
6. In order to prepare the secona part of the report, the Secretariat will seek
from the Governments of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, as
well as from the Palestine Liberation Organization, relevant information on the
situation of Palestinian women living in those host countries. Consultations with
the appropriate bodies of the United Nations will also be undertaKen for this
purpose.
UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1988/8/Corr.1
25 January 1988
ENGLISH ONLY
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-second session
Vienna, 14-23 March 1988
Item 4 of the provisional agenda
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES
FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
The situation of Palestinian women living within and outside the
occupied Arab territories
Report of the Secretary-General
Corrigendum
Page 16
Replace table 6 by the table appearing overleaf.
V.88-20692
4305T
2
Table 6. Training places for males and females in UNRWA training centres
(Academic year 1986/87)
Syrian
Arab
Republic
Jordan Lebanon Damascus
Amman Wadi Seer Siblin Vocational
Training Training Training Training
Type of Centre Centre Centre a/ Centre
training M F M F M F M F
A. Vocational
and
technical
education
1. Postpreparatory
level b/ - 60 544 - 32 - 542 2
2. Postsecondary
level c/ 110 210 206 22 224 — 125 75
Total 110 270 750 22 256
—
667 77
B. Pre-service
teacher
training 110 190 - - - - — -
Grand total 220 460 750 22 256
— 667 77
Source: Excerpted from Report of the Commissioner General of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,
1 July 1986-30 June 1987 (Official Records of the General Assembly,
Forty-second Session, Supplement tyo. 13 (A/42/13)), table 6.
a/ Centre was inoperative throughout 1986/87. Trainees shown above
attended courses off the premises.
b/ Courses were offered to post-preparatory-level students in the
mechanical, metal, electrical and building trades.
c/ Courses were offered to post-secondary-level students in the
technical, commercial, electronics and paramedical fields.
UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-fourth session
Vienna, 26 February-9 March 1990
Item 5 (e) of the provisional agenda*
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1990/10
8 February 1990
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
REVIEW AND APPRAISAL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI
FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
The situation of Palestinian women in the occupied
territories
Note by the Secretary-General**
SUMMARY
The report of the mission of experts analyses various aspects of
the living conditions of Palestinian women and, in particular, the
impact of the Intifada on the Palestinian family; education; health,
including the psychological well-being of women and children; economy
and employment, as well as the changing traditional roles of women
towards self-reliance and decision-making. Recommendations aimed at
the long- and short-term improvement of the living conditions of
Palestinian women are presented.
>°cE/CN. 6/1990/1.
**Annexes I and II have been reproduced in the form in which they were
received; only typographical errors and errors of fact or terminology have
been corrected.
V.90-81343 6353T
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 2
INTRODUCTION
1. This report has been prepared in pursuance of Economic and Social Council
resolutions 1988/25 of 26 May 1988 and 1989/34 of 24 May 1989. In resolution
1989/34, paragraph 1, the Council requested the Secretary-General:
"to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation of Palestinian
women, making use of all available information, including United
Nations reports, information from Governments, non-governmental
organizations, missions undertaken by United Nations bodies and
specialized agencies to the occupied territories, and reports of
meetings and seminars as appropriate, and to submit the report to
the Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-fourth session."
2. Furthermore, in paragraph 5 of the same resolution, the Council again
requested the Secretary-General "to send a mission composed of experts on the
status of women to investigate the condition of Palestinian women and children,
in the light of the drastic deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian
territories". The mission had originally been mandated by the Economic and
Social Council in its resolution 1988/25, paragraph 4, in which the Council
requested the Secretary-General, "as a matter of urgency, to send a mission
composed of experts on the status of women to investigate the situation of
Palestinian women and children, in the light of the recent tragic developments
in the occupied Palestinian territories".
3. In view of the reiterated request for the mission, the Secretary-General
decided to send a mission composed of three experts plus United Nations staff
to those countries in which Palestine refugees resided that would be willing
to receive the mission, including the occupied Palestinian territories themselves.
In a note verbale dated 3 August 1989, the Secretary-General invited
the Governments of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, as the
host countries, and the Government of Israel, as the occupying power, to
provide the Secretary-General with confirmation of their "support for this
fact-finding mission". In a letter dated 3 August 1989, the Secretariat invited
the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to provide the SecretaryGeneral
with support for the mission.
4. In reply to the note verbale, the Governments of Egypt, Jordan and the
Syrian Arab Republic expressed their support for the dispatch of a fact-finding
mission. "Assistance and full support" to the mission was communicated to the
Secretary-General by the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations
(Vienna). The Government of Israel replied as follows:
"The Permanent Representative of Israel would like to draw the
attention of the Secretary-General to the fact that the above mentioned
resolutions contain already conclusions concerning the situation
in the territories which makes - in our eyes - an additional
investigation by a mission completely unnecessary. However, the
Government of Israel will reconsider its position concerning the
support of a fact finding mission if such a request of support will
not be part of a resolution with a conclusive condemnatory nature."
5. Since some of the Governments concerned were willing to accept the
mission, the Secretary-General decided that the mission should collect the
information on the conditions of Palestinian women and children in the
occupied Palestinian territories in the neighbouring countries. It was
decided that the mission would visit Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic
during the week of 9-16 December 1989. The mission was to be composed of
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 3
three experts on the status of women: an expert on women's rights from
Argentina, a specialist on education from Norway and an expert on economic
questions from the Philippines. Because of conditions in her country at the
time, the expert from the Philippines informed the Secretariat two days before
the departure of the mission that she would not be able to join it. Its
final composition was, therefore, limited to two experts, a consultant and a
staff member from the Division for the Advancement of Women, Centre for Social
Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Office at Vienna,
accompanied by two technical assistants.
6. The experts were Ingrid Morken, Director for the Board of Colleges in
Hedmark, Norway, and Ana Maria Alfonsin de Fasan, member of the Committee on
the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Ingrid Morken was formerly
President of the Women's University at Loten, Norway. Ana Maria Alfonsin de
Fasan was formerly Director-General for Women's Affairs of the Ministry of
Foreign and Religious Affairs of the Government of Argentina.
7. On 7 and 8 December 1989, the mission assembled at Vienna. From
9 to 12 December, and on 15 December, it visited Jordan, and on 13 and
14 December, it visited the Syrian Arab Republic. In both countries, the
mission established contacts with the authorities and with representatives of
the United Nations system and the General Union of Palestinian Women. The
mission visited Baqa'a and Jerash Refugee Camps in Jordan and El Ermuk Refugee
Camp in the Syrian Arab Republic. The mission also met with the representatives
of the Palestinian National Council at Amman.
8. The main task of the mission was to obtain as much information as possible
on the situation of Palestinian women and children in the occupied territories.
During the visit to Jordan, the mission interviewed people from the occupied
Palestinian territories who either came directly from the territories to meet
with the mission or were living in Jordan.
CONTENTS
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 5
ANNEX I. REPORT OF THE EXPERTS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR MISSION
TO JORDAN AND THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC..................... 6
INTRO DUCT I ON • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 6
I. CONDITIONS OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN......... 7
A. Impact on the Palestinian family................. 7
B. Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
C. Health and psychological well-being.............. . 10
D. Economy and employment ••••••••..•.•.••••••.•••••• 11
II. CHANGING TRADITIONAL ROLES TOWARDS SELF-RELIANCE
AND DECISION-MAKING . • . • • • . . • • • . • . . . . • • • • • • . • • • • . . • . • . 13
III. CONCLUSIONS .......................................... 15
ANNEX II. MAIN STATISTICAL INFORMATION.............................. 16
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 6
ANNEX I. REPORT OF THE EXPERTS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR MISSION
TO JORDAN AND THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
INTRODUCTION
The situation of Palestinian women in the occupied territories is profoundly
influenced by the consequences of continued military occupation,
following war in 1967, and the tragic events connected with the Palestinian
popular uprising against occupation, the Intifada, which began in December 1987.
The findings of the mission reveal that the situation of Palestinian women
and children could not be separated from the larger political question. From
the point of views of women interviewed, without a political solution such
as an independent state, their situation and that of their children would
deteriorate further and was not likely to be improved.
That political situation has aspects far beyond the mandate of the mission
and which are dealt with in other United Nations bodies. However, for
Palestinian women, the struggle for an independent Palestinian state and a
Palestinian identity was central to their lives. They expressed a willingness
to accept sacrifices, including their children, in order to achieve this.
There is no doubt that women and children are suffering physically,
economically and emotionally under the existing situation. There is also no
doubt that women are playing a central role in the struggle of their people.
This increased participation is changing the nature of their role in society
and they are accordingly changing society as such. The society which emerges
as a result of these changes could be very different for women.
Given the limited time available to the mission and its inability to
visit the occupied Palestinian territories themselves, an effort was made to
select interviewees from the broadest possible spectrum of people who could
provide information on conditions either from their personal or their professional
experience. Because of concern for the physical security of interviewees
and their families, the names are being kept confidential. The mission
interviewed 22 persons, out of which three were men. Fifteen of the interviewees
lived in the occupied territories, the remainder in Jordan. Out of
19 women interviewed, 13 were married, one divorced, one widowed and four
single. A few women were separated from their husbands, due to deportation or
their husbands' arrests, and were staying with their parents in Jordan. The
age of interviewees ranged from 19 to 62 years. Only five of the interviewed
women worked although most of them (16) had professional training, including
university degrees. Several had doctorate degrees, a few were physicians,
others were qualified teachers working previously in educational institutions
of different levels from kindergartens to universities. The great majority of
those qualified and unemployed women stated that they did not work because of
a lack of any job opportunities. A few said they had lost their previous jobs
for political reasons, deportation or forced emigration from the West Bank.
Only very few stopped working after getting married and never returned to
their jobs. The married and widowed women (14) all had at least two children
each. In four cases the number of children was four or more.
About half of the interviewed women were involved in various kinds of
social activities, working for women's organizations, charity and selfreliance
associations, women's networks and workshops. A few of them have
been involved, at least in certain periods of their lives, in direct political
activities, such as demonstrations or "underground" education.
E/CN.6/199O/1O
Page 7
On the basis of the information obtained in Jordan and the Syrian Arab
Republic, the mission drafted its report in Vienna from 17 to 19 December 1989.
The statistics included in Annex II were prepared by the Division for the
Advancement of Women.
I. CONDITIONS OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN
The conditions of Palestinian women and children can be seen in terms of
longer-term trends, reflected in statistics and in studies, as well as in
testimony about their daily lives under the occupation and in the Intifada.
Many of the conditions described could be termed violations of human rights as
these are defined in international law. Many of these are reflected in the
mission's findings regarding specific sectors like education, health and
employment.
Military occupation tightening its grip during Intifada, has involved
administrative and judicial measures that have had particular effects on
women. This is reflected in the increased levels of violence, in the use of
collective punishment such as detentions or searches of houses, or curfews,
cutting off of electricity and water supply, closing of schools or demolition
of houses.
Practices affecting the lives of women which were important included:
land confiscation, demolition of trees and crops, employing cultural taboos in
a way to cause stress to women, shooting, imprisonment of women, including
pregnant women, health problems facing women in jail, deportation of husband
or wife, closing down of women's organizations and women's production centers,
destruction of hospital equipment, destruction of property in the home, and
destruction of family homes. Women are also affected by punitive measures
employed against them and members of their families: arrests and beatings,
verbal insults, forced cleaning of slogans from walls and, above all, school
closings.
The efforts to suppress the Intifada had included administrative measures
which did not involve due process of law. The mission heard extensive testimony
on the harsh treatment of women detainees, including women held in
administrative detention. Prisons were reported as overcrowded and medical
care, especially for pregnant women, was reported as inadequate. Infants born
in prison remaining with the mother during her period of incarceration receive
very poor health care The imprisonment of women is particularly stressful to
the family since in traditional cultures women are totally responsible for the
private sphere of the home. While women from the community may seek to
perform a detained woman's roles as best they can, her children are also sometimes
cared for by relatives who may live in a distant village or section of
town. This upheaval in the family causes stress on the children as well as
stress on the mother.
The witnesses interviewed felt that the punitive measures were intended
to make life difficult and even impossible in order to encourage emigration.
A. Impact on the Palestinian family
The situation has an impact on the Palestinian family. On the one hand
its traditional structure regained its importance during the Intifada. Its
members comfort each other and give more feelings of security to the children.
On the other hand, the role of women has become more important and on a more
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 8
equal footing with men. Partnership between men and women, including in some
cases sharing of domestic duties and child care, is becoming more natural and
frequent. The relations within the families are becoming mutually supportive,
families unity strengthened. Only in a few cases was there an indication that
stress resulted in tension between the husband and the wife.
However, because schools are closed, many parents consider it safer for
girls to marry early and for this reason they are beginning to have many
children and from a very early age. For women giving testimony, the high
fertility of mothers is seen as something positive, as a reassurance of the
continued existence of the nation. Although before the Intifada, people were
beginning to talk about family planning, now mothers are said to want to have
more children. It was stated by many that loss of land and freedom is worse
than losing one's children.
In the context of the Intifada, the family lives under tremendous
psychological pressure. While children distribute pamphlets and participate
in the conflict, it is reported that at night they display psychosomatic
symptoms such as convulsions, bed-wetting and even cases of diabetes. Many
women indicated a sense of guilt because they could not prevent children from
participating in actions that they know could be physically and morally
harmful to the child. This may have long-term effects on the child as an
adult.
In addition to the stress produced by their direct involvement in community
aspects of the Intifada, women must cope with difficult conditions
within their families. Women separated from their husbands live in fear for
the husbands lives, since they often have no information about what is happening
to them. The accompaniment of curfews with cutting off of electricity
means that many large families are forced to live in close quarters for many
days without amenities. Instances were reported where deportations of wives
who had not been born in the occupied territories was employed as a punitive
measure to coerce the husbands. If the husband refused to collaborate with
the authorities, the wife's permit to stay in the occupied territories was not
extended.
This also affects the children. Children are exposed to violence often
at an early age and rapidly are made aware of the political realities of
occupation. During curfews that sometimes last for several days, fear and
aggression is expressed inside the house. This places considerable pressure
on the members of the families sometimes causing tension between the parents.
The children engage in role-playing the Palestinian/Israeli conflict - acting
out the stress by fighting and screaming. If not , they sit frequently in
front of the TV watching violence. The psychological impact on the children
can be seen in the frustration, nervousness, stress, fear and aggression. The
long term effects cannot be predicted with certainty. However, from previous
conflicts and wars, research shows that this lack of normal childhood will
influence the rest of their lives. Many of the mothers feel that the next
generation is going to pay too high a price. Not having schools, children are
irritable and nervous and sometimes throw stones at each other; their mothers
have to explain to them that the enemy is external. Before, the respectful
and obedient child was considered superior; now the strong, muscular and
aggressive child is more popular.
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 9
In sum, the Intifada, implying a constant state of uncertainty and fear
combined with the new roles and responsibilities, place considerable stress
and pressure on Palestinian women. They have to assume a major part of
domestic and economic responsibilities in order to ensure a minimum of
subsistence to their families. They also have to educate their children,
making up for closed schools and kindergartens. Their houses have been often
searched, children threatened by soldiers breaking in at any time of day or
night. Some women lost their children, husbands or other close family
members. Others lost their houses, furniture, property, pieces of land or
have been deported. Many women live with their extensive families in the
overcrowded rooms, without proper nutrition, health care, proper hygienic
standards. Having to cope with 11 those demands often lead to and affect
seriously their health in an environment where health services are becoming
precarious, as seen below.
B. Education
Education has long been viewed as an important asset by Palestinians but
has become specially important since the occupation of 1967. It is perceived
as a way of giving children some security for the future in an uncertain world.
During this period, there have been some marked changes regarding who has
access to education, with quite rapid increases in the numbers of girls who go
to school, including university level. While women's access to education and
the impact it has on their lives are conditioned by the social attitudes to
women within Palestinian society, there is full acceptance today that girls,
whatever their social background, as well as boys should attend school for at
least 6 years.
Palestinian children living in the occupied territories receive formal
education through institutions managed by the occupying authorities, the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA) and private organizations. Over 60 per cent are institutions
controlled by the Government of the occupation authorities. These institutions
include a small number of kindergarten schools for children below
6 years of age; elementary schools for children between 6 and 12 years of age;
and preparatory schools for children between 13 and 15 years of age. The
elementary and preparatory levels are compulsory serving well over 450,000
pupils. Schools in the Gaza Strip follow the Egyptian curriculum and those in
the West Bank the Jordanian curriculum, except for Al-Quds, Jerusalem, where
schools are compelled to follow the educational system of Israel, the occupying
power.
In rural areas of the West Bank, schools above the primary level are
few. This means that children continuing their schooling have to commute,
sometimes quite long distances, especially to secondary schools. Many
families do not regard commuting as acceptable for girls. In rural areas this
often combines existing social pressures to keep girls at home after the
primary cycle to help with domestic or agricultural work. The fact that many
men are not present in their families - so that the women are heads of
households - often leaves the burden on these girls which is viewed as
necessary to the family's survival. It certainly seems to be the case that
girls in the camps generally stay at school longer than their rural sisters.
Since 1987, intrusions by the military of kindergartens, preschools and
school campuses have been commonplace particularly in West Bank. The main
current educational problem is that since December 1987, hardly any formal
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 10
education at any level has been provided to about 500,000 people in the
Occupied Territories. This leads to serious consequences for the pupils and
their families. Kindergartens, schools and universities have been closed for
weeks and months. The children have to play and act in the streets. This
gives them the opportunity to confront the violence they are experiencing:
they throw stones and burn tires.
To try to make the best out of the situation, the women are maintaining
"undergronnd teaching" and clandestine education. The women - mothers or
volnnteer teachers - are teaching the children in the mosques and homes.
However, at the beginning of the third year of the Intifada this has continued,
although some women have had to stop their participation because of harassment
and provocation.
As noted earlier with Intifada the Palestinian women found themselves
involved in many new roles and tasks. They consider themselves ahead of other
Arab women, for example women interviewed referred to new development such as
men starting to accept women's involvement outside the house and even encourage
women to be active in the community. TV certainly has an important impact in
this respect - they can watch what other women are doing, especially in the
occupied territories. The fact that school girls frequently have taken part
in demonstrations and strikes has certainly altered men's perceptions of them,
and these exceptional circumstances have altered what is permitted as far as
girls' behavior in public. In that sense, the Intifada is clearly speeding up
the process of equal rights for males and females.
The Women's Union, which now is forbidden at the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
is running hospitals, schools and kindergartens. Important work for pre-school
children is done. This aim to fill the gap which has existed in preschool
education, and to develop new, more child-centered and less rigid educational
ideas is something which may also help to break down some male-female stereotypes.
For years the universities face constant challenges from the occupation
authorities, including military raids on campus, arrests of students, and
closures. For persons with vocational and university education, unemployment
has reached crisis levels. Job opportnnities are limited for any graduate.
This fact means that men's needs tend to take priority and women are therefore
less likely to seek employment. Because of this, some families do not see the
value of higher education for their daughters and prefer early marriages.
The Intifada is, as we see, seriously inhibiting girls from pursuing their
education, as well as influencing the quality of education provided. There is
no continuity in teaching. Especially at the preschool, primary and secondary
level, the most fundamental and necessary equipment are missing. When schools
were open, they were frequently invaded by occupation authorities, with
accompanying disturbance to the children and teaching staff and damage to
furniture and equipment.
C. Health and psychological well-being
According to a number of witnesses interviewed, the health conditions of
the Palestinian population (men, women and children in the occupied territories)
is rapidly deteriorating due to an increase in curfews, use of tear
gas against the population, wounding by rubber and live bullets, delays in
getting wonnded to hospitals, beatings and broken bones, and the general
decline in economic standards. Casualty statistics indicate that 10 percent
of the fatalities and 23% of the injured connected with the Intifada and
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 11
measures to suppress it were women. Also, inadequate sanitation, nutrition
and water supply, insufficient access to medical facilities and high costs of
medical care provided by Israeli authorities continue to be factors contributing
to poor health conditions in the area. Pregnant women in particular
suffer from the use of tear gas in closed areas and statistics indicate a
significant increase in miscarriages as a result. The stressful situation in
the occupied territories is linked to the drying up of the mother's breast
milk supply causing problems of malnutrition among infants and new born
babies. In times of curfew, no other milk can be found to feed the babies.
Water mixed with starch has been used as a substitute for mother's milk with
unsuccessful results. Also, some families are unable to afford the cost of
purchasing canned milk for infants, and consequently the babies suffer from
poor nutrition.
In times of general curfews, telephone communications are sometimes cut.
Ambulances are prevented from responding to emergency calls, including
deliveries. Home deliveries are, therefore, increasing. Complications for
mother and infant mortality rates are rising as a result. Jalazoon camp was
under curfew for 48 days, other camps as well were under long periods of
curfew.
There is as well a deterioration of the psychological well-being of
mothers in particular. During prolonged periods of curfew, women are fully
responsible for finding food to feed the large Palestinian family. They must
also insure that the children stay within the family home which is often
over-crowded. Women must also deal with their husband's frustration at his
inability to go out and earn an income. It was stated that women seemed to be
stronger and more able to cope with the circumstances than men, some of whom
had developed psychological problems. However, the combined effect of this
stressful situation is linked to an increase in cases of high blood pressure,
miscarriages, diabetes, headaches and psycho-somatic illnesses among women.
There are few medical services available for these stress-related problems.
D. Economy and employment
The deterioration in the economic standards of the territories and the
decline in employment rates had a strong impact on the socio-political situation
which caused the young generation to resist occupation. The young and
the professional class see a dim economic future for them in the Occupied
Territories since the economy is set up to absorb and encourage workers who
labour for the benefit of the Israeli economy. The situation of the worker is
also insecure since most work without official papers and therefore receive no
benefits. There was some evidence given that Palestinian workers receive
less than an Israeli worker. These are the general conditions that existed
in the territories before the Intifada.
Prior to the Intifada women worked in Israel in four main areas: manufacturing,
cleaning, sweatshops, and picking fruits. They were paid roughly
50% of what an Israeli worker received, since they were not part of the formal
labour force covered by labour regulations. Some women experienced stress
because of the distance between their village and their work place. Some
women felt that they prefer not to work for an economic system perceived by
the local population to be oppressive. During the Intifada many women quit
these jobs and sought to replace them with independent work within the home:
growing vegetables for the market place, knitting caps and sweaters for
prisoners and sewing.
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 12
During the last year, firstly because of curfews, fewer workers, including
women, worked in Israel. Consequently, in order to survive the population
returned to practices that exist in less economically developed cultures where
household economies predominate. A second motivating factor was the desire to
boycott goods made in Israel. By returning to a more primitive form of
economy, i.e., forming small co-operatives for canning, growing small vegetable
gardens and raising poultry, women's role in the economic system became more
important since women have been traditionally the ones to carry on such work.
Should these small industries indeed become the new infrastructure of the new
State, as many have said, then women are currently building this infrastructure.
Many women felt that it is important to insure their continued participation
in socio-economic matters after a solution to the current situation has
been reached.
A number of co-operatives planned by women and run by women are operating
on the West Bank. These co-operatives produce canned goods, biscuits and
cookies, grow and sell vegetables, and raise poultry for local markets. Their
objective is to encourage women to earn a living within reach of their children,
in the same village. These co-operatives provide a sample of a very
productive system of production in which women could become more involved.
The women stated that they need more funding and more training in order to
improve this system.
Women are also engaged in sewing, knitting and embroidery centers that
operate all over the occupied territories. However, some of these centers
have been closed down in recent months by the occupation authorities. Women
are working in their homes, but the problem they now face is that of marketing
their products since the organizations which used to buy these products are
having financial problems and the export of many commodities is prohibited ..
The closing down of women's organizations such as In'ash al-Usra (family
rehabilitation) was considered to be a step that will retard the self reliance
measures that women have recently assumed in order to cope with current conditions.
Such organizations, run by women for women, account for many home industries
such as sewing and embroidery. Through these organizations women can
supplement their income without having to leave their children. These institutions
were instrumental also in education adult women and in providing them
with vocational training. In'ash al-Usra used to provide for 5,400 families,
it is now shut down. In order to continue to employ its of staff 198 women,
the organization continued to operate on a smaller scale in a clandestine
fashion in private homes. The organization had centers for sewing, centers
for embroidery, and a production center for making cookies. It used to lend
money for small agrarian projects headed by women. Since the organization is
now prevented from selling products made before the closing orders went into
effect, the organization has been totally disabled financially.
Since men are home due to curfew and unemployment, they are now helping in
home industries. Some men learned how to knit caps for prisoners. These
developments mark an important role transformation for women in Palestinien
society, focussing on self reliant and independent economic sytstem.
The problem facing the population is that they currently have very little
control over their economic system, including agrarian and small-scale industries.
In times of curfew big trucks loaded with home grown vegetables are
left by the sidewalk to rot while the population is in need of these nutrients.
During curfews, the electricity is sometimes shut off causing damage to
products in co-operatives that need refrigeration or baking. While these
E/CN.6/199O/1O
Page 13
economic steps are helping women heads of households increase their meager
income, under the current conditions home economics cannot provide a viable
alternative to an economic system that is based on developing the potential of
the occupied territories. It must also be noted that home industries cannot
absorb the high rates of professionals who cannot find employment in their
own fields.
In order to ensure the subsistence of the Palestinian population, it
appeared nonetheless necessary in the short term to provide women's cooperatives
and organizations with measures that would allow them to continue
their efforts towards self reliance. Assistance in marketing products as well
as training in production sales and management were identified as important
areas that could effectively ameliorate the conditions of women struggling for
the survival of the Palestinian economy.
II. CHANGING TRADITIONAL ROLES TOWARD SELF-RELIANCE AND
DECISION-MAKING
A central women's role has been the preservation of tradition, national
heritage, culture and its symbols, instilling in their children respect for
national values and knowledge of their history. This was regarded as a necessary
cultural and social precondition for the Intifada and a sustaining element
in the continuing commitment of the Palestinian people to the uprising. The
importance of this role has increased during two years of Intifada and clearly
contributed to resisting the debilitating effects of the measures adopted by
the occupation authorities to suppress the Intifada as well as to maintaining
the morale and unity of Palestinian families, communities and nation. The
preservation and increased importance of the traditional roles of Palestinian
women have been accompanied by changes regarding many aspects of their family,
social and political lives. In the context of the Intifada, women have gradually
started to assume new roles and responsibilities. In addition to their
roles of mothers, wives and sisters, they have become heads of household, main
income earners, teachers, as well as social and political activists.
According to the interviewees Intifada would not have broken out and continued
without the involvement of women. In particular certain traditional
roles which women have customarily played in the family and in society, as
well as traditional family structures have been crucial for the survival of
Palestinian society under extremely repressive living conditions.
As a consequence of the conditions in the occupied territories, many women
have been separated from their husbands and male family members when these
were arrested, deported or detained. Some have become widows. In some families,
male members have become physically or psychologically disabled. In all
these cases many women have had to assume the role of head of households. As
a result women have to make all decisions concerning both families and households
on a daily basis, they undertake whatever paid work they can obtain to
support their families, including work outside their homes and communities.
Some women became the only bread winners in their extensive families, providing
children, parents, younger brothers and sisters and often other relatives
- such as the unemployed, elderly or handicapped - with the bare minimum of
subsistence. These new roles, entailing often an economic dependence of male
family members on their wives, mothers or daughters, has significantly strengthened
the position of women in the family and in the community. It was
stated by a number of the women interviewed that even the elderly fathers, who
used to believe that a woman's place was at home, fully supported paid work of
their daughters outside their households and considered them to be as good as
E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 14
men in providing for the family. Much of women's empowerment to participate
in decision-making derives from their provision of essential income to the
family.
It was also noted by the interviewees that women have begun to take
increasingly decisions in the community, participate in local committees,
prepare protest actions as well as and work for social welfare organizations,
professional and labour unions. Women of all ages have begun joining men in
public demonstrations, writing political statements on the walls, throwing
stones and other forms of public political activities. For those activities,
many women have been arrested, detained, deported, beaten or insulted along
with men. As mentioned above, many Palestinians killed and injured during
the Intifada were women.
Because schools have been closed during most of the Intifada. In particular
in the West Bank, women have assumed the major responsibilities for
teaching, running what has been termed "underground education" described
earlier in the report. Because of the traditional importance of education
within Palestinian society, this activity has particularly added to women's
visibility and respectability.
Women also have been participating in women's committees, which have been
responsible for various aspects of life during the Intifada, including education,
health and self-reliance. This is particularly notable in providing
support to special hardship cases, such as families with absent heads of
household, numerous children and elderly, families without any income. This
support takes various forms depending on existing circumstances. For example,
women from the community take care of the children, provide the families with
some clothes and food, often sewing and cooking in turns. In case of families
whose houses were destroyed, women have organized shelter, sharing existing
housing facilities or using houses of people from the locality who are living
abroad. Whenever possible they also collect money, provide medicines and
other basic necessities. A difficulty is that meetings have been prohibited
because, at the meeting places, people are allegedly encouraged to participate
in the Intifada.
The emerging new position of women in the society is reflected in many
aspects of daily life. Besides the fact already noted that women can work
outside the home and, by virtue of their income-earning, have a voice in
domestic decision-making, women are also active members of various associations,
unions and organizations both exclusively for women and with mixed
membership. Some co-educational kindergartens and schools exist. Men and
women can walk together down the street and attend meetings together.
The Intifada has meant in many respects a revolution for women. Women's
issues have begun to be discussed as well as women's role in society. The
traditional relations between men and women have been gradually changing, as
is women's importance within their families, communities and the society as a
whole. For example, more and more women decide themselves on choosing husbands,
running households, seeking job opportunities, joining popular committees,
and other forms of struggle.
This new role of women and their essential contribution to the Intifada
have been accompanied by women's increased awareness of their new status and
the wish to strengthen the participation in political decision-making both
during the Intifada and in the future independent State. The ten percent
participation of women in the Palestine National Council does not reflect -
according to some women - their real contribution to and companionship in the
struggle and has to be increased.
III. CONCLUSIONS
E/CN.6/199O/1O
Page 15
On the basis of its findings the mission reached the following conclusions:
In the long run, the basic improvement of the living conditions of the
Palestinian women, their advancement, full equality and self-reliance can only
be achieved by an end to the occupation. Until then and taking into consideration
the present difficult and dangerous circumstances, some measures
can be suggested as short-term, partial solutions to some problems.
With regard to the legal aspects, there should be strict observance of
relevant international legal norms, especially the application of international
legal standards on armed conflict to protect women and children, such as the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War of 12 August 1949;
With regard to the living conditions of Palestinian people the occupying
power should stop collective punishment measures such as curfews, cuts of water
supplies, electricity, demolishing of houses, closure of schools and hospitals,
as those measures are particularly harmful to the Palestinian women and
children.
Concerning women's self-reliance the following can be recommended:
Israeli authorities should allow women's production centers to reopen;
Governmental, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations,
including the United Nations system, should encourage and assist in existing
income generating activities for Palestinian women, and in the creation of new
jobs, whenever possible;
Palestinian women should be assisted to create a women's centre that would
provide possibilities for child care, education, discussion, cultural activities
women's solidarity and some production. Such a centre could serve as a
model for creation of similar institutions in other places, including refugee
camps;
Palestinian women should be encouraged to take part, whenever possible, in
seminars and training workshops on equality rights, political participation
and decision-making.
Palestinian women are part of what can only be termed a tragedy, but one
which can and must be ended. It is a situation where people who were good,
and still have the capacity for goodness, commit acts that violate the most
elementary principles of humanity. It is reflected in the fact that young
children are brought up in hatred and the need to participate in the strife,
even.being considered heroes and martyrs. It is also reflected in the fact
that soldiers of the occupation, who are also young, kill and wound children
and women and engage in other extreme behaviour. The mental stability of both
occupied and occupier is endangered by this situation and it seems particularly
important now, at a moment when humanity is celebrating the elimination of
walls separating peoples elsewhere, that the wall between Palestinians and
Israelis should come down as soon as possible, with a secure peace, with each
people in its own land, so that the two peoples can develop culturally and
economically, complement one another and even begin to look upon each other as
brothers and sisters.
ANNEX II. MAIN STATISTICAL INFORMATION
POPULATION ESTIMATES, BY SEX AND AGE
WEST B A N K
F e m a I e s M
1986 Number Percentaae Percentaae Number
N2E. Thousand within fem. from Total Thousand
0-4 77,300 18.5 9.2 81,700
5-14 111,800 26. 7 13.3 120,400
15-19 43,300 10.3 5.2 48,600
20-24 42,600 10.2 5.1 45,700
25-34 54,900 13 .1 6.6 57,000
35-44 25,800 6.2 3.1 16,900
45-54 25,500 6.1 3.0 17,400
55-64 21,000 5.0 2.5 16,400
65+ 16,700 4.0 2.0 14,700
TOTAL 418 900 100.0 50.01 418 800
GrandTOTAL 837,700
a I e s
Percentaae Percentaae
within males from Total
19.5 9,8
28. 7 14.4
11.6 5,8
10.9 5,5
13.6 6.8
4.0 2.0
4.2 2 .1
3.9 2.0
3.5 1.8
100.0 49.99
Source: Statistical Abstract of Israel 1988, No. 39 (Central Bureau of Statistics, 1988), table XXVll/3.
POPULA 110N ESTIMATES OF PALES11NIAN REFUGEES, BY SEX AND AGE
WEST B A N K
F e m a I e s M a I e s
1989 Number Percentaae Percentaae Number Percentaae Percentaae
N2E. Thousand within fem. from Total Thousand within males from Total
0-4 11,453 5.8 2.8 12,339 6.0 3.1
5 -1 4 39,292 19 .9 9.7 42,485 20.6 10 .5
1 5-1 9 20,307 10.3 5.0 22,066 10. 7 5.5
20-24 18,515 9.4 4.6 20,331 9.8 5.0
25-34 32,061 16.3 7.9 35,141 17 .o 8.7
35-44 25,333 12 .8 6.3 27,606 13.4 6.8
45-54 20,371 10 .3 5.0 21,864 10.6 5.4
55-64 13,836 7.0 3.4 11,647 5.6 2.9
65+ 16,098 8.2 4.0 12,952 6.3 3.2
TOTAL 197 266 100.0 48.86 206 431 100.0 51.14
GrandTOTAL 403,697
Source: UNRWA Statistics of Palestine Refugees, REF. WWR 730/B run date 30/11/89
G A Z A S T R I P
F e m a I e s M
Number Percentaae Percentacie Number
Thousand within fem. from Total Thousand
52,300 19.2 9.6 55,500
74,300 27 .3 13. 6 81,300
27,900 10.3 5.1 30,800
25,600 9.4 4.7 27,700
35,700 13.1 6.5 38,500
19,900 7.3 3.7 12,100
16,300 6.0 3.0 10,600
11 , 700 4.3 2.1 9,700
8,300 3.1 1.5 6,900
272 000 100.0 49.9 273 100
545,100
G A Z A S T R I P
F e m a I e s M
Number Percentaqe Percentaqe Number
Thousand within fem. from Total Thousand
16,753 7. 1 3.5 18,297
60,349 25. 7 1 2. 6 64,627
24,834 10.6 5.2 26,966
22,302 9.5 4.6 23,813
36,833 15. 7 7.7 39,864
25,905 11. 0 5.4 29,020
19,534 8.3 4.1 21,337
14,936 6.4 3.1 11,511
13,342 5.7 2.8 10,583
234 788 100.0 48.8 246 018
480,806
a I e s
Percentaae
within males
20.3
29.8
11.3
10.1
14.1
4.4
3.9
3.6
2.5
100.0
a I e s
Percentaae
within males
7.4
26.3
11.0
9.7
16.2
11.8
8.7
4.7
4.3
100.0
Percentaae
from Total
10.2
14.9
5.7
5.1
7 .1
2.2
1.9
1.8
1.3
50.10
Percentaae
from Total
3.8
13.4
5.6
5.0
8.3
6.0
4.4
2.4
2.2
51.17
t,:J~ Pl ......._
(JQ C')
(I) .z:
I-' °' O'I ........
I-'
\0
\0
0
........
I-'
0
POPULATION ESTIMATES OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES, BY SEX AND AGE
J O R D A N
F e m a I e s M a
1989 Number Percentaae Percentaae Number
IG:. Thousand within females from Total Thousand
0-4 26,099 5.9 2.9 27,331
5 -1 4 90,771 20.5 9.9 96,176
1 5-1 9 51,597 11.6 5.6 55,162
20-24 48,892 11.0 5.4 53,072
25-34 71,988 16.2 7.9 80,364
35-44 50,049 11.3 5.5 55,740
45-54 42,110 9.5 4.6 49,500
55-6 4 27,003 6.1 3.0 24,563
65+ 34,650 7.8 3.8 28,702
TOTAL 443 159 100.0 48.50 470 610
Grand TOTAL 913,769
I e s
Percentaae
within males
5.8
20.4
11. 7
11.3
17 .1
11 .8
10.5
5.2
6.1
100.0
Source: UNRWA Statistics of Palestine Refugees, REF. WWR 730/8 run date 30/11/89
POPULATION ESTIMATES OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES, BY SEX AND AGE
SYRIAN A RA B REPUBLIC
Females M a I e s
1989 Number Percentaae Percentaae Number Percentaae
la:. Thousand within females from Total Thousand within males
0-4 11,808 8.6 4.3 12,411 8.9
5 • 1 4 31,390 23.0 11.4 32,895 23.6
15-1 9 14,337 10.5 5.2 11,777 8.4
20-24 13,812 10.1 5.0 17,283 12.4
25-34 23,038 16.9 8.3 23,914 17.1
35-44 14,236 10.4 5.2 14,779 10.6
45-54 11,494 8.4 4.2 12,488 8.9
55-6 4 7,164 5.2 2.6 6,768 4.8
65+ 9,331 6.8 3.4 7,278 5.2
TOTAL 136 610 100.0 49.46 139 593 100.0
Grand TOTAL 276,203
Source: UNRWA Statistics of Palestine Refugees, REF. WWR 730/8 run date 30/11/89
F e m a I e
Percentage Number Percenta<1e
from Total Thousand within females
3.0 10,017 6.9
10.5 31,309 21.6
6.0 14,852 10.2
5.8 15,035 10.4
8.8 25,216 17.4
6.1 15,586 10.7
5.4 12,955 8.9
2.7 8,201 5.6
3.1 12,068 8.3
51.50 145 239 100.0
295,942
Percentaae
from Total
4.5
11.9
4.3
6.3
8.7
5.4
4.5
2.5
2.6
50.54
LEBANON
s M
Percentage Number
from Total Thousand
3.4 10,561
10.6 33,110
5.0 15,840
5.1 15,883
8.5 26,923
5.3 16,600
4.4 14, 180
2.8 7,711
4.1 9,895
49.1 150 703
a I e s
Percentage
within males
7.0
22.0
10.5
10.5
17 .9
11.0
9.4
5.1
6.6
100.0
Percentaiie
from Total
3.6
11.2
5.4
5.4
9.1
5.6
4.8
2.6
3.3
50.92
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0
ENROLMENT RATIO OF FEMALE REFUGEE PUPILS IN UNRWA, GOVERNMENT(■) AND
PRIVATE(■) SCHOOLS, DISTRIBUTED BY SINGLE YEAR AGE GROUP, 1987-1988
West Bank POPULATION ENROLMENT RATIO 1%1' Gaza Strio
K£ BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS N:F.
6 3594 3431 2324 ?044 64.7 59.6 6
7 4015 3634 3037 2441 75.6 67.2 7
8 4175 3814 3116 2639 74.6 69.2 8
II 4119 3891 2913 2764 70.7 71 II
1 0 4253 3890 2855 2562 67.1 65.9 1 0
11 4255 3991 2926 2605 68.8 65.3 1 1
1 2 4236 3892 2762 2439 65.2 62.7 1 2
13 4284 4031 2859 2446 66.7 60.7 1 3
14 4480 3986 2797 2270 62.4 56.9 1 4
15 4242 4028 2008 1789 47.3 44.4 1 5
16 4352 3976 1368 1388 31.4 34.9 1 6
1 7 4177 3848 1046 1097 25 28.5 17
18 4159 3755 455 453 10.9 12 1 8
111 3895 3610 134 115 3.4 0.2 1 9
TOTAL 58236 53777 30600 27052 52.5 50.3 TOTAL
Jordan POPULATION ENROLMENT RATI0 1%1 • Lebanon
K£ BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS K£
6 8654 8271 8069 7586 93.2 91.7 6
7 9483 8815 8343 7833 88 88.9 7
8 10041 9468 8562 8054 85.3 85.1 8
9 10115 9590 8435 7991 83.4 83.3 9
10 10225 9445 8309 7676 81.3 81.3 10
11 9668 9167 7740 7182 80.1 78.3 1 1
12 9827 9171 7761 6875 79 75 12
13 10815 10086 7895 7168 73 71.1 1 3
14 10933 10245 7503 6773 68.6 66.1 1 4
1 5 11090 10375 4205 4197 37 .9 40.4 1 5
1 6 11015 10260 3094 3440 28.1 33.5 1 6
1 7 11114 10332 2536 2761 22.8 26.7 1 7
1 8 10976 9930 1118 1150 10.2 11.6 1 8
1 9 10131 9479 324 286 3.2 3 1 9
TOTAL 144087 134634 83894 78972 58.2 58. 7 TOTAL
•: Ratio of enrolment of pupils to the total number of population of each age group.
Source: UNRWA Department of Education Statistical Year book 1987-88, Table 9.
POPULATION ENROLMENT RATIO l'X.l'
BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS BOYS GltLS
6367 5942 5629 5185 88.4 87.3
6400 6064 5912 5372 92.4 88.6
6522 6077 5797 5286 88.9 87
6206 5809 5573 5117 89.8 88.1
5861 5403 5163 4626 88.1 85.6
5933 5494 5175 4620 87.2 84.1
5768 5218 4903 4177 85 80
5818 5392 4662 4126 80.1 76.5
5526 5137 4297 3737 77.8 72.7
5114 4672 3067 2474 60 53
4886 4478 2417 2300 49.5 51.4
4395 4178 1922 1940 43.7 46.4
4856 4490 839 826 17.3 18.4
4152 3912 243 207 5.9 5.3
77804 72266 55599 49993 71.5 69.2
POPULATION ENROLMENT RATIO 1%1'
BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS BOYS GltLS
3429 3245 2272 1977 66.2 60.9
3486 3075 2232 1928 64 .. 62.7
3372 3133 2137 1791 63.4 57.2
3285 3082 1802 1902 54.9 61.7
2811 2777 1827 1765 65 63.6
2901 2804 1783 2031 61.5 72.4
2969 2750 1905 1771 64.2 64.4
3138 2999 1553 1603 49.5 53.4
2986 2780 1855 1698 62.1 61
3159 2977 1687 1429 53.4 48
3218 2955 1173 978 36.4 33.1
3099 2903 870 676 28.1 23.3
3196 3019 348 263 10.9 8.7
3275 3056 95 54 3.1 1 .8
44324 41555 21539 19866 48.6 47.8
Syrian
Arab Reo. POPULATION ENROLMENT
K£ BOYS GIRLS BOYS GIRLS
6 3229 3036 2903 2641
7 3271 3098 2804 2515
8 3145 3035 2777 2722
9 3114 2961 2710 2464
1 0 3022 2930 2705 2553
1 1 2852 2796 2671 2364
1 2 2780 2677 2655 2425
1 3 2976 2882 2802 2301
14 2867 2730 2254 1988
1 5 2988 2924 1464 1364
1 6 3008 2896 1155 1122
1 7 2844 2845 919 914
1 8 2871 2757 396 386
1 9 2825 2730 116 96
TOTAL 41792 40297 28331 25855
RATIO 1%1 •
BOYS GIRLS
89.9 87
85.7 81.2
88.3 89.7
87 83.2
89.5 87.1
93.7 84.5
95.5 90.6
94.1 79.8
78.6 72.8
49 46.6
38.4 38.7
32.3 32.1
13.8 14
4.1 3.5
67.8 64.1
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HEADS OF FAMILIES, BY SEX, 1989.
SEX/REGION West Bank Gaza Strio Jordan
Males 58728 84932 102145
Females 33291 17796 22731
lUTAL 92019 102728 124876
% of female
heads of famllv 36.2 - 17 .3 18.2
Source: UNRWA Statistics of Palestine Refugees, REF. WWR 760/A /1989
HOUSEHOLDS, BY SIZE, HOUSING DENSITY, AND SIZE OF DWELLING, 1987
West Bank Gaza Strlo
PERSONS IN HOUSEHOLDS 1987
1 4.5
2 8.1
3 7.8
4 9.4
5 10.9
6 11.5
7+ 47.8
ROOMS IN DWELLING
1 11
2 29.3
3 29.4
4 20
5+ 10.3
PERSONS PER ROOM
less than 1 7.3
1 10.3
1.1-1.9 20.4
2-2.9 29.1
3-3.9 17.3
4-4.9 8
5-5.9 3.8
6+ 3.8
Average No. of persons per 6.51
household llncl.slnnlesl
Source: Statistical Abstract of Israel 1988, No. 39
(Central Bureau of Statistics, 1988), Table XXVIV15.
1987
3
8.4
9.4
10.3
10.5
11.6
46.8
17.6
28
26.4
17.3
10.7
5.2
7
18
32.1
19.5
9.6
4.3
4.3
6.5
Syrian Arab
Lebanon Reoublic T O T A L
52755 44619 343179
14846 12987 101651
67601 57606 444830
22.0 22.5 22.9
NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF "SPECIAL HARDSHIP CASES " * ( As at 30 June 1989)
Number Receiving Not a)
Field of famllies rations receivlna rations
West Bank 5841 21854 2353
Gaza Strip 9052 39942 1959
Lebanon 8157 31348 371
Syrian Arab 4011 13004 1240
Republlc
Jordan 6186 27237 2535
"TOTAL 33247 133385 8458
a): includes children under 1 year of age, men serving compulsory military service
or imprisoned, students studying away from home etc.
*: Families with no male between the ages of ol 18 and 55 years in the household,
or with one who is incapable, for medical reasons, of earning a living.
Total
24207
41901
31719
14244
29772
141843
% of refugee
oooulatlon
6.1
8.6
10.8
5.2
3.3
6.1
Source: Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty fourth Session, Supplement No. 13, (A44/13) Table 3.
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POPULATION AGED 14 AND OVER, BY YEARS OF SCHOOLING, AGE AND SEX.
WEST BANK GAZA STRIP
YEARS OF SCHOOLING YEARS OF SCHOOLING
Percentaoe Percenta~e
SEX and AGE 13+ 9 to 12 7 to 8 1 to 6 0 Thousands SEX and AGE 13+ 9 to 12 7 to 8 1 to 6
MALES MALES
1970 1.4 21.3 14.7 34.8 27.8 153.7 1970 0.6 31.5 9.1 24.6
1975 8.6 26.0 14. 7 30.5 20.2 177.2 1975 7.7 33.6 10.0 23.5
1980 11.0 30.9 15. 1 28.8 14.2 193.3 1980 10.6 36.6 1 .5 23.9
1985 13.7 32.5 16.2 24.2 13.4 215.1 1985 15.5 36.5 10.4 23.5
1986 14.2 32.9 16.8 23.9 12.2 222.9 1986 16.3 37.7 10 .4 22.3
TOTAL 1987* 13.9 34.2 14. 7 24.8 12.4 221.3 TOTAL 1987* 14.6 39.8 9.3 23.3
1 5-1 7 0.4 62.2 22.6 14. 1 0.7 27.0 1 5-17 0.6 66.5 13.4 18.9
18-24 20.6 46.0 15.9 16. 1 1.4 66.6 18-24 20.8 44.3 11.2 22.2
25-3 4 21.3 33.1 17.9 25.2 2.5 61.3 2 5.34 21. 7 41.9 10.5 22.8
35-4 4 12. 7 27. 7 13.9 36.4 9.3 17.2 3 5.44 15.6 49.2 5.5 24.2
45-5 4 6.5 11. 8 7.5 44.1 30.1 18.5 4 5.54 6.3 20.5 5.4 33.9
55-6 4 1.8 4.9 4.9 43.6 44.8 16.3 55-64 2. 1 4. 1 3. 1 30.9
65+ 0.7 1.4 2.1 23.1 72.7 14.4 65+ - 1.5 1.5 13.4
FEMALES FEMALES
1970 0.5 8.8 6.7 18.9 65.1 169.2 1970 0.4 18 .4 5.6 10.3
1975 2.3 13.9 9.5 21.5 52.8 189. 7 1975 2.6 24.8 7.3 14. 1
1980 3.9 19.0 10.5 24.8 41.8 207.7 1980 3.6 29.0 10.0 16.6
1985 6.6 22.2 11.9 23.0 36.3 228.7 1985 6.0 33.8 9.5 16.9
1986 7. 1 22.8 12.2 ?.3.7 34.2 236.7 1986 6.4 34.9 9.5 16.9
TOTAL 1987* 6.8 24.4 10.5 23.7 34.6 234.5 TOTAL 1987* 6. 1 37.1 8.8 17.2
1 5-1 7 0.4 55.2 21.0 21.0 2.4 25.1 1 5-1 7 0.7 67.5 13.6 15.6
18-24 14.2 39.6 14.3 26.1 5.8 60.6 1 8-24 11.8 50.8 12. 1 21. 1
25-3 4 10.0 24.3 12.8 36.8 16.1 58.3 2 5.34 8.6 49.7 12.5 20.0
35-4 4 3.8 12. 7 6.7 28.5 48.3 26.8 3 5.44 5. 1 28.6 6.0 22. 1
45-5 4 1. 2 5.0 2.7 13. 1 78.0 25.7 4 5-5 4 0.6 3.6 2.4 13.2
55-6 4 - 0.9 2.3 6.9 89.9 21.8 5 5-64 - 0.8 0.8 7 .1
65+ - 1.2 1.2 3.8 93.8 16.2 65+ - - - 1.4
*: Data refer to persons aged 15 and over.
Source: Statistical Abstract of Israel 1988, No. 39 (Central Bureau of Statistics, 1988) table XXVll/46.
0
34.2
25.2
18.4
14. 1
13.3
13.0
0.6
1.5
3. 1
5.5
33.9
59.8
83.6
65.3
51.2
40.8
33.8
32.3
30.8
2.6
4.2
9.2
38.2
80.2
91.3
98.6
Thousands
90.4
104.8
115.8
125.8
138.9
137.0
16.4
41.0
39.1
12.8
11. 1
9.7
6.9
106.4
120.2
126.9
135.6
147.7
145.5
15.4
37.9
36.0
19.9
16.5
12. 7
7. 1
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DISTRIBUTION OF REFUGEE PUPILS IN UNRWA SCHOOLS a) (As of 15 October 1988)
Number of pupils In elementarv classes c\ Number of ouolls In oreoaratorv classes c\ Total number
Field No. of schools No. of teachers bovs a iris Total bovs a Iris Total of DUDIIS
WEST BANK b) 98 1340 12696 15225 27921 5207 6147 11354 39275
GAZA STRIP 147 2619 33735 31743 65478 13569 12175 25744 91222
LEBANON 76 1183 11385 11315 22700 5039 5087 10126 32826
SYRIAN ARAB 110 1557 19123 17917 37040 8576 7762 16338 53378
REPUBLIC
JORDAN 197 3736 47505 46026 93531 21115 19789 40904 134435
TOTAL 628 10435 124444 122226 246670 53506 50960 104466 351136
a): Excluding 110339 refugee pupils attending government and private schools
b): 90 out of 98 schools in the West Bank were closed under Israeli military orders for almost all of the 1988-1989 school year, and so 36592 pupils were thus deprived of education
c): induding all non-eligible children attending UNRWA schools, who now number 55790.
Of those, 18428 are in the Gaza Strip, where all refugee children are regarded as eligible for education services.
In addition, 2502 pupils in Lebanon have been accepted in Agency schools owing to the situation prevailing in the country.
Source: Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty fourth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/44/13), Table 5. '1::1 t:i::I
~ ........
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EMPLOYED PERSONS AND EMPLOYEES BY OCCUPATION AND SEX.
Other professional,
Wl:STBANK Scientific & technical & Administrators Clerical &
'r'E.AR TOTAL/Thousand academic workers related workers & manaoers related workers
all employed persons 1986 167000 2.7 5.9 1. 1 2. 7
1987 177600 2.4 5.6 1.1 2.5
Thereof: Males 1986 143700 2.0 3.3 1.1 2.1
1987 156200 1.9 3.3 1.1 1.9
Thereof: Females 1986 23300 0.7 2.6 0.0 0,6
1987 21400 0.5 2.3 0.0 0.6
all employees 1986 99800 3.7 9.5 0.2 4
1987 111100 3.3 8.6 0.4 3.5
Thereof: Males 1986 89800 2.7 5.2 0.2 3.0
1987 101100 2.5 4.8 0.4 2.7
Thereof: Females 1986 10000 1.0 4.3 a.a 1.0
1987 10000 0.8 3.8 o.o 0.8
Other professional,
GAZA STRIP Scientific & technical & Administrators Clerical &
'r'E.AR TOT Al/Thousand academic workers related workers & manaQers related workers
all employed persons 1986 94200 1.3 5.9 1.4 2.4
1987 100200 1 .8 5.9 1.3 2.2
Thereof: Males 1986 90200 1. 1 3.6 1.2 2.2
1987 96000 1 .6 3.4 1.3 2.1
Thereof: Females 1986 4000 0.2 2.3 0.2 0.2
1987 4200 0.3 2.5 0.0 0.1
all employees 1986 64300 1.4 8.2 - 3.3
1987 66900 2.2 8.2 . 3.1
Thereof: Males 1986 61200 1.2 4.9 . 2.8
1987 63600 1.8 4.8 - 2. 7
Thereof: Females 1986 3100 0.2 3.3 . 0.5
1987 3300 0.4 3.4 . 0.4
Source: Statistical Abstract of Israel 1988, No.39 (Central Bureau of Statlstics,1988), table XXVll/25.
Sales Service Agricultural
workers workers workers
1 0 6.9 23.2
10.1 8 20.6
9.6 6.3 15. 7
9.7 7.3 14.8
0.4 0.6 7.5
0.4 0.7 5,8
2.3 9.5 7.8
2.4 10.6 8.4
2.2 8.6 6.9
2.4 9.7 7.6
0.1 0.9 0.9
0.0 0.9 0.8
Sales Service Agricultural
workers workers workers
10. 7 8.2 18.9
11.4 8.5 18.1
10.6 8.0 18.6
11.0 8.4 17.7
0.1 0.2 0.3
0.4 0.1 0.4
1.1 10.6 17.2
1.7 10.9 16.1
1.0 10.5 16.8
1.7 10.7 15.9
0.1 0.1 0.4
0.0 0.2 0.2
Skilled workers Other workers In
In industry, mining industry, transport,
building, transport building & unskllled
& other skilled workers workers
25.4 22
27.2 22.5
24.2 21.9
25.7 22.3
1.2 0.1
1.5 0.2
28.6 34.4
28.7 34.1
27.0 34.1
27.0 33.9
1.6 0.3
1.7 0.2
SKIiied workers Other workers In
in Industry, mining industry, transport,
building, transport building & unskilled
& other skilled workers workers
30.7 20.4
31.7 19.1
30.0 20.3
31.2 19. 1
0.7 0.1
0.5 0.0
30.3 28
31.4 26.5
29.9 27.9
31.0 26.5
0.4 0.1
0.4 0.0
TOTAL
'lb
99.90
100.00
86.0
88.0
13.85
12.05
100.00
100.00
90.0
91.0
10.02
9.00
TOTAL
'lb
99.9
100
95.8
95.9
4.1
4.2
100.1
100.1
95.1
95.1
5.0
5.0
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Employed Palestinian population by economic sector and sex (In thousands)
WEST BANK .. - . - . Economic sector - - - . - - - FemaJes Males % of worn. bv field Females Males % of worn. bv field Females Mallos % of worn. bv field Females Males % of worn. bv field
1 9 7 0 1 9 7 5 1 9 8 0 1 9 8 6
Agriculture, Foreetry
and Fishing 11 34 24.4 14.5 21.8 39.9 16.3 1 9 46.2 12.7 25.9 32.9
Industry (Mining and
Manufacturing) 4.1 12.4 24,8 3.3 18.7 15,0 2.5 20.3 11.0 2.4 24.8 8.8
Construction Building
and Public Work 3.7 13.1 22.0 0.1 29.9 0.3 0 30.5 o.o 0.2 40.8 0.5
Commerce, Restaurants
& Hotels 0.7 12.1 5.5 0.6 15. 1 3,8 0.8 16.4 4. 7 0.8 22.2 3,5
Transport, Storage and
Communication 0.6 4.1 14.IJ 0 6 0.0 0.1 5.9 1. 7 0 8.1 o.o
Public and Community
ServlcN 6 8.6 41. 1 4.8 12.8 27,3 5.1 12.8 28.!S 6.5 14.7 30.7
Other Sectors 0.3 3.9 7. 1 0.6 4.3 12.2 0.4 4.7 7.8 0.4 7.5 !S. 1
TOTAL 26.4 88.2 23.0 23.9 108.6 18.0 25.2 109,8 18. 7 23 144 13.8
GAZA STRIP Economic sector Females - - Males % of worn. bv field f'emales Males % of wom._by field Females Males % of worn. by field f'emales Males % of worn. by field
1 9 7 0 1 9 7 5 1 9 8 JJ. 1 9 8 6
Agriculture, Forestry
and Fishing 2.6 16.6 13.!S 0.9 16.5 !S.2 0.7 14.4 4,6 0.7 17.4 3.9
Industry (Mining and
Manufacturing) 1.2 5.7 17.4 1 9.3 9.7 1.4 14.4 8.9 0.7 15.7 4.3
Construction Building
and Public Work 2.1 5.2 28.8 0.1 16 0.6 0 18.7 o.o 0 23.6 o.o
Commerce, Reatauranta
& Hotels 0 9.5 0.0 0.4 9.8 3.11 0.2 11.1 1.8 0.2 13.2 1,5
Transport, Storage and
Communication 0 3.5 0.0 0 5.3 0.0 0.1 5.2 1,9 0 4.8 o.o
Public and Community
Service• 2.8 6.2 31. 1 2.3 7.3 24.0 2.5 8 23.8 2.4 9.6 20.0
Other Sectors 0.6 2.8 17.6 0.2 3.5 5.4 0 4 o.o 0.2 5.6 3.4
TOTAL 9.3 49.5 15.8 4.9 67.7 6.7 4.9 75.8 6. 1 4.2 89.9 4.5
Source: S. ROY paper, tables 2.17 & 2.181 PLO, Industrial Statistical Bulletin for the West Bank and Gaza Strip 1988, (Damascus: Central of Bureau Statistics, Economic Department, 1988)
"dtzl
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E/CN.6/1990/10
Page 24
p
e
50
45
40
35
r 3 o
C 25
e 20
n
1 5
1 o
5
Percent of Palestinian women of total employment In selected
economic sectors In the West Bank.
■-------·-------■ ~--·
o +-------'------·------!------!------!
1970 1975 1980 1984 1985 1986
Percent of Palestinian women of total employment In selected
economic sectors In the Gaza Strip.
3 0 ..-
p 25
e 20
r
C 1 5
•
~ 10c:s·
t 5 ·------ -----=~::::::::::.:.:.~.'!=.=========-.0
o :------·------•------·------•
1970 1975
·•· Agriculture, Forestry &
fishing
1980 1984
,0, Industry (Mining and
Manufacture)
1985 1986
·•·Construction Bulldlng and
public work
E/CN. 6/1990/10
Page 25
NUMBER OF CASUALTIES, BY SEX, from the beginning of the Intifada until 7 December 1989
SEX Number Percentage
Females 95 10.0
Males 851 90.0
Total 946 100
Source: Table 6, p. 5, Palestinian Statistical Abstract presented to delegation, Amman, December 1989
UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1991/9
13 December 1990 SOCIAL COUNCIL
·, , I .. - •tORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-fifth session
Vienna, 27 February-8 March 1991
Item 4 of the provisional agenda*
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING
STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
The situation of Palestinian women
Note by the Secretary-General
*E/CN. 6/1991/1.
V.90-90350 7284T
E/CN.6/1991/9
Page 2
1. This note has been prepared in pursuance of Economic and Social Council
resolution 1990/11. In this resolution, the Council requested the SecretaryGeneral
"to ensure that the experts continue to monitor and investigate further
the situation of Palestinian women and children inside and outside the occupied
Palestinian territories, and to ensure that their report is submitted to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its thirty-fifth session".
2. In the same resolution, the Council requested the Secretary-General to
monitor the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of
the mission of experts (E/CN.6/1990/10) to Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic
in 1989, and to report to the Commission at its thirty-fifth session "on the
implementation of the recommendations and conclusions contained in the report
of the mission of experts, taking into consideration all available information,
including reports of the United Nations, its specialized agencies and its
expert missions, reports of meetings, as appropriate, and information from
Governments and non-governmental organizations".
3. In a note verbale of 7 August 1990, the Secretary-General, in view of the
new request that the mission monitor and further investigate the situation,
requested the Government of Israel to provide confirmation of its "support for
the visit of the mission in order to proceed with the necessary administrative
arrangements".
4. The Government of Israel, through its Permanent Representative to the
United Nations (Vienna), replied on 13 November 1990 as follows:
"The Permanent Representative of Israel would like to emphasize
the fact that the above-mentioned resolution contains already conclusions
concerning the situation in the territories which makes - in
the opinion of Israel - an additional investigation by a mission completely
unnecessary. However, the Government of Israel will reconsider
its position concerning the support of a fact-finding mission
if such a request of support will not be part of a resolution with a
conclusive condemnation nature."
The mission could not, therefore, be sent to the occupied Palestinian territories.
S. A recommendation made by the 1989 mission and reflected in Council resolution
1990/11, was that "Palestinian women be assisted in the creation of a
women's centre that would provide possibilities for child care, educational
discussion, cultural activities, women's solidarity and small-scale production".
Information on the situation of women's centres, provided by the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
is annexed to the present note.
E/CN. 6/1991/9
Page 3
RELIEF AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMMES FOR PALESTINE REFUGEE WOMEN
IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Introduction
6. In 1948, nearly three quarters of a million Arabs became refugees during
the disturbances before and after the creation of the State of Israel in the
former British mandate territory of Palestine. The refugees fled to eastern
Palestine, now better known as the West Bank (of the river Jordan); and to
Gaza, subsequently administered by Egypt until 1967; others to Jordan, Lebanon
and the Syrian Arab Republic; some even further afield. Following the 1967
war, refugees again fled from the affected areas, and the West Bank and Gaza
were occupied by Israel.
7. Emergency assistance was provided promptly by international voluntary
agencies supported by funds channelled through the United Nations Relief for
Palestine Refugees (UNRPR). Then, as hopes for the immediate return of refugees
to their homes faded, the General Assembly, by resolution 302 (IV) of
8 December 1949, set up the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a temporary organization and
successor to UNRPR. UNRWA began operations on 1 May 1950.
8. By 31 December 1990, there were almost 2.5 million Palestinian refugees
registered with UNRWA. Some 856,200 (34.71 per cent) of these registered
refugees live in 61 refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and
the Syrian Arab Republic. The majority of the refugee population lives in
cities, towns and villages together with other Palestinians or host country
nationals.
9. UNRWA provides humanitarian support and services to Palestinian refugees
in the sectors of health, education, direct relief, social services and general
assistance. A Special Hardship programme is extended to those refugee households
that have no male adult present who is medically fit to earn a living
and that have no other identified source of finances adequate to meet basic
needs. By the end of December 1990, the number of refugees registered as
Special Hardship Cases had reached 155,980 or 7.5 per cent of the refugees
eligible for UNRWA services. Of these 29,358 were in the West Bank and 47,642
were in Gaza.
A. Palestinian refugee women
10. Women and girls account for 48.8 per cent of the Palestinian refugee population.
Half of the households receiving assistance under the Special Hardship
programme are headed by women. Women also carry heavy responsibilities in
those refugee families where husbands are invalids, disabled or imprisoned.
The intifadah in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza, and the
armed conflicts and violence in Lebanon during the past 15 years have greatly
added to these responsibilities.
B. Programmes for Palestian refugee women
11. Palestinian refugee women have always received assistance and services
from UNRWA, benefiting directly from the health, education and relief projects
E/CN.6/1991/9
Page 4
and programmes. The annual reports of the Commissioner-General to the General
Assembly of the United Nations describe these services.
Health
12. Recognizing the vulnerability of women and children, UNRWA has focused on
preventive and community health programmes with women and children as the
major target group. The programmes and services are carried out through a
network of 104 health centres and sub-centres located in the refugee camps and
in cities, towns and villages throughout the five fields of operation of
UNRWA. Detailed information is available in the annual reports of the UNRWA
Director of Health.
Education
13. UNRWA offers basic schooling at the elementary and preparatory levels,
covering the age group 6-14 years, to all eligible Palestinian refugee
children. Of these children, 49 per cent are females.
14. UNRWA operates eight Training Centres, all of which provide vocational
and technical training. While the proportion of women attending courses in
teacher training is 53 per cent (440 out of 823 students), it is only 20 per
cent in vocational training. Efforts are being made to increase the proportion
of women attending vocational training by offering a wider range of courses
attractive to them such as computer sciences, business and office practice,
and nursing. Detailed information is available in the Statistical Yearbook of
UNRWA, Department of Education.
Relief and social services
15. Since 1989, the Relief and Social Services programme has given stronger
emphasis to refugee women as a group requiring special attention, whose needs
and priorities must be brought into the mainstream of UNRWA programmes and not
addressed as a minority or as a secondary issue. This has involved not only
developing tailored skills training and income-generation programmes for economic
self-reliance, but also creating appropriate opportunities and the environment
for enhancing their awareness, self-confidence, capacities and capabilities,
and ensuring that their perspectives and concerns are explicitly taken
into account, together with those of the man and the formal representatives of
the refugee community, in the development of plans and schemes for the benefit
of the family and the refugee community.
16. The Relief and Social Services programme has adopted a three-pronged
objective for those activities that particularly address the needs and aspirations
of refugee women: to enable more disadvantaged refugee women, especially
from "Special Hardship" families, to acquire the skills and secure opportunities
to earn a living; to enable such women to cope effectively with family
and social problems; and to facilitate their role in the develop~ent of their
own community.
Women's programme centres
17. The focal
Centres (WPC).
participate in
point of this endeavour is the multi-purpose Women's Programme
WPCs offer facilities and opportunities to women and girls to
a diverse range of socio-economic activities.
E/CN.6/1991/9
Page 5
18. By request of the women themselves, these include a sewing programme, a
basic 11-month course in various techniques of hand- and machine-sewing,
pattern-making, cutting and fitting, and in the traditional embroidery for
which Palestinian women are renowned. Each course accommodates 30 trainees;
on its successful completion, they are awarded a diploma recognized by potential
employers.
19. On graduation, the trainees are able to use their newly acquired knowledge
to make clothes for themselves and their families. Some find employment as
neighbourhood seamstresses in the camp, or in workshops or factories. Others
work in centres that produce fine traditional embroidery, in old and modern
designs to suit the tastes of an expanding market both local and foreign.
20. Other courses organized at the WPCs include dress-designing and dressmaking,
typewriting, flower-making, knitting and hairdressing. Sessions in
health education, first aid, environmental education, home economics, leadership
training, sports and cultural events are also held.
21. Literacy instruction is given to illiterate women in WPCs. The inability
to read, write and do simple arithmetical calculations limits women's roles as
both beneficiaries and agents of development in their community. The women
who are not functionally literate are very conscious of their handicap and
many of them have requested assistance. Projects to expand classes in functional
literacy and numeracy have been submitted to potential donors.
22. Group income-generation schemes among women are beginning to be developed
based at WPCs. Technical assistance, advice and facilities are,made available.
Women can safely meet, plan and organize their productions, until the enterprise
is firmly established to move to its own premises.
23. Since January 1988, in partnership with the British non-governmental
organization, Co-operation for Development, UNRWA has implemented a scheme of
loans for small-scale economic enterprises in the West Bank and Gaza. By the
end of December 1990, there were 205 projects funded by loans in both territories
in the approximate amount of $US 1.5 million. Twenty of these projects
iere run by refugee women themselves, and included micro-knitting, foodprocessing,
children's clothing, a beauty salon, dental laboratory, medical
laboratory and poultry farm. In most of the other projects women's labour was
critical to the functioning of the enterprise.
24. WPCs provide an important forum where community workers - social workers,
community health nurses, educators and others - can meet with the refugee
women to discuss and share common issues, perceptions and concerns, and plan
concerted action, projects and programmes.
,,,,.,~~-
25. Though skill trai~ing and aq1~ther activities were frequently disrupted
in the Occupied Territories due tp curfews since the start of the intifadah
on 8 December 1987, the number of\women attending WPCs has significantly
increased. The need for women to get the necessary training to work and earn
money has increased greatly with so many husbands and fathers unable to contribute
regularly to the family. Moreover, the solidarity and mutual support
that the refugee women give each other has become ever more important in coping
with the stress of living under occupation.
E/CN.6/1991/9
Page 6
26. At present there are 12 WPCs in the West Bank and 13 in Gaza. In the
latter, funds have been sought to construct a new WPC in the Khan Younis camp,
and project proposals to construct another two centres in the Beach and Rafah
camps are under negotiation with two separate donors. Funds for constructing
WPCs in Daraj, Gaza town and Jabalia camp were secured from two separate
donors but the Civil Administration in the Occupied Territories blocked the
two projects.
27. In the West Bank, a new centre funded by a non-governmental organization
opened in May 1989 in Askar camp, and the centre in Arrub was upgraded.
Another centre in Ama'ri was approved for funding by one Government and three
other project proposals to construct WPCs in Fara'a, Jalazone and Shufat camps
are under negotiation with different potential donors.
C. Future plans
28. The main functional objectives until 1993, as stated in the Relief and
Social Services medium-term plan 1991-1993, are given below.
1. To support social workers in assisting women in Special Hardship
families to cope with family and other problems;
(a) To conduct workshops to sensitize social workers to the
perspectives and needs of wives and mothers in relation to
family concerns;
(b) To equip social workers with information on services and
programmes which can support women.
2. To develop the health education classes conducted at the Women's
Programme Centres, in association with the Health Department;
(a) To open them to other women as well as those participating in
the sewing courses;
(b) To build up the components relating to healthy life-styles;
(c) To include a component on the prevention of disability and the
rehabilitation of the disabled.
3. To use the Women's Programme Centres as a vehicle for education in
early childhood development:
(a) Where possible, and in partnership with a non-governmental or
other organization, to associate the Women's Programme Centres
with a pre-school programme, in which the women themselves
participate;
(b) To seek the co-operation of the United Nations Children's Fund
and other interested organizations in arranging sessions in
early childhood stimulation;
(c) In fields where mothers are coping with trauma in their young
children, to use the Women's Programme Centre as a place where
E/CN.6/1991/9
Page 7
problems can be discussed in a supportive group, with
professional help, and with the offered assistance.
4. To develop multi-purpose Women's Programme Centres as the focal
points in the community for UNRWA programmes with and for women, with the
active involvement of the women themselves in selecting appropriate
activities, and with UNRWA staff attached to the Centres acting as
facilitators; in particular for skill-training courses, group
income-generation projects, social and cultural activities, and meetings
with women on community issues.
5. To provide, at the Women's Programme Centres and other UNRWA centres
offering training courses for women, facilities for babies and infants
whose needs might otherwise prevent mothers from attending.
6. To continue offering classes in functional literacy and numeracy for
the refugee women and adults who lack these skills.
7. To identify specific,employment possibilities for disadvantaged
refugees, including women, unemployed youth and the disabled, with local
employers or through an UNRWA sponsored income-generating enterprise.
8. In direct relation to identified employment opportunities, _to
introduce other appropriate skill-training courses targeted especially on
women, unemployed youth and the disabled.
UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-sixth session
Vienna, 11-20 March 1992
Item 4 of the provisional agenda*
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1992/6
3 December 1991
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING
STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
The situation of Palestinian women and childen
Note by the Secretary-General
1. By its resolution 1991/19 of 30 May 1991 entitled "Situation of and
assistance to Palestinian women", the Economic and Social Council requested
the Secretary-General to continue his investigation of the situation of
Palestinian women and children and to report to the Commission on the Status
of Women at its thirty-sixth session on the implementation of the recommendations
and conclusions contained in the report of the mission of experts. 1/
In the same resolution, the Council requested the Secretary-General to monitor
the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of
the mission of experts to Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic to investigate
the condition of Palestinian women and children 1/ in order to improve the
situation of Palestinian women in the occupied Palestinian territory.
2. Accordingly, plans were made to send a consultant to the region to
acquire the required information. In a note verbale of 5 August 1991, the
Secretary-General, in order to continue his investigation of the situation,
and to present to the Commission a report on the status of women in the
occupied territories, particularly in relation to education, employment,
health and decision-making, requested the Government of Israel to provide
confirmation of its "support for this consultant's visit to take place in
order to proceed with the necessary administrative measures".
3. The Government of Israel, through its Permanent Representative to the
United Nations (Vienna), replied on 20 August 1991 as follows:
"The Permanent Representative of Israel refers to his note
dated 13 November 1990 and would like again to emphasize the fact
that the above mentioned resolution contains already conclusions
concerning the situation in the territories, which makes - in the
opinion of Israel - an additional investigation completely
unnecessary."
,.,E/CN .6/1992/1.
V. 91-31225 7993T
E/CN.6/1992/6
Page 2
4. In the absence of an appropriate means of acquiring the information
required by the resolution, the Secretary-General is not in a position to
provide a report.
1/ "Review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forwardlooking
Strategies for the advancement of women: The situation of Palestinian
women in the occupied territories: Note by the Secretary-General"
(E/CN.6/1990/10, annex I).
UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC
AND
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1993/10
19 January 1993
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH SOCIAL COUNCIL
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-seventh session
Vienna, 17-26 March 1993
Item 4 of the provisional *agenda
*E/CN.6/1993/1.
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING
STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
Situation of Palestinian women in the occupied territory
Note by the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General has the honour to present to the Commission on
the Status of Women the annexed report, prepared in pursuance of Economic
and Social Council resolution 1992/16.
V.93-80632 8848T
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 2
Annex
REPORT PREPARED BY THE CENTRE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND
HUMANITRIAN AFFAIRS
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
TNTRODTJCTTGN ..................................................................................................................................................... 1-4 2
I. SITUATION WITH RESPECT TO GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS ... 5-19 3
II. GENDER RELATIONS IN THE PALESTINIAN FAMILY ........... 20-34 6
III. ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT ............................... 35-45 8
IV. EDUCATION ............................................ 46-62 11
V. HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING....... .......... 63-71 13
INTRODUCTION
1. In its resolution 1992/16, the Economic and Social Council requested the
Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its
thirty-seventh session, using all available sources, a report on the situation
of Palestinian women and children in the occupied Palestinian territory and in
the refugee camps.
2. Reports on the subject have been submitted regularly to the Commission.
The last (E/CN.6/1990/10) was submitted to the Commission at its thirty-fourth
session and was based on the findings of a mission of experts sent by the
Secretary-General to Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic to investigate the
condition of Palestinian women and children. That report examined the extent
to which effect had been given to the recommendations made by the Secretary-
General in preceding reports. When, however, plans were accordingly made to
send a consultant to the occupied territories, in accordance with Council
resolution 1991/19, the Government of Israel, through its Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Office at Vienna, replied on 20 August 1991
as follows:
"The Permanent Representative of Israel refers to his note dated
13 November 1990 and would like again to emphasize the fact that the
above-mentioned resolution contains already conclusions concerning
the situation in the territories, which makes - in the opinion of
Israel - an additional investigation completely unnecessary." (See
E/CN.6/1992/6, para. 3.)
3. The Secretary-General, in his note to the Commission on the Status of Women
at its thirty-sixth session, stated that, in the absence of an appropriate
means of acquiring the information required by Council resolution 1991/19 of
30 May 1991, he was not in a position to provide a report (E/CN.6/1992/6,
para. 4).
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 3
4. Given the impossibility of visiting the occupied territory, the Council
had given the Secretary-General the mandate to use all available sources in
compiling this report on the Palestinian women and children in the occupied
territory and in the refugee camps. The present report is therefore based on
the findings of various documents published by the United Nations, as well as
a number of publications from other sources. In it, the present situation of
women in the critical areas of family life, economy and employment, education
and health, with special attention to psychological well-being, is described.
Political matters, as such, do not fall within the competence of the report.
It is recognized, however, that the lives of Palestinian women in the occupied
territory are profoundly affected by the complex political situation in the
region. It is further recognized that all women are affected by the political
consequences of the occupation.
I. SITUATION WITH RESPECT TO GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS
5. It should be noted that the situation of Palestinian women in the occupied
territory remains characterized by the state of military occupation, which has
lasted now for twenty-six years. The tense situation, which has been heightened
by the popular uprising (intifadah). now in its sixth year, has been
further aggravated as a consequence of the establishment of Israeli settlements
in the occupied territory and the massive and rapid extension of these
settlements.
6. The lack of coordination between positive developments at the diplomatic
level and the rigid pattern of Israeli occupation policies, which affect the
daily life of Palestinians living in the occupied territory, has further contributed
to heightening the tension. 1/
7. According to the information available, in the period between
9 December 1987 (commonly accepted as the day of the outbreak of the intifadah)
and 30 September 1992, 75,225 Palestinians had been injured. A total of 17,080
of those injured - representing 22.7 per cent of the total - were women.
Nearly all those injuries were caused by bullet wounds, beatings or the effects
of tear-gas inhalation. Out of the 1,131 Palestinians killed during the same
period in incidents involving the Israeli security forces, 82 were women (55 in
the West Bank and 27 in Gaza), which represents 7.2 per cent of the total
casualties.*
*The figures for fatalities do not include killings of alleged
collaborators (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East (UNRWA), October 1992).
8. Along with the Palestinian men, many women were administratively detained
without being charged during the intifadah. while many others were subjected
to torture and various forms of harassment while in prison. Incidents have
also been recorded of pregnant women being denied medical care. 2/
9. The imprisonment of women is generally considered unacceptable in the
traditional societies of the region. Moreover, in traditional Palestinian
society, women remain totally responsible for the care of children, as well
as for the private sphere of the home. The imprisonment of women is therefore
more distressful to the family than the imprisonment of its male members.
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 4
10. The situation of Palestinian children in the occupied territory has
deteriorated considerably in recent years. According to the data available
from the beginning of the intifadah to the end of September 1992, a total of
26,527 children under the age of 15 - representing 35.2 per cent of the total
injuried - were injured in clashes involving the Israeli security forces. A
total of 180 children under the age of 15 - representing nearly 16 per cent of
the total - were among those killed in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli
security forces. According to several reports, detainees, including women and
minors, have continued to be subjected to various forms of ill-treatment, both
physical and psychological. 1/
*
11. Moreover, children in the occupied territory are exposed to severe psychological
stress: they live under the constant threat of violence, are often
separated from one of their parents because that parent has been deported or
imprisoned, they may be witnesses to the forced deportation of parents and
relatives, as well as to the beating and arrest of family members, and they
suffer from the prolonged curfews and closure of their schools.
12. The exercise of family rights and customs has also been impeded by family
reunification laws that have led to the deportation of husband or wife and
children and denial of their right to return on a permanent basis, and in some
cases, denial of registration for the children. Although the family reunification
laws do not discriminate against women per se. they are detrimental to
family life, and particularly to the lives of the children of marriages
affected by these laws, who are denied registration in the occupied territory.
13. An analysis of population data over a number of years shows that the maleto-
female ratio has been increasing since the occupation, particularly in
recent years. The number of males for every 1,000 females increased from 985
in 1967 to 1,014 in 1989. This increase is mainly due to the growth in the
male population group between 25 and 34 years of age, which rose from 9.7 per
cent of the population in 1967 to over 15 per cent in 1989. 4/ A plausible
explanation could be an increase in the return migration of adult male Palestinians
to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from the other countries in the
region.
14. In recent years there has been a further deterioration of the economy of
the occupied territory. The continuing state of military occupation makes it
impossible for an economy to function in a healthy manner. 5/ The economy of
the occupied territory remains precarious and overdependent on that of Israel.
The security measures, including frequent curfews, travel restrictions and
other constraints imposed by the occupying authorities as a response to the
intifadah have had - and continue to have - serious repercussions for the
workers of territories. Unemployment and underemployment in the occupied
territory have reached alarming proportions. 6/ Moreover, collective punishment
measures such as the uprooting of trees and crops and confiscation of
land have significantly contributed to the poor economic performance of the
occupied territory. 2/
*The figures for fatalities do not include killings of alleged
collaborators (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East (UNRWA), October 1992).
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 5
15. In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf war the territory was, in addition,
deprived of the considerable income that had been hitherto available from
remittances sent by Palestinians working in the Persian Gulf States.
16. The above factors have significantly contributed to the decline in the
living standards of Palestinian families. The latest data available indicate
that the population registered as refugees accounted for approximately one
third of the population in the West Bank and two thirds of the population in
the Gaza Strip. Out of the registered refugee population, 26.3 per cent lived
in camps in the West Bank and 55 per cent lived in camps in Gaza. 8/ The
spread of poverty has had - and continues to have - serious repercussions on
the Palestinian family (see section II below).
17. In recent years, there has been a parallel growth in the occupied territory,
particularly in Gaza, of fundamentalist movements. There is evidence
that a relationship exists between poverty and fundamentalism and that, living
in an atmosphere of constant violence and economic hardship, the Palestinians
have seen fundamentalism as an effective means of recovering their cultural
identity - in the narrow sense of the word - and using it to oppose the occupation.
In effect, the rise of fundamentalism is a manifestation of the radicalization
of the protests of the Palestinians against 25 years of occupation. It
is beyond dispute that the tight security measures taken by the occupying power
as a response to the intifadah have contributed to both the spread of poverty
and the restriction of movement among the Palestinians. Specific measures,
such as the prolonged closure of institutions of higher learning, have directly
led to a substantial restriction of the opportunities for women as well as curtailment
of their movements, which have contributed to the spread of fundamentalism,
manifested by the enhancement of the family's control over its female
members.
18. There are, however, indications that the effects of fundamentalist movements
on women has stabilized in the past year, owing to a number of interrelated
socio-economic factors. First, the traditional paternalistic image of
the family began to be eroded as its adult male members were subject to beatings
and abuse by the occupation authorities, often in front of the entire
family. Secondly, an alarmingly high rate of unemployment among the traditional
male breadwinners compelled the family to accept women as wageearners,
particularly in the informal sector, in small-scale domestic enterprises.
The reliance of the family on women's earnings has enabled these
women to gain a certain degree of self-reliance and has led to an enhancement
of their freedom of movement. These factors have helped to mitigate the
effects of the spread of fundamentalist ideologies on women's lives. Moreover,
the reopening of the educational institutions has also contributed to the
breaking down of traditional constraints on women's mobility.
19. As things are, Palestinian women in the occupied territory are experiencing
considerable hardship in all spheres of life - family, education, health,
economy and employment. Out of their efforts to cope with the situation a new
role for women has emerged. The increased participation of women, particularly
in the economic sphere, has led to profound changes in the nature of their
role in society. Their society's perception of the role of women is itself in
the throes of change. Only time can tell, however, how many of these changes
will be permanent.
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 6
II. GENDER RELATIONS IN THE PALESTINIAN FAMILY
20. The lack of an internationally recognized central authority in the occupied
territory leaves the family to bear the main responsibility of protection
and support of its individual members. As a basic unit of society, Palestinian
families in the occupied territories are profoundly influenced by the economic,
political and social changes that affect their society. These transformations
of the socio-economic fabric in turn influence the ability of the Palestinian
family to provide support to its members.
21. The Palestinian family was traditionally hierarchical, with the father as
the head figure and sole decision-maker. Women tended to occupy a relatively
lower place in the hierarchy, their contribution to the family stemming mainly
from their reproductive capacity.
22. With the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967,
major changes started to take place in the patterns of social relations inside
the Palestinian family. There was a shift in the society's sense of commitment
from the needs of the family to the cause of the nation, which led to the
development of a new and more democratic environment in the family. Moreover,
with their loss of control over their land and water resources and marginalization
of their economy, the Palestinians developed a strong commitment to
education as the only means of ensuring a certain degree of economic security
and began to encourage their daughters as well as their sons to pursue higher
education. Education, discussed in more detail in the sections below, has
been a significant force in the liberation of women from certain traditional
constraints on mobility and segregation between the sexes.
23. Women have played a major role in the popular uprising of the Palestinians
against the Israeli occupation. In their role as the conservators of national
heritage and culture, women have helped to create the necessary social preconditions
for the intifadah by instilling in their children respect for their
culture and knowledge of their history. The widespread participation of women
in the intifadah side by side with men has resulted in their assumption of new
public roles and responsibilities. In addition to their roles as mothers,
wives and daughters, women have become heads of households, main incomeearners
and teachers, as well as social and political activists.
24. According to the data available, among the registered refugee population
in 1992, 30.6 per cent of the families in the West Bank and 20.1 per cent of
the families in Gaza were headed by a woman. Moreover, in 22 per cent of the
families that qualify for the "special hardship" programme in the occupied
territory, the head of the household is a woman, usually a widow or divorcee
with dependent children. 2/ These estimates are relatively high for a region
where, according to official census figures, about 16-19 per cent of the households
are headed by a woman. 10/
25. In both the region in general and in the occupied territory in particular,
however, estimates of households headed by females are, in practice, much
higher, for cultural reasons and because of the gap between the actual and
legal definitions of the "headship" of the household. Moreover, in Middle
Eastern societies, many women deliberately conceal the fact that they are the
head of the household in an attempt to protect themselves from the law and the
customary practices of society.
26. In the occupied territory, in the majority of the other families where
the registered head is a male, the burden of ensuring survival in practice
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 7
falls on a woman, particularly where the head of the household is imprisoned
(8.4 per cent of the "special hardship" cases) or suffers from a disabling
injury or illness (29 per cent of the cases). 11/
27. It has been noted that, after the first six months of the intifadah. which
were characterized by spontaneous popular uprisings, often involving the participation
of entire camps, villages or towns, the direct participation rate
of women began to decline. Studies on segments of the Palestinian population
by sex and age indicate, however, that the direct participation rate could be
a function of age, social background or geographical location. The responsiveness
of men over the age of 40 to direct participation in the intifadah. for
example, was found in a study to be less than that of females, who are mostly
students below the age of 18. 12/
28. Nevertheless, in recent years changes have occurred in the socio-economic
structure that have influenced gender relations within the Palestinian family.
With the spread of poverty, the household size has increased as deteriorating
economic performance has compelled young couples to move in with their extended
families in an attempt to save money. Simultaneously, the prolonged closure
of educational institutions, particularly those of higher education, has considerably
curtailed the movement of women. Moreover, the presence of men and
children inside the house for longer periods owing to travel restrictions and
frequent curfews has increased the amount of housework women are expected to
perform. As a result, the family as a unit has begun to increase its authority
over its members, especially its female members.
29. In recent years, women have begun to marry at an earlier age. The high
fertility rate, particularly among young women, is a reflection of the general
perception that having more Palestinian children would ensure the continuity
of the nation. The tendency of young women to marry early, however, and to
have more children does not seem merely to be a cultural choice of the Palestinians.
Poverty correlates with lower levels of education and a higher rate
of childbirth. The measures taken by the Israeli authorities as a response to
the intifadah have contributed significantly to the spread of poverty. Living
in an atmosphere characterized by violence, always fiercely protective of their
women's honour, the members of the family see marriage as the only "safe"
option for their young women.
30. It is too early to say whether early marriages are the norm in Palestinian
families in the occupied territory, or whether they have been encouraged by the
family, because of the prolonged closure of schools and universities in an
atmosphere of continued violence, as an interim, "safe" option for young women.
But the recent trend of early marriages and high fertility, if continued as an
established pattern, is bound to have serious implications for the women's
movement by imposing considerable restrictions on educational opportunities,
especially the attainment of higher education, and on the mobility of women.
There are indications, however, that the reopening of all educational institutions,
particularly institutions of higher education, could lead to an improvement
in the situation of women (see section IV below).
31. Moreover, economic necessity has increased the extended family's dependence
on women for financial support, since it is not possible to rely solely on
the traditional male breadwinner, who is often unemployed, has been imprisoned
or, in some cases, deported, or is suffering from a disabling injury or illness.
Traditional family-based income, mostly controlled by women, has become
an indispensable source of income for the Palestinian family. Home-based
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 8
economies, such as the cultivation of vegetable gardens and cottage industries,
have also been encouraged in Palestinian society as part of the attempt to boycott
goods from Israel.
32. On the subject of family reunification, a particularly acute problem has
arisen in recent years in cases of marriages entered into by male residents of
the West Bank with women, mainly from Jordan, who had applied for residence and
were permitted to live in the West Bank only on short-term renewable visitors'
permits. Under a new military order introduced in 1987, if the father is a
legal resident but not the mother, then a child of the union, born in the West
Bank, cannot be registered as a resident and is denied the right to remain as
a permanent resident of the West Bank. The wives and children of these marriages
have little scope for legal recourse. The enforced deportations by the
Israeli military authorities of those women and their children - in 1989 totalling
approximately 200 people, mainly women and children - created a climate of
considerable stress and uncertainty for their families. 13/
33. Although the Israeli military orders that govern family reunification
do not formally discriminate against women, they nevertheless have a serious
detrimental effect on family life and have put the women of these marriages
under considerable psychological pressure. In the traditional Palestinian
society, the wife, on marriage, is expected to move to her husband's residence,
but the new order has, in effect, deprived these women of a minimum
stability in which they could live out their marriages and raise their children.
Israeli authorities continue their policy of deportation 14/ in contravention
of article 49 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection
of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949. 15/
34. Almost all Palestinian families have been affected directly by measures
taken by the Israeli authorities in response to the popular uprising. Apart
from physical suffering, Palestinian families in the occupied territory have
undergone considerable psychological stress, particularly during the last five
years (see section V below). The long-term psychological impact of the continuous
exposure of children to violence cannot be predicted with certainty.
It is certain, however, that this lack of a normal childhood will influence
them for the rest of their lives. During the prolonged closure of schools and
curfews, which lasted several days in a row, the children expressed their fear
and aggression inside the house. While both male and female members of the
family suffered, the women were subjected to much greater stress. They not
only had to assume additional domestic and economic responsibilities to ensure
a minimum level of subsistence for their families but also had to educate
their children in an attempt to compensate for the closed classrooms and at
the same time take care of family members who had been injured.
III. ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
35. The latest data show that, in 1989, women accounted for 49.7 per cent of
the Palestinian population in the occupied territory. 16/
36. Participation by females in the labour force has been low compared with
male participation, particularly in the Gaza Strip. An analysis of employment
data over a number of years indicates, however, that the Israeli occupation
has had a negative effect on the participation rate of women in the labour
force. In the West Bank, the rate fell from its peak of 14.3 per cent in 1974
to 12 per cent in 1987, to approximately 10 per cent in 1990. Figures for the
E/CN.6/1993/10
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Gaza Strip reveal a steady decline in the female participation rate, from
6.4 per cent in 1968, to 4.6 per cent in 1974, to 4.2 per cent in 1987,
declining to less than 2 per cent in 1990. The male participation rate was
over 90 per cent in 1990. 17/
37. The Israeli occupation and the resultant economic decline had a particularly
detrimental effect on female participation in the labour force in the
industrial sector. After the Israeli occupation, the percentage of female
workers in industry declined sharply, from 24.8 per cent of the West Bank
residents employed in industry in 1970 to 11 per cent in 1980 and from 8.9 per
cent in 1987 to 6.2 per cent in 1990. Similarly, in Gaza, the female labour
force in industry declined from 17.4 per cent of all residents of the Gaza
Strip employed in industry in 1970 to 8.9 per cent in 1980 and from 2.7 per
cent in 1987 to almost nothing in 1990. The industrial sector, albeit small,
is currently almost totally dominated by a male labour force. 18/
38. Although there is a cultural factor behind the low participation by
females in the labour force, particularly in the Gaza Strip, it is not in
itself a sufficient explanation. Deteriorating economic conditions and
demographic factors have also contributed to the relatively low female participation
rate in the occupied territory. In conditions of rising unemployment
(currently estimated at 40 per cent of the registered workforce in the
Gaza Strip, for example), women find themselves in a particularly vulnerable
position where employment is concerned. Either they lose their jobs because
they have been employed in enterprises that cannot survive the loss of purchasing
power in the community, or they are put under pressure to make way for
male job-seekers. Particularly during the past five years, a large number of
males have lost their jobs in Israel as a result of the additional security
measures taken by the Israeli authorities. These males have usually sought
employment in the occupied territories, reducing the opportunities open to
female labour.
39. There are indications that the traditionally weak integration of women
into the productive sectors of the economy, particularly in the industrial
sector, is in the process of change. As discussed in section IV below, there
is a growing trend for women to enrol in industry-related vocational training
programmes, including courses in commerce, computer science and electronics.
These women, upon graduation, will have an important role to play in meeting
future labour demands in the productive sectors of an independent Palestinian
economy. It should also be recognized, however, that overall female enrolment
in vocational training and the enrolment of women in university technical
courses, such as engineering and management, remain relatively low.
40. The integration of women, particularly among the poor and refugee population,
may largely be shaped by the economic changes that have evolved as a
result of the intifadah. As the domestic economies of the occupied territory
have declined to a subsistence level, alternative economic activities have
been created (for example home production, sharing and unofficial markets), in
which women play a key role.
41. As employees of small firms and subcontracted industries inside the
occupied territories, women are, at present, more exposed to the production
and marketing process: they are learning how to adapt their products to local
markets and are learning new skills in industries in which they have traditionally
been employed, such as animal husbandry and horticulture. Through
their involvement in the domestic small-scale industries, women are, in fact,
E/CN.6/1993/10
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restructuring the domestic production base and helping to build self-reliance
in their domestic economy. These income-generating women's projects have particularly
benefited from the popular boycotts of Israeli goods and the corresponding
rise in demand for locally manufactured products.
42. The availability of credit facilities, albeit limited, from several international
sources, has also helped the small-scale industries that are run by
women. The Palestine Women's Initiative Fund of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which began its
operations in 1992, finances group schemes, including a pilot business centre
in Nablus to serve as a marketing and distribution centre for women's enterprises
in the area; a cooperative in Aqabat Jabr, in the training phase where
women are being taught business skills to enable them to select and set up an
enterprise with potentially good economic viability; workshops at three centres
in Gaza for household maintenance; and a library run by the women of Khan Yunis
for their community. 19/ Women are also eligible for loans under the incomegeneration
programme, under the auspices of UNRWA.
43. Women's participation in the generation of alternative sources of income,
albeit at a subsistence level, has enabled them to gain a certain degree of
self-reliance. As mentioned above (see section I) the reliance of the extended
family on women's earnings during this time of economic hardship has resulted
in a greater degree of freedom of movement for women than would have otherwise
been possible in the presence of fundamentalism.
44. The women's commitment to enhancing their living standards is evidenced by
the sharp increase in women's programmes in the occupied territory and refugee
camps over the years (see table), where refugee camps in Jordan and the Syrian
Arab Republic account for the majority of the participants and most of the
centres. The West Bank and Gaza area accounted for 25 centres out of the
Agency-wide figure of 65, and 2,494 participants out of the Agency-wide total
of 9,143. In order to transform these initial and relatively modest efforts
of women to generate alternate sources of income into sustainable businesses,
however, intensive training in management and marketing is needed, as well as
further training of the workers in technical skills. 20/
Participation in UNRWA women's programmes, 1967-1992 a/
Participation 1967 1975 1985 1988 1990 1991 1992
Number of centres 49 47 47 47 49 58 65
Number of participants 2 057 1 345 1 450 1 516 3 526 5 818 9 143
Source: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East, 1992.
a/ Agency-wide.
45. Many Palestinian initiatives could not, however, achieve their aims,
owing to the administrative obstacles placed in their way by the Israeli
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 11
authorities. 21/ In addition to Israeli Government control over land and
water, Israeli policies include restrictions on trade and the protection of
Israeli industries, licensing and institutionalized credit.
IV. EDUCATION
46. As noted earlier, since the occupation in 1967, Palestinians have regarded
education as their only means of obtaining a certain measure of income security.
Because of the correlation of education with better employment opportunities
and higher living standards, Palestinians have traditionally encouraged
their children to pursue higher education and training. Education has contributed
significantly to liberating women from traditional constraints on mobility
and segregation of the sexes.
47. The majority (60 per cent) of the schools in the occupied territory are
managed by the Israeli authorities. Palestinian children also receive formal
education through institutions managed by UNRWA and private organizations. 22/
These institutions include kindergarten schools, elementary schools, preparatory
schools and post-primary schools.
48. Over the period in question, schools have been closed for long periods,
especially in the West Bank, by order of the Israeli military authorities.
While no general closure order has been issued in Gaza, pupils have still, on
average, lost approximately one third of their school days because of curfews,
military closures, general strikes and disturbances.
49. This serious disruption of education has left considerable gaps in the
knowledge of pupils at all levels, regardless of age and sex. An analysis
of achievement tests administered by UNRWA staff to assess the effect of
the interruption of education and school closure on pupils in the school
year 1991/92 revealed that all students, but particularly those in the lower
grades, were affected detrimentally. 23/
50. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the number of female
pupils at all levels of education. These figures, however, must be compared
with regional data in order to assess accurately the situation of women's education
in the occupied territory. In 1992, female pupils represented 49 per
cent of the total pupils enrolled in all first-level educational institutions,
covering the age range 6-14 years. 24/
51. In 1989, the percentage of females in total secondary enrolment in the
West Bank (44 per cent) was higher than that of the Arab region as a whole
(41 per cent). In Qatar, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, women accounted
for half of the total secondary school enrolment. 25/ Taking into account the
disruption of the educational system caused by the intifadah and the response
thereto of the Israeli authorities, it seems logical to infer that the female
enrolment figures would probably be higher were the general conditions in the
occupied territory more conducive to the functioning of a healthy education
system.
52. The disruption of education, especially at the higher levels, regardless
of gender, is reflected in official statistics. According to the Israeli
Statistical Abstract, 1991. in 1986, the year before the intifadah. 6.4 per
cent of the women (16.3 per cent of the men) in Gaza and 7.1 per cent of the
women (14.2 per cent of the men) in the West Bank had 13 or more years of
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 12
schooling. In spite of an annual population growth rate of more than 3 per
cent, the enrolment numbers had fallen by 1989 to 4.9 per cent of the women
(12.5 per cent of the men) in Gaza and to 6.2 per cent of the women (12.3 per
cent of the men) in the West Bank. 26/
53. All Palestinian universities were closed officially by order of the
Israeli authorities from early 1988. The closure of the universities lasted
much longer than that of the schools. The six universities in the occupied
territory were allowed to open by stages, starting from mid 1990. Bir Zeit
University in the West Bank was allowed to reopen after four and a half years
of closure, at the end of April 1992. The closure of universities and other
educational institutions for that length of time would be contrary to
article 26, paragraph 1, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (General
Assembly resolution 217 A (III)), in which the right of everyone to education
is affirmed.
54. The latest figures available (for 1987) indicate that 39 per cent of the
students enrolled in the West Bank universities were women. 27/ These figures
are roughly equivalent to the average female university enrolment ratio of the
Arab countries in the region, although there are many countries whose female
university enrolment ratio exceeds 50 per cent: in Kuwait and the United Arab
Emirates, for example, 65 per cent of the students enrolled at universities in
1988 were women. At 50 per cent, the female enrolment rate in Israeli universities
remains higher than that of the occupied territory, but low compared
with some Arab States in the region. 27/
55. The relatively low level of female enrolment at institutions of higher
learning, including universities, in the occupied territory (compared with
Israel) is largely due to socio-economic factors, and particularly the extent
to which the Governments are willing or able to invest in the human resources
of their peoples. In 1987, Israel's total educational expenditure was 9.2 per
cent of total government expenditure. Jordan devoted 13 per cent of its total
government expenditure to education in 1985. For Kuwait, the proportion of
government expenditure on education was 12.1 per cent, and for the Arab region
as a whole it was, on average, 6.3 per cent in 1989. 28/
56. Even before the beginning of the intifadah. Palestinian educational institutions
were experiencing a number of difficulties. Material deficiencies have
always been a great problem. The quality of teaching has seriously suffered
owing to overcrowded classes, the decrepit state of the existing buildings,
inadequate library and laboratory facilities, and underpayment of teachers.
57. Overcrowding in schools has been identified as a critical problem: in
Gaza, 70 per cent and in the West Bank 46 per cent of the classes in schools
managed by UNRWA were operated in double shifts in 1991/92. The construction
of new schools is said to have been delayed by lengthy administrative procedures
on the part of the Israeli authorities. 29/
58. An increasing number of Palestinian women in the occupied territory have
enrolled in recent years in departments that were traditionally male-dominated.
Data indicates that, in 1989, 31 per cent of the women were enrolled in scientific
and technical departments at universities in the occupied territory. In
hard-core technical fields such as engineering, however, the percentage of
female enrolment was still relatively low, at 20 per cent. Against that, women
comprised 48 per cent of the students enrolled in the arts faculties and 40 per
cent of those enrolled in education. 30/
E/GN.6/1993/10
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59. The enrolment of women in the UNRWA vocational training centres also
reflects the trend for women to study traditionally male-dominated subjects:
during the academic year 1991/92, 43.5 per cent of the female vocational
trainees were studying subjects traditionally reserved for men, including
courses in technical and commercial subjects, electronics, computer science
and paramedical work. These women, upon completion of their training, would
qualify for jobs in architectural draughting and as quantity surveyors, as
land surveyors, mechanical engineering technicians and assistant pharmacists.
The enrolment of women in mechanical, metal, electrical and building tradeoriented
courses, however, was still low, at 13.4 per cent. 31/
60. All institutions of higher learning in the West Bank, including training
centres, were closed by military order from early in the intifadah until the
spring of 1990. The training centres have continued to be disrupted for the
past two years - particularly during the Persian Gulf crisis - by curfews,
disturbances and strikes. Training centres in Gaza had lost 20 per cent of
teaching days during this period. 19/
61. In a general atmosphere characterized by tension and violence, the prolonged
closure of schools has added to the feelings of insecurity and fear,
particularly among children. Not having regular schooling, children have had
to play in the streets, which has exposed them to considerable violence. In
Gaza, schools experienced major disruptions as recently as May 1992 from incursions
of Israeli settlers and security forces into school compounds and subsequent
curfews. 32/
62. During this period, women have contributed to "underground teaching" and
clandestine education. Pupils have studied in mosques and other private locations
and have achieved an attendance rate of approximately 95 per cent for
both boys and girls. Most of the teaching in private locations was done by
women - mothers or volunteer teachers.
V. HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING
63. Health conditions have been affected by the five years of continuous
tension in the occupied territory, particularly in terms of psychological
well-being.
64. The atmosphere of constant mourning has also added to the stresses in the
family. Many women have lost children, husbands or other close family members.
Some have been detained, while others have forfeited their property. Given
the precarious health services in the occupied territory, living with their
extended families in overcrowded rooms, women suffer from a general lack of
nutrition, health care and proper hygienic standards.
65. Inadequate sanitation, nutrition and water supply, insufficient access to
medical facilities and the high cost of medical care provided by the Israeli
authorities continue to contribute to poor health conditions in the occupied
territory. In the Gaza Strip, for example, although the population has
increased by at least 70 per cent since the occupation, the ratio of beds to
population had fallen to a level of 1.3 per 1,000 in 1989 from 2.4 per 1,000
before the occupation. 33/
66. In the Gaza Strip, salinization and the depletion of water resources by
over-drilling, including drilling done in Israel, have reached a dangerous
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 14
level. Salinization is also a growing problem in the West Bank. The latest
figures indicate that Palestinians in the West Bank were granted access to an
average of 150 cubic metres per person, while Israeli settlers in the West Bank
received an average of 2,000 cubic metres per person. 34/
67. Pregnant women and children were badly affected by the prolonged curfew
and emergency regulations in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf crisis, when
telecommunication lines would often be interrupted or cut and special permits
had to be obtained for ambulances during curfews, leading to general delays in
transporting patients to hospitals. 35/ The curfews and worsening economic
conditions in the occupied territories have led to a substantial fall in
income, giving rise to nutritional problems, including iron-deficiency anaemia,
which particularly affects women of reproductive age and children under three
years old. 36/
68. Fertility-related factors and short intervals between births are the main
cause of the remaining infant mortality and maternal ill-health and death. 19/
The population data suggest an average rate of population growth of 3.4 per
cent over the period 1988-1990, the highest rates being registered in the Gaza
Strip. 37/ The data indicates that the population growth is mainly due to
natural increase. The reasons behind the high fertility rate, particularly
among younger women, are discussed in section II above.
69. The frustrations, the emotional deprivation and the physical and psychological
humiliation, as well as the destruction of the paternal image, have
been found to cause severe psychological stress to children and adolescents. 38/
These factors have resulted in a significant increase in psychopathology, such
as personality disorders and delinquency, which, in addition to personal psychological
disturbances, also have a feedback effect on the entire family, leading
to disturbances of relationships within the family. These disturbances place
additional stress on the mother, since, traditionally, it is she who is responsible
for the household.
70. One form of psychopathology is the increase of physical and verbal forms
of violence in young adolescents. This is manifested by the rise in intransigence
among children and young adolescents accompanied by symptoms of psychopathology,
such as depression, loss of sleep, loss of appetite and loss of
concentration. Few children have escaped physical or psychological abuse by
Israeli soldiers. Their fear of being abused by Israeli soldiers were reflected
in the results of a study conducted in 1990 in the occupied territory, which
indicates that nearly half of the Palestinian children sampled were terrified
of Israeli soldiers, and more than one fourth said that they were afraid to
leave the house. Boys seem to be relatively more prone to aggressive
behaviour than girls. 39/
71. The United Nations and international non-governmental organizations are
attempting to deal with the issue of mental health care in the occupied territories.
A joint WH0/UNRWA Mental Health Programme, for example, was begun
in May 1991 in the West Bank. In resolution WHA 45.26, entitled "Health conditions
of the Arab population in the occupied Arab territories, including
Palestine", adopted by the forty-fifth World Health Assembly on 14 May 1992,
deep concern was expressed at the Israeli refusal to permit the Special Committee
of Experts to visit the occupied territories.
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 15
Notes
1/ See the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories
(A/43/694), para. 610.
2/ "Workshop I: Development of Palestinian women's movements in
Palestine" (NGO/IMQP/VII/16 pp. 2-3), and "Report on Workshop I: Women"
(NGO/IMQP/VII/25, p. 3), papers submitted to the Seventh United Nations
International NGO Meeting on the Question of Palestine, held at the Palais
des Nations, Geneva, from 29 to 31 August 1990.
3/ United Nations Secretariat, Division for Palestinian Rights, Bulletin,
vol. XIV, No. 10/11 (October/November 1991), p. 12.
4/ Statistical Abstract of Israel, 1991. No. 42 (Central Bureau of
Statistics, Jerusalem, 1991), table 27.2.
5/ See Living Conditions of the Palestinian People in the Occupied
Territories (United Nations, Department of Public Information, 1988), pp. 3
and 13.
6/ International Labour Office, Report of the Director-General. Appendices
(vol. 2), International Labour Conference, 79th session, Geneva, 1992,
pp. 8 and 20.
7/ Question of Palestine. 1979-1990 (United Nations Secretariat,
July 1991), p. 37.
8/ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East, June 1992.
9/ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East, "Statistics of Palestinian refugees" (WWR761/A), October 1992.
10/ Homa Hoodfar, "Legal barriers to the empowerment of female-headed
households: women and custody in the Middle East" (EGM/VW/1990/WP.6), paper
submitted to the Expert Group Meeting on Vulnerable Women, held at Vienna from
26 to 30 November 1990.
11/ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East, October 1992.
12/ Isiah Jad, "Patterns of relations within the Palestinian family after
the intifadah". in Gender in the Intifada, mimeographed version, 1991.
13/ "Workshop II: Human rights in the occupied territories: the reunification
of Palestinian families" (IMQP/NG0/VIII/11), pp. 4-5, paper submitted
to the Eighth United Nations International NGO Meeting on the Question of
Palestine, held at the Austria Center, Vienna, from 28 to 30 August 1991.
14/ United States of America, Department of State, "Country report on
human rights practices for 1991", submitted to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations,
United States Senate (Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office, 1992)
p. 1443.
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 16
15/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
16/ Statistical Abstract of Israel, 1991. No. 42 (Jerusalem, Central
Bureau of Statistics* 1991), table 27.3.
17/ International Labour Office, Report of the Director-General. Appendices
(vol. 2), International Labour Conference, 79th session, Geneva, 1992,
p. 14; Statistical Abstract of Israel, 1988. No. 39 (Jerusalem, Central Bureau
of Statistics, 1988), table XXVII/25; and Palestinian Liberation Organization,
Palestinian Statistical Abstract, 1980 (Damascus, Palestine National Fund,
Central Bureau of Statistics, 1980).
18/ Statistical Abstract of Israel, 1991. No. 42 (Central Bureau of
Statistics, Jerusalem, 1991), table 27.20; Palestine National Fund, Industrial
Statistical Bulletin for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 1988 (Damascus, Central
Bureau of Statistics, Economic Department, 1988), pp. 22-23; and "Palestine
industrial sector: structure, institutional framework and future requirements",
conference room paper prepared by Sara M. Roy, United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) consultant for the UNIDO Seminar on
Prospects for the Palestinian Industrial Sector, held at Vienna from 11 to
13 October 1989, pp. 114-115.
19/ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East, July 1992.
20/ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East, Department of Relief and Social Services, "Palestinian Women's
Initiative Fund: progress report on projects funded by the Canadian Development
Agency", 30 June 1992; and Amal Abu Daqqa and others, "Evaluation of
women's income-generating projects in the Gaza Strip", sponsored by Save the
Children and Shu'un il Ma'ra, Gaza, July 1992.
21/ "Assistance to the Palestinian people: recent economic developments
in the occupied Palestinian territory", report by the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development secretariat to the Trade and Development Board at its
thirty-eighth session (TD/B/1305).
22/ Statistical Abstract of Israel, 1991. No. 42 (Jerusalem, Central
Bureau of Statistics, 1991), tables 24.47 and 24.48.
23/ Official Records of the General Assembly. Forty-seventh Session.
Supplement No, 13 (A/47/13), chap. VI, sect. A, para. 70.
24/ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
Statistical Yearbook, 1991 (Paris, 1991), table 3.4; and United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Department of
Education, July 1992.
25/ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
Statistical Yearbook. 1991 (Paris, 1991), tables 2.4 and 3.7.
26/ Statistical Abstract of Israel. 1991. No. 42 (Jerusalem, Central
Bureau of Statistics, 1991), table 27.49.
27/ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
Statistical Yearbook. 1991 (Paris, 1991), table 3.11.
E/CN.6/1993/10
Page 17
28/ Ibid., table 4.1.
29/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-seventh Session.
Supplement No, 13 (A/47/13), chap. VI, sect. D, para. 102.
30/ State of Palestine, Department of General and Higher Education,
Statistical Education Book (1989-1990) (Amman, 1990), pp. 224-225.
31/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-seventh Session.
Supplement No. 13 (A/47/13), annex I, table 6.
32/ Ibid., Supplement No, 13 (A/47/13), chap. VI, sect. B, para. 81.
33/ Robert Giel and others, "Needs assessment in respect of emergency
medical care in UNRWA clinics and non-governmental hospitals of the West Bank
and Gaza", World Health Organization short-term consultancy report,
30 April-20 May 1989, chap. 5, para. 5.2.
34/ Life of the Palestinians under Israeli Occupation (United Nations
Secretariat, Department of Public Information, July 1992), p. 17.
35/ United States of America, Department of State, "Country report on
human rights practices for 1991", submitted to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations,
United States Senate (Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office, 1992),
p. 1440; and Robert Giel and others, "Needs assessment in respect of emergency
medical care in UNRWA clinics and non-governmental hospitals in the West Bank
and Gaza", World Health Organization short-term consultancy report, 30
April-20 May 1989.
36/ Life of the Palestinians under Israeli Occupation (United Nations,
Department of Public Information, July 1992), p. 29.
37/ Ibid., p. 23.
38/ Ahmad M. Baker, "The psychological impact of the intifada on
Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and Gaza: an exploratory
study", paper presented at the 1990 annual meeting of the American Orthopsychiatric
Association, Miami Beach, Florida (American Orthopsychiatric
Association, Inc., 1990); and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East, "Annual report of the Director of
Health, 1991", pp. 67-68.
39/ Ahmad M. Baker, "The psychological impact of the intifada on
Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and Gaza: an exploratory
study", paper presented at the 1990 annual meeting of the American Orthopsychiatric
Association, Miami Beach, Florida (American Orthopsychiatric
Association, Inc., 1990), pp. 4-6.
UNITED NATIONS E
Economic and Social
Council Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1994/6
28 February 1994
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
New York, thirty-eighth session
7-18 March 1994
Item 4 of the provisional agenda*
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING
STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Note by the Secretary-General
SUMMARY
In its resolution 1993/15, entitled "Situation of and assistance to
Palestinian women", the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-
General to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its thirtyeighth
session a report on the implementation of the resolution, containing
recommendations and a programme of action aimed at improving the condition of
Palestinian women under Israeli occupation. The report describes how, in the
context of rapid political change, the concern of the Commission on the Status
of Women about the situation of Palestinian women and children may be entering
a new phase.
* E/CN.6/1994/1.
94-10044 (E) 020394 /...
E/CN.6/1994/6
English
Page 2
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 - 9 3
I. THE SITUATION OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN WITH RESPECT TO
GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS ............................ 10 - 19 5
II. IMPACT OF THE MIDDLE-EAST PEACE AGREEMENT ON
PALESTINIAN WOMEN .................................... 20 - 24 8
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INTRODUCTION
1. In its resolution 1993/15, the Economic and Social Council requested the
Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its
thirty-eighth session a report on the implementation of the resolution,
containing recommendations and a programme of action aimed at improving the
condition of Palestinian women under Israeli occupation. The report should use
all available sources of information, including missions of experts to the
occupied territory.
2. Reports on the subject had been submitted regularly to the Commission, most
recently at its thirty-seventh session, based on findings of various documents
published by the United Nations and a number of publications from other sources.
In 1989, a fact-finding mission had examined the situation of Palestinian women
living outside the occupied territory and had interviewed women from the
occupied territory. In 1993, missions of experts to the occupied Palestinian
territory as requested in Council resolution 1993/15, could not take place in
view of the changing political situation.
3. It has consistently been emphasized that, in preparing reports on
Palestinian women and children for the Commission on the Status of Women,
political matters were considered to fall outside the competence of the report.
There has been general recognition, however, that the lives of Palestinian women
in the occupied Palestinian territory are conditioned by the complex political
reality in the region. The status of women of all ages had been profoundly
affected by the political consequences of the occupation. Like previous reports
submitted to the Commission on the Status of Women, the present report describes
the situation of women in the critical areas of family life, economy and
employment, education and health, with special attention to psychological
well-being.
4. The report is based on various recent documents published by the United
Nations and other sources, most of which do not yet take into account recent
political developments. An effort has been made to seek out information about
how the situation of women and children has evolved since September 1993. It
should be noted that, despite the considerable documentation published on the
Palestinian conflict, there is a lack of reliable statistics on the status of
women, health, housing conditions, labour force participation, household
composition and education. For example, population data on the occupied
Palestinian territory are based on a census conducted in 1967 that has been
updated annually. The figures may well underestimate the population by
10-15 per cent because of underreporting at the time of the census and
underestimation of births and infant deaths. To obtain additional information,
the present report has drawn on sample surveys which have been conducted
recently in the occupied Palestinian territory.
5. The signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
Arrangements by the Governments of Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization in September 1993 (A/48/486-S/26560, annex) has transformed the
political perspective of the region and has affected the future situation of
women and children in the occupied territory. As repeatedly stated by the
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General Assembly, the question of Palestine was at the core of the Middle East
conflict, and peace in the region should be based on a comprehensive, just and
lasting solution, under United Nations auspices. The peace process would of
course have an impact on all the women in the region. During the period in
which the present report was prepared, the details of the Declaration of
Principles, in particular the specific understandings and agreements set out in
the Agreed Minutes, were still being negotiated. There has been a rush to
define strategies for economic development during the interim period and
afterwards by all partners concerned, including bilateral and multilateral
donors.
6. In this context of rapid political change, the concern of the Commission on
the Status of Women about the situation of Palestinian women and children may be
entering a new phase. The forthcoming establishment, for a transitional period,
of a Palestinian interim self-government authority and elected council for the
Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip implies a shift of focus.
In addition to monitoring the living conditions of Palestinian women and
children, the authority will emphasize the enhancement of women’s participation
in the elaboration of a permanent settlement of the conflict and the integration
of a gender perspective in all areas of legislation, infrastructure, human
resource and economic development.
7. The rapidity of events has made it impossible for the present report to
contain the requested recommendations and programme of action. They will have
to await the outcome of the political developments that are now occurring.
8. This change of focus is taking place at a moment when the attention of the
Commission on the Status of Women is drawn to preparations for the Fourth World
Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) and the second review and appraisal of the
Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies. At the World Conference to Review and
Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality,
Development and Peace (Nairobi, 1985), the issue of Palestinian women and
children was a main area of concern under the rubric "peace", as reflected in
paragraph 260 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies:
"For more than three decades, Palestinian women had faced difficult living
conditions in camps and outside, struggling for the survival of their
families and the survival of the Palestinian people who were deprived of
their ancestral lands and denies the inalienable rights to return to their
homes and property, their right to self-determination, national independence
and sovereignty. ... The special and immediate needs of Palestinian women
and children should be identified and appropriate provisions made. United
Nations projects should be initiated to help women in the fields of health,
education, and vocational training. Their living conditions inside and
outside the occupied territory should be studied by the appropriate United
Nations units and agencies, assisted, as appropriate, by specialized
research institutions from various regions." 1/
9. In light of the recent political developments, monitoring the
implementation of paragraph 260 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies has
gained new momentum. The second review and appraisal of the Forward-looking
Strategies should acknowledge the progress achieved and identify the remaining
/...
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obstacles. In the preparation of the report on the review and appraisal for
presentation at the Fourth World Conference, all changes that have affected the
situation of Palestinian women and children will have to be carefully
investigated and taken into account. This will certainly be a concern of the
Western Asia Regional Preparatory Conference, which will be convened in Amman
from 6 to 10 November 1994.
I. THE SITUATION OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN WITH RESPECT TO
GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS
10. According to the information available, the situation of Palestinian women
in the occupied territory is still characterized by the state of military
occupation. In the period under investigation, living conditions drastically
worsened - in particular during the first half of 1993. Despite the positive
developments and increased hope for peace after the signing of the Declaration
of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, no substantive or
immediate improvement of living conditions could be reported.
11. The continuation of the occupation, buttressed by armed force, affected
Palestinian society and its livelihood and resulted in serious human rights
violations. In fact, during 1993 the number of total fatalities and injuries,
particularly among children, was significantly higher than during the preceding
period. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA) reported that security forces were responsible for the
death of 80 Palestinians from the West Bank, including 8 children and
120 persons from the Gaza Strip, among them 28 children. 2/ Since the beginning
of the intifadah the total number of Palestinian casualties by shooting, beating
or tear gas had risen to 1,240 by August 1993, and the total number injured to
an estimated 130,000. Approximately one fourth of the fatalities continued to
be children under 16 years. 3/ Palestinian women had similarly experienced
violence and maltreatment caused by the situation of unrest and armed conflict.
In Gaza, 722 women reported serious injuries and had to undergo medical
treatment, as did 108 women in the West Bank. Eight of 48 women prisoners
suffering from injuries and maltreatment were said to have been denied adequate
medical treatment. During the reporting period, a total of nine Palestinian
females were reported to have been killed as a result of direct or indirect
actions of the Israeli security forces and settlers, among them three
schoolgirls aged below 13 years and one 4-year-old girl.
12. Women and their families had been increasingly harassed - in particular
when persons declared as "wanted" had been pursued. Military assaults were
carried out massively against the homes of fugitives in February and April 1993
in the Gaza Strip, rendering hundreds of Palestinians homeless. Since the
beginning of the intifadah, over 2,400 homes had been demolished or sealed. 4/
Women and their children were especially affected by measures of collective
punishment. The Israeli-ordered closure of the Gaza Strip on 30 March and the
West Bank on 31 March 1993 had a serious impact on the daily life and overall
economic conditions of Palestinians, because it divided the occupied territory
into four isolated regions. Special permits were required for entry into
Jerusalem and Israel and travel between the West Bank and Gaza and within the
West Bank itself. This had a negative effect on commerce, medical care,
/...
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education and access to services, including those provided by UNRWA, and it
caused unemployment to rise to over 50 per cent. 5/ Gaining access to medical
facilities in Jerusalem necessitated permits and ambulances were refused entry
in several emergency cases. In some areas, road blocks had created enclaves,
depriving the Palestinians living in them of access to their families, places of
work, schools, medical facilities, places of worship in Jerusalem and utility
services. 6/ The closures resulted in a substantial rise in socio-economic
hardship since some 130,000 Palestinians were suddenly cut off from their
sources of income. Palestinians began to liquidate savings and sell personal
belongings and household appliances to buy food, pay debts and cover rent. A
change in consumption patterns and nutritional habits was noticed. There was
concern that the percentage of growth-retarded children under three years of age
and the number of child deaths could rise since protein-energy malnutrition was
closely associated with infant and child mortality. 7/
13. A rapid worsening of the environmental situation in the occupied
Palestinian territory has been noted. As reported by UNRWA, the ecological
problems stemmed mostly from the over-exploitation by the Israeli authorities
and the settlers of the available water resources, the lack of adequate waste
management systems and the destruction of thousands of olive and fruit trees.
The contamination and degradation of the environment had reached crisis
dimensions in the Gaza Strip and presented a direct health threat to the
population - in particular to the children. Palestinian households suffered
from the poor condition of water distribution networks and considerable water
losses. 8/ According to a recent survey, household indoor standards have
remained relatively poor. Only approximately half the households in the West
Bank camps and villages had a separate bathroom and inside flush toilets. Not
even 10 per cent had fitted kitchens. 9/ Poor standards and scarcity of safe
water affected women in particular since it has been their role to manage food
preparation and hygiene.
14. The life of Palestinian families has been characterized by frequent
separations. The absence of male family members due to detention, expulsion,
imprisonment or death has increased the number of female-headed households.
Over the past year, there were an estimated 12,000 Palestinian political
prisoners held in Israeli prisons and detention camps. Deportations of male
political activists had continued. The number of female-headed households had
always been high among the Palestinian refugee population, since men tended to
leave the camps in search of work. Thus, the camp population consisted in the
beginning mainly of women, children and the elderly. Women were the backbone of
refugee camp life. According to UNRWA data, 30.6 per cent of households in the
refugee population in the West Bank and 20.1 per cent in the Gaza Strip were
female-headed. UNRWA reported that 22 per cent of the families that qualified
for the "special hardship" programme were headed by women. An analysis of the
population of the occupied territory by age structure and sex showed large
gender gaps for the age groups from 35 to 64 years, where women outnumbered men -
in particular for the age groups 40-44, 45-49, and 50-54 years. 10/ Men of the
concerned age groups migrated from the occupied territory in search of
employment abroad, while women stayed behind. Family reunification laws had
also led to the deportation of family members, including children, and have
denied them the right to return on a permanent basis. Children had even been
denied registration. In December 1992, the Government of Israel granted
/...
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renewable visitor permits to the non-resident spouses and children of
Palestinians carrying Israeli-issued identification cards. This decision
affected about 1,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children who had entered the
occupied territory on visitor permits in mid-1992. 11/
15. Female-headed households were particularly vulnerable to poverty, since
women traditionally depended on men as providers of family income. The
majority of women could not ensure a living for their families since they were
impeded by lack of education, vocational training, skills and employment
opportunities and were subject to socio-cultural restrictions concerning their
freedom of movement. The condition of widows was particularly difficult and has
not received sufficient attention in relation to the question of de jure
headship, property rights and guardianship of the children. Certain customary
practices, such as a widow’s marrying her husband’s brother or other close kin,
were still widespread in the occupied territory. Large age gaps between
spouses, which are common in Palestinian society and in countries of the region,
have increased the likelihood of a woman being widowed, often at a young age.
Social and legal pressures often force single women and their children to join
the household of their kin and to give up independent living in the absence of a
male head of family.
16. In Palestinian society, marriage determines a woman’s life in social and
economic terms. Marriage status has an impact on access to property and income
and freedom of movement. Age at marriage is an indicator of women’s education
and expected fertility. A recent survey carried out in the West Bank and Gaza
found that during the first period of the intifadah the age at marriage fell.
In the previous two decades education and urbanization had led to a relative
rise in marriage age. Thirty-seven per cent of the female population married
under the age of 17, the legal minimum age required for marriage. The reasons
for the increase in early marriages were said to be linked to the long term
school closures and the deteriorating economic situation, which discouraged
parents from continuing their daughters’ education. The bans on wedding parties
during the intifadah made weddings affordable for those who had not planned to
marry for some time because of the costs involved. Furthermore, parents fearing
for the lives of their sons encouraged early marriages since the loss was
considered less tragic if the victim left behind a male heir.
17. According to a recent survey a relatively high number of women in the age
group 30-39 were not married (17 per cent). Given the fact that marriage was
less likely in the Palestinian society once a women reached her thirties, this
figure is important. It might imply that a certain number of women in this age
group either chose not to marry or did not have an opportunity to do so. It
confirmed the assertion that higher education might be counterproductive and an
impediment to marriage. A greater percentage of the non-married women of this
age group had a higher educational level and worked outside the home. 12/
18. Women experience the severe restrictions on movement within their
communities which were imposed by the Israeli authorities on a daily basis, just
as men do. Prolonged curfews and the fear of going out in the evening have
profoundly affected the social life of Palestinian society. However, freedom of
movement for women is also linked to marital status and age. It was considered
indecent behaviour for a woman to be alone with a male non-family member.
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Unmarried women are more restricted in their movements than married women of all
ages, although freedom of movement increases steadily with age.
Seventy-six per cent of women aged 50-59 said that they were free to move at
will, but only 22 per cent of the 15-19-year-old young women said so. Only
71 per cent of women working outside the home felt free to move about
freely. 13/
19. Despite the political and social changes that had occurred, the legal
conditions governing the status of women had not been changed since the
occupation of the West Bank in 1967. All the legislative, executive and
administrative powers previously held by the Government of Jordan in the West
Bank and Government of Egypt in the Gaza Strip were transferred to the General
Military Commander and remained unchanged, unless modified by a provision from
the Israeli Military Commander. Legislation relating to the status of women
remained the same, with two exceptions. The law of personal status is governed
by religious courts, which remain entirely outside the powers of the Israeli
military authorities. This religiously based legislation is similar to laws in
Israel and neighbouring Arab States and has had an important impact on issues
affecting women and families. The second change concerns women’s voting rights
and candidacy rights for municipal posts, which was granted by Military Order
627 of 1976. Women had no right to vote under the 1955 Jordanian electoral law.
The only occasion when women could vote was in the municipal elections of 1976;
municipal elections were banned afterwards. 14/
II. IMPACT OF THE MIDDLE-EAST PEACE AGREEMENT ON
PALESTINIAN WOMEN
20. The implementation of the Declaration of Principles will have an impact on
the situation of Palestinian women. With political developments entering a new
phase, the concerns of Palestinian women can be considered part of the
development agenda. A women-specific agenda, similar to that of various
developing countries, seems desirable. The prevailing approaches to "women in
development" are either to add women’s concerns to the development agenda set by
others or to transform development agendas on the basis of women’s analysis of
what would both meet their basic needs and empower them. Donors and development
agencies have an important role to play in the implementation of women-indevelopment
policies. But little can be achieved without the active involvement
of all concerned at all levels.
21. The process of structuring new governmental institutions and the
capabilities to manage them will be taking place with the transfer of certain
administrative responsibilities from the Israeli civil administration to
Palestinian control. Palestinian women can bring a gender perspective to these
developments. All of the areas mentioned in the Agreement, starting from
direct, free and general elections for the council of Palestinian people in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip to human resource development, environmental protection
and cooperation in the field of communication and media, can benefit from the
scrutiny of women for their gender components and impact. Development projects
in agriculture, the setting up of infrastructure, housing, education and health
facilities can best be elaborated with the participation of female experts. At
/...
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the outset, however, a particularly important step would be the provision of
de jure equality for women.
22. It is clear that Palestinian women are aware of the present challenge. The
Palestinian Federation of Women’s Action called for constitutional and judicial
legislation to ensure equality and equal opportunities and confirmed the
continuation of its struggle against the economic, social, political and
cultural marginalization of women. It recognized the urgency of the need to
have equality enshrined in the constitutional declaration of the national
authority. Women’s participation in the drafting of laws, regulations and
legislature of the new national authority and in community life in all its
aspects needed to be guaranteed. The Federation also asked for the
participation of leading female professionals in the formation of the
transitional national government and a larger proportion of women in principal
and subsidiary organizations and institutions dealing with social, economic,
educational, administrative and other matters. Their request covered civil
rights, education, health provision, the planning and implementation of growth
and development, and the media.
23. The question of accountability takes on a specific definition in the case
of interim self-government arrangements which will have an impact on future
developments and governmental structures. Adequate funds and resources should
be given to women-in-development programmes and women-in-development personnel
of sufficient authority should be included in all policy, planning and
programming activities. Appropriate quantitative and qualitative national
targets need to be identified. A national machinery for the advancement of
Palestinian women is already in place but needs recognition, authority and
influence at the highest political level. Women need to participate in future
governance structures and in existing development institutions, and most
importantly, need to be involved in the formulation of development strategies.
Skills-training and gender-awareness are important tools for achieving these
goals.
24. Besides providing adequate health services and improved education, the most
important programme will be to enhance the development of sustainable incomegeneration
activities for women. Realistic, feasible possibilities and basic
support facilities need to be identified. Palestinian women need support from
the international community, non-governmental organizations and donor agencies
in this respect.
Notes
1/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements
of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10).
2/ "Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" (A/48/13), para. 16.
3/ "Report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of
the Palestinian People" (A/48/35), para. 22.
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4/ Ibid., para. 24.
5/ "Assistance to the Palestinian people" (A/48/183/Add.1,
E/1993/74/Add.1), para. 25.
6/ A/48/35, para. 28.
7/ A/48/13, para. 10.
8/ Ibid., p. 44.
9/ Marianne Heiberg and Geir Øvensen, Palestinian Society in Gaza, West
Bank and Arab Jerusalem. A Survey of Living Conditions. Report 151 (Oslo,
Fagbevegegelsens Senter, for Forskning (FAFO), 1993), p. 88.
10/ "Selected statistical series on the balance of payments, foreign
trade, population, labour force and employment of the occupied Palestinian
territory, West Bank and Gaza Strip, 1968-1987" (UNCTAD/DSD/SEU/1) table
DP/III/4A.
11/ A/48/13, para. 2.
12/ Heiberg and Øvensen, Ibid., pp. 287-288.
13/ Ibid., p. 301.
14/ "Palestinian women and economic and social development"
(UNCTAD/DSD/SEU/Misc.4), paras. 29-33.
-----
UNITED NATIONS E
Economic and Social Council
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1995/8
13 March 1995
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Thirty-ninth session
New York, 15 March-4 April 1995
Item 5 of the provisional agenda*
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING
STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
SUMMARY
In its resolution 38/4, entitled "Palestinian women", the Commission on
the Status of Women requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation of and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to
submit to the Commission, at its thirty-ninth session, a report on the
progress made in the implementation of the resolution. The present report
responds to that request and highlights the issues of concern for Palestinian
women within the present political context. It monitors the situation in the
fields of violence, governance, health, education and employment. Emphasis is
put on the development aspects and the participation of women in political
decision-making. Preparing for de facto and de jure equality has gained
importance as has the integration of a gender perspective in all areas of
legislation, infrastructure development and human resource and economic
development.
* E/CN.6/1995/1.
95-06941 (E) 170395 /...
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Page 2
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
INTRODUCTION ................................................ 1 - 4 3
I. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ................................ 5 - 8 4
II. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND GOVERNANCE ................ 9 - 17 5
A. Women’s organizations and committees .............. 10 - 12 5
B. Equal rights for women ............................ 13 - 14 6
C. Women in leadership positions ..................... 15 - 16 6
III. EDUCATION AND TRAINING ................................ 17 - 22 7
IV. EMPLOYMENT AND ACCESS TO ECONOMIC RESOURCES ........... 23 - 27 8
V. HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SERVICE PROVISION ............... 28 - 31 9
VI. VULNERABLE GROUPS ..................................... 32 - 33 10
VII. PRIORITIES FOR ASSISTANCE ............................. 34 - 39 11
VIII. CONCLUSIONS ........................................... 40 12
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INTRODUCTION
1. In its resolution 38/4, entitled "Palestinian women", the Commission on the
Status of Women requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation of and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to
submit to the Commission, at its thirty-ninth session, a report on the progress
made in the implementation of the resolution. It requested the Commission on
the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the
implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of
Women, in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children.
2. The World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United
Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace (Nairobi, 1985),
considered the issue of Palestinian women and children under the rubric "peace"
and concluded in paragraph 260 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies:
"For more than three decades, Palestinian women have faced difficult living
conditions in camps and outside, struggling for the survival of their
families and the survival of the Palestinian people who were deprived of
their ancestral lands and denied the inalienable rights to return to their
homes and their property, their right to self-determination, national
independence and sovereignty. ... The special and immediate needs of
Palestinian women and children should be identified and appropriate
provision made. United Nations projects should be initiated to help
Palestinian women in the fields of health, education, and vocational
training. Their living conditions inside and outside the occupied
territories should be studied by the appropriate United Nations units and
agencies, assisted, as appropriate, by specialized research institutes from
various regions." 1/
3. In preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in
Beijing in 1995, the monitoring of the implementation of paragraph 260 of the
Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies is being undertaken, including consideration
of recent political developments and their impact on the status of women. The
Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting, convened in Amman from 6 to 10 November 1994,
states in its general framework:
"A comprehensive and just peace and stability in the region are
prerequisites to development and equality. A comprehensive and just peace
would free the human and financial resources that are being spent on
military equipment and wars, when they could be geared toward development
that provides women with equal opportunities for participation." 2/
4. Since 1985, reports on Palestinian women have been submitted on a regular
basis to the Commission on the Status of Women, most recently at its thirtyeighth
session. The present report describes the situation of Palestinian women
related to violence, equal rights, governance, employment, education and health.
In view of the planned establishment, for a transitional period, of a
Palestinian interim self-government authority and elected council for the
Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, emphasis is placed on
the development aspect and on the enhancement of women’s participation in the
/...
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elaboration of a permanent settlement of the conflict and the integration of a
gender perspective in all areas of legislation, infrastructure development and
human resource and economic development. The transitional period began in Gaza
and Jericho, which in May 1994 became self-rule areas under the newly
established Palestinian Authority. The present report is based on various
recent documents published by the United Nations system and specialized
agencies, as well as other sources. No information was available on the
specific conditions of women in the self-rule areas.
I. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
5. The period under review was characterized by a decline of the overall level
of violence in the occupied territories following the signing by Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) of the Declaration of Principles on
Interim Self-Government Arrangements in September 1993 and the Agreement on the
Gaza Strip and the Jericho area (A/49/180-S/1994/727, annex). Since the
beginning of the intifadah, dozens of Palestinian women have been killed by
Israeli soldiers, settlers or collaborators, often random victims of violent
clashes. Women have been harassed by soldiers, in particular when their homes
were being searched. A number of female political prisoners remain in jail,
several of them under the age of 18. Women prisoners have experienced violence
in interrogation and imprisonment.
6. Sporadic outbreaks of protest and demonstration have been met by the
Israeli authorities with repressive measures against the civilian population.
Collective punishment such as prolonged curfews and closures has brought with it
economic and social hardship and increased the level of poverty. 3/ In
particular, the sealing of the occupied territories after the Hebron massacre on
25 February 1994 and its aftermath led to increased economic losses for
Palestinian workers employed in Israel. Since the movement of goods between
Israel and the occupied territories and within the occupied territories
themselves had also been interrupted, Palestinian manufacturers and farmers lost
considerable income. During the period under review the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) distributed
food on an emergency basis to 75,000 families in the West Bank and 95,000
families in the Gaza Strip. 4/ In addition, continued confiscation of land and
destruction of houses negatively affected the economic resource of Palestinian
families.
7. The experience of violence during the intifadah and afterwards has had
negative and chronic effects on the psychological well-being of children and
their mothers. Children who were subjected to traumatic events such as torture
or who witness the killing of a relative or friend display high levels of
anxiety and psychosomatic illnesses. Curfews that confine family members to
their home for extended periods, and other measures of collective punishment,
continue to put psychological strain on family members. There has been an
erosion of male authority within the household, since men were subjugated and
helpless in situations of violence during the intifadah. Problems of
depression, fear and aggressiveness have increased dramatically among children.
Manifested symptoms include lack of concentration, disobedience and increased
aggressiveness. Psychosomatic illnesses and ailments were reported at epidemic
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levels among traumatized mothers during the intifadah and continue to have an
impact. 5/ Mental health care projects have been established in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip to offer treatment and alleviate the harrowing effect of trauma
in children and mothers. 6/
8. Besides the violence arising from the occupation, the Palestinian woman is
confronted with various kinds of physical, sexual or psychological violence from
her family or from society in general. Women’s organizations have begun to
collect evidence of domestic violence against women, which has previously been a
taboo subject. They denounce traditional forms of social control such as urging
girls to quit school prematurely, wear the veil or get married against their
will.
II. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND GOVERNANCE
9. With the launching of Palestinian self-rule women’s contribution to
institution-building and legislation has gained importance. There is increased
public awareness about women’s status, respect for and acceptance of the work of
women’s organizations is high, and women are prepared to play an active role in
government.
A. Women’s organizations and committees
10. A historic review shows that Palestinian women’s organizations have grown
within the national movement and have been influenced by political events. The
General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) was formed in 1965 as a women’s
section within the PLO. 7/ With the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967, traditional charitable organizations
increased their relief activities, but also started to develop income-generating
activities and vocational training for girls and women. These activities
remained concentrated in the urban areas of the West Bank and were carried out
by middle- and upper-class women.
11. In the late 1970s, a new generation of women activists, highly politicized
and well-educated, emerged. Women’s committees, relying on the various
political factions and parties, were established to address the national and
social oppression of women. The unified women’s committees successfully
mobilized women throughout the occupied territories, in refugee camps as well as
in remote villages, which has engendered increased awareness among all women
involved. Barriers between urban and rural, middle- and lower-class women were
overcome.
12. Women’s popular committees have often been considered as alternative
institutions and part of a possible infrastructure within a future Palestinian
Government. During the intifadah, which began in December 1987, women became
actively involved in agriculture, education, food storage, medical and guarding
committees. They developed home economy as a community-based form of selfreliance.
Women continued their former charitable activities such as food
distribution and support of homeless families and families of prisoners and
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victims. Their activities were recognized by the political leadership as an
important support to the uprising.
B. Equal rights for women
13. In their early years, women’s committees gave priority to the national
struggle for liberation and neglected the issue of emancipation and achievement
of equality in a patriarchal society. Women did not want to split their
activities and open an internal argument at a time when all efforts were needed
for the resistance against occupation. Living under occupation had impelled the
Palestinian people to hold onto their customs and traditions as a mechanism for
preserving their national, cultural and social identity. This has played a
major role in enforcing many stereotypes that are discriminatory towards
women. 8/ The active participation of women of all ages and social backgrounds
in demonstrations and in confrontations with the army contributed to a change in
the public image of women. Increased awareness and self-confidence encouraged
women to take on leading positions and to publicly criticize the long neglect of
social and gender issues. Women’s participation in decision-making increased as
a result of the experience in the popular committees. 9/ A new feminist
consciousness set up a "gender agenda" for the women’s movement. Palestinian
women increasingly questioned their initial assumption that they would legally
and automatically obtain their rights along with national independence. Women’s
committees and international organizations, including UNRWA, organized courses
to inform women about their rights and to raise awareness on legal matters. 10/
14. Women’s organizations and human rights groups prepared amendments to the
proposed personal status, social and civil laws. Efforts were made to include
the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women into the draft National Authority Law, the
equivalent of a future constitution. Palestinian women’s organizations knew
that they had to grasp the historic moment to ensure that equality was enshrined
in all Palestinian legal instruments. Leading Palestinian women inside and
outside the occupied territories set up a special committee for the drafting of
a declaration of principles, which was adopted in June 1994. This Women’s
Charter highlights personal status law, socio-economic rights, education and
health. 11/
C. Women in leadership positions
15. The number of women in leadership positions has been growing. At present,
women represent about 10 per cent of the Palestinian National Congress. From 25
members in 1980, their number increased to 35 in 1986 and 43 in 1992. Women did
not hold any diplomatic position until 1980. In 1992, out of 93 women, two
reached the level of ambassador. The 15-member Palestinian delegation to the
Madrid Peace Conference, which began in October 1991, included three women. The
spokesperson for the delegation was a woman. After the implementation of the
self-rule agreement, a woman was appointed Minister for Social Affairs of the
Palestinian Authority. A woman was appointed head of the women police, which
enrolled about 70 women. 12/
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16. In preparing for the future administration and establishment of interim
self-government, the Palestinian Authority has set up a number of technical
committees to define policies, and to assist the negotiating team in planning
strategies and policies in all sectors. At the request of women’s
organizations, a Women’s Affairs Technical Committee has been established. Its
objective is to establish a system of governance that eliminates all forms of
discrimination against women and ensures equal participation in the future
legislative, executive and judicial structures. 13/
III. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
17. Palestinian educational achievement is, on average, the highest in the
region, with 18 college graduates per thousand inhabitants. The high-quality
human resource base has been recognized as the most important asset for the
sustainable development of the occupied territories. 14/ The considerable
increase - by 74.6 per cent - of the number of students in the past 20 years is
partly due to the higher enrolment of girls. In 1967/68, girls represented
41 per cent of the school population; in 1989, their number reached 48 per cent.
18. Gender differences in enrolment appear in the final years of the
preparatory cycle and in secondary schools. As much as 14 per cent of girls in
the West Bank and 7.3 per cent in the Gaza Strip have not completed schooling.
The major reasons given for the drop-out of girls above fourth grade elementary
education include slow learning capacity, the political situation and the need
to help at home or marry. 15/ Girls’ lack of academic ability is linked to
crowded classrooms, inadequacy of training material and non-availability of
intervention programmes to allow girls a second entry after drop-out or failure.
19. Despite the success in providing compulsory primary education for girls and
boys under adverse conditions, the quality of the education system and
educational achievement are not satisfactory because of overcrowded schools,
double shifts at the elementary level, lack of maintenance, inadequate teacher
training, lack of educational material and low salaries. 16/ Girls’ education
is doubly affected by these adverse circumstances. Their enrolment in the
non-compulsory secondary level remains low given the customary restriction on
girls’ mobility at the onset of puberty. Costs for education and the unequal
geographical distribution of secondary schools are an additional obstacle.
20. The frequent closure of schools during the intifadah has had a long-term
negative impact on educational achievement at the elementary level and will make
it difficult to catch up in higher-level classes. It resulted in demotivation
for continued education, in particular among girls, and increased illiteracy
rates. During the period under review, disruption in education as a result of
military closure orders, curfews and general strikes continued to decline. In
UNRWA schools, only 10 per cent of school-days were lost, compared to
16 per cent in the previous year. Students from the Gaza Strip who were
enrolled at UNRWA training centres in the West Bank did not get permission from
the Israeli authorities to attend their classes owing to movement restrictions
imposed in late February 1994. 17/
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21. Illiteracy still persists among members o the adult population who have had
no schooling or less than six years of schooling. Women of all ages were more
likely than men to be illiterate, especially women over 34 years of age and
those living in rural areas or refugee camps. In 1990, the data collected on
illiteracy in West Bank villages and the Gaza Strip showed that between 30 and
55 per cent of women and between 10 and 35 per cent of men were reported as
illiterate. 18/ The popular committees, in particular women’s committees, have
undertaken a large programme of literacy training for women of all ages in the
rural areas and refugee camps. Methods of functional literacy training have
been used, linking literacy training to education about health, nutrition,
hygiene and child care. However, many women after graduating from a literacy
programme gradually lose their skills because of lack of practice. 19/
22. The opening of various institutions of higher learning in the occupied
territories between 1967 and 1987 brought with it the most significant change in
women’s education. Since the 1960s, eight universities have been set up in the
occupied territories. In 1991, 25,393 students were enrolled in universities
and other third-level institutions. Female students comprise 44 per cent of the
total student population in the Gaza Strip and 46 per cent in the West Bank.
Young women, who had no opportunity to pursue their education previously, could
enrol in universities located close to their homes. This launched a
democratization process which engendered broader participation in higher
education, since the local universities offered educational opportunities for
students from rural areas and refugee camps. The important percentage of women
in tertiary education has created a new elite of highly educated women who
became politicized during their university education and have become actively
involved in setting up women’s committees. Women still opted for typical female
studies, with 26 per cent in education science and the humanities and only 5.7
and 0.5 per cent in engineering and agriculture, respectively. 20/ Local
universities were closed by the Israeli authorities at the beginning of the
intifadah and only resumed their full activities in 1992. Access to
universities in 1994 was frequently hampered by the Israeli authorities.
IV. EMPLOYMENT AND ACCESS TO ECONOMIC RESOURCES
23. Women’s access to economic resources is difficult to assess in a society in
which women’s participation in the formal labour force has been very low.
Traditionally, the main mechanism used to ensure women some form of independent
economic resources has been the payment of a dowry at marriage. This has
continued as an important social practice, although it is no longer a
sustainable source of income or economic support for women, given increased
living costs. Jewellery, land, livestock, bank savings or tools of the trade
were the main form of women’s independent property. With increasing age, women
are giving away their dowry resources and investing them in the family. 21/ In
times of economic hardship, families have had to fall back on accumulated
resources. Women’s individual resources were used up for family maintenance,
which, in return, increased women’s economic dependence on husbands or male
family members. There is evidence that Palestinian families exhausted their
resources during the years of the intifadah, especially during periods when they
were cut off from any sources of labour income.
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24. Women’s participation in the labour force averaged 11.7 per cent in the
West Bank and only 3.9 per cent in the Gaza Strip. Restriction on women’s
mobility has made it difficult to search for employment inside Israel. However,
a significant number of women, in particular female heads of household, have
worked as migrant agricultural workers despite social inhibitions. Israeli
enterprises specialized in garment production set up subcontracting in the
occupied territories, and exploited women by paying wages 50 per cent lower than
wages for equivalent work in Israel. 22/
25. Unemployment has been very high for women with high school, vocational or
university education. Early surveys of university graduates suggested that few
of the female graduates went on to pursue professional careers. Women remained
concentrated in secretarial and service work and in the caring professions, in
particular nursing and teaching. The female concentration in teaching was very
high, especially in primary education.
26. In the 1990s, many women’s organizations established income- and profitgenerating
projects for women. 23/ A survey on Palestinian women’s
organizations in the occupied territories conducted in 1992 reported a total of
174 women’s organizations, including cooperatives, voluntary services,
committees, centres and production projects. They run specialized educational,
training and production projects, day-care centres, kindergartens and
rehabilitation and health centres. In the economic and social context of the
occupied territories, income-generating activities provided by women’s
organizations offer possibilities for female access to the labour market, even
if they remain in the realm of traditional female occupations.
27. There is a lack of information on women in the private sector. Data
provided by the Chambers of Commerce of five cities in the occupied territories
indicate that women constitute only 2 per cent of investors in trade offices,
most of them operating with very low capital. Information was provided on an
oil factory, in which 13 per cent of investors were women, and on a medical
company in Jerusalem, where women constituted 65 per cent of the investors,
although no woman was on its board of directors. 24/
V. HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SERVICE PROVISION
28. Health conditions and provision of services in the occupied territories
have been negatively affected by the political situation since 1967 and
deteriorated during the intifadah. A recent development assessment suggested
that too little attention was being given by medical services to reaching out to
groups, especially women. 25/ The health-care system focused on female
reproductive health and did not provide for women’s health problems throughout
the life cycle.
29. The West Bank has a high birth rate, at about 4.5 per cent, which has an
adverse effect on the health of mothers. Infant mortality has been persistently
high, at 50 to 100 deaths per thousand live births in the late 1970s and early
1980s. 26/ The disruption of all aspects of routine life during the intifadah
may have resulted in a non-reporting of infant deaths. Birth practices have
changed over the past 20 years, including a progressive increase in the
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proportions of births occurring in hospitals and medical centres. In 1990, only
20 per cent of mothers in the Gaza Strip and 32 per cent in the West Bank gave
birth at home. The discrepancy between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip can be
explained by the greater number and closer availability of medical services in
the Gaza Strip, in particular through UNRWA clinics where pre- and post-natal
care is provided. UNRWA also expanded its services of family planning in the
context of maternal health. A rise in maternal anaemia in the third trimester
of pregnancy has been reported for the West Bank (48 per cent) and the Gaza
Strip (67 per cent). 27/
30. A recent survey conducted by UNRWA in 1990 suggested that there had been an
improvement in nutritional status in the refugee camps since 1984. Other
surveys carried out in the rural areas of the West Bank, however, suggested that
malnutrition of children outside the camps was more prevalent. The difference
could be explained by the fact that poor families in the refugee camps were
receiving substantial food supplies through UNRWA. The economic recession,
aggravated in particular in 1993 by measures of collective punishment, had
negative effects on nutritional standards. The incidence of childhood anaemia,
which has been as high as 70 per cent in camps in the Gaza Strip and 58 per cent
in the West Bank, has an impact on a child’s physical and psychological
development. 28/
31. There is an acute shortage of doctors and clinics in the occupied
territories. Non-governmental organizations and medical committees play an
important role in providing health services in the West Bank, where they reach
45 per cent of the population through 132 clinics. One of the health service
non-governmental organizations, the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief
Committees is providing health services adapted to women’s needs and priorities
without focusing only on maternity health care. It is functioning with a
network of volunteers and mobile clinics and puts emphasis on education
campaigns and the training of rural women as village health workers. 29/
VI. VULNERABLE GROUPS
32. The violence to which the occupied territories have been exposed since the
outbreak of the intifadah greatly increased the number of persons with
disabilities. UNRWA has been running a physiotherapy programme, together with
the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in six clinics in Gaza and five in
the West Bank, but has not been able to meet the need for treatment. A great
number of the injuries have led to permanent disability for which specific
community care is needed. The UNRWA community-based rehabilitation programme
for the disabled has had to further expand its provision of vocational
rehabilitation. Since most of the injured are young men, women have had to take
on the role of caregivers and providers of family income.
33. The number of female-headed households is high in the occupied territories.
Some 36.6 per cent of all households in the West Bank are headed by women,
compared to 17.9 per cent in the Gaza Strip. These figures do not include
de facto female headship, where male heads of household have migrated for a
longer period. 30/ Women heads of household face numerous legal, social and
economic problems. The agreements between Israel and the PLO had a favourable
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impact on household composition since a number of long-term deportees returned
to the occupied territories.
VII. PRIORITIES FOR ASSISTANCE
34. Following the signing of the Declaration of Principles, the programmes and
agencies of the United Nations system have intensified their efforts to promote
sustainable economic and social development in the occupied territories. In
May 1994, the Secretary-General appointed a Special Coordinator in the occupied
territories to facilitate coordination among the programmes and agencies to
ensure an integrated and unified approach to development.
35. UNRWA identified projects that would improve social and economic conditions
and infrastructure in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and that could be turned
over to the Palestinian Authority in the future. The women’s programme of UNRWA
was gradually being integrated into the broader network of women’s organizations
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in order to achieve greater independence. Two
of the 14 women’s programme centres were given over for management by elected
women’s committees, while still being assisted technically and financially by
UNRWA staff. 31/
36. The United Nations Development Programme sent a Needs Assessment Mission
for Palestinian Women to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in early 1994. The
purpose of the mission was to collaborate closely with the evolving leadership
of Palestinian women in developing a policy framework for facilitating equal
access to and participation in all development efforts as well as in defining
the requirements for nation-building efforts. The report of the mission sets
out recommendations for action in all fields and policy interventions and
operational action to achieve the objectives concerning women and
governance. 32/
37. Following a review and analysis of previous cooperation, UNICEF has updated
its programme of cooperation for Palestinian women and children in the West Bank
and Gaza in close dialogue with the Palestinian Authority and its various
institutions, United Nations agencies, non-government organizations and donor
partners. UNICEF assistance gives priority to empowering women and girls to
become full participants in the economic and social development process. The
health programme focuses on maternal and child health, including safe motherhood
and reduction of maternal mortality, and education relating to childbirth,
motherhood and nutrition. The education component addresses gender disparities
and promotes girls’ education through formal and non-formal means. In support
of greater participation of women in economic life, UNICEF is helping to develop
a system of early child care. A youth and community development component, with
a focus on girls, aims at constructive action for young people.
38. The International Labour Organization (ILO) sent an interdisciplinary
mission to the occupied Palestinian territories in December 1993, the objective
of which was to establish a plan of action to assist in the transition to
political autonomy, in particular in the areas of human resource development,
employment creation, labour institutions, social protection and equality for
women. The proposals of the mission aim at promoting women’s employment
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opportunities in agriculture, and small business and industrial development,
through targeted poverty alleviation schemes and entrepreneurship development
programmes. The integration of the principle of equality of opportunities for
men and women in the current process of planning, priority setting and
institution-building, with a special emphasis on labour law and international
standards, is underlined. In view of the release of thousands of detained
persons and prisoners, specific education and training needs have arisen. 33/
39. The World Bank estimated that US$ 5 million would be needed to fund
programmes for women and youth during the interim period leading to the autonomy
of the occupied territories. UNICEF, as a possible coordinating and
implementing agency in this area, would earmark $2 million to mother and child
health. 34/
VIII. CONCLUSIONS
40. As the peace process in the occupied territories and the self-rule area of
Jericho and the Gaza Strip is being consolidated, many actors have recognized
the importance of integrating the gender perspective in all areas of
legislation, infrastructure development and human resource and economic
development at this crucial period. Preparing for de facto and de jure
equality between men and women is of primary importance. Palestinian women need
practical support and assistance at all levels, from counterparts inside and
outside the occupied territories, in their endeavour to become citizens with
equal rights and responsibilities. The findings in the present report show that
there is potential for development and that resources and support need to be
made available immediately in order to create the necessary infrastructure,
especially in the field of education, health and employment.
Notes
1/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements
of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10),
chap. I, sect. A.
2/ Arab Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000,
adopted at the Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting, held at Amman from 6 to
10 November 1994, chap. I, para. 14.
3/ See note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the
Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of
the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/49/511),
p. 5.
4/ Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July 1993-30 June 1994
(Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement
No. 13 (A/49/13)), para. 25.
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5/ Ahmad M. Baker, "State of mental health among Palestinian children
living in the occupied territories", paper presented to the International
Meeting "Children of Palestine", Vienna, 8-10 May 1991.
6/ Report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian
people (A/48/183/Add.1-E/1993/74/Add.1).
7/ General Union of Palestinian Women, Palestinian Women, November 1989.
8/ General Union of Palestinian Women, preliminary report of Palestine to
the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1994.
9/ Islah Jad, "From salons to the popular committees: Palestinian women,
1919-1989", in Intifadah: Palestine at the Crossroads, J. Nassar and
R. Heacock, eds. (New York, Praeger, 1990).
10/ Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, ..., chap. VIII, sect. C.
11/ United Nations Development Programme, At the Crossroads: Challenges
and Choices for Palestinian Women in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (New York,
1994), p. 97.
12/ General Union of Palestinian Women, preliminary report ...
13/ United Nations Development Programme, At the Crossroads ..., p. 95.
14/ World Bank, Developing the Occupied Territories: An Investment in
Peace, vol. I (Washington, D.C., September 1993).
15/ United Nations Children’s Fund, "The situation of Palestinian children
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip" (Jerusalem, 1992).
16/ World Bank, Developing the Occupied Territories ...
17/ Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, ..., para. 137.
18/ United Nations Children’s Fund, "The situation of Palestinian children
..."
19/ General Union of Palestinian Women, preliminary report ...
20/ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,
Statistical Yearbook, 1993 (Paris, 1993).
21/ Marianne Heiberg and Geir Øvensen, Palestinian Society in Gaza, West
Bank and Arab Jerusalem. A Survey of Living Conditions. Report 151 (Oslo,
Fagbevegegelsens Senter, for Forskning (FAFO), 1993).
22/ "Palestinian women and economic and social development in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip" (UNCTAD/DSD/SEU/Misc.4).
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23/ Bisan Centre for Research and Development and United Nations
Development Programme, Directory of Palestinian Women’s Organizations (Ramallah,
1993).
24/ General Union of Palestinian Women, preliminary report ...
25/ World Bank, Developing the Occupied Territories ...
26/ "Palestinian women ..."
27/ United Nations Children’s Fund, "The situation of Palestinian children
..."
28/ Ibid.
29/ United Nations Development Programme, At the Crossroads ...
30/ Ibid.
31/ Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, ..., para. 131.
32/ United Nations Development Programme, At the Crossroads ...
33/ International Labour Organization, Capacity Building for Social
Development: A Programme of Action for Transition in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (Geneva, 1994).
34/ World Bank, Emergency Assistance for the Occupied Territories, vol. I,
Investment Programme (Washington, D.C., 7 December 1994).
-----
UNITED NATIONS E
Economic and Social Council
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1996/8
4 March 1996
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Fortieth session
11-22 March 1996
Item 5 of the provisional agenda*
MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NAIROBI FORWARD-LOOKING
STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
SUMMARY
In its resolution 1995/30, entitled "Palestinian women", the Economic and
Social Council requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation of Palestinian women and to assist them by all available means, and
to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fortieth session a
report on the implementation of the resolution. The present report monitors
conditions of human rights during the period under review and describes new
developments, focusing on projects supported and carried out by the United
Nations system. It also discusses emerging concerns and provides suggestions
in line with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The emphasis of
the report has shifted from monitoring the general living conditions of
Palestinian women to monitoring aspects of their development and human rights,
while not neglecting the specific political framework.
* E/CN.6/1996/1.
96-01500 (E) 060396 /...
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CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 - 4 3
I. RESULTS OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN ...... 5 - 7 3
II. GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS ............................ 8 4
III. EFFECTS OF THE PEACE PROCESS ON WOMEN ................ 9 - 11 5
IV. ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINIAN WOMEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS
SYSTEM ............................................... 12 - 17 6
V. EMERGING CONCERNS .................................... 18 - 22 8
VI. CONCLUSIONS .......................................... 23 - 24 9
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INTRODUCTION
1. In accordance with paragraph 260 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies
for Women, 1/ the situation of Palestinian women and children has been monitored
regularly by the Commission on the Status of Women.
2. In its resolution 1995/30, on Palestinian women, the Economic and Social
Council requested the Secretary-General "to continue to review the situation and
to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to submit to the
Commission ... at its fortieth session a report on the progress made in the
implementation" of the resolution. It requested the Commission to continue to
monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Strategies.
The Commission on the Status of Women, in its resolution 39/3, entitled "Women
in the Middle East peace process", stressed the importance of, and need for,
achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. It urged
Governments, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations to
include women in the peace process and to expedite economic, financial and
technical assistance to Palestinian women.
3. Since the signing by the Government of the State of Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization of the Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements, on 13 September 1993, the situation in the
occupied territories has undergone major changes. Palestinian autonomy has
taken shape with the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in May 1994,
following the signing of the Agreement on the Gaza Strip and Jericho Area, and
has been further consolidated following the signing of the Interim Agreement on
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Elections for a Palestinian Council and for the
Ra’ees of the Executive Authority of the Palestinian Council were held on
20 January 1996. The Palestinian interim self-government authority will serve
for a transitional period not exceeding five years.
4. As a result of these political developments, the focus of the present
report has shifted from that of previous reports: instead of monitoring the
general living conditions of Palestinian women under Israeli occupation, the
present report focuses on the monitoring of violations of human rights that
might persist as a result of the occupation and the consideration of women’s
participation and role in the establishment of a new political, economic and
social regime. The report emphasizes aspects of development, accountability and
respect for the human rights of women within a specific political framework.
This new approach is in line with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action. 2/ However, the rapid pace of the political changes of the past year
have made it difficult to obtain reliable data and up-to-date detailed
information for the report.
I. RESULTS OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
5. The Fourth World Conference on Women, without making reference to any
particular national context, considered "women under occupation" in the
strategic area of concern "Women and armed conflict". It established a link
between the advancement of women and the peaceful settlement of conflicts:
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"An environment that maintains world peace and promotes and protects human
rights, democracy and the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance
with the principles of non-threat or use of force against territorial
integrity or political independence and of respect for sovereignty as set
forth in the Charter of the United Nations, is an important factor for the
advancement of women. Peace is inextricably linked with equality between
women and men and development. Armed and other types of conflict and
terrorism and hostage-taking still persist in many parts of the world.
Aggression, foreign occupation, ethnic and other types of conflicts are an
ongoing reality affecting women and men in nearly every region." 3/
6. The Platform for Action acknowledged the necessity for women to contribute
to conflict resolution and their crucial role during times of armed conflict and
collapse of communities:
"The equal access and full participation of women in power structures and
their full involvement in all efforts for the prevention and resolution of
conflicts are essential for the maintenance and promotion of peace and
security. Although women have begun to play an important role in conflict
resolution, peace-keeping and defence and foreign affairs mechanisms, they
are still underrepresented in decision-making positions. If women are to
play an equal part in securing and maintaining peace, they must be
empowered politically and economically and represented adequately at all
levels of decision-making." 4/
"(Women) often work to preserve social order in the midst of armed and
other conflicts. Women make an important but often unrecognized
contribution as peace educators both in their families and in their
societies." 5/
7. The Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Fourth World Conference on
Women (Amman, 9-10 November 1994) makes specific reference to peace in the
region:
"A comprehensive and just peace and stability in the region are
prerequisites to development and equality. A comprehensive and just peace
would free the human and financial resources that are being spent on
military equipment and wars, when they could be geared toward development
which provides women with equal opportunities for participation." 6/
II. GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS
8. Despite significant progress in the implementation of the agreements
between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization
throughout 1995, conditions in the occupied West Bank remained tense, and life
in the self-rule areas continued to be affected by measures undertaken by the
Israeli authorities, including various military and economic measures that have
been detailed in other United Nations reports. 7/ For example, the Israeli
authorities sealed the West Bank and Gaza Strip entirely on several occasions,
preventing workers with valid permits from entering Israel and East Jerusalem.
These measures exacerbated the economic hardship of many families. In view of
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the harsh economic situation, the United Nations Special Coordinator in the
occupied territories stated that the standard of living of Palestinians living
under the autonomous region of Gaza had declined by 50 per cent since the
signing of the Interim Agreement. 8/ A special appeal was launched to the donor
community to support the Palestinian authorities in this crucial period.
III. EFFECTS OF THE PEACE PROCESS ON WOMEN
9. The peace process, welcomed by the majority of the Palestinian population,
has had a significant impact on the lives of women and the activities of women’s
organizations. One of the most significant questions has been the release of
Palestinian prisoners, including a small number of women, whose health
conditions had deteriorated. In accordance with the Interim Agreement, Israel
was to release about 1,200 prisoners and detainees, including all female
detainees and prisoners as soon as the Agreement went into effect. In
October 1995, 21 women were released, but five others were not. Only one woman,
who had been in solitary confinement, walked free; 20 others refused to leave
their cells, protesting that Israel was not fulfilling its commitment regarding
all female prisoners and detainees. The 25 women remaining in prison launched a
hunger strike on 10 January 1996 in protest against Israel’s continuing refusal
to release them. 9/
10. Palestinian women, who played an active role during the intifadah, have
remained involved since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Women’s
organizations and human rights groups formed coalitions in the areas of human
rights and legal services. They drafted a bill of women’s rights following the
release of the Palestinian Draft Basic Law and focused on procedural and
administrative law important for its implementation. Women activists undertook
a legal analysis of existing laws from a gender perspective and a review of
their implementation, which was included in a handbook for legal literacy
training. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women and other international standards on women and human rights were
widely discussed at the grass-roots level. 10/ The issue was raised about which
models or mechanisms for addressing women’s issues would be most appropriate in
the future government. It was debated whether the recently created Women’s
Affairs Bureau should be an integrated part of the Palestinian Authority or a
separate body. 11/ The Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, set up by the
Palestinian Authority, became a forum for the concerns expressed by women’s
non-governmental organizations and dealt with the mainstreaming of gender issues
in development policies. Recently a Gender Mainstreaming Department was
established within the Ministry of Planning.
11. For the Palestinian elections on 20 January 1996, women’s organizations
undertook their own preparations. Non-governmental organizations had closely
observed the elections in South Africa and the role of the women’s charter
there. The introduction of a quota system in the Palestinian elections was
regarded as controversial at the level of the women’s movement. There was
concern that, through the quota system, women candidates who were not gendersensitized
would be appointed to governmental posts. It was also asked whether
women would stand for election from within their political parties or
independently of any political party. Despite the limitations, a view in favour
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of the quota system prevailed. Women led protests demanding a quota for women
on the Palestinian Council, arguing that women faced difficulties in competing
with men in the elections because of the historical inequalities in the maledominated
society. The Palestinian Election Law provided for a system of
regulations that determine the number of assembly seats in each constituency in
proportion to the population. Based on the registration of voters in the
different constituencies, quotas were allocated only for Christians and the
Samaritan sect, but no provision was made to ensure an equal representation of
women. 12/ According to the Central Election Commission, 1,013,235 Palestinians
aged 18 and over were registered in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem
to vote in the elections. Forty-nine per cent of the registered voters were
women. Among the 676 candidates for the 88-seat legislative council, there were
only 28 women (4 per cent). The sole opponent to PLO Chairman Arafat in the
election for Ra’ees of the Executive Authority of the Palestinian Council was a
woman, Ms. Samiha Khalil of Ramallah. Five women, representing 5.6 per cent,
were elected to the Palestinian Council.
IV. ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINIAN WOMEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
12. During the period under review, a number of projects for Palestinian women
were carried out and initiated by the United Nations system and bilateral donors
in close cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and non-governmental
organizations.
13. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA), in addition to its ongoing work for women, financed new
projects under the Palestinian Women’s Initiative Fund, including a communityrun
kindergarten in the West Bank and a training workshop in the maintenance and
repair of sewing and knitting machines in Gaza. It operated a solidarity grouplending
programme in the Gaza Strip to make credit available to women working in
micro enterprises and as street vendors in the informal sector of the economy.
The programme offered loans averaging $400 to individual women for the expansion
of their income-generating activities. Under the Peace Implementation
Programme, it established nine women’s programme centres, and construction began
for a College of Nursing and Allied Health Science. In the field of education,
UNRWA awarded university scholarships to 863 Palestine refugee pupils, including
371 women. 13/
14. THE UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), through
its Gender in Development Programme (GIDP), carried out a variety of projects,
including cooperation with the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling on
the improvement of Palestinian women’s legal status. It organized a workshop
for Palestinian media agencies and individuals on the portrayal of gender roles
in the media and supported the Palestinian Coalition for Women’s Health which
aims to improve the provision of health services for Palestinian women by
addressing their needs using a life-cycle approach. To improve access to
education - so far limited for women in particular due to lack of adequate
educational facilities and overcrowding in schools in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip - classrooms in villages and rural areas were constructed and renovated,
primarily for girls. UNDP/PAPP is upgrading a cultural and educational complex
in Jericho to provide 23 additional classrooms for primary and secondary girls’
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schools and is engaging in an extensive school rehabilitation project to provide
supplementary facilities for schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
including at least 25 classrooms in primary and secondary girls’ schools. A
school drop-out study, sponsored by UNDP, to be carried out by the Palestinian
Ministry of Education, will target Palestinian female youth. Women’s enrolment
in agricultural schools is encouraged in a project for agricultural education
and training which will offer both pre-service and in-service training and
target women as 50 per cent of the beneficiaries. The gender-in-development
initiatives of UNDP/PAPP include a strategy of upstream interventions which aim
at enlarging constituencies in advocacy and working directly with the
Palestinian Authority ministries in order to enhance a gender-sensitive approach
to policy planning and strategy formulation. They support the established
women’s units in the various ministries in order to build and strengthen their
efforts for mainstreaming gender at the policy level.
15. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) focused on
preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, September 1995),
providing support and training to the Palestinian participants at the Conference
and the NGO Forum. One specific area of support was institution-building, in
particular, efforts to institutionalize gender planning within the emerging
bodies of the Palestinian Authority. Other areas were political participation
and conflict resolution, with emphasis on awareness-building for women in
elections, and follow-up to the Conference, including the preparation of a
national strategy for women based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action. 2/ UNIFEM also launched a permanent WID Facilitation Initiative to
coordinate the multiplicity of donors, non-governmental organizations and
initiators of WID projects.
16. In addressing the needs of Palestinian children, youth and women, the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) moved away from emergency interventions
towards longer-term basic services for development and sustainability. For the
first time since 1980, when its programme in the West Bank and Gaza Strip was
launched, UNICEF could work in cooperation with a central Palestinian authority
which provided the framework for planning, policy development and harmonization
of basic services to children and women on a national level. Strategies to
promote basic education for all, health promotion and empowerment of women were
carried out and included, for example, the standardization of women’s health
services through the development of a Unified Maternal Health card. UNICEF gave
priority to programmes reaching out to children in underprivileged communities
in refugee camps, rural and urban areas, with special focus on the girl child.
Gender issues were integrated into programming and training to upgrade the
skills of health care and education professionals. UNICEF also supported the
Palestinian preparation for and participation in the Fourth World Conference on
Women. For the collection of disaggregated data on health and education
indicators, UNICEF launched a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in collaboration
with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Support for capacitybuilding
of the Palestinian Authority institutions was a priority for UNICEF in
1995 and included the formulation of a national programme of action in order to
ensure political and social mobilization and long-term planning for children, in
particular girls.
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17. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) undertook jointly with UNRWA and
the World Health Organization (WHO) a needs assessment mission, whose
recommendations will be taken into account in formulating projects to address
the needs of Palestinian women. UNFPA also implemented two expanded maternal
and child health and family planning projects in Gaza and the West Bank.
V. EMERGING CONCERNS
18. The need for sustainable economic development has been persistently
underlined as crucial to the successful establishment of Palestinian interim
self-government. In this respect the international community, including the
donor agencies, made substantive commitments and were aware of their
responsibility for providing support to the launching of an independent economy
and for establishing a viable infrastructure. 14/
19. With regard to the inclusion of gender aspects, the development policies
and planning in the Palestinian self-rule areas follow patterns similar to those
that have been observed in other developing countries. From a number of
critical assessments it seems apparent that women’s status and potential roles
in socio-economic development and their needs and interests were not given
systematic consideration in the preparations of overall economic and social
development plans or in the design of development proposals. An important study
undertaken by the World Bank, for instance, did not consider women’s role in the
labour market. In a three-year emergency programme, only a pilot programme for
youth and women in development was proposed. 15/ Conversely, the international
donor community, particularly through their programmes on women in development,
made a commitment to ensuring a more equal role for women in Palestinian
society. From 1990 onwards, substantive support has been given for the
development of women’s institutions, income-generating projects and vocational
training. 16/ This has contributed to the launching of small income-generating
projects and greater professionalism in the work of the women’s organizations,
whose relevance for the overall economic development might, however, be
questioned.
20. The approach taken in the design of development programmes had an impact on
the elaboration of Palestinian national development priorities. Researchers on
gender issues have been critical of the form and conceptualization of social
entitlements and citizen’s rights in the emerging policies of the Palestine
authority. They have voiced concern that discussion of the Palestinian economy
had been limited to macroeconomic trends and the formal market, with no regard
to gender needs. They argued that, in the outline of a gender-biased and
unequal system of social support, secure entitlements were based largely on
waged employment and women’s unpaid contribution; no recognition was given to
unremunerated work. Women were not listed as components in the major programmes
of national economic reconstruction. The household and, in consequence, women’s
multiple roles in it were considered important in the social welfare system only
in the sense that they would have to absorb shocks and ensure service that could
not be provided by the Authority. Scholars also identified a male bias in
research, leadership, expertise and staffing by the international community as
well as the local implementing authorities. 17/
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21. Women’s current roles in the economy, in particular in income-generating
projects, and other economic projects have been scrutinized by scholars. A
number of income-generating projects were set up during the intifadah, including
women’s cooperatives, home economy projects and a variety of small business
projects. An evaluation of these projects found that the majority failed to
survive and were closed not long after their establishment. At the root of
their failure was disregard for the socio-economic and political context in
which they operated. 18/
22. One particular concern of social scientists and policy researchers was the
absence of reliable primary data on Palestinian society, which represents a
serious obstacle when projects are being defined and future policies outlined.
No reliable and comparable gender-segregated data existed on Palestinian women
with regard to household composition, labour-force participation, access to
property and resources, education or health. The lack was due to the different
sources of collection and the number of researchers who could collect data on
particular population groups only, such as the refugee population. A national
census, as already envisaged by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, is
urgently needed, as are in-depth sectoral and topical studies of selected
aspects of society. 19/
VI. CONCLUSIONS
23. Support to Palestinian women during the transitional period was requested
by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 1995/30. In addition to other
United Nations bodies with mandates concerning the Palestinian people, including
the United Nations Relief And Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA), the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting
the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian People and others, the Commission on the Status of Women has shown a
long-term commitment by monitoring the situation of Palestinian women, as set
out in the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies 1/ and recalled in its various
resolutions.
24. In view of the progress achieved in the peace process and the establishment
of a Palestinian Authority, the Commission on the Status of Women, in accordance
with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 2/ and in view of the shift
in its monitoring of the situation of Palestinian women towards aspects of
development, accountability and respect for the human rights of women, may wish
that appropriate assistance be given to the following:
(a) Increase the participation of women in conflict resolution and
decision-making;
(b) In implementing their agreements, the parties concerned should respect
the human rights of Palestinian women;
(c) Ensure women’s equal access to and full participation in power
structures and decision-making;
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(d) Integrate a gender perspective in legislation, public policies,
programmes and projects;
(e) Ensure equality and non-discrimination under the law and in practice;
(f) Prepare for ratification of and accession to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, without reservations;
(g) Create a national machinery and other governmental bodies for the
advancement of women at the highest possible level of government;
(h) Reduce the female illiteracy rate to at least half of its 1990 level;
(i) Improve women’s access to vocational training, science and technology,
and continuing education;
(j) Promote women’s economic rights and independence;
(k) Facilitate women’s equal access to resources, employment, markets and
trade;
(l) Increase women’s access throughout the life cycle to appropriate,
affordable and high quality health care and information and related services;
(m) Generate and disseminate gender-disaggregated data and information for
planning and evaluation.
Notes
1/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements
of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publications, Sales No. E.85.IV.10),
chap. I, sect. A.
2/ "Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing,
4-15 September 1995", chap. I, sect. 1.
3/ Ibid., para. 131.
4/ Ibid., para. 134.
5/ Ibid., para. 139.
6/ "Arab Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000
adopted at the Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Fourth World Conference
on Women" (E/CN.6/1995/5/Add.5, para. 14).
7/ "Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories" (A/50/170), covering the period from 27 August to
31 December 1994; "Report of the Special Committee ..." (A/50/282), covering the
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period from 1 January to 31 March 1995; "Report of the Special Committee ..."
(A/50/463), covering the period 26 August 1994 to 18 August 1995; "Economic and
social repercussions of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian people in the
Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, occupied since 1967, and on the Arab
population of the Syrian Golan" (A/50/262).
8/ See A/50/170.
9/ The New York Times, 8 October 1995.
10/ Report of the Workshop on Women, at the United Nations International
NGO Meeting and European NGO Symposium on the Question of Palestine; Geneva,
29 August-1 September 1994.
11/ Suha Hindiyeh-Mani, "Working towards self-determination and promoting
civil society", paper presented at the United Nations North American NGO
Symposium on the Question of Palestine; New York, 19-21 June 1995.
12/ Palestinian election law, FBIS-NES-95-243-S of 19 December 1995.
13/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fiftieth Session,
Supplement No. 13 (A/50/13), paras. 184 and 205.
14/ See A/50/286.
15/ World Bank, Developing the Occupied Territories: An Investment for
Peace, vols. 1-6 (Washington, D.C., 1993).
16/ UNDP, Assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 1992
compendium of ongoing and planned projects (Jerusalem, 1992).
17/ Rita Giacaman, Islah Jad, and Penny Johnson, "For the public good?
PLO and social policy", Working paper No. 2, in Gender and society (Birzeit,
Birzeit University, 1995).
18/ Nahla Abdo, "Women and the informal economy in Palestine: a feminist
critique", Working paper No. 3, in Gender and society (Birzeit, Birzeit
University, 1995).
19/ Lisa Taraki, "Society and gender in Palestine: international
agencies", Working paper No. 2, in Gender and society (Birzeit, Birzeit
University, 1995).
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UNITED NATIONS E
Economic and Social Council
Distr.
GENERAL
E/CN.6/1997/2
7 February 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Forty-first session
10-21 March 1997
Item 3 (d) of the provisional agenda*
FOLLOW-UP TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN:
REVIEW OF MAINSTREAMING IN THE ORGANIZATIONS OF
THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
Progress achieved in the follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women and in mainstreaming a gender
perspective within the United Nations system
Report of the Secretary-General
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
INTRODUCTION ................................................ 1 - 7 3
I. PROGRESS IN THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE FOURTH WORLD
CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND IN MAINSTREAMING A GENDER
PERSPECTIVE WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM .......... 8 - 61 4
A. General Assembly and Economic and Social Council .. 8 - 15 4
1. Results of the fifty-first session of the
General Assembly .............................. 8 - 9 4
2. Substantive session of 1997 of the Economic and
Social Council: coordination segment ......... 10 - 15 5
* E/CN.6/1997/1.
97-03117 (E) 280297 /...
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CONTENTS (continued)
Paragraphs Page
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming a gender
perspective into the work of the United Nations
system ............................................ 16 - 24 6
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender
Equality .......................................... 25 - 30 8
D. Joint work plan of the Division for the Advancement
of Women and the Centre for Human Rights of the
United Nations Secretariat ........................ 31 - 47 9
1. Assessment of the implementation of the current
work plan ..................................... 32 - 39 9
2. Joint work plan for 1997 ...................... 40 - 47 11
E. Follow-up by Governments: national strategies or
action plans ...................................... 48 - 59 13
F. Reported follow-up by non-governmental
organizations ..................................... 60 - 61 15
II. REPORTS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPECIFIC MANDATES . 62 - 94 15
A. Situation of Palestinian women and assistance
provided by the organizations of the United Nations
system ............................................ 62 - 88 15
1. Situation of Palestinian women ................ 65 - 72 16
2. United Nations assistance to Palestinian women 73 - 86 18
3. Conclusions ................................... 87 - 88 22
B. Release of women and children taken hostage in
armed conflicts and imprisoned .................... 89 - 94 22
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INTRODUCTION
1. The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 1996/6 on follow-up to
the Fourth World Conference on Women, established the work programme of the
Commission on the Status of Women, in particular the items to be included on the
agenda of the Commission. As regards documentation for the sessions of the
Commission, the Council decided, inter alia, that under item 3 (a) of the
Commission's agenda a report of the Secretary-General on the measures taken and
progress achieved in mainstreaming a gender perspective within the United
Nations system should be prepared on an annual basis.
2. Reporting requirements contained in General Assembly resolutions 50/203 and
51/69 request the Secretary-General to report annually to the Assembly, through
the Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic and Social Council, on
ways to enhance the capacity of the Organization and of the United Nations
system to support the ongoing follow-up to the Conference in the most integrated
and effective way, including human and financial requirements.
3. The present report has been prepared in response to those two mandates.
Given the need for integrated reporting, mandates contained in Commission
resolution 39/5 on the preparation of a joint work plan between the Division for
the Advancement of Women and the Centre for Human Rights of the United Nations
Secretariat are reflected in section I of the present report. Section II of the
report fulfils the reporting requirements of Economic and Social Council
resolution 1996/5 on Palestinian women and Commission resolution 40/1 on the
release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned.
4. The Secretary-General, in his report on the implementation of the outcome
of the Conference (A/51/322), noted the understanding of the Secretariat that
the report requested in General Assembly resolution 50/203 would be provided on
a rolling basis. While briefly summarizing results from previous
intergovernmental meetings, new material would be added to each report.
Therefore, the three separate reports to be submitted in the course of a year to
the three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism under the broader heading of
follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and mainstreaming of a gender
perspective would be self-standing. The complete picture of relevant
intergovernmental, national-level and United Nations system activities taking
place over a year, however, can be obtained only by consulting all three
reports.
5. A particular effort was to be made in those reports to provide information
that was most pertinent to the respective intergovernmental body in order to
facilitate intergovernmental decision-making. Thus, the reports to the
Commission on the Status of Women would emphasize efforts undertaken by the
secretariat of the Commission in support of mainstreaming a gender perspective
and other follow-up activities. They would also cover inter-agency activities
and provide an overview of national action and action by civil society. Bearing
in mind the need for integrated reporting, information requested under longstanding
mandates or particular resolutions would be incorporated into those
reports.
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6. The emphasis of the reports to the Economic and Social Council would be on
facilitating the coordination function of the Council. Thus, they would focus
on activities in the area of the advancement of women and gender mainstreaming
by other bodies reporting to the Council, as well as at the inter-agency level,
with a view to supporting the Council's responsibilities in system-wide
coordination in mainstreaming of a gender perspective, a task requiring the
Council's ongoing and long-term attention. The Commission secretariat is
assessing opportunities for including an annual thematic focus as well into the
reports to the Council in order to increase their overall usefulness for
intergovernmental decision-making.
7. It is intended that the reports to the Assembly should contain information
from all intergovernmental bodies and United Nations system entities not
reporting to the Council, including information from specialized agencies and
international financial institutions. An analysis of activities undertaken at
the national level by non-governmental organizations and civil society would
also be provided. The reports would contain a section on means of
implementation at all levels, including human and resource needs. To the extent
possible and practical, reports required under specific resolutions would also
be included.
I. PROGRESS IN THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE
ON WOMEN AND IN MAINSTREAMING A GENDER PERSPECTIVE WITHIN
THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
A. General Assembly and Economic and Social Council
1. Results of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly
8. The report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the outcome of
the Fourth World Conference on Women (A/51/322) contained a section on
mainstreaming a gender perspective. The report outlined the implications of
gender factors for research, analysis, programme and policy development, and
decision-making, and proposed a series of steps to mainstream a gender
perspective. Noting that considerable experience already existed in certain
areas of United Nations system activities, the report concluded that further
steps were necessary to strengthen the conceptual basis for the system-wide
mainstreaming of a gender perspective and its practical implications and
requirements.
9. The report was in general favourably received, and the Secretary-General
was invited to focus on the practical implications of mainstreaming a gender
perspective. Accordingly, in its resolution 51/69 of 12 December 1996, the
General Assembly made a number of references to mainstreaming by different
actors, including by States and the United Nations system, and in different
areas, including the human rights of women. In particular, the Assembly
welcomed the contribution of the report of the Secretary-General to translating
the concept of mainstreaming into practical action, including the ongoing work
to develop methodologies to facilitate the application of a gender perspective
into all policies and programmes throughout the United Nations system.
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2. Substantive session of 1997 of the Economic and
Social Council: coordination segment
10. In General Assembly resolution 50/203, the Economic and Social Council was
invited to devote one high-level segment, one coordination segment and one
operational activities segment to the advancement of women and the
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Accordingly,
in its decision 1996/310, the Council decided to consider, at its coordination
segment in 1997, the cross-sectoral theme "Mainstreaming of gender perspectives
into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system".
11. In anticipation of that decision, the first steps for preparing the report
of the Secretary-General on the issue were taken at the first session of the
Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality (New York, 22 and
23 October 1996). A background paper on mainstreaming and coordination,
prepared by the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations
Secretariat, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women
(UNIFEM), served as the basis for discussion. The Committee agreed on the need
to further clarify the system-wide implications for mainstreaming.
12. The preliminary outline of the report of the Secretary-General for the
coordination segment of the Council's substantive session of 1997 covers:
(a) Clarification of the concept of mainstreaming a gender perspective:
qualitative change from Nairobi to Beijing;
(b) Concise overview of intergovernmental actions taken since the Fourth
World Conference on Women to mainstream a system-wide gender perspective:
towards a comprehensive approach to mainstreaming a gender perspective at the
intergovernmental level;
(c) Institutional requirements for mainstreaming a gender perspective,
including policies, institutional cultures, incentive systems, operating
procedures and gender training:
(i) At the intra-institutional level: administrative instructions,
programme budgets, gender training etc.;
(ii) At the ad hoc inter-institutional level: parameters for lessons
learned;
(iii) In the integrated follow-up to all United Nations conferences;
(iv) At the formal inter-agency level, in particular through the ACC
Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality;
(e) Resource allocation for mainstreaming: the need for a common base for
the quantification of financial allocations;
(f) Assessment and proposals for further action.
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13. The Joint Consultative Group on Policy (JCGP) Women in Development (WID)
Subgroup is preparing three discussion papers for the second session of the
Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality, covering three aspects of
mainstreaming: indicators, parameters for evaluating best practices, and policy
enforcement and accountability. All entities of the United Nations system were
invited to contribute to the preparation of those papers; together with a
background paper on mainstreaming and coordination and additional information on
specific questions that is being gathered in accordance with the preliminary
outline given above, those papers will form the analytical core of the abovementioned
report.
14. A preliminary draft of the report will be reviewed at the second session of
the Committee, in March 1997, and guidance is expected for the finalization of
the report.
15. Any comments that the Commission as a whole or individual members in their
statements may make on the issue of mainstreaming would provide valuable input
into the preparations of the report for the Economic and Social Council.
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming a gender perspective
into the work of the United Nations system
16. Since the fortieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, steps
taken in support of implementation of the Platform for Action included a number
of initiatives undertaken by the Division for the Advancement of Women of the
United Nations Secretariat in support of mainstreaming a gender perspective.
17. Following the endorsement by the Economic and Social Council, in its
resolution 1996/34 of 25 July 1996, of the system-wide medium-term plan for the
advancement of women, 1996-2001, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy
Coordination and Sustainable Development and the Director of the Division for
the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Secretariat informed United
Nations entities of the endorsement, in particular the comments made on the plan
by the Commission on the Status of Women in its resolution 40/10 and the annex
thereto, and the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme
and Coordination (CPC). It will be recalled that the Commission had commented,
inter alia, that the United Nations Secretariat as a whole should undertake
activities in the critical areas of concern, and it identified a number of
Secretariat entities not included in the activities reflected in the plan.1
CPC agreed to ensure, in its examination of the plan for the period 1998-2001,
that the mainstreaming of a gender perspective was reflected in its individual
programmes.
18. The above-mentioned communication by the Department/Division to the United
Nations entities noted that the comments of the Commission required careful
consideration, and would need to be clearly accounted for in the comprehensive
mid-term review of the plan in 1998. It was noted that the Secretary-General
had been requested to ensure the mainstreaming of a system-wide gender
perspective in all United Nations activities, including in decision-making as
part of the accountability of senior managers. The need for ongoing support and
commitment to that task was emphasized.
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19. In order to support efforts by a number of entities to mainstream a gender
perspective, the Division for the Advancement of Women initiated a series of
meetings with the Office of Legal Affairs, the Department of Political Affairs
and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Secretariat.
During those meetings, the concept and practical implications of mainstreaming
were discussed. Possible areas were identified within the work programmes of
those departments that would seem to lend themselves most readily to
mainstreaming efforts, including in their proposed programme budget for
1998-1999.
20. The Department of Political Affairs subsequently identified a number of
steps that could be taken to ensure participation in the implementation of the
Platform for Action, and to promote mainstreaming within the Department's areas
of responsibilities, including the organization, in collaboration with the
Division for the Advancement of Women, of workshops and seminars for its staff
members. Existing collaboration between the Division for the Advancement of
Women and the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political
Affairs on compilation of data disaggregated by sex and gender impact
assessments is being strengthened.
21. At the invitation of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, senior
staff of that Department were briefed by the Director of the Division for the
Advancement of Women on the requirements for mainstreaming. Although
difficulties were acknowledged in achieving certain goals, in particular the
numerical goals of gender balance in peacekeeping missions, the importance of
pursuing mainstreaming in the programmatic and policy orientations of the
Department and its operations was emphasized. In a preliminary manner, ideas
for conducting an analysis of one or several existing peacekeeping operations
from a gender perspective were discussed with a view to developing a framework
for mainstreaming in the operations of that Department.
22. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of requests to provide
input and comments from a gender perspective to reports from different
departments of the United Nations Secretariat, including the Department for
Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development. Notably, the Division
contributed to the Department's work in the area of poverty eradication, and is
supporting preparations for the fifth session of the Commission on Sustainable
Development and the special session of the General Assembly to review and
appraise the implementation of Agenda 21 in order to integrate a gender
perspective into those processes.
23. Similarly, in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Human
Settlements (Habitat II), a paper on gender aspects of Habitat II was prepared
by the Division, which was made available at the Conference; the paper addressed
the incorporation of the results of the Fourth World Conference on Women into
the Habitat Agenda. The Division remains actively involved in the follow-up to
Habitat II, with a special focus on mainstreaming. A paper was prepared for the
World Food Summit, focusing on the gender aspects of land ownership.
24. Among activities jointly executed by several entities, cooperation
continued among the Division for the Advancement of Women, UNIFEM and the
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
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(INSTRAW) in the development of WomenWatch, a United Nations Internet site on
the advancement and empowerment of women. The site will facilitate global
information exchange for monitoring the implementation of the Platform for
Action through the use of computer networking technology. It is expected to be
launched in March 1997, and will be accessible via the World Wide Web, a gopher
site and electronic mail. Although partial funding from extrabudgetary
resources has been allocated, additional resources will be needed to implement
the project. Phase one of the project will ink the Web pages of the Division
for the Advancement of Women, UNIFEM and INSTRAW. It will contain archival
information on the Fourth World Conference on Women and other recent global
United Nations conferences, providing a single on-line source for key
information and data on global women's issues, and will be linked with other
relevant sites on the Internet. In a later phase, it is hoped that
non-governmental organizations and other United Nations entities will become
active partners in the expansion of WomenWatch. A training component is
included in the project. In that regard, a seminar on information technology
was held in January 1997 in Peru. Training on the use of electronic networking
technology, which was provided by the Division at that seminar on a pilot basis,
will be developed for use elsewhere.
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality
25. Following the decision of ACC, at its first regular session of 1996
(Nairobi, 28 and 29 April 1996), to establish the ACC Inter-Agency Committee on
Women and Gender Equality, the first session of the Committee was held on 22 and
23 October 1996 at United Nations Headquarters, New York. It was chaired by the
Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues on behalf of the United
Nations. The Division for the Advancement of Women serves as the secretariat of
the Committee.
26. The Committee's terms of reference, as adopted by ACC, entrust the
Committee with cooperation and coordination of United nations system-wide
efforts to implement the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World
Conference on Women, as well as gender-related recommendations emanating from
recent United Nations conferences within the purview of the system. The
Committee is also entrusted with supporting the mainstreaming of a gender
perspective in the work of the United Nations system.
27. The Committee is expected to draft an advocacy or mission statement for the
United Nations system on the advancement and empowerment of women and gender
mainstreaming, for adoption by ACC. The statement will identify performance
indicators, mechanisms for accountability and best practices, and will develop
practical tools and approaches for mainstreaming and for monitoring and
implementing the Platform for Action and the system-wide medium-term plan for
the advancement of women, 1996-2001.
28. Following its initial discussion, the Committee noted that mainstreaming
was a responsibility of the United Nations system as a whole and of all staff in
all policy and programme areas and in decision-making, and that responsibility
for mainstreaming started at the highest level. The Committee agreed that it
would follow carefully and would monitor regularly progress made throughout the
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United Nations system in incorporating a gender perspective in institutional
structures, and in policies and programming. It also emphasized the need for
the inter-agency task forces set up by ACC for integrated Conference follow-up
to fully reflect a gender perspective in their work, including at the country
level. It called on ACC to underline the importance of integrating a gender
perspective in the work of the task forces and in subsequent activities on
integrated follow-up to global conferences. Mainstreaming will be an ongoing
concern of the Committee.
29. The Committee put in place a short-term and a long-term programme of work.
Among the short-term areas of work are the following: interaction with ACC
inter-agency task forces on conference follow-up; indicators, evaluation of best
practices, and accountability; and gender balance in the United Nations system.
Among the long-term areas of work are: indicators; interaction with ACC
machinery; and issue-specific concerns. For example, the Committee decided to
review the issues of women in the peace process, women in conflict resolution
and violence against women in March 1997. At subsequent sessions, it will
discuss gender training and the implementation of the system-wide medium-term
plan for the advancement of women, 1996-2001, among other issues.
30. The second session of the Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender
Equality will take place on 5 and 6 March 1997 in New York. An oral report on
the results of that session will be before the Commission.
D. Joint work plan of the Division for the Advancement of Women
and the Centre for Human Rights of the United Nations
Secretariat
31. In its resolution 39/5, the Commission on the Status of Women requested the
Secretary-General to prepare annually a joint work plan for the Centre for Human
Rights and the Division for the Advancement of Women, which would help to
facilitate the mainstreaming of women's human rights, and to inform the
Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Human Rights of the plan
at their annual sessions.
1. Assessment of the implementation of the current work plan
32. In implementing the joint work plan (see E/CN.6/1996/13), the systematic
exchange of information between the Division and the Centre, including in
meetings between the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and the
Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, continued and was
expanded in the course of 1996.
33. The Division for the Advancement of Women and the Centre for Human Rights
cooperated closely during the first session of the open-ended working group on
the elaboration of a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, held during the
fortieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 1996. The
Centre also provided comments and information for the report of the Secretary-
General on a comparative summary of existing communications and inquiry
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procedures and practices under international human rights instruments and under
the Charter of the United Nations (E/CN.6/1997/4). The Division provided
written information on the work undertaken at the first session of the openended
working group of the Commission to the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights in its elaboration of a proposal for an optional protocol to the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Division
was represented at the fifteenth session of the Committee during discussion of
the draft protocol to the Covenant.
34. In order to strengthen the cooperation and links between the Committee on
the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and other human rights treaty
bodies, the exchange of information between the Division and the Centre
regarding the work of the human rights treaty bodies serviced by them occurred
on a regular basis, and included the provision of information to the experts on
the work of other treaty bodies. Regular exchange of calendars of events took
place to facilitate that coordination. The Division participated in the seventh
meeting of persons chairing human rights treaty bodies in September 1996. It
also participated in a meeting convened by the American Association for the
Advancement of Science in October 1996, which prepared a background paper
concerning the revision of reporting guidelines to ensure greater gender
sensitivity in reporting under the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights. That paper was submitted to the Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights at its fifteenth session in November. The Division
provided support to the Chairperson and members of the Committee in attending
the joint meeting with the Committee on the Rights of the Child at Cairo in
November 1996, and it joined with UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights in sponsoring a dialogue between the
chairpersons of the two Committees on 12 December 1996 at United Nations
Headquarters.
35. The Centre made significant inputs into the preparation of a report for the
Committee on ways and means, which examines the working methods of various
treaty bodies with a view to enhancing the work of the Committee
(CEDAW/C/1997/5).
36. The Division provided input into the work of the Special Rapporteur on
violence against women and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children. The
Special Rapporteur on violence against women contributed a paper to an expert
group meeting on violence against women migrant workers, which was held at
Manila from 27 to 31 May 1996.
37. The Division for the Advancement of Women has endeavoured to support the
integration of a gender perspective into the work of the United Nations system
with regard to the human rights dimension of the human immunodeficiency
virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). That work will continue,
especially through the Division's participation in the development of human
rights guidelines and by encouraging contributions by the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS to the work of the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women.
38. The Division, together with the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and UNFPA, convened the first meeting ever of
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members of all human rights treaty bodies to discuss an issue of common concern.
The round table, comprising members of treaty bodies and representatives of
United Nations entities and non-governmental organizations and held at Glen
Cove, New York, from 9 to 11 December 1996, allowed for an exchange of views on
human rights approaches to women's health in the work of all human rights treaty
bodies, with a focus on reproductive and sexual rights.
39. The Division and the Centre were both represented at a meeting on women's
health and reproductive rights (Toronto, 26-29 September 1996), convened by the
Commonwealth Medical Association as follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on
Women and the International Conference on Population and Development. The
meeting provided an opportunity to highlight the work of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women under article 12 of the Convention.
2. Joint work plan for 1997
40. During 1997, the cooperation between the Division and the Centre on the
work of and cooperation among the treaty bodies, the elaboration of optional
protocols and special rapporteurs will be further consolidated. The Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights
and the Division for the Advancement of Women will continue to systematically
exchange information about the work of each human rights mechanism for which
they provide substantive servicing. Briefing notes will be exchanged, in
particular on the outcome of the sessions of treaty bodies. There will also be
a number of targeted activities that are expected to support the mainstreaming
of a gender perspective in all human rights activities implemented by the Centre
for Human Rights. Most notably, a joint project on the integration of a gender
perspective into technical cooperation practices and procedures will become
operational in 1997.
41. The Division will prepare a background paper on the relevance of gender in
the enjoyment of rights covered by the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, as an input to the elaboration of a new general comment on
article 3 by the Human Rights Committee for its forthcoming session, in
March 1997. It will also provide input to the work on a general comment on the
right to health by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and
will continue to contribute to the Committee's revision of its reporting
guidelines so that they reflect a gender perspective. The Division will provide
a selected number of briefs on the status of women in countries whose reports
are considered by treaty bodies.
42. The Division will provide information relevant to the elaboration of
concluding observations/comments of the other treaty bodies, ensuring that the
concluding comments of CEDAW are immediately available to the other treaty
bodies, and also that relevant concluding comments are available to thematic and
country-specific rapporteurs.
43. The Division will provide the Centre with targeted inputs to the work of
the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,
which will include the establishment of direct contact with the experts
entrusted with the preparation of studies on systematic rape and sexual slavery
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during periods of armed conflict, and on human rights and income distribution.
The Division will also provide information on the status of women to
country-specific rapporteurs. In addition, the High Commissioner/Centre for
Human Rights and the Division for the Advancement of Women will coordinate their
activities and exchange information in connection with the following mandates
for which they are respectively responsible: (a) the Special Representative of
the Secretary-General on armed conflict and children, and (b) reports on the
release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned.
44. Cooperation between the Division and the Centre will be expanded and
strengthened as they develop and maintain their respective Internet sites. The
Centre's Web site already incorporates a number of the reports of the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. A link will be established
from the Centre's site to the Division's CEDAW site, and vice versa, to provide
for fast electronic cross-referencing.
45. The Division will contribute to the implementation of the recommendations
of the above-mentioned round table of human rights treaty bodies on human rights
approaches to women's health, which was held at Glen Cove in December 1996. One
of the priority actions emerging from the round table is the preparation of a
resource book on human rights to be used for training staff members of bodies of
the United Nations in the field of human rights. It will be prepared jointly by
the Division, the Centre for Human Rights and UNFPA.
46. Based on preparatory work that commenced in late 1996, a global project was
elaborated and subsequently endorsed by the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary
Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, in November 1996.
The project, implementation of which is expected to commence in the first
quarter of 1997, aims to facilitate the integration of a gender perspective into
all aspects of technical cooperation practices and procedures, from the needs
assessment and project formulation phases to monitoring and evaluation. The
project will be implemented and funded by the Centre for Human Rights, with the
Division contributing gender expertise and advice in the various stages of the
project's implementation.
47. In the meantime, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights will continue to seek the assistance and
expertise of the Division for the Advancement of Women for specific technical
cooperation initiatives, including, as appropriate, needs assessment and project
formulation missions. The Division will also continue to participate in
training courses on reporting under human rights treaties organized by the
Centre, as well as other ad hoc activities, such as national workshops on the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The
Centre and the Division will also work together to mobilize extrabudgetary
resources to permit the organization of similar initiatives, including training
courses that seek to sensitize women and men to the rights to which women are
entitled under international law.
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E. Follow-up by Governments: national strategies
or action plans
48. In the Platform for Action, Governments have made a commitment with regard
to institutional arrangements for the implementation of the Platform at the
national level. The importance of effective national machinery is stressed in
paragraph 296. Paragraph 297 calls for the preparation of implementation
strategies or plans of action by the end of 1996. Particular emphasis is placed
on their comprehensiveness, the provision of time-bound targets and benchmarks
for monitoring, and resource allocation or reallocation for implementation. The
role of non-governmental organizations in such processes is noted in
paragraph 298. The Platform also suggests improving the role of the United
Nations resident coordinator system to take full account of the Platform for
Action (para. 341).
49. The General Assembly, in its resolution 51/69 of 12 December 1996, welcomed
the progress made by Governments in developing comprehensive implementation
strategies or plans of action, including time-bound targets and benchmarks for
monitoring. It also urged all Governments that have not yet done so to
undertake efforts in that regard in order to fully implement the Platform.
50. In a note verbale of 13 May 1996, the Secretary-General invited all Member
States to provide the Secretariat with copies of their national implementation
strategies or plans of action as soon as they are completed. As recommended in
Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/6, those national action plans will
serve as a basis for the preparation of a synthesized report on implementation
plans of Governments and the United Nations system, which will be submitted to
the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-second session, in 1998.
51. As of 15 January 1997, 25 member States have complied with this request.
Several others have informed the Commission secretariat that such information
will be forthcoming. Although a limited number of national plans of action have
been made available to the secretariat, the discussion at the fifty-first
session of the General Assembly emphasized that a significant number of Member
States have undertaken steps in implementing the Platform, and that many
Governments are either in the process of preparing their national strategies or
action plans or have already done so.
52. Based on a preliminary analysis of the national plans received to date, the
following general trends can be identified. In addition to completed plans, a
few of the replies received in response to the note verbale either provided a
draft of a national plan or preview of a plan under preparation, or indicated
that the preparatory process would be concluded within a certain period of time.
The status at the national level of a few plans received was unclear (i.e.,
whether the plan had been adopted or endorsed by the Government, whether it had
been brought to the attention of Parliament, whether it had been promulgated by
decree, or a similar action). In such instances, it was not fully apparent how
the process of implementation of the plan would proceed. In some cases, a plan
had been prepared by the national machinery for the advancement of women without
any indication of its subsequent adoption by the Government. In some cases, the
implementation of the Platform is subsumed under existing action plans for the
advancement of women, or will be incorporated into the next medium-term
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development plan. Information was also provided on activities already
implemented.
53. Many of the plans indicated that the Platform for Action had been given
wide publicity in the country, had been translated or summarized into the
national language, or had been disseminated by the Government or by
non-governmental organizations.
54. In a number of countries, a special body or coordinating committee has been
set up to guide follow-up. Several plans indicated that there would be a
strengthening of institutional mechanisms, in particular of national machinery.
Many of the plans have been prepared in a cooperative effort between the
national machinery, Government ministries and other governmental entities at the
national/local level, non-governmental organizations and actors of civil
society. Many of the plans state that, although the national machinery will
assume a coordinating and monitoring role, individual ministries are responsible
for incorporating relevant follow-up to the Platform into their sectoral
programmes. Some state specifically that mainstreaming of a gender perspective
into all policies and programmes is to receive priority attention.
55. Few plans cover all critical areas of concern; instead, most focus on a
selected number of areas or issues, sometimes choosing priorities among those.
Areas most often covered are poverty, participation in decision-making,
education, economy, health, violence and human rights. Few plans provide
specific benchmarks or targets, or time-frames for implementation. Most
commonly, benchmarks are given in the area of education and health, such as the
reduction of female illiteracy by a certain percentage by a certain date.
Several plans indicate that resources for follow-up to the Platform will be
increased, or that such resources will be sought in future national budgets.
56. Most plans provide for a combination of legislative actions, including the
reform of discriminatory legislation, with policy and programme measures, as
well as targeted projects in specific sectors for particular groups of women or
in particular geographic areas. Plans include the ratification of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women or
the withdrawal of reservations to the Convention.
57. The importance of integrated follow-up to all United Nations conferences
was mentioned. It was also stated that a particular emphasis would be placed on
follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women in bilateral and multilateral
development cooperation. As most of the plans received had been prepared before
the Subregional Conference of Senior Governmental Experts held at Bucharest
developed a model national action plan, the influence of that meeting remains
somewhat limited to date.2
58. Accordingly, the Commission secretariat reiterates its invitation to all
Governments to provide it with their completed national action plans.
Similarly, the secretariat would welcome receiving brief progress reports on the
status of plans, their implementation or any other additional information that
might be available in conjunction with the national implementation process. Any
completed national plans should be made available to the secretariat no later
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than 30 May 1997 in order to serve as input for the preparation of the
synthesized report for 1998.
59. The Commission secretariat also wishes to recall that the Directory of
National Machinery for the Advancement of Women is being updated. To that end,
a questionnaire has been sent to all Governments inviting them to return the
completed questionnaires by 15 October 1996; the deadline was subsequently
extended to 2 December 1996. To date, the secretariat has received more than
70 replies. In order to ensure that comprehensive information will be included
in the Directory, all Governments are urged to return the completed
questionnaires no later than 21 March 1997.
F. Reported follow-up by non-governmental organizations
60. Since the most recent report of the Secretary-General on the implementation
of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women (A/51/322), a number of
events under the auspices of non-governmental organizations have occurred. For
example, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, an
international conference on violence, abuse and women's citizenship was convened
at Brighton by a consortium of non-governmental organizations from 10 to
15 November 1996. A national conference for young girls was organized at UNICEF
headquarters, New York, by the United States National Young Girls Coalition on
3 and 4 January 1997. An international conference on eliminating poverty in old
age was organized from 12 to 14 December 1996 in Malta by the International
Institute on Ageing. An international conference on the Asia Pacific Economic
Council was held on 15 and 16 November at Manila as a parallel forum during the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
61. The Inter-Parliamentary Union will hold an international symposium at New
Delhi from 14 to 18 February 1997 on the theme "Towards partnership between men
and women in politics". In cooperation with Women's World Banking and the
Grameen Bank, the World Bank, Citibank and UNDP will hold a microcredit summit
at Washington, D.C., from 2 to 4 February 1997, with a major focus on credit for
women. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in cooperation with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, will hold an international
seminar on promoting the empowerment of women through adult learning at Bangkok
from 24 to 28 February 1997.
II. REPORTS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPECIFIC MANDATES
A. Situation of Palestinian women and assistance provided
by the organizations of the United Nations system
62. The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 1996/5 on Palestinian
women, requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation and
to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to submit to the
Commission, at its forty-first session, a report on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
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63. The Commission on the Status of Women, in accordance with paragraph 260 of
the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,3 has
continued to monitor the situation of Palestinian women and children. The
Fourth World Conference on Women added a new dimension to that reporting when it
endorsed the importance of integrating a gender perspective in all policies and
programmes of the agencies and bodies of the United Nations system. With regard
to the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, the mainstreaming of a
gender perspective would ensure that all actors involved in the monitoring of
respect for human rights or in providing assistance to the Palestinian people
will take a gender dimension into account when fulfilling their mandates or
designing and implementing their programmes.
64. Recent social and economic developments that occurred in 1996 and that had
a particular gender impact are described below. Emphasis is placed on selected
new developments and trends that have not been reported previously (see
E/CN.6/1995/8 and E/CN.6/1996/8).
1. Situation of Palestinian women
65. When reviewing the economic and social situation of Palestinian women and
respect for human rights throughout 1996, the conditions of Palestinian women
living in the Palestinian self-rule areas and in the occupied territories remain
of particular concern. Life in the self-rule areas has continued to be affected
by measures undertaken by the Israeli authorities, including various military
and economic measures, that have had an impact on social and economic
development. The West Bank and Gaza Strip were entirely sealed on several
occasions in the wake of suicide bomb attacks in Israel, thus preventing workers
with valid permits from entering Israel and East Jerusalem. The economy remains
dominated by the detrimental impact of the occupation, in particular the labour
market imbalance (see UNCTAD/ECDC/SEV/12). As a result of the loss of
employment in Israel and a decline in the trade flow caused by frequent and
long-term closures, the real gross national product in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip declined 22.7 per cent between 1992 and 1996. The unemployment rate
increased and income levels dropped. By mid-1996, the average unemployment rate
was 29.2 per cent in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, nearly 60 per cent higher
than at the end of 1995. The unemployment rate has been magnified by the effect
of high population growth rates and the large number of young people entering
the labour market every year. Since 1995, real wages have fallen about
20 per cent.4 The drop in household income was partly compensated by
remittances from Palestinians abroad and by drawing on resources, such as
savings.
66. The economic situation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has exacerbated
the hardship of many families, in particular households with low incomes or
those headed by females. It is accepted that economic distortions tend to
affect the poorest groups in society most. Owing to their economic and legal
status, women are affected more severely than men.5 It was estimated that 40 to
42 per cent of the Arab residents of Jerusalem, for example, live below the
poverty line (see A/51/99/Add.1). Women and children, especially female-headed
households, are particularly exposed to poverty.
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67. The economic pressure caused by the inability of the male income-earner to
provide adequately for the household and the high unemployment rates among men
have caused women and children to start looking for work to maintain family
living levels. There is a reported increase of 8.5 per cent in the number of
women in the paid labour force in 1996, whereas the male labour force grew by
only 5.1 per cent over the same period. A survey also found a participation
rate as high as 11.5 per cent for children, mainly boys, in the labour force, a
rate that is even higher than that of women. The highest concentration of
female labour is in the agriculture sector, in which 35 per cent of women work
for low wages and with unfavourable working conditions. However, there is also
a high concentration of female workers (32.5 per cent of all workers) in
relatively well-paid professional, technical and clerical positions. It is
possible that women's increased participation in the formal labour market will
become a new trend in Palestinian economic and social development that therefore
needs to be taken into account.6
68. During the period under review, fundamental freedoms, including the freedom
of movement, education, religion and expression, have been affected by various
measures linked to occupation. Forms of collective punishment, such as the
demolition or sealing of houses and rooms, imposition of curfews and the sealing
off or closing of areas have been frequently reported, mostly in retaliation for
attacks by suicide bombers (see A/51/99 and Add.1, 2 and 3). All population
groups are affected by such measures, but some target women in particular. For
example, since many Palestinian women work in the agricultural sector they are
particularly affected by the land seizure, loss of water utilization and other
economic and social repercussions of Israeli settlement (see A/51/135).
69. Another punishment that affects women was the confiscation of the identity
cards of wives of Jerusalem residents who live abroad, and who under Israeli law
lose their identity card if they leave the city for more than seven years (see
A/51/99/Add.1, para. 215). Civilians have been exposed to harassment and
physical ill-treatment. Palestinians, including women in labour, have been
reported to be denied access to medical treatment in specialized hospitals (see
A/51/99/Add.1, para. 167). It has also been noted that Palestinian women have
been humiliated and harassed during raids on their homes. There have been
continuing problems regarding Palestinian women detainees in Israeli prisons who
have not yet been released in accordance with Israeli-Palestinian agreements
(see A/51/99/Add.1, paras. 322 and 327).
70. The field of education continues to represent a major challenge to the
Palestinian Authority and the donor community. With population growth for 1996
expected to be close to 6 per cent, the continuing provision of quality
education for all boys and girls is of concern. It has been projected that 858
elementary schools and the same number of secondary schools would need to be
built by the year 2000 to cater for the school-age population (see
UNCTAD/ECDC/SEV/12, table IV-4). Frequent closures of the self-rule areas in
1996 have again prevented students and teachers from reaching their schools. As
a result of those and similar measures during the Intifadah, which have been
aggravated by conditions of overcrowding and lack of teaching materials, the
educational achievements of Palestinians are jeopardized. Women and girls are
being particularly affected, which has contributed to the fact that the
illiteracy rate of Palestinian women remains higher than that of Palestinian
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men. In February 1996, the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics published the
findings of a demographic survey conducted among 14,854 households in the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank (not including East Jerusalem). According to the
findings, 16 per cent of all residents aged over 15 were illiterate, with female
illiteracy standing at 24 per cent (see A/51/99/Add.1, para. 224).
71. According to UNICEF, health conditions and provision of health services in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip remain poor. The impact on the reproductive health
of Palestinian women is of particular concern. Total fertility rates remain
very high. For example, the average estimated total fertility rate for the
period 1990-1995 in the Gaza Strip was 8.8 children per woman.7 Low age at
marriage, short birth intervals and lack of education are factors responsible
for the poor health of many Palestinian women, in particular refugee women, of
whom many are anaemic.
72. It should be noted that Palestinian women maintain a high level of
participation in non-governmental organizations and women's committees.
Progress can be reported on the establishment of national machinery for the
advancement of women in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority
has set up an intergovernmental committee under the Gender Development and
Planning Directorate of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.
A non-governmental organizations committee has been formed under the General
Union of Palestinian Women.
2. United Nations assistance to Palestinian women
73. In Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/5, the Council urged
organizations of the United Nations system, among others, to provide financial
and technical assistance to Palestinian women. During 1995-1996, a number of
projects for Palestinian women were initiated and carried out by the United
Nations system and bilateral donors, in close cooperation with the Palestinian
Authority and non-governmental organizations. In accordance with General
Assembly resolution 50/58 H, entitled "Assistance to the Palestinian people", a
coordinated, integrated and targeted programme was elaborated and is being
implemented under the leadership of the United Nations Special Coordinator in
the Occupied Territories (see A/51/171). Activities for women have focused
mainly on health and family planning, relief and social services, education and
training, collection of statistics disaggregated by sex, and support for the
national machinery for the advancement of women, including training on legal
literacy and the enhancement of women's role in public life.
74. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA) continued to emphasize the improvement of socio-economic
conditions within the Palestine refugee community in its operations. Some
3.31 million Palestinian refugees were registered with UNRWA in Jordan, Lebanon,
the Syrian Arab Republic, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as of 30 June 1996,
of whom women of reproductive age and children below the age of five comprised
two thirds. UNRWA placed special emphasis on maternal and child-health care as
an integral part of its regular programme. UNRWA increased its family-planning
services in the Gaza Strip, offering services in 120 UNRWA health centres in
1996, up from 49 in 1992. A tripartite mission of UNRWA, UNFPA and the
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Palestinian Authority developed in October 1995 a strategic plan and operational
framework for a women's health programme, covering reproductive health and
family planning (see A/51/13).
75. Education and vocational training remain a field of major activities for
UNRWA. Some 49.5 per cent of the total school population and half of the 12,000
teaching staff are female, making UNRWA schools one of the first in the Middle
East to achieve gender equality. Eight vocational and technical training
centres offer a wide range of courses at the post-preparatory and post-secondary
level, and have enrolled 1,273 women in the total of 4,624 training places.
Vocational training for women has been provided in typical female jobs, such as
clothing production, hairdressing and beauty care. UNRWA seeks to raise the
proportion of women trainees by expanding courses more likely to attract women,
such as nursing, computer science and business and office practice. Out of 943
scholarships granted to refugee pupils, 437 or 46.3 per cent were awarded to
women.
76. The UNRWA programme for women in development seeks to involve Palestinian
refugee women in remunerative economic activity. Some 11,000 women received
training in the production of goods or management of services, together with
basic business skills. Some 1,089 women supporting 8,200 dependants
participated in a solidarity-group lending programme that provided credit
ranging from US$ 330 to US$ 8,000 for refugee women in microenterprises or
working as street vendors. In UNRWA's small-scale enterprise programme,
offering loans for capital investment to new and expanding enterprises and
working capital to established enterprises ranging in value from US$ 1,000 to
US$ 75,000, 10 per cent of the credits were given to women. Through its special
hardship programme, UNRWA provided material and financial aid to refugee
families who met the UNRWA criteria of being without a male adult medically fit
to earn an income and without other financial support sufficient to cover basic
needs, which represented 5.4 per cent of the registered refugee population.
77. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) gives
assistance to Palestinian women within the framework of a UNDP-assisted project
on capacity-building in agricultural policy analysis and planning, which was
formulated in 1995. Gender issues are mainstreamed into the major components of
the projects: policy advice, including the preparation of a gender-sensitive
agricultural development strategy; training in policy analysis and planning;
institutional support; and agricultural statistics and establishing a database.
Of particular significance is the establishment of the Rural Development/
Advancement of Women Unit within the Department of Agricultural Policies and
Planning of the Ministry of Agriculture.
78. The programme of technical assistance to the Palestinian Authority provided
by the International Labour Organization (ILO) is the third largest in the
United Nations system, following UNRWA and UNDP. The ILO activities for women
have been carried out mainly as components of major ILO programmes. The
Training Centre of the International Labour Organization at Turin has developed
a three-year programme for the socio-economic promotion of Palestinian women,
focusing on the training of women for entrepreneurship. The ILO also carried
out a study on gender and critical analysis of Palestinian law and practice
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regarding women workers, and organized a training course on the promotion of
women worker's rights and equality in employment.
79. The World Health Organization (WHO) has conducted a situation analysis of
women's health and development. It assisted the Ministry of Health and the
coordination of various providers of women's health services within and outside
the Ministry in preparing a strategic national plan on the role of women in
health and development. Further areas of priority are primary health care,
leadership training for nurses and nursing management, training on nutrition and
provision of immunization.
80. UNICEF supports strategies that promote basic education for all, health
promotion and empowerment of women in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Priority was given to children in underprivileged communities, especially in the
rural poor communities in the West Bank and in refugee camps, while building on
the capacity of local institutions to address the needs of those children and
focusing on the girl child. Gender issues were integrated into programming and
training programmes. The Palestinian Authority received technical assistance in
prioritizing issues in women's health. In cooperation with the Palestinian
Central Bureau of Statistics, UNICEF finalized a multiple indicator cluster
survey to provide reliable data on the situation of Palestinian women and men.
UNICEF provided support for capacity-building to institutions of the Palestinian
Authority, and considered the formulation of a national programme of action as
an immediate goal so as to ensure political and social mobilization as well as
long-term planning for children, in particular the girl child.
81. The UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) has
implemented projects to foster and promote the full participation of Palestinian
women in public life and in all aspects of Palestinian social and economic
development. It has supported Palestinian women's initiatives through an
extensive network of institutions, including the work of the Women's Center for
Legal Aid and Counselling on gender sensitive amendments to legislation, the
Palestinian Center for Democracy and Elections awareness-raising campaign for
rural women, and the work of the Palestinian Coalition for Women's Health. It
has also encouraged activities that promote a positive representation of women
in audio, visual and written media. Technical assistance and staff training was
provided to several women's units within the ministries of the Palestinian
Authority. In addition, UNDP/PAPP has enabled Palestinian women to participate
in the Woman's Observer Mission to the Election in Nicaragua.
82. UNIFEM, through partnership with non-governmental and governmental
organizations, works towards strengthening the role of Palestinian women in the
economy, governance, conflict resolution and peace-building. In the follow-up
to the Fourth World Conference on Women, a project entitled "Post-Beijing
follow-up operation" has been launched in April 1996, also involving four other
countries of the Western Asia region (Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic,
Yemen). UNIFEM's goal is to promote the implementation of the Platform for
Action and to assist in defining national strategies for the advancement of
women. It also intends to strengthen working relations between non-governmental
organizations and Governments, and to consolidate coordination and networking
among non-governmental organizations at the national, regional and international
levels. UNIFEM also carries out a project for the economic empowerment of women
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in Gaza, training women on how to start their own business and providing
assistance for access to credit and business counselling services.
83. The World Food Programme (WFP) currently targets 6,600 households in the
Gaza Strip registered by the Ministry of Social Affairs as hardship cases. The
majority of those households are headed by women with a large number of
dependants. WFP provides food assistance, pays special attention to primary
health care, and supports two projects for pregnant women, nursing mothers and
pre-school children. The programme distributes food aid as take-home family
rations to encourage poor women to visit clinics and health centres operated by
local non-governmental organizations.
84. UNFPA activities for Palestinian women have increased consistently since
1987, when small-scale maternal and child-health training and research was
started. In 1995, UNFPA helped to establish a women's centre for reproductive
health services, social assistance, legal counselling and community education in
the Gaza Strip. As part of the reproductive health activities of the UNFPA
Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (1996-1999) and in
collaboration with WHO, support is provided to the establishment of the Women's
Health and Development Department of the Ministry of Health. The projects
involve, inter alia, training of the Department's staff on the management of
reproductive health programmes, conducting research on policies, service
delivery and socio-cultural aspects of reproductive health.
85. The World Bank, in its initial activities in the occupied territories,
focused on emergency reconstruction and rehabilitation, and only incidentally on
gender. In response to the deteriorating economic conditions, the World Bank's
programme has concentrated primarily on short-term emergency assistance, with an
emphasis on the rehabilitation of public works. As the Bank reports, future
Bank-supported activities on strengthening civil society, education and health,
will address gender issues. The Education and Health Rehabilitation Project
(1995-1997) is of particular interest to women since it is rehabilitating and
constructing schools for girls in Gaza. Women will also benefit from the
rehabilitation of hospitals in Gaza. The Palestinian non-governmental
organization project, proposed for early 1997, will seek to mobilize official
and private donor funds to support the activities of non-governmental
organizations in the West Bank and Gaza. Although many non-governmental
organization subprojects will be demand-driven, it is expected that many
projects will target women's income-generating projects and mother and childhealth
services.
86. Within the United Nations Secretariat, the Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia, in its 1996-1997 work programme, initiated a multidisciplinary
activity assessing the role of non-governmental organizations in the occupied
territories and the Palestinian self-rule areas. The project focuses on incomegeneration,
agriculture, industry and other areas, and considers prospects for
networking among non-governmental organizations. The Division for Palestinian
Rights within the Department of Political Affairs and the Committee on the
Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in executing their
programme of work, make efforts to highlight the situation of Palestinian women
and children and to involve women in various aspects of their programmes, such
as inviting Palestinian women to participate as panelists in non-governmental
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organization symposia and seminars, and in new training activities. In a
follow-up activity to the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Division for the
Advancement of Women of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable
Development facilitated the participation of a Palestinian expert to its
workshop on global information through computer networking technology, organized
in New York in June 1996.
3. Conclusions
87. As regards United Nations assistance to Palestinian women, it is
recommended that the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system
continue to incorporate a gender perspective in their activities. A gender
perspective should also be integrated into the monitoring of possible violations
of women's human rights, notably the monitoring carried out by the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, and the Special
Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967. In the case of
the Special Committee, for example, it would be desirable to achieve a better
perspective on the violations of the human rights of women and their needs and
concerns by inviting more women to give oral testimonials before the Committee.
88. Women's status and potential roles in socio-economic development, their
needs and interests need to be systematically considered in the preparations of
overall economic and social development plans for Palestine and the Occupied
Territories. While the international donor community has made a commitment to
empower Palestinian women and enhance their role in society, including in public
life, in leadership positions and through income-generating projects and
vocational training, when it comes to programmes for macroeconomic development
and market economy, gender needs are not as fully addressed. Women's increasing
role in the labour market must be taken into account on a more consistent basis.
B. Release of women and children taken hostage in armed
conflicts and imprisoned
89. A report on the implementation of Commission resolution 40/1 on the release
of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned was
requested by the Commission for its forty-first session. Consequently, the
Commission secretariat requested information from relevant United Nations
entities on the implementation of that resolution.
90. From the four responses received by the secretariat, it was clear that
there was no systematic collection of data and information on the release of
women and children taken hostage in various situations of conflict around the
world.
91. UNHCR pointed out that the question fell within the competence of the
International Committee of the Red Cross. It also noted the difficulties in
obtaining global figures since the circumstances of the detention and release of
women and children hostages vary from situation to situation.
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92. The Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat
focused its response on the situation in Angola, Guatemala, Lebanon and Bosnia
and Herzegovina. With regard to the situation in Angola, the United Nations
Angola Verification Mission reported that women and children were still being
taken hostage and that it was currently examining petitions relating to 11 such
cases arising from the first extraordinary session of the Joint Commission
devoted to Human Rights, held on 8 May 1996, and from resolution 40/1 of the
Commission on the Status of Women. Information on several United Nations
peacekeeping missions indicated either that there was no knowledge of such cases
(as in the case of the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human
Rights in Guatemala) or that such cases were not formally registered (as in the
case of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the United Nations
Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In cases of kidnapping in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, immediate investigations are carried out by the United Nations
International Police Task Force. No figures were submitted, however. It was
noted that the kidnapping of women and children in Guatemala was related to
profit rather than to the political situation.
93. In its response, UNICEF referred to the report prepared by the expert of
the Secretary-General, Ms. Graça Michel, on the impact of armed conflict on
children, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 48/157 (see
A/51/306 and Add.1). Although the report gives extensive information on
violations of the rights of women and children, it does not provide specific
information pertinent to the release of women and children taken hostage in
armed conflict and imprisoned.
94. With respect to the release of women and children taken hostage during
armed conflicts and imprisoned, an important step for improving the situation
would be for the Governments concerned to ratify without delay and to implement
all relevant international instruments and Conventions, and for practical and
cost-effective measures to be taken to collect information on women and children
hostages on a systematic basis. Non-governmental organizations working in the
field might also contribute to that effort.
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Notes
1 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1996, Supplement
No. 6 (E/1996/26), chap. IC, resolution 40/10, annex, para. 6.
2 Subregional Conference of Senior Governmental Experts on the
Implementation of the Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference
on Women in Central and Eastern Europe (Bucharest, 12-14 September 1996).
3 Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of
the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi,
15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I,
sect. A.
4 See "Economic and social conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip",
Quarterly Report (Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the
Occupied Territories), Autumn 1996.
5 See World Bank, Toward Gender Equality: The Role of Public Policy
(Washington, D.C., 1995).
6 See "Economic and social conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip",
loc. cit.
7 See World Population Prospects, 1996 Revision, forthcoming United Nations
publication.
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98-01749 (E) 100298
* E/CN.6/1998/1.
** See also E/CN.6/1998/2, chap. III, sect. A.
United Nations E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.2
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
26 January 1998
Original: English
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-second session
2-13 March 1998
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women: review of
mainstreaming in the organizations of the United Nations system
Follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action
Report of the Secretary-General
Addendum
III. Reports prepared in accordance
with specific mandates
Situation of Palestinian women and
assistance provided by organizations of
the United Nations system**
1. The present report on the situation of Palestinian
women and assistance provided by organizations of the
United Nations system, as requested by the Economic and
Social Council in resolution 1997/16, is based on information
and data collected by United Nations bodies monitoring the
situation in the occupied territories, such as the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the
Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of
the Occupied Territories, and by the Special Rapporteur of
the Commission on Human Rights on Palestinian territories
occupied since 1967. Information on assistance to Palestinian
women was requested from the United Nations system and
replies from 12 entities have been included in this report.
1. Situation of Palestinian women
2. The situation of Palestinian women living in the
Palestinian self-rule areas and in the occupied territories has
not improved, according to the information provided. Daily
life in the self-rule areas continued to be affected by the
imposition of security-related measures by the Israeli
authorities, which had a detrimental impact on the economic
and social situation. As in the past, Palestinian women are
experiencing the gender-specific impact of these measures,
which is reinforced by existing inequalities in society between
women and men.
3. In his report to the Commission on Human Rights, Mr.
Hannu Halinen (Finland), the Special Rapporteur on
Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, noted that the
issue of settlements, including the confiscation of Palestinian
land, was emerging as the greatest preoccupation of the
inhabitants of the occupied territories, especially in the West
Bank. Settler violence and closures imposed by the Israeli
authorities on the occupied territories in the wake of security
E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.2
2
incidents were further issues of concern. The closures had a to fund the employment of teachers and the construction of
devastating impact on the fragile Palestinian economy and new schools and classrooms have curtailed the educational
contributed to maintaining unemployment at an estimated 40 activities carried out by the United Nations Relief and Works
per cent in the Gaza Strip and 30 per cent in the West Bank Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
(E/CN.4/1997/16). Palestinian incomes have dropped sharply for the refugee population. In the report of the Secretarysince
the Oslo Agreement in 1993, from $1,800 to $950 a General on assistance to the Palestinian people, (A/52/159-
year in the West Bank, and from $1,200 to $600 a year in the E/1997/69), it was noted that improvements in the
Gaza Strip.1 With the established threshold for poverty at educational sector and capacity development in the classroom
$998.50 a year, the poverty rate is estimated to be 20 per cent were a high priority for the Palestinian Authority.
in the West Bank and 40 per cent in the Gaza Strip. As a
result of the closure of the occupied Palestinian territories,
much of the $1 billion assistance received since 1993 had to
be spent on short-term job creation programmes and income
support rather than the envisaged longer term investment in
infrastructure and institution-building (see A/52/179-
E/1997/76, annex).
4. The Special Committee reported that the deterioration They were subject to full strip searches, sometimes in front
of the economic situation has a negative impact on women, of their children and male policemen (see A/52/131).
especially those who head households. Economic pressure is
also contributing to the erosion of the social fabric, resulting
in delayed marriage and the increase in the rate of divorce
(see A/52/131/Add.2). The Special Rapporteur noted the
deterioration of the situation of women in the occupied
territories, which had been reported as one of the hidden
effects of the closure (see E/CN.4/1997/16).
5. The closure affected the health conditions of the
population in the occupied territories, especially in Gaza.
Patients needing specialized treatment available only in
Israeli hospitals frequently did not receive entry permits.
According to figures collected, one third of the Palestinians
referred by Palestinian health committees could not obtain
permits to enter Israel (see A/52/131/Add.2). Women’s
reproductive health is of particular concern. The Special
Rapporteur noted that at least 10 persons, including at least
seven pregnant women, are believed to have died for want of
ready access to better equipped medical facilities. The
Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health issued a statement
in Gaza claiming that 26 babies had been stillborn because
of delays at security checkpoints during the lengthy closure
imposed after the suicide bombings in 1996 (see
A/51/131/Add.2). One woman had to give birth at a road
block, having been prevented from travelling to a hospital
(see A/52/131).
6. The closures had a negative impact on education, in
particular for students from Gaza who could not attend their
educational institutions in the West Bank. As the educational
sector is already affected by overcrowding due to the
population increase and deteriorating premises, any additional
obstacle further jeopardizes the scholastic achievements of
students and has a specific gender impact. Limited resources
7. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and
other Arabs of the Occupied Territories reported several
incidents of harassment and physical ill-treatment of civilians.
The information provided indicates that women and girls were
victims of violence and sexual harassment when their family
homes were searched for weapons by the Israeli police force.
8. The Special Committee also reported that family
reunion was hampered. Palestinian women married to
Jordanian citizens were refused renewal of their residence
permits and the visas of their husbands were invalidated.
9. Progress has been achieved regarding Palestinian
women prisoners in Israeli prisons who had not been released
as previously agreed. The remaining women prisoners were
released by the Israeli authorities on 11 February 1997 in
accordance with the 1995 Interim Agreement between Israel
and the Palestinian Authority (see A/52/131/Add.1).
10. The quality of services of UNRWA, the main provider
of support for Palestinian refugees, has been eroding due to
the steady increase in the refugee population and inflation on
one side, and austerity measures and budgetary reduction that
led to the reduction of a number of its programmes on the
other side. The average expenditure per refugee has dropped
by 29 per cent since 1992. Since Palestinian refugee women
are direct beneficiaries of UNRWA programmes, they have
been hit by the cut in services.2
2. Follow-up activities to the Fourth World
Conference on Women
11. In the Palestinian self-rule areas and occupied
territories, progress has been reported with regard to the
elimination of some discriminatory laws and practices. The
draft Palestinian constitution emphasizes the principle of
equality between men and women. Palestinian women can
now obtain a passport without written consent of so-called
guardians, widows can obtain passports for their children
without the permission of a brother or father. Women can take
E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.2
3
driving lessons without a male chaperone and married the establishment of a database of institutions and workshops
students are no longer dismissed from school (see A/52/179). on the use of the Internet. The United Nations Development
12. The action plan to implement the Beijing Platform for
Action, entitled “Strategies for a Post Beijing Palestinian
Governmental Plan of Action Through the Year 2000”, was
prepared under the leadership of an Intergovernmental
Coordinating Committee, which included representatives of
the various ministries, the Directorate for Women’s 16. Many activities focus on women and the economy. ILO
Development and a committee of non-governmental and its International Training Centre at Turin have
organizations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The implemented subprogrammes on the development of
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Palestinian women entrepreneurship and of Palestinian
jointly with the European Union, launched a “Post-Beijing women’s status. Four technical workshops have been
Follow-up Operation” in the occupied territories and organized in the Palestinian territories. The ILO programme
Palestinian self-rule areas and four countries of the Western of assistance places emphasis on income-generating
Asia region (Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon and opportunities for women. UNIFEM’s Women’s Economic
Yemen). The International Training Centre of the Empowerment Programme in the Gaza Strip, undertaken
International Labour Organization (ILO) at Turin organized jointly with the Ministry of Social Affairs, encourages
a seminar on the strengthening of the national machinery for enterprise development through the creation of
members of the Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee entrepreneurial awareness, skills training and institutional
in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women capacity-building. Its goal is to decrease the burden of poverty
in June 1997. and unemployment through a leadership and empowerment
13. The “Strategies for a Post Beijing Palestinian
Governmental Plan of Action Through the Year 2000” refer
to the 12 critical areas of concern established in the Platform
for Action. Measures to achieve the goals under the critical
area of concern “women and armed conflict”, include 17. The International Trade Centre (ITC) reported that it
mobilization of Arab and international women’s organizations was implementing a mainstream project for the development
in order to release all detainees, especially women; and to and promotion of high-value floricultural products from the
further cooperate with Israeli women to establish a peace West Bank and Gaza Strip, in collaboration with the
culture. Palestinian Welfare Association. The project would create
3. United Nations assistance to Palestinian women
14. Information provided by the United Nations system
shows that an increasing number of programmes and agencies
of the United Nations system paid attention to gender aspects
in development and continue to provide support to Palestinian
women, in particular in the field of conference follow-up,
income generation, health, education and training.
15. UNIFEM is supporting the effective implementation of
the Palestinian action plan, its translation into national
projects, and the establishment of institutional and human
capacities within women’s committees and non-governmental
organizations at the national and regional levels, including
the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into national
development processes. Furthermore, UNIFEM launched a
women in development facilitation initiative to better
coordinate and exchange information on initiatives for women
in development as carried out by donors, the Palestinian
Authority and non-governmental organizations. It includes
Programme (UNDP) is providing support to established
women’s departments in the Ministries of Planning and
International Cooperation, Youth and Sports, Social Affairs
and Health, in order to enhance the capacity of the Palestinian
Authority ministries to mainstream gender in development.
approach. The programme is carried out in close cooperation
with the training department of UNRWA and the industrial
development department of the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
additional employment opportunities for Palestinian women
in the export-oriented floricultural industry. ITC also
prepared a project to provide trade development support to
Palestinian women entrepreneurs, for which funding has not
yet been secured.
18. The World Bank’s activity in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip evolved from a programme designed to respond to
emergency reconstruction needs to one focusing on longerterm
development initiatives, which consequently pays
greater attention to gender issues. No specific programmes
directed towards women have been designed, but gender
issues are addressed in projects of a social development
nature. A Palestinian NGO Project was launched, which
grants US$ 14.5 million for finance service delivery and
capacity-building activities to Palestinian non-governmental
organizations. The project is aimed at assisting poor and
disadvantaged Palestinians and grants would be provided for
projects focused on women in the field of health, income
generation and agricultural extension.
E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.2
4
19. UNRWA continued to assist disadvantaged refugees, to support projects related to gender equality in education and
particularly women, to raise their economic status through women’s health.
skills training, production units, group savings and credit
provision. Women were particularly interested in utilizing
group savings and loan schemes for home improvement and
income generation. In the Gaza Strip, 66 per cent of 4,452
loans valued at US$ 5.4 million were awarded to women. A
local investment journal noted that the Agency’s credit
activity had macroeconomic consequences and was beginning
to influence Palestinian financial markets. UNRWA’s plan
to achieve managerial and financial sustainability for
community centres progressed. As of June 1997, 52 of the 71
women’s centres were managed by local committees.
20. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations carried out a consultancy mission on gender
policies/institutions to the Palestinian territories. It identified
four strategies to narrow down the gender gap in agriculture.
Programmes of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development addressed the needs of small farmers and
fishermen, women and landless people in the rural areas of
Jericho and the Gaza Strip.
21. The World Food Programme is providing assistance to
the Palestinian non-refugee population, in particular in the
Gaza Strip. Its poverty-alleviation scheme has targeted
approximately 50,000 needy persons registered as special
hardship cases, of which over 65 per cent are female heads
of household.
22. In the field of education and training, UNDP has been prospects for networking.
carrying out a project on gender-sensitive education,
implemented by four non-governmental organizations, which
includes workshops for teachers on gender issues in teaching,
subject curricula, counselling and discipline issues, the
development of a gender-sensitive resource manual and
community awareness campaigns. A rural girls development
centre will train young rural women in various skills,
including women’s health and rights, agriculture and the arts.
The Education and Health Project of the World Bank impacts
positively on girls and women and will rehabilitate existing
and construct new girls schools in Gaza. UNRWA is offering
vocational and technical training for both women and men
and, in addition, special courses for women. Sixty-nine per
cent of the participants in a training course for teachers were
women.
23. The programmes supported by the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) promoted basic education and
health, with a cross-sectoral strategy for the promotion of
children’s rights and the empowerment of women. The
strategy focused on advocacy, capacity-building and
community mobilization. Technical assistance was provided
24. UNFPA reported the establishment of a women’s centre
for health care, social assistance, legal counselling and
community education in the Gaza Strip. In cooperation with
the World Health Organization, UNFPA is providing
assistance to the Women’s Health and Development
Department of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health.
25. With regard to women’s and children’s human rights,
UNICEF has promoted the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women within the national
programme of action, in cooperation with the newly
established Gender Planning and Development General
Directorate and the Secretariat for Children at the Palestinian
Ministry of Planning. The Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights is providing assistance to
non-governmental organizations in the area of law reform and
women’s rights.
26. Within the United Nations Secretariat, the Division for
Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political Affairs
organized a round table on promoting equality and the full
participation of women in society as part of the United
Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People
(Amman, 20-22 May 1997). ESCWA conducted a field
survey on the role of women’s non-governmental
organizations in the economy, education and health and on
27. The United Nations Statistics Division gave technical
assistance to the population and housing census conducted
by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in the
Palestinian self-rule areas (December 1997). To improve the
collection of timely and reliable statistics on gender issues,
UNDP provided assistance to the Gender Statistics Unit in
the Central Bureau of Statistics. UNFPA and the World Bank
supported the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in
carrying out the census, which will provide reliable and up-todate
population and housing data necessary for development
planning, including data disaggregated by sex.
4. Conclusions
28. Considerable efforts are being made by the Palestinian
authorities and civil society to improve the economic and
social conditions of Palestinian women, including legislative
revisions. The 1997 population and housing census
mentioned in paragraph 27 above will provide detailed
information and data on the status of Palestinian women and
become an important tool for policy planning and
development aid. There is, however, little gender-specific
E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.2
5
information and analysis on the situation of Palestinian
women with regard to, for example, the economy, social and
political life, human rights or violence.
29. In the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on
Women, the international community, including the United
Nations system, has provided assistance at various levels to
implement the recommendations contained in the Platform
for Action, to prepare a Palestinian strategy of action, to
collect data disaggregated by sex, and to establish womenspecific
projects, particularly in the field of income
generation. Further efforts and assistance are needed to
implement the policies, in line with Economic and Social
Council agreed conclusions 1997/2 on mainstreaming a
gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the
United Nations system (see A/52/3, chap. IV, sect. A).
30. As reflected in previous reports, the status and living
conditions of Palestinian women are closely linked with the
progress of the peace process. The present report indicates
that women in the occupied territories continue to be directly
affected in injurious ways by security measures and the
overall effects of occupation.
Notes
1 See “Promoting poverty eradication and sustainable
development”, paper presented at the United Nations
Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People, Amman,
20-22 May 1997 (SAPP(97)/6).
2 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second
Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/52/13).
* E/CN.6/1999/1.
98-40199 (E) 050299
United Nations E/CN.6/1999/2
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
22 December 1999
Original: English
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-third session
1–12 March 1999
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
Follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Action
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The General Assembly, in its resolution 53/120 of 9 December 1998, requested the
Secretary-General to report annually to it, through the Commission on the Status ofWomen
and the Economic and Social Council, on follow-up to and progress in the implementation
of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Similar mandates were also contained
in General Assembly resolutions 50/203, 51/69 and 52/100. The present report emphasizes
efforts undertaken by the Secretariat in support of mainstreaming a gender perspective and
follow-up activities, including activities undertaken by non-governmental organizations, since
the submission of the previous report of the Secretary-General on the subject (E/CN.6/1998/2
and Add.1 and 2). It contains a joint work plan for the Division for the Advancement of
Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The
present report has one addendum, which contains an analysis of additional national action
plans and strategies submitted to the Secretariat during the reporting period.
E/CN.6/1999/2
2
Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5 3
II. Progress in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and in
mainstreaming a gender perspective within the United Nations system . . . . . . . . . . . 6–52 3
A. The General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–21 3
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming a gender perspective into the work of
the United Nations system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22–37 6
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality . . . . . . . . . . . . 38–42 9
D. Reported activities of non-governmental organizations and other institutions
of civil society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43–52 10
III. Joint work plan of the Division for the Advancement ofWomen and the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53–73 11
A. Assessment of the implementation of the current work plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54–60 12
B. Joint work plan for 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61–73 13
IV. Information supplied in accordance with specific mandates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74–118 15
A. Situation of Palestinian women and assistance provided by organizations of
the United Nations system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74–112 15
B. Release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts and
imprisoned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113–118 19
E/CN.6/1999/2
3
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 1996/6 on follow-up to the Fourth
World Conference on Women, the Economic and Social
Council established the work programme of the Commission
on the Status of Women and decided, inter alia, that under
item 3 (a) of the Commission’s agenda, a report of the
Secretary-General on the measures taken and progress
achieved in mainstreaming a gender perspective within the
United Nations system should be prepared on an annual basis.
2. In its resolution 53/120, the General Assembly
requested the Secretary-General to report annually to it,
through the Commission on the Status of Women and the
Economic and Social Council on follow-up to and progress
in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Action. Similar mandates were contained in General
Assembly resolutions 50/203, 51/69 and 52/100.
3. In each of the three reports submitted in the course of
a year, the information that is most pertinent to the respective
intergovernmental body is provided. The report to the
Commission on the Status of Women emphasizes efforts
undertaken by the Secretariat in support of gender
mainstreaming, and follow-up activities by non-governmental
organizations and others. The report to the Economic and
Social Council focuses on facilitating the coordination
function of the Council. The report to the General Assembly
contains information from all entities of the United Nations
system, including specialized agencies and international
financial institutions, and an analysis of activities undertaken
at the national level and by non-governmental organizations
and civil society.
4. The present report has been prepared in compliance
with General Assembly resolution 53/120. Section III
contains a joint work plan for the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Division for
the Advancement ofWomen of the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, as called for in
Commission on the Status ofWomen resolution 39/5. Section
IV has been prepared in response to Economic and Social
Council resolution 1998/10 on Palestinian women and
Commission on the Status ofWomen resolution 42/2 on the
release of women and children taken hostage in armed
conflicts, including those subsequently imprisoned.
5. The addendum (E/CN.6/1999/2/Add.1) to the present
report contains an analysis of an additional 20 national action
plans and strategies submitted to the Secretariat in response
to a note verbale dated 2 July 1998, which was sent to
Member States. This updates the report of the Secretary-
General submitted to the Commission on the Status ofWomen
at its forty-second session, in March 1998, entitled
“Synthesized report on national action plans and strategies
for implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action”
(E/CN.6/1998/6).
II. Progress in the follow-up to the
FourthWorld Conference on
Women and in mainstreaming a
gender perspective within the United
Nations system
6. At its forty-third session, the Commission on the Status
ofWomen will continue to conduct its assessment of progress
achieved at different levels in the implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and in gender
mainstreaming. In particular, it will conclude its review of the
critical areas of concern of the Platform for Action with an
assessment of women and health, and institutional
mechanisms for the advancement of women. It will also
initiate the comprehensive review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Platform for Action and preparations
for the special session of the General Assembly, to take place
from5 to 9 June 2000. The present report complements the
reports submitted on those topics.
A. The General Assembly and the Economic
and Social Council
1. Fifty-third session of the General Assembly
7. The report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World
Conference on Women (A/53/308) focused on follow-up
activities undertaken by entities of the United Nations system,
including human and financial requirements for
implementation. In its conclusions, the report drew attention
to Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2
and the follow-up resolution adopted by the Council
(resolution 1998/43) on gender mainstreaming as a firm basis
for concrete steps to achieve measurable progress in gender
mainstreaming at all levels and in all areas. It further
concluded that a broader assessment including indicators of
and recommendations for further action with regard to
capacity-building for gender mainstreaming at the national
level remained to be made. The Commission’s consideration
of the critical area of concern IV.H (Institutional mechanisms
for the advancement of women) at its present session provides
an opportunity to address this issue on a priority basis.
E/CN.6/1999/2
4
8. The General Assembly, in its resolution 53/120, governmental organizations, contained in Council decision
emphasized the need for further steps by the Secretary- 1997/298. Furthermore, the Assembly invited the
General and by intergovernmental bodies to implement Commission on the Status of Women, meeting as the
Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2 and preparatorycommittee in March 1999, to recommend to the
resolutions 1998/43 and 1998/26 (concerning operational General Assembly appropriate arrangements for the
activities and the advancement of women). In this regard, the involvement and participation of non-governmental
Secretariat was once again requested to present issues and organizations in the special session. Accordingly, the
approaches in a gender-sensitive manner when preparing Commissionmeeting as the preparatory committee may wish
reports so as to provide the intergovernmental machinery with to consider at its present session the question of NGO
an analytical basis for gender-responsive policy formulation. participation in the special session so that a decision may be
The Assembly requested that a gender perspective be taken by the Assembly at its fifty-fourth session.
integrated into all operational activities and stressed the role
of resident coordinators in this regard. The Council was
requested to ensure that gender mainstreaming was an integral
part of all its activities concerning integrated follow-up to
recent United Nations conferences. In its resolution 53/192
on the triennial policy review of operational activities for
development of the United Nations system, the Assembly
identified gender as a cross-cutting theme and requested the
Secretary-General and the United Nations development
system to take all measures to ensure gender balance when
making appointments. It also stressed the need for gender
mainstreaming in operational activities of the United Nations
system in all fields, in particular in support of poverty
eradication.
9. The Assembly continued to provide guidance for the
preparations of the special session in the year 2000
(resolution 53/120). It decided that the title of the special
session would be “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”. It invited
the Commission on the Status of Women acting as the
preparatory committee for the special session to propose the
agenda (structure and themes) and documentation for the
special session, taking into account Assembly resolution
52/231. It also invited the Commission to focus in particular
on the report requested from the Secretary-General containing
suggestions on further actions and initiatives that might be
considered during the review in order to achieve gender
equality, with attention to mainstreaming a gender perspective
and to common trends and themes across the 12 critical areas
of concern. This report is before the Commission in document
E/CN.6/1999/PC/2.
10. TheAssembly emphasized the role of non-governmental
organizations in the implementation of the Platform for Action
and the need for their active involvement in preparations for
the special session, as well as the need to ensure appropriate
arrangements for their contributions to the special session.
Specifically, it recommended to the Council the extension of
the application to the forty-third session of the Commission
of the interim measures for the participation of non-
11. The Assembly also recommended to the Economic and
Social Council to decide that non-governmental organizations
in consultative status with the Council, as well as nongovernmental
organizations that participated in the Fourth
World Conference on Women whose applications for
consultative status with the Council were still under
consideration, might participate in the sessions of the
Commission meeting as the preparatory committee, in 1999
and 2000. The Secretariat will communicate to the NGO
community Council decision 1998/301 concerning the
participation of non-governmental organizations in the
sessions of the Commission acting as the preparatory
committee.
12. The Secretary-General was requested by the Assembly
to provide by the end of 1999 a compilation of updated
statistics and indicators, including by issuing a volume of The
World’s Women. As no provision for preparing this report
had been made in the regular budget, extrabudgetary
resources had to be sought. As of 18 December 1998, pledges
had been received from the following Governments and
United Nations entities: Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland,
Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development
Fund forWomen (UNIFEM) and theWorld Food Programme
(WFP). The Statistics Division of the Department of
Economic and Social Affairs has initiated work on this
publication. It is expected to be launched in early 2000.
13. Also in resolution 53/120, the Assembly encouraged
Governments to submit responses to the questionnaire
prepared by the Secretariat on the implementation of
the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The
questionnaire was sent to all Governments in a
communication of 28 October 1998 inviting replies no later
than 30 April 1999 in order to enable the Secretariat
to draw from the responses in preparing for the special
session. The questionnaire is also available from the Web site
E/CN.6/1999/2
5
of the Division for the Advancement of Women and emerging trends. Accordingly, the Secretary-General, in
(www.un.org/womenwatch/daw). Further details on the a communication of 20 August 1998, invited heads of
questionnaire are contained in document E/CN.6/1999/PC/3. specialized agencies, funds and programmes and of regional
14. Appropriate regional preparatory activities were
encouraged, and results are expected to be provided as an
input to the Commission at its forty-fourth session, in 2000.
In addition to information provided in previous reports
(A/52/789 and A/53/308), the following regional preparatory
activities have recently taken place or are being planned.
15. The Economic and Social Commission forWestern Asia
(ESCWA) convened the second follow-up conference to
Beijing in collaboration with the League of Arab States and
UNIFEM at Beirut from 12 to 15 December 1998. This
conference served as the regional preparatory meeting for the
special session of the General Assembly in 2000. ESCWA
is also convening an Arab conference for the integrated
follow-up to United Nations global conferences at Beirut, in
December 1999. The Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will hold a high-level
intergovernmental meeting at Bangkok from 26 to 29 October
1999. The seventh session of the Regional Conference on the
Integration of Women into the Economic and Social
Development of Latin America and the Caribbean was held
at Santiago from 19 to 21 November 1997 and adopted the
“Santiago Consensus” (see A/53/87). The Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean will
convene the eighth session of the Regional Conference in
2000. On the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, the
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held an international
conference on the theme “African women and economic
development: investing in our future” (April 1998). The
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) is holding
consultations at the intergovernmental level with a view to
convening a meeting of experts which would review issues
and policies in the ECE countries as they relate to gender
equality and the situation of women in the field of economics.
Furthermore, regional preparations for the review of the
Beijing Platform for Action will be discussed at the annual
regional coordinating meeting established in follow-up to
Economic and Social Council resolution 1998/3 on the review
of the regional commissions. The meeting is chaired by the
Deputy Secretary-General.
16. In its resolution 52/231, the Assembly requested the
Secretary-General to invite all entities of the United Nations
system, including the specialized agencies, funds and
programmes, to be involved actively in preparatory activities
and to participate at the highest level in the special session,
including through presentations on best practices, obstacles
encountered and a vision for the future to accelerate
implementation of the Platform for Action and address new
commissions to participate in the preparations for the special
session, and to cooperate with his Special Adviser on Gender
Issues and Advancement of Women, including in the Inter-
Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality, in this
endeavour. As of December 1998, 10 heads of agencies have
communicated their commitment to the implementation of the
Platform for Action and to involvement in the preparations
for the special session and in the session itself.
2. Economic and Social Council, substantive session
of 1999: high-level segment
17. Action taken by intergovernmental bodies in 1998, in
particular the functional commissions of the Economic and
Social Council, has been reported to the Council (E/1998/53).
In particular, the Commission’s attention is drawn to the
decision taken by the Commission on Human Rights in its
resolution 1998/33 with regard to economic, social and
cultural rights. In that resolution, the Commission appointed
a Special Rapporteur to focus on the right to education, taking
into account gender considerations, in particular the situation
and needs of the girl child, and promoting the elimination of
all forms of discrimination in education. The Special
Rapporteur is expected to report for the first time to the
Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth session (22
March–30 April 1999). Any reports that pertain to the
situation of women in the field of the right to education will
be made available to the Commission on the Status of
Women. The report of the Special Rapporteur will also be
made available to the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women at its twenty-first session, in
1999.
18. Building upon the Platform for Action and General
Assembly resolutions 50/203, 51/69 and 52/100, the Council,
in its decision 1998/298, decided that the theme for the highlevel
segment of its 1999 substantive session would be “The
role of employment and work in poverty eradication: the
empowerment and advancement of women”.
19. The Council’s consideration of the topic is expected to
benefit from, and to have a substantial impact on, a number
of ongoing activities. Most important, the 1999 World Survey
on the Role of Women in Development will be available to
support intergovernmental deliberations. The Survey will
contain a gender analysis of the major global trends. It will
also assess the situation of women in the world of work in the
context of globalization. The Survey is being prepared in a
collaborative effort involving many parts of the United
Nations system, under the leadership of the Division for the
E/CN.6/1999/2
6
Advancement ofWomen. A preliminary executive summary and to the heads of specialized agencies and international
highlighting the major trends and findings is before the trade and financial institutions (see E/1998/64 for a detailed
Commission in a conference room paper account of the activities undertaken), the Special Adviser on
(E/CN.6/1999/CRP.3). Gender Issues and Advancement ofWomen has continued to
20. Consideration of this topic provides an opportunity for
the Council to underline the relevance and impact of gender
considerations with regard to employment and poverty
eradication, and thus to provide policy guidance, from a 23. The Special Adviser has continued to work with the
gender perspective, for ongoing processes such as the review Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the development
of theWorld Summit for Social Development and the system- of a project on mainstreaming a gender perspective in
wide poverty eradication efforts. Building on its recent multidimensional peacekeeping operations. A draft project
actions, including its agreed conclusions on poverty proposal was made available to interested delegations in mideradication
of 1996, and on gender mainstreaming of 1997, 1998, and pledges of support were subsequently received
the Council could further clarify how gender dimensions need from a number of Governments. The project has four major
to be taken into account in order to make poverty eradication objectives: to analyse the extent to which a gender perspective
efforts and employment creation policies sustainable and is reflected in all stages of peacekeeping operations, with a
successful, particularly in the context of globalization and viewto strengthening this perspective; to increase the number
economic restructuring. of women in multidimensional operations at all levels; to
21. Attention is also drawn to Council decision 1998/290,
in which the Council decided, inter alia, to hold an informal
meeting with panels of experts immediately after its resumed
organizational session for 1999. At that meeting, the Council
will consider in a comprehensive manner the work being
carried out by the United Nations system and other relevant
international and national institutions on basic indicators to
measure progress towards the implementation of the 24. Further follow-up took place with the Office of Internal
integrated and coordinated follow-up of all aspects of major Oversight Services. The Special Adviser discussed with the
United Nations conferences and summits. As the Council will Office opportunities for including gender considerations in
focus, as a first step, on taking stock and identifying two ongoing in-depth evaluations (i.e., of disarmament and
overlapping, duplication and gaps in the economic, social and of electoral assistance). The issuance of the two in-depth
related fields at all levels, the informal meeting provides an evaluations in 1999 for the Committee for Programme and
opportunity for a critical assessment of the gender Coordination might provide a good basis for assessing how
responsiveness of such basic indicators. In this regard, the gender considerations can further inform the work of the
work of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), Office.
in particular efforts to mainstream gender considerations into
the United Nations Development Assistance Framework
(UNDAF) process, could inform the discussions in the
Council. The UNDG Sub-Group on Gender has provided
extensive comments and input to the UNDG Working Group
on Common Indicators.
B. Activities in support ofmainstreaming a
gender perspective into the work of the
United Nations system
22. Since the adoption of the Council’s agreed conclusions
on gender mainstreaming (1997/2) and their subsequent
communication by the Secretary-General to all heads of
departments, funds, programmes and regional commissions,
follow up with senior officials throughout the system
concerning their implementation. A summary of such
activities is provided below.
assess the impact of peacekeepers on the local population, in
particular women; and to review the contribution of local
women to peacekeeping and peace support activities. It is
anticipated that implementation of the project will commence
in early 1999. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations
has also stepped up its efforts to improve gender balance at
Headquarters and in the field.
25. A gender advisory group consisting of representatives
of all divisions and offices of the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs and chaired by the Special Adviser was
established to support gender mainstreaming in all activities
of the Department. Various conference review processes in
which the Department has the lead or is a major participant
(the International Conference on Population and Development
and the World Summit for Social Development) and the
coordinated and integrated follow-up to United Nations
conferences are receiving priority attention. Likewise, the
gender advisory group is assessing how the Council’s and the
Assembly’s request to present issues and approaches in a
gender-sensitive manner when preparing reports can best be
implemented in the preparation of the Department’s flagship
publications, including the World Economic and Social
Survey and the Report on the World Social Situation.
E/CN.6/1999/2
7
26. In conjunction with her participation in the expert group Framework for Afghanistan, defining the principles, goals and
meeting on national machineries organized by the Division institutional arrangements for a more coherent, effective and
for the Advancement ofWomen in cooperation with ECLAC integrated political strategy and assistance, pointed out that
(Santiago, 31 August–4 September), the Special Adviser met nowhere was the need for an approach based on principles
with the Executive Secretary and with senior staff to review more evident than in the context of gender discrimination in
the ongoing efforts of ECLAC to ensure the integration of a Afghanistan. Two out of five key objectives of the assistance
gender perspective into its programmes and policies. In strategy in the Strategic Framework deal with the protection
particular, ECLAC’s ongoing project in this field with the and advancement of human rights, with particular emphasis
German Development Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and the on gender.
possibility of replicating it in other regional commissions was
discussed, and comparable experiences at United Nations
Headquarters, such as the Department of Political Affairs’s
team building-cum-workshop on gender mainstreaming, were
reviewed. The meeting also provided an opportunity to
discuss questions of gender balance and of the creation of a
gender-sensitive working environment.
27. The Special Adviser’s mission to Rome, in conjunction conditions for women; widespread abuses and violations of
with the workshop on a rights-based approach to women’s women’s human rights; continued enforcement of
advancement and empowerment and gender equality (see discriminatorymeasures against women; continued violence,
paras. 39–41 below) allowed her to meet with the Executive including the rape and killing of women; and erosion of
Director of WFP, and with senior staff of the International respect for women. The political situation on the ground, as
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and well as the consequences of the earthquakes of February and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In May 1998 and the withdrawal of United Nations international
each case, participation in the preparations for the special staff from the country for security reasons, affected the
session, strengthening of gender mainstreaming in all policies implementation of the recommendations of the inter-agency
and programmes, and questions of gender balance and of a gender mission. At the same time, positive developments
gender-sensitive working environment were discussed. The include ongoing intergovernmental attention to the situation
insights gained from the FAO evaluation of the impact and of women in Afghanistan; visits of high-level persons to
long-term effect of compulsory gender training conducted Afghanistan, stressing the concern of the international
agency-wide in 1993 for some 700 technical staff were community with regard to the situation of women (e.g. the
reviewed and their relevance for the system as a whole Executive Director of UNICEF on behalf of the
discussed. Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC)); the
28. The Special Adviser also seeks to meet with senior
United Nations officials who are stationed away from New
York whenever they are on mission at Headquarters to discuss
follow-up to the Platform for Action, gender mainstreaming
and questions of gender balance.
29. Since leading an inter-agency gender mission to
Afghanistan in November 1997, the Special Adviser has
remained actively involved in the work of the Afghanistan
Support Group. The report of the inter-agency mission was
approved by the Support Group in December 1997. Some of
its recommendations were reviewed by the third meeting of
the Support Group, in London, in May 1998. The report was
widely distributed and played a catalytic role in raising the
awareness of the international community about the situation
of women in Afghanistan. It has been taken into account in
subsequent inter-agency planning documents concerning
humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and has also been
considered by intergovernmental bodies. The Strategic
30. A further update of the Special Adviser was reviewed
by the Afghanistan Support Group in December 1998. This
report, and other recent United Nations reports,1 insofar as
they concern the condition of women, showed that in spite of
efforts of United Nations agencies, international organizations
and non-governmental organizations, supported by the donor
community, there is a further deterioration of economic
imminent appointment of a gender adviser and a human rights
adviser within the Resident Coordinator’s Office; the creation
of a gender coordinating unit on the ground involving
representatives from United Nations agencies working in
Afghanistan. Furthermore, gender training for staff is being
planned, and the gender coordinating unit is in the process of
establishing minimumstandards of best practices for gender
programming.
31. Building on the experience of ACC in developing a
strategic framework for Afghanistan with a strong gender
component, the Special Adviser participates in the ongoing
efforts of the United Nations system, under the leadership of
the Deputy Secretary-General, to develop generic guidelines
for a strategic framework approach for response to and
recovery from crisis situations, with a view to ensuring that
any such framework adequately accommodates gender
considerations.
E/CN.6/1999/2
8
32. Another example of increased attention to gender issues Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
is the appointment, by the Secretary-General of the (UNESCO), have expressed interest in becoming contributing
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of a focal point partners.
on gender issues in ITU. The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
(12 October–6 November 1998), unanimously adopted
resolution PLEN/1 on the inclusion of a gender perspective
in the work of ITU. In that resolution, the Plenipotentiary
Conference recognized specifically that ITU action was
required in the light of the decision taken by the General
Assembly to convene a special session in 2000. The
conference also noted the need for ITU to investigate, analyse
and further understand the impact of telecommunication
technologies on women and men, and for a gender perspective
to be included in all ITU policies, work programmes,
information dissemination activities, publications, study
groups, seminars and conferences. The Secretary-General of
ITU was instructed to facilitate the work of the ITU Focal
Point on Gender Issues and to ensure that a gender
perspective was incorporated in the work programmes and
leadership and human resources development activities of all
sectors; and to report to the next Plenipotentiary Conference
on the results and progress made. The ITU secretariat is
developing a work plan to implement the resolution and the
decision on the appointment of the focal point. This is
expected to include a seminar or panel discussion in
conjunction with the ITU Council meeting at Geneva in June
1999.
33. Ongoing attention is being paid to ensure that a gender
perspective is adequately reflected in the work of UNDG, in
particular in areas such as the UNDAF process, common
country assessments, and the development of an indicator
framework. The establishment by UNDG of a Gender Sub-
Group, chaired by UNIFEM, provides a mechanism to
monitor, and to provide input and guidance to UNDG. The
Division for the Advancement ofWomen is a member of the
Gender Sub-Group.
34. Cooperation continued between the Division for the
Advancement of Women, UNIFEM and the International
Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women (INSTRAW) on the joint project WomenWatch, a
United Nations Internet site on the advancement and
empowerment of women. Following the endorsement of
WomenWatch as an inter-agency project by the Inter-Agency
Committee on Women and Gender Equality at its third
session, the World Bank, UNDP (Sustainable Development
Networking Programme and Gender in Development
Programme) and the Spanish NationalMachinery have joined
the site as contributing partners and are thus members of the
WomenWatchWeb Committee, which sets policy for the site.
Other United Nations entities, including the United Nations
35. In September 1998, the Division for the Advancement
of Women conducted the Women and Health On-line
Dialogue. The purpose of the dialogue was to promote wider
participation of women from different parts of the world in
discussions about national health policies with a gender
perspective. Conducted through e-mail and the Web, the
dialogue included 217 participants from more than 20
countries, one third of whom were from developing countries.
The discussion was summarized and presented to the Expert
Group Meeting on Women and Health: Mainstreaming the
Gender Perspective into the Health Sector, held at Tunis from
28 September to 2 October 1998.
36. The dialogue focused on the following topics: (a) access
to and quality of health services, (b) health education and
promotion, (c) medical education and research, (d) nursing,
and (e) reform of the health sector. Participants identified
gender bias as a persistent factor that affects women as health
care providers as well as their access to health services and
information. They called for a new health paradigm that
adopts a life-cycle approach and also urged better
collaboration among health professionals, women’s NGOs
and Governments. Participants also made specific
recommendations to the United Nations in the area of access,
nursing, medical education and health reform.
37. In the course of 1998, the WomenWatch project has
received financial contributions for outreach and for a series
of on-line conferences on the critical areas of concern to be
conducted during 1999 and 2000, in preparation for the
special session of the General Assembly.
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee onWomen
and Gender Equality
38. Following the third session of the Inter-Agency
Committee on Women and Gender Equality (IACWGE)
(25–27 February 1998), inter-sessional work on a number of
topics has been conducted by task managers, for presentation
to and action by the Committee at its fourth session (23–26
February 1999). A series of informal meetings were held in
New York during the year. An oral report on the fourth
session will be presented to the Commission on the Status of
Women at its forty-third session by the Special Adviser on
Gender Issues and Advancement ofWomen, who also chairs
the Committee. The Committee is expected to focus on the
following items: preparations for the special session of the
E/CN.6/1999/2
9
General Assembly in the year 2000, including issuance of an • Provide support for participation and local activism
ACC statement as an input into that process; ongoing work through capacity-building and institutional
on the compilation of good practices in the implementation development;
of the Platform for Action and in gender mainstreaming;
preparation of a review of the women-in-development/ gender
focal point function; compilation of a database on gender
training materials; methodologies for gender impact analysis;
and gender sensitivity of budget codes and programme
classifications. As part of its fourth session, the Committee
is also convening a workshop with a number of resident
coordinators and agency field staff to engage in a dialogue at
the implementation of the Platform for Action and gender
mainstreaming.
39. Based on a decision of the Committee, which was
endorsed by the Commission in its agreed conclusions on the
human rights of women, the Division for the Advancement
ofWomen organized a workshop on a rights-based approach
to women’s advancement and empowerment and gender
equality. The workshop, which took place in Rome from 5 to
7 October 1998, was hosted by FAO. It brought together 74
participants from the United Nations system and from the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development/
Development Assistance Committee (OECD/DAC) Working
Party on Gender Equality. The workshop sought to review and
clarify the rights-based approach to gender equality and its
implications for policy and operations by bilateral and
multilateral entities. The workshop contributed to the
commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
40. The workshop adopted a final communiqué
summarizing the major conclusions and findings that emerged
from the discussions and putting forward a number of specific
recommendations. While agreeing that further efforts were
required to specify the full implications of the rights-based
approach to gender equality for policy-making and
programming, the workshop made the following
recommendations:
• Promote knowledge of human rights and concomitant
obligations, and the indivisibility of economic, social,
cultural, civil and political rights;
• Promote the principle of gender equality as central to
the realization of human rights;
• Promote an enabling environment in which women and
girls can exercise choice;
• Promote the availability of and access to genderspecific
information and statistics;
• Strengthen the rights-based approach by increasing
contacts between development specialists and human
rights specialists, including those of the United Nations
Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender
Equality and of the OECD/DAC Working Party on
Gender Equality;
• Increase the use of Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women and other
human rights instruments, the work of the human rights
treaty bodies and of special procedures as guidance for
operational activities;
• Strengthen national and international mechanisms for
monitoring and accountability;
• Support the incorporation of international human rights
standards into national legal systems;
• Share best practices and lessons learned in regard to
tools, methodologies and monitoring mechanisms;
• Strengthen coordination among the United Nations
system, bilateral entities and other partners, including
at the national level.
41. The meeting was structured into two parts. Part I
reviewed the conceptual and legal dimensions of a rightsbased
approach and its gender dimensions, and discussed the
rights-based approach as understood in bilateral and
multilateral policies. Part II assessed the practical
implications of a rights-based approach to gender equality
based on examples and case studies from bilateral and
multilateral agencies. The workshop benefited from a
background paper prepared by Professor Savitri Goonesekere
(University of Colombo, Sri Lanka), in cooperation with the
Division for the Advancement of Women, and from the
guidance of Professor Cees Flinterman (University of Utrecht,
Netherlands). In part II of the workshop, nine working groups
dealt with the implications for programming of the rightsbased
approach for areas such as humanitarian assistance;
women’s right to food; and women’s right to health. The
impact of cultural particularities on rights-based
programming for women and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
as a tool for rights-based programming were also discussed.
A report on the proceedings of the meeting was compiled and
made available by the Division for the Advancement of
Women.
42. Following up on guidance provided byACC concerning
increased coordination of its standing subsidiary bodies, and
E/CN.6/1999/2
10
on the discussions of the chairpersons of the Consultative more than 30 countries worldwide, who reported on progress
Committee on Programme and Operational Questions in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action at the
(CCPOQ), IACWGE and the Inter-Agency Committee on national level. The existing gap between the commitments
Sustainable Development (IACSD) in the framework of the made at the Beijing Conference and the reality of women,
session of the Economic and Social Council on integrated especially in poorer countries, was discussed.
conference follow-up in May 1998, the Special Adviser, in
her capacity as Chairperson of IACWGE accepted an
invitation by the Chairperson ofCCPOQ and addressed the
Consultative Committee at its thirteenth session, in
September 1998. She called for a process of regular
exchanges between the two committees so that issues of
common concern, especially cross-sectoral issues, may be
addressed in a more systematic and sustained way in the work
of the two committees. Based on CCPOQ’s mandate to
promote complementarities between the normative/policy side
and the operational side of the United Nations system for
economic and social development, and on the mandate of
IACWGE, she identified various areas for such increased
cooperation, including reflection of gender in UNDAF and
operational activities in general, gender in the work of the
resident coordinator system, gender concerns in the strategic
framework process and guidelines, including for crisis
situations, gender considerations in poverty eradication; and
indicators and data collection. It is expected that the
Chairperson of CCPOQ will accept the invitation extended
by the Chairperson of IACWGE and address IACWGE at its
fourth session, in February 1999.
D. Reported activities of non-governmental
organizations and other institutions of
civil society
43. Since the issuance of the latest report of the Secretary-
General to the General Assembly on the implementation of
the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women
(A/53/308), a number of events have occurred at the
international, regional and national levels under the auspices
of non-governmental organizations. While these activities
were not reported systematically to the Secretariat, some of
them have been brought to the attention of the Division for
the Advancement ofWomen and are noted here as examples
of the widespread follow-up to the Conference by civil
society.
44. Some of the reported follow-up efforts are local level
activities, and others are national, regional or global level
activities. An example of global efforts was a three-day
seminar on the subject of post-Beijing follow-up hosted by
the All ChinaWomen’s Federation in June 1998. The seminar
brought together representatives of women’s groups from
45. A seminar entitled “Making democracy work: strategies
for empowering women in political and public life”,
organized by the British Council, was held in Glasgow,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from
30 August to 5 September 1998. With the aim of promoting
the latest knowledge and advances made in social
development and gender, the seminar was attended by
representatives of women’s rights groups and government
agencies, academics, lawyers and journalists from 31
countries, with approximately half of them from African
countries.
46. At the regional level, the Women’s Programme of the
Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education and the
Gender and Education Office of the International Council for
Adult Education jointly convened a Regional Consultation on
Women’s Education on 26 and 27 September 1998 in Hua
Hin, Thailand. The consultation was intended to strategize
further coordination between the two organizations in
building leadership capacity of women educators and in
following up, inter alia, the outcome of the Beijing
Conference. It was reported at the consultation that the
existence ofmonitoring and lobbying mechanisms supported
bywomen’s groups at the national level helped Governments
follow their commitments made at the Beijing Conference.
47. The Second International Women and Water
Conference was held at Kathmandu, from 30 August to
5 September 1998, sponsored by Business and Professional
Women of Nepal (BPWN), the International Institute for
Human Rights, Environment and Development (INURID) and
Women and Water, USA. The 20 women from rural Nepal
people’s organizations whose main daily duties include
carrying water, were joined by 50 other women from urban
Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, Germany,
Canada and the United States to discuss the future of clean
water at both the local and global levels. Participants agreed
to stage a Women’s World Water Day on the eve of World
Water Day, 21 March 1999.
48. Efforts to expand and promote the well-being and the
rights of young women have been gaining worldwide support.
Emphasis was placed on educating and training adolescent
girls as future leaders and equal participants in decisionmaking
at a regional summer camp organized by the Young
Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Cyprus in
August 1998. Participants were young women from Egypt,
E/CN.6/1999/2
11
Greece, Jordan and Lebanon, as well as young Palestinian women’s information services available throughout the world.
women. The goal of this camp was to prepare young women It also provides gender-specific information and connects
for responsible participation at decision-making levels. The government policy agendas with those of civil society.
YWCA also conducted a workshop in Kenya from 9 to 13
March 1998, bringing together 30 young women from all over
the country. The workshop was aimed at enhancing the
awareness among young women of their human rights and the
impact of violence against women.
49. The Japanese Organization for International together media practitioners, policy makers, activists and
Cooperation in Family Planning, Inc. has produced three specialists. The latest in the series of conferences on gender
video films advocating for the need for adolescent sexual and and communication policy was held in Kingston, Jamaica,
reproductive health programmes in Asia. Based on actual from 19 to 21 November 1998, to analyse key issues in
stories of three girls from Nepal, Viet Nam and the gender representation and participation in the media.
Philippines, the films address the issues of early marriage,
unwanted pregnancy and unwanted delivery from the
viewpoint of the adolescents themselves. The video films
were designed to help policymakers understand the situation
and problems surrounding adolescent girls and to develop
appropriate policies to respond to their needs.
50. The Internet has become a preferred means of
communication and forum for the exchange of information
among women and women’s groups worldwide. Although the
Internet is still not accessible to many of the women in the
South, the number of Web sites in the developing world
addressing women’s issues is rapidly growing. Furthermore,
these Web sites are expanding their capacities, including
on-line conferences, and are providing assistance to users. For
example, it was reported to the Division for the Advancement
of Women in September 1998 that the Women’sNet, a
networking Web site initiated in South Africa, had started a
new e-mail list to keep people up to date on the latest
happenings at Women’sNet.
51. A growing interest in the use of information and media
as tools to advance the status of women and to eliminate
gender stereotypes has been further explored at various
international conferences. A conference entitled “Know How
Conference on theWorld ofWomen’s Information” was held
in the Netherlands from 22 to 26 August 1998. The objective
of the Conference was to improve the visibility and
accessibility of women’s information at the global and local
levels and to develop a strategy whereby women involved in
information could promote the empowerment of women at the
global level. The Conference, which brought together about
300 women and men from 83 countries, including information
specialists, librarians and women and gender specialists in
the field ofwomen’s information, adopted a draft declaration
to further the cause. The International Information Centre and
Archives for the Women’s Movement, the organizer of the
Conference, has started a new database called “Mapping the
World of Women’s Information”, which is an inventory of
52. Taking their cue from the Platform for Action adopted
at the Fourth World Conference on Women, which, for the
first time, included media as a separate area of concern, the
World Association for Christian Communication has
organized a series of regional consultations aiming to bring
III. Joint work plan of the Division for
the Advancement ofWomen and the
Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights
53. In resolution 39/5 of the Commission on the Status of
Women and resolution 1997/43 of the Commission on Human
Rights, the Secretary-General was requested to prepare
annually a joint work plan for the Division for the
Advancement of Women and the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights. In resolution 1998/51, the
Commission on Human Rights requested that the joint work
plan reflect all aspects of the work under way, and identify
existing obstacles/impediments and areas for further
collaboration. In the conclusions on the human rights of
women (Economic and Social Council resolution 1998/12,
sect. III) prepared by the Commission on the Status of
Women, the two offices were requested to continue to prepare
the joint annual work plan and strengthen cooperation and
coordination in human rights activities, in particular (a) by
collaborating in the writing of reports for the Commission on
the Status ofWomen and the Commission on Human Rights;
(b) through sharing information systematically on the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women, its sessions and documentation, in order to ensure
that its work will be better integrated into the work of the
other treaty bodies and United Nations human rights
activities; and (c) through capacity-building to implement
agreed conclusions 1997/2 of the Economic and Social
Council on mainstreaming a gender perspective into all
policies and programmes in the United Nations system, in
particular training and gender sensitization especially of
human rights monitors.
E/CN.6/1999/2
12
A. Assessment of the implementation of the
current work plan
54. In the implementation of the current joint work plan
(see E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.1, paras. 13–23), the systematic
exchange of information between the Office of the High
Commissioner and the Division for the Advancement of
Women continued and was expanded in the course of 1998.
The Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of
Women addressed the Commission on Human Rights at its
fifty-fourth session. In the course of the year, the Special
Adviser met several times with the High Commissioner, and
also met with the newly appointed Deputy High
Commissioner for Human Rights. She participated in a
special discussion, chaired by the High Commissioner, of
senior United Nations officials on the occasion of the
consideration, by the Economic and Social Council in its
coordination segment in July 1998, of the follow-up to the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Staff of the
Division participated in several meetings held at the United
Nations Office at Geneva, including the ninth and tenth
meetings of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies.
Division staff provided inputs to and contributed to the
servicing of the Human Rights Committee during its New
York session in March/April 1998. The Division facilitated
the participation of the Chairperson of the Commission on the
Status of Women in a panel discussion on women’s human
rights at the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human
Rights.
55. The High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed
the Commission on the Status ofWomen at its forty-second
session. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women
served on the panel on the critical area of concern “violence
against women”, held at that session. Staff of the Office of the
High Commissioner participated in the 1998 session of the
open-ended working group of the Commission on the Status
of Women on the elaboration of an optional protocol to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women and in the forty-second session of the
Commission on the Status ofWomen. The newly appointed
Chief of the Programmes and Activities Branch of the Office
of the High Commissioner met with Division staff during a
mission to New York, and contributed to the workshop on a
rights-based approach to the empowerment and advancement
of women and gender equality.
56. The Division and the Office of the High Commissioner
jointly prepared a report on women’s real enjoyment of their
human rights, in particular those relating to the elimination
of poverty, economic development and economic resources
(E/CN.4/1998/22–E/CN.6/1998/11), which was submitted
to the Commission on the Status ofWomen at its forty-second
session and the Commission on Human Rights at its fiftyfourth
session. The Division contributed substantive input and
participated in inter-agency activities (representing the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs) for the five–year
review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
The Division also provided routine contributions to a number
of reports of the Office of the High Commissioner on an ad
hoc or as requested basis. It also provided input to the work
of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.
57. The Division continued to provide input into the joint
project on the integration of a gender perspective into
technical and advisory services of the Office of the High
Commissioner and chaired the technical meeting to finalize
the fourth phase of the project. Follow-up activities include
the development, in July 1998, of detailed guidelines on
gender and the human rights of women for use by Office staff
and consultants in the preparation and execution of all
seminars and training activities. The guidelines prepared are
currently being field tested by the Office. Similar guidelines
for evaluating technical cooperation projects will be
developed in the first quarter of 1999. These guidelines will
feed into ongoing efforts to improve the methodology of the
technical cooperation programme, including the revision of
training and support materials. The Division will remain
involved in the follow-up to this project.
58. In response to a request of the meeting of persons
chairing the human rights treaty bodies, endorsed by the
General Assembly in resolution 52/118, the Division for the
Advancement ofWomen prepared a study on the integration
of a gender perspective in the work of the human rights treaty
bodies, and submitted it to the tenth meeting of the
chairpersons (HRI/MC/1998/6). The chairpersons strongly
endorsed the report and emphasized the usefulness of such
a comprehensive study to the work of the treaty bodies, in
particular in assessing current practices and in identifying and
focusing on areas of improvement for the future (A/53/432,
para. 53).
59. In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a number of
activities were implemented. Based on a decision of the Inter-
Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality, the
Division for the Advancement of Women organized a
workshop on a rights-based approach to the empowerment
and advancement ofwomen and gender equality for members
of the Committee and of the OECD/DAC Working Party on
Gender Equality. The workshop sought to review and clarify
the rights-based approach to gender equality and its
implications for policy and operations by bilateral and
E/CN.6/1999/2
13
multilateral entities. It contributed to the commemoration of the Status ofWomen and the Committee on the Elimination
the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human of Discrimination against Women and will inform human
Rights. The workshop adopted a final communiqué rights mechanisms of activities relating to the human rights
summarizing the major conclusions and findings that emerged of women.
from the discussions and putting forward a number of specific
recommendations. A report on the workshop was compiled
and edited by the Division and widely distributed (further
details on the workshop are contained in paras. 39–41 of the
present report).
60. A second information kit for the anniversary of the distributed to the members of the treaty bodies, delegations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights entitled “Women’s and other interested actors. The Division will continue to
rights—the responsibility of all”, was produced by the Office monitor progress in the work of treaty bodies in integrating
of the High Commissioner, with a substantial contribution a gender perspective and provide gender-specific input into
from the Division for the Advancement of Women. The their work. In this regard, support will be provided in the
feature article of the kit examines and analyses the role of the elaboration of general comments, and in the revision of
United Nations in promoting the human rights of women. It reporting guidelines to reflect gender concerns.
also contains information on the activities of the United
Nations system relating to the rights of women that were
carried out in 1998.
B. Joint work plan for 1999
61. The Division and the Office of the High Commissioner
will continue the targeted approach of the 1998 work plan.
Major emphasis will be placed on the areas indicated below.
62. During 1999, the cooperation between the Division and
the Office of the High Commissioner on the work of treaty
bodies will continue. Work will also continue on the
electronic database covering all six treaty bodies with a view
to eliminating technical difficulties and making the database
fully operational and accessible for both offices. The Division
will continue to update its Web site
(www.un.org/womenwatch/daw) to make information related
to the human rights of women and to the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women easily
accessible. It will continue to provide the Committee’s
concluding comments and general recommendations to the
Office of the High Commissioner so that they can be made
available promptly to the treaty bodies. The Division will
ensure that its biannual briefing notes on the Committee’s
work will be supplied to the chairpersons of the human rights
treaty bodies. The Office of the High Commissioner will
provide the Division with the core documents of States parties
and with the concluding comments and general
recommendations of the treaty bodies for the information of
Committee members. The Office will also continue to update
itsWeb site (www.unhchr.ch) to make information on human
rights, in particular the human rights of women, accessible.
It will continue to provide information to the Commission on
63. In follow-up to the positive reception by the tenth
meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies
of the Division study on the integration of a gender
perspective in the work of the treaty bodies, the study has
been posted on the Division’s Web site, and will be widely
64. The Division will provide targeted input into the work
of non-conventional human rights mechanisms. During 1999,
particular emphasis will be placed on supporting the work of
the Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights
on violence against women, on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions, and on education.
65. The Division and the Office of the High Commissioner
will support and facilitate the improved cooperation between
the Commission on the Status ofWomen and the Commission
on Human Rights, building on the first dialogue held in 1998
between the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of
Women and the Commission on Human Rights, and the
participation of the High Commissioner, in 1998, in the
Commission on the Status of Women, and of the Special
Adviser, also in 1998, in the Commission on Human Rights.
66. The information exchange between the Division and the
Office of the High Commissioner on planned and ongoing
research and study projects will be improved. Cooperation
will also be improved in the area of report preparation. With
regard to the comprehensive report on violence against
women migrant workers requested by the General Assembly
in its resolution 52/97 for submission to it at its fifty-fourth
session, in 1999, and the comprehensive report, also on
violence against women migrant workers, requested by the
Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1998/17 for
submission to it at its fifty-sixth session, in 2000, these
reports will be prepared by the Division and the Office
together. The Division will contribute, on an ad hoc basis and
as appropriate, information for reports on general human
rights issues and for reports on the human rights of women
prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner. The Office
of the High Commissioner will contribute, on an ad hoc basis
and as appropriate, to the preparation by the Division of
E/CN.6/1999/2
14
reports or studies on gender and women’s rights issues. The 70. The Division and the Office of the High Commissioner
Division and the Office of the High Commissioner will will discuss opportunities for cooperation in the area of
continue to cooperate in exchanging information on national machineries for the advancement of women and
communications in connection with the communications national human rights institutions, in particular in technical
procedure of the Commission on the Status ofWomen. and advisory services aimed at the establishment and/or
67. The issue of traffic in women and girls will receive
particular attention in 1999. The High Commissioner has
identified trafficking in women and children for purposes of
sexual exploitation as a priority issue. The Office of the High
Commissioner has set up a project aimed at raising awareness
on the issue at the highest political level. Efforts will be made 71. The Division and the Office of the High Commissioner
better to support implementation of relevant resolutions of will develop a training module/framework on the human
the General Assembly, the Commission on the Status of rights of women and on gender mainstreaming in human
Women and the Commission on Human Rights. Cooperation rights activities and programmes. Such a training
will be sought with the Centre for International Crime module/framework would be used in conjunction with any
Prevention at the United Nations Office at Vienna to cover human rights-related training activity for United Nations staff
action to combat international trafficking in women and andmission training for peacekeepers and human rights field
children. Both the Division and the Office of the High monitors, and also serve as specialized training in human
Commissioner will contribute to the study on the criminal rights of women for human rights experts such as special
aspects of trafficking in human beings, which is being rapporteurs. The training would be intended to cover both
prepared by the United Nations Interregional Crime and human rights ofwomen and gender mainstreaming in human
Justice Research Institute on behalf of the Office for Drug rights.
Control and Crime Prevention.
68. The Division and the Office of the High Commissioner seek the Division’s comments on all training materials under
will hold a workshop to follow up the expert group meeting production, with a view to ensuring adequate inclusion of
on the development of guidelines for the integration of gender issues related to the human rights of women and gender
perspectives into United Nations human rights activities and mainstreaming. The Division has so far provided input for the
programmes, which was held in 1995 (see draft TrainingManual on Human RightsMonitoring prepared
E/CN.4/1996/105). The workshop, which had already been by the Office of the High Commissioner, and on the joint
foreseen in the 1998 workplan, is tentatively scheduled to Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Office of the United
take place in April 1999. The workshop, for which Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Module on
extrabudgetary resources will be sought, will assess the Gender in Peacekeeping, which are currently being produced.
impact of the first meeting and consider further strategies
required to integrate a gender perspective into United Nations
human rights activities. The study on the integration of a
gender perspective in the work of the human rights treaty
bodies (HRI/MC/1998/6) will serve as a background paper
for the workshop.
69. In follow-up to the conclusions and recommendations its next session (March 1999) and to its follow-up. The Office
emanating from the joint project on the integration of a gender will also continue to participate actively in selected meetings
perspective in technical and advisory services of the Office organized by the Division. The Division will contribute to,
of the High Commissioner, that Office will organize a strategy and participate in, selected meetings of human rights bodies,
meeting with outside experts to discuss the current situation in particular the meeting of persons chairing treaty bodies,
with regard to gender and to elaborate a gender strategy for and meetings organized by the Office of the High
the Office. The Division for the Advancement ofWomen will Commissioner. Both the Division and the Office will
contribute to the conceptualization and implementation of this contribute to the follow-up to the Rome workshop, in the
strategymeeting. It is foreseen that it will be organized back- framework of the ACC Inter-Agency Committee on Women
to-back with the gender integration workshop discussed in and Gender Equality.
paragraph 68 above.
strengthening of national institutions. A technical meeting
between staff of both the Division and the Office will review
the current status of activities in the Division and the Office
with regard to national institutions and develop a project
proposal for joint activities in this field.
72. The Office of the High Commissioner will continue to
73. The Office of the High Commissioner, in organizing
training courses on reporting under human rights treaties, as
well as other ad hoc activities, will continue to invite the
Division for the Advancement ofWomen to participate. The
Office of the High Commissioner will contribute to the work
of the open-ended working group on an optional protocol at
E/CN.6/1999/2
15
IV. Information supplied in accordance
with specific mandates
A. Situation of Palestinian women and
assistance provided by organizations of
the United Nations system
74. The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution
1998/10, requested a report on the situation of Palestinian
women and assistance provided by organizations of the
United Nations system. The present report covers the period
from September 1997 to September 19982 and is based on
information from United Nations bodies monitoring the
situation of Palestinians in the occupied territories as well as
in refugee camps. Such bodies include the Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights
of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories, the Office of the United Nations Special
Coordinator in the Occupied Territories and the Special
Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967. Information on
assistance to Palestinian women was requested from the
United Nations systemand replies from15 entities have been
included in the present report.3
1. Situation of Palestinian women
75. According to the 1997 Palestinian Population, Housing
and Establishment Census,4 women constitute 49.2 per cent
of the total Palestinian population of 2,895,683. The census
classifies 64 per cent of the labour force as being
economically inactive and women, as housewives, constitute
43.7 per cent of the economically inactive. This means that
women constitute 28 per cent of the total labour force which
is engaged in unpaid work. This might explain why women
constitute only 16.3 per cent of the total number of people
engaged in the private sector. The census also shows that 20.1
per cent ofwomen are illiterate, compared with 7.7 per cent
of men, and that the fertility rate is 6.1 per cent.
76. In his report on economic and social conditions in the
West Bank and Gaza, the United Nations Special Coordinator
in the Occupied Territories (UNSCO) stated that in
comparison with 1996, there was an overall improvement in
economic performance in the West Bank and Gaza during
1997. This was due, in part, to the fact that 1997 had fewer
closure days than 1996, which was reflected in enhanced
labour and trade flow between the West Bank and Gaza and
Israel. However, this relative improvement must be seen in
the context of the continuation of the general, comprehensive
and internal closure policies which have caused a decline in
incomes in the past several years. Lost income as a result of
closures has been estimated at about US$ 4 million per
effective closure day, amounting to about US$ 228 million
in 1997 which is about half the value of donor disbursements
for the year.5
77. The daily life of women continues to be adversely
affected by the Israeli occupation, particularly by the
imposition of security-related measures such as closures,
which have a detrimental impact on their socio-economic
condition. As in the past, Palestinian women are experiencing
the gender-specific impact of these measures, which is
reinforced by existing inequalities in society between women
and men. Frequent Israeli closures have been a major factor
behind the 18 per cent drop in the gross national product
(GNP) of the West Bank and Gaza and the 35 per cent drop
in per capita GNP between 1992 and 1996. The gross
domestic product (GDP) was estimated by the Palestinian
Authority and the InternationalMonetary Fund to have grown
by 1.2 per cent in 1997, down from 5.5 per cent in 1996.6
78. This socio-economic situation is reflected in household
expenditures. There was an overall real decline of 2.3 per cent
in average household consumption expenditures between the
first and fourth quarters of 1997.7 Given existing gender
inequality, resulting in women’s weaker negotiating capacity,
any cut in household expenditure tends to hurt women and
girls disproportionately. Furthermore, women’s average
labour force participation rate declined from 13 per cent in
1996 to 12.3 per cent in 1997, which is a relative decline of
5.8 per cent for women compared with a relative decline of
1.5 per cent for men. Further, women’s full employment rates
and the total number of fully employed women also fell in
1997, while those for men rose considerably. Also in 1997,
women’s average unemployment rate increased from 20.6 to
21.4 per cent.8
79. In his report to the Commission on Human Rights, Mr.
Hannu Halinen (Finland), the Special Rapporteur on
Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967, stated that the
lack of income and inability to buy food during closures of the
occupied territories have reportedly led many families to eat
only one meal a day and to significantly reduce their intake
of protein.9 An increase in malnutrition has been registered
among pregnant women and pre-school age children who are
suffering from iron and iodine deficiencies.10 The
phenomenon ofmalnourishment among children in the Gaza
Strip was also reported by the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of
the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories.11
E/CN.6/1999/2
16
80. The Special Rapporteur also noted that approximately mainstreaming by the programmes and funds. However, the
3,500 Palestinian prisoners, seven of whom were women, information available is not fully differentiated in terms of the
were held in Israeli prisons and detention centres in violation extent of support to the different groups of Palestinian
of articles 49 and 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. This women, namely, women in Palestinian self-rule areas, women
remains a persistent source of concern and tension in the in occupied areas, and women in refugee camps.
occupied territories.12
81. In Gaza, the Special Rapporteur met with some former continued its four-year, $7.2 million Programme of
detainees and with the mothers and relatives of Palestinian Assistance to the Palestinian People which commenced in
prisoners. He was informed about the economic and social 1996. The programme focused on three areas of assistance:
hardships suffered by the prisoners’ families, particularly if reproductive health including family planning, population and
the prisoners were the main breadwinners. The families also development strategies, and advocacy. As part of this
complained of the frequent transfer of prisoners in Israel, programme in theWest Bank town of Jenin, UNFPA trained
which made family visits difficult. Family visits to prisoners a team of 20 female and 10 male educators, to reach out to
were also hindered by difficulties in obtaining security rural women and men in order to inform them about
clearance by relatives and the humiliating searches they reproductive health issues, distribute oral contraceptives
undergo merely to spend 45 minutes with the prisoners in among them and refer them to clinics to obtain services. This
groups of 10. was part of a project serving 13 some 18,000 married women
82. The Special Rapporteur also mentioned the situation
of former prisoners who have undergone torture while in
detention. They suffer from psychological consequences, such
as chronic post-traumatic stress and depression. Many, as a 87. UNFPA is currently supporting the establishment of a
result, behave violently towards their wives and children.14 multidisciplinarywomen’s centre at the Jabalia refugee camp,
The wives and children of workers who are unable to go to which is due to become operational in December 1998. The
Israel or find employment locally also tend to be victims of centre will provide a comprehensive package of reproductive
domestic violence. This phenomenon of domestic violence, health information and services covering the life cycle of
due to the above factors, was also reported by the Special women, as well as social assistance, legal counselling and
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the community education on various issues such as domestic
Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of violence and women’s rights, including reproductive rights.
the Occupied Territories.15 Asimilar UNFPA-funded centre at the Al Burej refugee camp
83. In its report, the Special Committee noted reports on
“arbitrariness” in obtaining travel permits to enter Israel. 88. The World Health Organization (WHO) is assisting
There are no written rules issued by the Israeli authorities that with the consolidation of the Women’s Health Development
govern the granting to Palestinians of permits and Department at the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian
authorizations to enter Israel. Moreover, travel by Authority as well as with the implementation of two
Palestinians is accompanied by humiliation, especially of reproductive health projects in theWest Bank and Gaza Strip.
women, at checkpoints and border crossings, physical These projects, funded by UNFPA, aim at reducing maternal
violence and the likelihood of being stranded in another part mortality by 50 per cent, introducing family planning
of the occupied territories in case of closure.16 counselling and screening in 50 per cent of all health
84. The Special Committee also reported that a newborn
baby died on 26 August 1998 because of delays at an Israeli
Army roadblock near Hebron, in the West Bank. The mother
gave birth in her car after soldiers at an Israeli military 89. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
checkpoint forced her to take a longer route to a Hebron provided assistance to Palestinian women through the
hospital.17 following three programme areas: advocacy and capacity-
2. United Nations assistance to Palestinian women
85. Information provided by the United Nations system
shows continuing support for Palestinian women by the
United Nations, as well as increasing efforts of gender
86. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
and their husbands and helped to upgrade the capacity of 20
clinics to provide quality reproductive health services and
counselling.
was visited by 13,000 clients during 1997.
facilities, increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate to 25
per cent, and providing post-natal care to all women by the
year 2000.
building; health and nutrition; and basic education. During
1997, the UNICEF office for Gaza and the West Bank
conducted a Gender Audit of four projects with a view to
assessing the extent to which UNICEF’s global commitment
to addressing gender concerns was reflected in local level
E/CN.6/1999/2
17
project activities. Following the audit, two workshops were women engaged in the informal handicrafts sector in the
held to share the findings with 100 key policy makers and Bethlehemdistrict. In the Gaza Strip, the programme targets
professionals in order to raise awareness of gender about 300 women in poor rural areas to ensure their
mainstreaming in programming. The report of the audit as remunerative and viable employment. This involves the
well as the workshops was issued by UNICEF’s Gender and organization of the women in local support facilities and
Partnership Section. networks, training and the setting up of a viable savings and
90. The UNICEF Women’s Health Project involves the
development of policies and procedures on key women’s 95. Other ILO activities include the promotion of the sociohealth
issues and upgrading of services and human resources economic status of Palestinian women and the promotion and
at theMinistry ofHealth of the Palestinian Authority. During development of Palestinian women’s entrepreneurship. For
the period 1997/98, 60 health professionals at the Ministry example, a two-week course was organized at the ILO
of Health were trained in the management of sexually Training Centre in Turin for 14 Palestinian women
transmitted diseases and AIDS prevention, as well as in representing non-governmental organizations and women’s
cervical cancer and breast cancer screening. During April associations active in the promotion of human and women’s
1998, a one-day campaign on SafeMotherhood, as part of the rights during the period of 24 November to 5 December 1997.
Safe Motherhood Day celebrations, was carried out involving From 15 June to 3 July 1998 another training course was
all health providers in the West Bank and Gaza. implemented at the centre for 13 women and men
91. As part of the Basic Education programme, UNICEF
is at present conducting operational research on early
marriage and school drop-outs. The results will be discussed
with top policy makers in the education sector. In addition,
there is an ongoing project — the Better Parenting
Initiative—on parenting skills, covering such issues as early
marriage, gender equality and child labour. This project now
targets both mothers and fathers through male and female 96. The International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO
social workers. conducted a project on export development and the promotion
92. The United Nations Volunteers are implementing the
Community-based Youth Participation and Development
Project, which aims at promoting the human development of
young people, in particular young women, to be full
participants in and contributors to the development of the
Palestinian society. So far 21 United Nations Volunteers (2
international and 19 national volunteers) have worked directly
or indirectly towards improving the situation of Palestinian
women as women’s health specialists, community health 97. As part of its ongoing development assistance to the
workers, coordinators of community activity centres. occupied Palestinian territories, the World Bank invited the
93. As part of the International Labour Organization’s
(ILO) International Programme for More and Better Jobs for
Women, a draft Action Plan for theWest Bank and Gaza Strip
has been formulated on the basis of a series of consultations
between ILO, representatives of various ministries of the
Palestinian Authority and employers and workers
organizations, as well as other social partners. The draft
Action Plan will include the development of a gender- 98. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
sensitive labour market information system, which will Nations, in conjunction with the United Nations Development
improve gender disaggregated data collection, analysis and Programme, is implementing a project designed to give policy
dissemination. and institutional support to the recently established General
94. The draft Action Plan includes vocational training of
about 100 women in the tourist sector and of about 200
credit scheme.
representing the Palestinian General Federation of Trade
Unions. At the end of the course, participants formulated a
national strategy for the promotion of women workers’ rights.
In addition, two training activities on costing and pricing were
implemented for 20 women entrepreneurs in the territories
under the Palestinian Authority, from 25 August to 5
September 1998.
of high-value floricultural products from the Gaza and West
Bank, which included a survey on the role of Palestinian
women in the floriculture industry. The survey, which was
completed in June 1998, assessed the extent to which certain
gender-specific factors determine how Palestinian women
perceive and articulate their development needs and how they
participate in contemporary development activities
(particularly those related to the floriculture industry).
Director of theWomen’s Affairs Technical Committee, which
represents a number of Palestinian women’s organizations
in the occupied territories, to a Gender Training Workshop
for Bank staff. The discussion revolved around how the Bank
and women’s organizations active on the ground can learn
from each other and work together to promote the socioeconomic,
political and legal status of Palestinian women.
Directorate for Policies, Planning and Development of the
Ministry of Agriculture. This directorate has a newly
E/CN.6/1999/2
18
established Gender in Development Unit. This unit will assist 104. The United Nations Development Fund for Women
rural women through awareness campaigns and gender- implements its empowerment agenda for women through
oriented training. three programme areas: strengthening women’s economic
99. As part of its Programme of Assistance to the
Palestinian People, UNDP supported the establishment of a
Gender Statistics Unit within the Palestinian Central Bureau
of Statistics. Training for staff within the unit and the Bureau
itself focused on assisting staff in selecting gender-significant
indicators, formulating gender-sensitive surveys and
questionnaires and evaluating statistics for accuracy in
reflecting the actual situation of women within society.
100. Furthermore, UNDP in conjunction with the Inter-
Ministerial Committee of the Palestinian Authority, created
a Rural Girls Development Centre. The Centre provides
general education and comprehensive training in the areas of
health and agriculture. During 1997, training was offered for
27 young rural women. A second phase of this project aims
at creating a mechanism by which the Rural Girls
Development Centre will be able to sustain itself, further
develop the curriculum and initiate small projects for the
graduates to create long-term income-generating activities.
101. In addition, UNDP has engaged a local Palestinian nongovernmental
organization to carry out a comprehensive study
on the status of women in the occupied Palestinian territories
in relation to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women.
102. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights has supported the establishment of a
Women and Group Rights Unit within the Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights in Gaza to work with the local community
in support of the development of a favourable women’s rights
policy environment. The Women and Group Rights Unit’s
legal aid programme has provided direct legal counselling to
individuals and intervened on behalf of women in the Sharia
courts in Gaza in cases of separation, divorce, child visitation
and nafaqa (alimony). It has also provided legal advice to
women prisoners and other women’s organizations and their
constituents. In addition, the Unit has produced a series of 108. The Economic and Social Commission forWestern Asia
guides on such issues as marriage law, divorce and seeks to mainstream a gender perspective in its activities
inheritance. focused on supporting the economic and social situation in
103. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
of Human Rights also supports non-governmental
contributions to the legal reform process through a grant to
a Gaza-based organization, Mashraqiyyat, to enable it to
contribute to the development of an equitable Personal Status
Law. The focus is on the discourse and interpretations that 109. UNRWA continues to provide assistance to Palestinian
deal with Sharia-based concerns. refugees in keeping with its mandate. That assistance includes
capacity, engendering governance and leadership, and
promoting women’s human rights. As part of the celebrations
marking both the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the fifth
anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of
Action, UNIFEM is launching a Global Campaign for the
Eradication of Violence Against Women. For Palestinian
women, this will involve a public march in the West Bank,
film shows and plays, radio campaigns, high school lectures,
and round-table discussions with the Palestinian Working
Women’s Centre, theWomen’s Studies Centre, the Women’s
Legal and Social Counselling Centre as well as the Women’s
Affairs Technical Committee.
105. As part of its activities to follow up the Fourth World
Conference on Women, UNIFEM has assisted the Inter-
Ministerial Committee of the Palestinian Authority and the
General Union of Palestinian Women in preparing a national
strategy for the advancement of women. UNIFEM is now
assisting these two Palestinian entities in the implementation
of the strategy.
106. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization has invited Palestinian women to participate in
theWorld Conference on Education. However, the UNESCO
strategy is geared towards integrating Palestinian women’s
concerns in its assistance work, which includes granting
scholarships through the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
107. The Statistics Division of the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, in conjunction with
UNFPA, executed the first population and housing census
project of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and
provided technical support during all the preparatory
activities and the field operations. Data from the census will,
as far as possible, be disaggregated by gender.
the West Bank and Gaza Strip and to provide advisory
services and technical assistance services. ESCWA organized
an Expert Group meeting on the role of women’s nongovernmental
organizations in the economy of the occupied
territories in December 1997 at Bir Zeit University.
the programme areas of education, health, relief and social
services, income generation, peace implementation, and the
E/CN.6/1999/2
19
Lebanon Appeal (which targets the refugees in Lebanon who receiving. The efforts of UNRWA, in keeping with its
are hardest hit). Women refugees are direct or indirect mandate in this area, are commendable, but they are also
beneficiaries of these programmes. For example, in the constrained by the debilitating financial crisis which the
education programme, which accounted for 50 per cent of the agency is facing. As reflected in previous reports, the status
total budget of UNRWA in 1998, women accounted for 62 and situation of Palestinian women are inextricably linked to
per cent of all trainees enrolled in technical/semi-professional developments on the peace front. Progress in the peace
courses in 1997/98. Of the 1,055 scholarships granted during process should be translated in tangible benefits for the
1997/98 by UNRWA to refugee students, 46 per cent went people of the occupied territories and the refugee camps.
to women students. UNRWA, as part of its income-generation
programme, granted loans valued at $2.7 million to 3,296
women who supported some 16,310 dependants. Those
women were organized into 525 solidarity groups, which
were part of the solidarity group lending programme, serving
as a guarantee mechanism. This programme has a repayment
rate of 98 per cent.
3. Conclusions
110. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
confirmed the human rights of women and of the girl child to
be an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal
human rights. Furthermore it obligates Governments and the
international community to seek and ensure the full and equal
participation of women in all spheres of life, as well as the
eradication of all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex.
The eradication of discrimination against women is fully
elaborated in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination againstWomen, which 163 Member States
have ratified. The principle of equality is inherent in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The principles
enshrined in these documents are relevant to Palestinian
women and intensified work is needed to fully implement
them.
111. The Palestinian Authority and civil society, with the
assistance of the international community, have taken
considerable steps to advance the situation of Palestinian
women. However, further efforts and assistance are needed,
particularly within the context of mainstreaming a gender
perspective into all policies and programmes as mandated by
the Economic and Social Council in its agreed conclusions
1997/2. A sound information basis is essential for gender
mainstreaming, therefore the efforts of the Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics to acquire and disseminate genderdisaggregated
statistics wherever possible should be
augmented by efforts on the part of United Nations bodies to
keep gender disaggregated data on their operations. This will
aid the reporting process considerably and enhance the
effectiveness of support to Palestinian women.
112. A significant proportion of Palestinian women are
refugees with acute basic needs. Yet there is insufficient
information on their status and the kind of assistance they are
B. Release of women and children taken
hostage in armed conflicts and imprisoned
113. The Commission on the Status ofWomen, at its fortysecond
session, adopted resolution 42/2 on the release of
women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts,
including those subsequently imprisoned. The Commission
requested the Secretary-General to prepare, taking into
account the information provided by Member States and
relevant international organizations, a report on the
implementation of resolution 42/2 for submission to the
Commission on the Status ofWomen at its forty-third session.
A note verbale was sent to all Member States on 29
September 1998. As of 7 December 1998, the Secretariat had
received five replies.
114. The Governments ofBarbados and El Salvador reported
that the situation described in Commission resolution 42/2
did not exist in their respective countries. The Government
of Colombia confirmed its commitment to the resolution.
However, it indicated that in the ongoing civil war, the armed
groups opposed to the Government routinely detained
civilians, including women, as part of their struggle. On 15
July 1998, one of the armed groups, the Army of National
Liberation, signed an agreement with the National Committee
for Peace and members of civil society, committing itself to
stopping the practice of detaining civilians.
115. The Government of Croatia reported that the
Governmental Commission for Imprisoned and Missing
Persons has been conducting a search for 367 women who
constitute 20.12 per cent of the total population of missing
persons and persons forcibly taken away in the area of the
Republic of Croatia during the war of 1991–1995.
116. The Government of Lebanon reported that three
Lebanese women have been arrested by Israeli Intelligence
and are currently in detention. One of the women is being held
in Nablus prison in the occupied Palestinian territories. She
has reportedly been tortured and suffers from severe head
pains. The Government of Lebanon also reported that there
are eight child prisoners in Israeli detention.
E/CN.6/1999/2
20
117. The Secretariat also requested information from
relevant entities of the United Nations system. As of 7
December 1998, it had received five replies. The Department
of Peacekeeping Operations provided information from three
of its field missions. The United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon indicated that, in accordance with publicly available
reports, there were three women prisoners in the Khiyam
prison. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
has been dealing with the issue. The United Nations Observer
Mission in Sierra Leone reported that the rebels hold several
thousands of civilian captives, women, men and children, who
were used as porters, human shields and for forced sexual
activity. The United Nations Liaison Office in Belgrade
reported that, according to ICRC, nine women and four
children under the age of 18 were missing in Kosovo.
However it is not clear whether they were prisoners,
abductees or just missing. ICRC was still seeking clarification
of their fate. Furthermore, an estimated 521 Serbian women
and 12 children have been missing since the 1991–1995 war
in Croatia. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations
stated, however, that the accuracy of these estimates could not
be ascertained.
118. In their replies, the Department of Public Information
and three regional commissions (ESCWA, ESCAP and ECA)
did not provide any specific information on women and
children taken hostage.
Notes
Report of the Secretary-1 General on the situation in
Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and
security (A/53/455–S/1998/913); interim report on the
situation of human rights in Afghanistan, prepared by Mr.
Choong-Hyun Paik, Special Rapporteur of the Commission
on Human Rights (A/53/539); and report of the Secretary-
General on emergency assistance for peace, normalcy and
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East and the Statistics Division of the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the
Secretariat, Afghanistan (A/53/346).
2 That is, the period since the preparation of the previous
report (E/CN.6/1998/2/Add.2).
3 The 15 entities that replied are: the World Health
Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the
United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations
Development Fund, the United Nations Development Fund
for Women, the World Bank, the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia, the International Trade
Centre UNCTAD/WTO, the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International
Labour Organization, the United Nations Volunteers
programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and
the Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and
Social Affairs of the Secretariat.
4 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Demographic
Survey in the West Bank and Gaza Strip: Final Report
(August, 1997).
5 UNSCO, “Report on economic and social conditions in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip” (Spring, 1998), p. ii.
6 Note by the Secretary-General on the economic and social
repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living
conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied
Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab
population in the occupied Syrian Golan
(A/53/163–E/1998/79), para. 43.
7 UNSCO, “Report on the economic and social conditions in
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip” (Spring, 1998), p. 29.
8 Ibid., p. 23.
9 Report on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian
territories occupied since 1967, submitted by Mr. Hannu
Halinen, Special Rapporteur pursuant to Commission on
Human Rights resolution 1993/2 A (E/CN.4/1998/17),
para. 37.
10 Ibid., para. 35.
11 Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the
Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting
the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other
Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/53/661), para. 128.
12 Report on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian
territories occupied since 1967 ..., para. 21.
13 Ibid., para. 30.
14 Ibid., para. 27
15 Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report to the
Special Committee ..., para. 108.
16 Ibid., paras. 70 and 83.
17 Ibid., para. 90.
United Nations E/CN.6/2000/2
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
31 December 1999
Original: English
00-24074 (E) 010200
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-fourth session
28 February-17 March 2000
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
Follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The General Assembly, in its resolution 53/120 of 9 December 1998, requested
the Secretary-General to report annually to it, through the Commission on the Status
of Women and the Economic and Social Council, on follow-up to and progress in the
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Similar mandates
were also contained in General Assembly resolutions 50/203, 51/69 and 52/100. The
present report emphasizes efforts undertaken by the Secretariat in support of
mainstreaming a gender perspective and follow-up activities, including activities
undertaken by non-governmental organizations, since the submission of the previous
report of the Secretary-General on the subject (E/CN.6/1999/2 and Add.1). It
contains a response to resolution 43/2 of the Commission on the Status of Women on
women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
The present report has one addendum, which contains a joint work plan for the
Division for the Advancement of Women and the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights.
* E/CN.6/2000/1.
2
E/CN.6/2000/2
Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–6 3
II. Progress in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and in
mainstreaming a gender perspective within the United Nations system. . . . . . . . . . 7–41 3
A. General Assembly and Economic and Social Council 8–18 3
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming a gender perspective into the work of
the United Nations system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19–28 6
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality . . . . . . . . . . . 29–33 8
D. Update on national action plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 9
E. Reported activities of non-governmental organizations and other institutions
of civil society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35–41 9
III. Information supplied in accordance with specific mandates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42–128 10
A. Situation of Palestinian women and assistance provided by organizations in
the United Nations system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42–83 10
B. Release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts and
imprisoned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84–92 15
C. Women, the girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93–128 16
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I. Introduction
1. The Economic and Social Council, in its
resolution 1996/6, on follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women, established the work
programme of the Commission on the Status of
Women, in particular the items to be included on the
agenda of the Commission. As regards documentation
for the sessions of the Commission, the Council
decided, inter alia, that under item 3 (a) of the
Commission’s agenda, a review by the Secretary-
General of mainstreaming a gender perspective within
the United Nations system should be prepared on an
annual basis.
2. In its resolution 53/120 of 9 December 1998, the
General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to
report annually to it, the Commission on the Status of
Women and the Economic and Social Council on
follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action. Similar mandates
were contained in General Assembly resolutions
50/203, 51/69, and 52/100.
3. In each of the three reports submitted in the
course of a year, the information that is most pertinent
to the respective intergovernmental body is provided.
The report to the Commission on the Status of Women
emphasizes efforts undertaken by the Secretariat in
support of mainstreaming a gender perspective and
follow-up activities undertaken by non-governmental
organizations. The report to the Economic and Social
Council focuses on facilitating the coordination
function of the Council. The report to the General
Assembly contains information from all entities of the
United Nations system, including specialized agencies
and international financial institutions, and an analysis
of activities undertaken at the national level and by
non-governmental organizations and civil society.
4. Section II of the present report has been prepared
in compliance with General Assembly resolution
53/120. Section III responds to resolution 1999/15 of
the Economic and Social Council on Palestinian
women and to resolution 43/1 of the Commission on
the Status of Women on the release of women and
children taken hostage in armed conflict and
imprisoned.
5. Section IV responds to resolution 43/2 of the
Commission on the Status of Women on women, the
girl child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
6. In addition, the present report includes an
addendum, section V (E/CN.6/2000/2/Add.1), which
responds to the request made by the Commission on
Human Rights in its resolution 1999/41 and by the
Commission on the Status of Women in its resolution
39/5 that a joint work plan be made available to the
Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth session
and to the Commission on the Status of Women at its
forty-fourth session.
II. Progress in the follow-up to the
Fourth World Conference on
Women and in mainstreaming a
gender perspective within the
United Nations system
7. At its forty-fourth session, the Commission on the
Status of Women will continue to conduct its
assessment of progress achieved at different levels
since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action1 and in gender mainstreaming. In
particular, it will undertake a comprehensive review
and appraisal of the implementation of the Platform for
Action and preparations for the special session of the
General Assembly to be held from 5 to 9 June 2000.
An assessment of activities of the United Nations
system in follow-up to the Platform for Action in
accordance with the system-wide medium-term plan
for the advancement of women for the period 1996-
2001 is contained in E/CN.6/2000/3. The present report
complements those reports.
A. General Assembly and Economic and
Social Council
1. Fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly
8. The report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World
Conference on Women (A/54/264) focused on followup
activities undertaken by entities of the United
Nations system, including human and financial means
of implementation. The General Assembly adopted a
resolution on follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women and full implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (resolution
54/141 of 17 December 1999).
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9. The Assembly also adopted a resolution on
preparations for the special session, which had been
recommended for adoption by the Commission on the
Status of Women acting as preparatory committee for
the special session at its second session in March 1999,
through the Economic and Social Council (resolution
54/142). In that resolution, the Assembly took
decisions on the format and agenda of the special
session and on the documentation to be submitted to
the preparatory committee at its third session in 2000.
The preparatory committee will have before it a
comprehensive report containing a review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Platform for
Action (E/CN.6/2000/PC/2), addressing achievements
as well as obstacles encountered in the implementation
of the 12 critical areas of concern. Emerging trends and
issues and further actions and initiatives are
highlighted in another report (E/CN.6/2000/PC/4).
Discussions with relevant actors of civil society on the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action have
continued, as called for by the Assembly, and the
results of the on-line working groups on the areas of
concern will also be available to the preparatory
committee (E/CN.6/2000/PC/CRP.1).
10. Encouraged by the General Assembly, the
regional commissions have carried out, or are planning
to hold, regional preparatory events that will provide
input into the preparations for the special session. The
results of the regional meetings will be available to the
preparatory committee. Within given time constraints
for finalization of documentation, the results are also
taken into account in documentation prepared by the
Division for the Advancement of Women.
11. In the same resolution, the General Assembly
encouraged all entities of the United Nations system to
be involved in preparatory activities and to participate
at the highest level in the special session. An
assessment of activities undertaken by the United
Nations system in support of implementation of the
Platform is contained in a report that is before the
Commission on the Status of Women (E/CN.6/2000/3).
United Nations-system participation in preparatory
activities is currently a focus of inter-agency
cooperation and coordination. The Chairperson of the
Inter-agency Committee on Women and Gender
Equality has encouraged the active involvement of all
United Nations entities in that process. This could
include support for preparations at the national level,
such as awareness-raising, support for activities of
national machineries and of non-governmental
organizations, and the provision of feedback to the
Secretariat on emerging trends and issues; provision of
substantive input to the global preparatory process,
such as studies or reports on particular issues falling
within an entity’s area of responsibility; and/or the
organization of side events, such as panels, workshops
and film-screenings, during the preparatory sessions
and at the special session. Emphasis is also placed on
ensuring that heads of agencies give due attention to,
and personally participate in, the special session.
12. The Assembly decided that non-governmental
organizations in consultative status with the Economic
and Social Council and non-governmental
organizations that were accredited to the Fourth World
Conference on Women may participate in the special
session without creating a precedent for future sessions
of the Assembly. It decided to defer consideration of all
the modalities for participation of non-governmental
organizations in the special session until the next
session of the preparatory committee. The preparatory
committee is thus invited to consider this matter at its
third session in March 2000.
13. In accordance with the same resolution, the
Bureau of the preparatory committee convened a series
of open-ended informal consultations to consider
preparations for the special session. It submitted a draft
of a political declaration, to be adopted by the special
session, for consideration by States, and convened
several informal meetings to discuss the draft. It also
held informal consultations on a possible second
document that might result from the special session.
Based on these informal consultations, agreement was
reached on the structure of a second outcome
document. The Chairperson of the Bureau of the
preparatory committee was entrusted with the
preparation of a draft for consideration by delegations,
in consultation with the Secretariat and the Bureau, and
taking into account suggestions made by delegations
during the consultations. Informal consultations on the
modalities of participation of non-governmental
organizations in the special session also took place in
November and December.
14. The Assembly, at the recommendation of the
Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic
and Social Council, adopted and opened for signature,
ratification and accession, the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (resolution 54/4). The
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Assembly thus fulfilled one of the commitments made
by Governments at the World Conference on Human
Rights (1993) and the Fourth World Conference on
Women (1995). The Optional Protocol was opened for
signature in a ceremony on 10 December 1999, Human
Rights Day, and 23 States signed that day (Austria,
Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway,
Senegal, Slovenia, and Sweden). The Optional Protocol
will enter into force three months after the tenth
instrument of ratification has been deposited with the
Secretary-General. The Optional Protocol and its
significance for women were the theme of a panel
discussion to mark Human Rights Day at United
Nations Headquarters. The Secretary-General made an
opening statement. Ms. Aída González Martínez,
Chairperson of CEDAW, Ms. Aloisia Wörgetter,
Chairperson of the working group of the Commission
on the Status of Women that drafted the optional
protocol, Mr. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Director of the New
York Office of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the Honourable
Sujata Manohar, retired judge of the Supreme Court of
India, and Ms. Fauzija Kassindja, of Equality Now,
served on the panel, which was moderated by the
Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of
Women. The Special Adviser and the High
Commissioner for Human Rights issued a joint
statement on the Optional Protocol and its significance
for women worldwide.
2. Economic and Social Council, substantive
session of 2000
15. Action taken by intergovernmental bodies in
1999, in particular the functional commissions of the
Economic and Social Council, has been reported to the
Council (E/1999/54). The Commission’s attention is
drawn to the decision of the Commission on Human
Rights to appoint a Special Rapporteur on the human
rights of migrants, requesting the Special Rapporteur to
take into account a gender perspective when requesting
and analysing information and to give special attention
to the occurrence of multiple discrimination and
violence against migrant women. The Special
Rapporteur has met with the Division for the
Advancement of Women to discuss the work done by
the Division with regard to violence against migrant
women workers, to exchange relevant information, and
to discuss opportunities for cooperation. At its most
recent session, the General Assembly adopted
resolution 54/138 on this issue. (See also the report of
the Secretary-General in document A/54/342.)
16. Information on the outcome of the Council’s
high-level segment of 1999 on the theme “The role of
work and employment in poverty eradication: the
advancement and empowerment of women” was
provided to the Assembly (A/54/264).
17. The Council decided that the theme of its
coordination segment in the year 2000 would be
“Assessment of the progress made within the United
Nations system, through the conference reviews, in the
promotion of an integrated and coordinated
implementation of and follow-up to major United
Nations Conferences and summits in the economic,
social and related fields” (Council decision 1999/281).
The Council’s review of progress made in conference
follow-up provides an opportunity to assess, and
provide further guidance also on cross-cutting issues,
especially on gender mainstreaming. In this regard, it
will be recalled that the Council’s agreed conclusions
1997/2 on gender mainstreaming have been
instrumental in promoting progress in gender
mainstreaming at the intergovernmental level,
including the Council’s functional commissions, and
throughout the United Nations system with regard to
normative and policy work, as well as in operational
activities. The coordination segment of 2000 also
provides an opportunity for an in-depth assessment of
the follow-up given to gender-specific
recommendations of other global conferences. This
assessment should enable the Council to provide
further guidance on how to achieve an optimal balance
in intergovernmental and UN system work between
women-specific activities in the framework of followup
to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
other conferences and summits, and the mainstreaming
of a gender perspective into all policies and
programmes, independent of their specificity with
regard to women. The Commission’s attention is drawn
to a note by the Secretariat on the Commission’s
follow-up to the Council’s resolutions and decisions
(E/CN.6/2000/5).
18. In accordance with the Beijing Platform for
Action and resolutions of the General Assembly, the
Council has considered follow-up to the Platform for
Action at each of its three main segments. Since the
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adoption of the Platform for Action, a fourth main
segment, on humanitarian affairs, has been added to the
Council’s agenda. At its substantive session in 1999, in
its agreed conclusions on the segment, the Council
stressed the need to integrate a gender perspective into
the planning and implementation of activities
concerning humanitarian emergencies. The Inter-
Agency Standing Committee has adopted a policy
statement on the integration of a gender perspective
into humanitarian assistance. The Commission may
wish to consider recommending to the Council that the
gender dimensions in humanitarian affairs should be
addressed at one of the future segments.
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming
a gender perspective into the work of
the United Nations system
19. The Special Adviser on Gender Issues and
Advancement of Women has continued to work with
senior officials in departments and offices of the
United Nations and in the entities of the United
Nations system to increase attention to gender issues in
all sectoral areas, especially through improved use of
the gender mainstreaming strategy. The capacity of the
Special Adviser in this regard has been strengthened by
the recruitment of a Principal Officer on Gender
Mainstreaming in her office in September 1999, funded
through extrabudgetary contributions, to work in a
catalytic and advisory manner to support the
implementation of mainstreaming in entities of the
United Nations system. The Special Adviser has also
given particular attention to preparations for the special
session of the General Assembly, including regional
preparations. A summary of such activities is given
below.
20. In a follow-up to General Assembly resolution
52/100 and to Economic and Social Council agreed
conclusions 1997/2 on gender mainstreaming, in which
all bodies that deal with programme and budgetary
matters are requested to ensure that all programmes,
medium-term plans and programme budgets visibly
mainstream a gender perspective, the Committee on
Programme and Coordination expressed the view that
the Secretariat should make every effort to address the
issue of gender sensitivity in the budgetary process.2 In
response to these mandates, the proposed programme
budget for the biennium 2000-2001 discusses the
implications of gender mainstreaming as one of the
factors underlying the budget proposals.3 In response to
the budget preparation instructions for the proposed
programme budget, specific attention has been paid by
a number of departments to gender mainstreaming. The
document notes that although the concept may not be
directly identified at the aggregate level of outputs and
activities in the budget document, it will continue to be
addressed at the policy and programme development
stage, as well as during implementation, monitoring
and evaluation of the outcome of the Organization’s
programmes and activities, in order to determine the
extent to which the concerns and needs of the
beneficiaries of the Organization’s work – women as
well as men – are adequately met. Such information
would provide useful feedback for the preparation of
future programme budgets and the determination of
resource allocation.
21. Further insights into possible modalities, and
benefits, of gender mainstreaming in budgets in the
United Nations system are expected to be gained also
from one of the ongoing projects of the ACC Interagency
Committee on Women and Gender Equality.
Phase I, an inventory of work on institutional budgets
outside the United Nations system, started in December
1999. Phase II will look at the United Nations system
itself, identifying what has been done and the potential
that exists for reflecting gender equality in budgets. An
interim report is expected to be ready at the time of the
forty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of
Women and will be presented in a workshop. Phase III
will look in depth at a selected number of United
Nations entities, making proposals for further steps.
22. In conjunction with her participation in the highlevel
segment of the Economic and Social Council on
the role of work and employment in poverty
eradication: the advancement and empowerment of
women, in July 1999 in Geneva, the Special Adviser
met with the heads of the World Health Organization,
the International Labour Organization and the
International Trade Centre, with the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as with
officials of the Economic Commission for Europe,
UNHCR, the International Telecommunication Union,
and the World Intellectual Property Organization. The
meetings allowed for exchanges of information on
preparations under way in the agencies for the special
session, on progress and specific steps taken to
increase gender mainstreaming, and on issues of
achieving the goals of gender balance and a gender7
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sensitive work environment. The Special Adviser
invited agencies to make specific contributions to the
preparations, in the form, for example, of studies on
particular issues or on how the operational activities of
the agencies benefit women and contribute to the
achievement of gender equality at the national level.
During a meeting with senior women staff at Geneva,
issues with regard to the achievement of the
Organization’s gender balance goals and other workrelated
matters were discussed.
23. The Special Adviser and the Division for the
Advancement of Women continue to support the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Lessons
Learned Unit in the implementation of the project
on mainstreaming a gender perspective in
multidimensional peacekeeping operations.4 After the
launching of the project in June 1999, a consultant will
join the Lessons Learned Unit in January 2000 to
prepare a systematic gender analysis of selected
peacekeeping operations. It is expected that the
findings will be available in time for the special
session.
24. The Special Adviser remains actively involved in
the work of the Afghanistan Support Group and
continues to support the work of the Gender Adviser to
the United Nations system in Afghanistan. Information
and reports prepared by the Gender Adviser on the
current situation and its implications for United
Nations system activities in that country are regularly
shared with the Inter-agency Committee on Women and
Gender Equality. The Special Adviser has also
endeavoured to ensure that the Gender Adviser
participates in the meetings of the Afghanistan Support
Group.
25. The Special Adviser continues to support
preparations for the special session. She participated in
two regional preparatory meetings – namely, the
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) sixth African
Regional Conference on Women (22-27 November
1999, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and the Arab Conference
on Integrated Follow-up to Global Conferences, held
by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia (ESCWA) (29 November to 1 December, Beirut,
Lebanon). A representative of the Office of the Special
Adviser participated in the Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) highlevel
meeting to review the implementation of the
Jakarta Declaration and Platform for Action (26-29
October 1999, Bangkok, Thailand).
26. Participation in these regional meetings provided
the opportunity for many informal meetings and
discussions of the Special Adviser with governmental
representatives to assess the status of national and
regional preparations and to identify regional
challenges, emerging issues and trends, and strategies
for further action. During these missions, the Special
Adviser also met with senior officials of regional
commissions and held informal inter-agency meetings
with gender focal points and field-based United
Nations system representatives. It became apparent
during these meetings that further efforts are needed to
strengthen the flow of information between New Yorkbased
and field-based offices, including national
machinery for the advancement of women, on the
status of the global preparations for the special session.
The Director of the Division for the Advancement of
Women will participate in the remaining two regional
preparatory meetings of ECE and of the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC).
27. The Special Adviser attended FAO’s High-level
Consultation on Rural Women and Information, on
behalf of the Secretary-General. The event was
attended by over 360 participants from 118 countries,
together with representatives from the United Nations
system and non-governmental organizations. The
Consultation reviewed a draft strategy for action on
rural women as a follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women and the World Food Summit
(1996). The Special Adviser moderated a panel on
methodologies and approaches to bringing information
to rural areas, both through traditional forms of
communication and through new technologies. During
the meeting, the Special Adviser had opportunities to
discuss follow-up to Beijing and preparations for the
special session with ministers from a number of
countries. She also participated in the UNESCOsponsored
Pan-African Women’s Conference for a
Culture of Peace and Non-violence, held in Zanzibar,
United Republic of Tanzania, from 17 to 20 May 1999.
28. The Special Adviser opened and chaired the first
day of the Judicial Colloquium on the Application of
International Human Rights Law at the Domestic
Level. The Colloquium, which was organized by the
Division for the Advancement of Women, in close
consultation with UNICEF, to commemorate the
twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
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Discrimination against Women and the tenth
anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, took place from 27 to 29 October
at the United Nations Office in Vienna. During the
three-day event, almost 100 judges and magistrates
from 65 countries discussed opportunities for wider
and more routine use at the national level of the
international human rights law contained in the two
Conventions as a way to advance the rights of women
and children, particularly girls. In plenary and working
group sessions, participants focused on three themes:
nationality, and marriage and family relations; violence
against women; and women’s and girls’ work-related
rights. At the end of the three-day session, participants
adopted a communiqué. A comprehensive report
containing keynote presentations and working group
papers will be issued by the Division in time for the
special session.
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on
Women and Gender Equality
29. Following the fourth session of the ACC Interagency
Committee on Women and Gender Equality
(23-26 February 1999), inter-sessional work on a
number of topics was conducted by the Committee’s
task managers. The Committee’s fifth session will take
place from 23 to 25 February 2000. A series of
informal meetings were held in New York during the
year. Based on a recommendation of the Inter-Agency
Committee at its fourth session, in February 1999, the
Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC)
adopted a statement as input to the preparatory process.
The statement will be made available to the preparatory
committee. The results of several of the Committee’s
ongoing activities will also be provided as input to the
preparatory process. The Special Adviser, in her
capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Agency
Committee, will provide an oral report to the
Commission/preparatory committee on the inputs.
30. In response to a decision of the Committ ee, the
Division for the Advancement of Women, as the
Committee’s task manager, organized a workshop on
women’s empowerment in the context of human
security. The workshop, which took place from 7 to 8
December 1999 in Bangkok, was hosted by ESCAP.
The meeting brought together participants from a broad
range of entities of the United Nations system and from
the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development/Development Assistance Committee
(OECD/DAC) Working Party on Gender Equality.
Building on two previous workshops (on gender
mainstreaming in 1997, and on a rights-based approach
to gender equality in 1998) and in the context of the
special session of the General Assembly in June 2000,
the discussions focused on concrete actions to promote
the interlinked issues of women’s empowerment,
gender equality, and human security.
31. The workshop adopted a communiqué
summarizing its major findings. It noted that missing in
discussions on human security has been an
understanding of the fundamental differences and
inequalities between women’s security and men’s
security. The workshop identified five specific and
interrelated issues that need to be incorporated into the
discussion of human security – namely, violence
against women and girls; gender inequalities in control
over resources; gender inequalities in power and
decision-making; women’s human rights; and women
(and men) as actors, not victims. Noting gaps in gender
awareness of both policy and practice, the workshop
proposed a number of recommendations for action to
promote women’s empowerment in the context of
human security. At the policy level, they are:
(a) Incorporate gender-sensitive legislation and
adherence to CEDAW in policy discussions and
actions;
(b) Build on experience in facilitating policy
dialogue that benefits from the interaction of nongovernmental
organizations and other actors in civil
society with Governments to promote women’s
leadership;
(c) Establish effective accountability
mechanisms for gender equality through more
consistent documentation and dissemination of
experiences and collection of data, disaggregated by
sex, to influence policy formulation and operational
activities;
(d) Recognize the leadership and innovative
role that women are taking in conflict resolution and
peace-building and support and incorporate those
efforts in conflict prevention and post-conflict
reconstruction.
32. At the level of practice, they are:
(a) Create an enabling environment that
supports women’s empowerment and provides
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resources to organizations, including non-governmental
organizations, that are actively involved in this
process;
(b) Facilitate capacity development and
improve legal literacy to ensure more effective use of
the CEDAW mechanism and its Optional Protocol;
(c) Ensure women’s participation and full
gender mainstreaming in mandates and missions
related to peace promotion and post-conflict
reconstruction;
(d) Ensure that all reporting to
intergovernmental bodies on peace-building,
peacekeeping and reconstruction gives consistent
attention to gender equality;
(e) Work to create a common database of
materials relevant to gender equality and human
security, including lessons learned, good practice,
guidelines, terms of reference, training materials,
research results, and codes of conduct.
33. A report on the proceedings of the workshop is
being compiled by the Division for the Advancement
of Women.
D. Update on national action plans
34. In the course of 1999, 11 Member States
(Belgium, Burundi, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Greece,
Malawi, Namibia, Netherlands, Qatar, Republic of
Moldova, Yemen) and one observer (Switzerland)
submitted their national action plans to the Division for
the Advancement of Women. A total of 116 plans by
Member States, two by observers and five by regional
and subregional groups had been received as of 1
December 1999. The national action plans constituted
the basis for the review and appraisal of the Beijing
Platform for Action. Many Member States built their
replies to the questionnaire on a review and appraisal
of the national action plan.
E. Reported activities of nongovernmental
organizations and
other institutions of civil society
35. Since the issuance of the latest report of the
Secretary-General to the General Assembly on the
implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World
Conference on Women (A/54/264), a number of events
have occurred at the international, regional and
national levels under the auspices of non-governmental
organizations. Several initiatives have also been taken
by non-governmental organizations worldwide as part
of their preparations for the forthcoming special
session of the General Assembly. While these activities
were not reported systematically to the Secretariat,
some of them have been brought to the attention of the
Division for the Advancement of Women.
36. Various non-governmental organizations have
been preparing their own reports on the progress of
implementation as their contribution to the special
session. Soroptomists International sent a questionnaire
to its members worldwide to gather information. The
International Confederation of Free Trade Union
(ICFTU) Equality Committee will compile information
collected from women trade unionists. Zonta
International also sent out a survey questionnaire to its
clubs to gather information about progress for women
in each Zonta country and to establish the skills
necessary for effective advocacy through the process of
obtaining the information, and plans to feed the
findings of the survey into its preparation for the
special session. The NGO Working Groups on Girls
(New York and Geneva) are in the process of
completing an alternative report to that of
Governments, evaluating recent progress for girls, to
be presented to Governments and non-governmental
organizations at the special session. The purpose of the
report is to document the gaps between commitments
and action, obstacles, and successful efforts by
Governments and civil society organizations.
37. Non-governmental organizations have been active
in compiling and disseminating information in order
effectively to participate in the review process as well
as at the special session. A scorecard/checklist for
monitoring implementation of critical areas of concern
on women and the media has been completed by
Global WENT 99 as a possible template for other
critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for
Action. It will be disseminated to media networks, nongovernmental
organizations and other civil society
organizations worldwide. The International Women’s
Tribune Centre has published three issues in a series
entitled Preview 2000 that cover plans and preparations
for the five-year review of the Platform for Action. Isis
International-Manila has prepared the primer on the
review process which contains basic information on
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E/CN.6/2000/2
activities, schedules, contact organizations and
individuals involved in the preparations and the actual
conduct of the special session. The primer is designed
to inform and encourage the involvement of women’s
groups and organizations in the Asia and the Pacific
region in assessing an international policy document
that seeks to advance and promote women’s
empowerment and development.
38. Supported and sponsored by WomenWatch,
WomenAction 2000 held a five-day workshop from 27
September to 2 October 1999 in Seoul, Republic of
Korea, to train regional information facilitators and
regional web site construction and maintenance people
to develop a global web site that would serve as a
central site for the collection, sharing and linking of
information on the review process. The global web site
was launched on 26 November 1999
(http://www.womenaction2000.org).
39. The community of non-governmental
organizations has decided to hold an NGO working
session from 3 to 4 June 2000, prior to the special
session. The Conference of Non-Governmental
Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the
United Nations (CONGO) facilitated the first meeting
of the international planning committee on 11 August
1999. The second meeting was held on 23 November
1999, facilitated by the Centre for Women’s Global
Leadership.
40. As part of their campaign for the special session,
Equality Now issued Women’s Action, to cite
discriminatory laws that remain in force despite
repeated legal affirmations of the commitment to
equality that are often incorporated into national
constitutions as well as international law. Flora Tristan,
in cooperation with UNICEF and UNIFEM, has
published case studies, entitled “Roads to Beijing”,
which reflect on the Beijing process in Latin America
and the Caribbean. Network Women in Development
Europe held a conference in Eede, the Netherlands,
from 28 to 30 May 1999, jointly with Society for
International Development and Vrouwenberaad
Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, to discuss how nongovernmental
organizations could effectively follow up
on the United Nations global conferences. The report
of the conference was published in October 1999,
entitled “Linking up – Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing +5
reviews towards the 21st century”.
41. The National Council for Research on Women, in
collaboration with the Division for the Advancement of
Women and UNDP, held its 1999 annual conference
from 9 to 11 December 1999, focusing on the visions
and values of women’s and girls’ leadership and the
five-year review of implementation of the Beijing
Platform for Action. A one-day conference to review
accomplishments since the Fourth World Conference
on Women was held in Chicago on 6 December 1999.
Entitled “Women’s rights are human rights: exploring
the local global linkages”, the conference was
sponsored and organized by a number of nongovernmental
organizations and women’s groups
working in the region.
III. Information supplied in
accordance with specific mandates
A. Situation of Palestinian women and
assistance provided by organizations in
the United Nations system
42. The Economic and Social Council, in its
resolution 1999/15, requested a report on the situation
of Palestinian women and assistance provided by
organizations of the United Nations system. The
paragraphs below cover the period from September
1998 to September 1999 and are based on information
from United Nations bodies monitoring the situation of
Palestinians in the occupied territories as well as in
refugee camps. Such bodies include the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the
Human Rights of the Palestinian People and other
Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Office of the
United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories (UNSCO) and the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission for Human Rights on Palestinian
Territories occupied since 1967. Information on
assistance to Palestinian women was requested from
the United Nations system, and replies from six entities
have been included in the present report.
1. Situation of Palestinian women
43. In his report on economic and social conditions in
the West Bank and Gaza, the United Nations Special
Coordinator in the Occupied Territories stated that the
overall economic performance in the West Bank and
Gaza had improved since 1997. The positive economic
11
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growth rate had led to an increase in employment and
higher household incomes in the occupied territories.
Women’s unemployment rate in 1998 declined by
21.3 per cent, to 16.9 per cent; for men it fell to
15.5 per cent. The overall proportion of women active
in the labour force declined in 1998, falling to 11.7 per
cent from 12.3 per cent in 1997.5 In 1998, over 92 per
cent of all new job opportunities in the West Bank and
Gaza were filled by men. This could be due to the fact
that most of the jobs were in Israeli-controlled Areas 6
and in the construction sector where women’s
participation is negligible for both cultural and
structural reasons. Labour-force surveys continue to
show that women’s wages have remained consistently
below those of men and that wages in the economic
sectors where women were disproportionately
represented are below-average.7
44. An increase in household income in 1998 was due
to a real increase in average wages. In 1998, wages
could cover an average of 70.5 per cent of basic
household needs and 52.2 per cent of total household
expenditures, compared to 63.79 per cent and 46.4 per
cent, respectively, in 1997. However, with the
exception of a 4.5-per-cent increase in education
expenditures, due perhaps to the increased enrolments
in more expensive private schools, there was an overall
decline of 2.1 per cent in real household expenditures
in 1998.7 It seems that uncertainty about the future
continues to constrain consumer confidence, resulting
in higher levels of forgone consumption. Also,
household income that fails to cover all households
needs has negative gender-related impacts, such as
increasing the burden of unpaid work on women.
45. There were considerably fewer comprehensive
and internal closure days imposed by the Israeli
authorities on the West Bank and Gaza during 1998 —
a loss of 5.2 per cent of total potential work days, as
compared to a 20.5 per cent loss in 1997 — greatly
enhancing income and productivity.7 However, the
severity of the closure policies continues to manifest
itself in both the social and economic spheres.
46. The Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories
occupied since 1967, Mr. Hannu Halinen (Finland)
noted in his report to the Commission on Human
Rights at its fifty-fifth session, on 20 January 1999,
that the number of Palestinian prisoners being detained
in Israeli prisons and detention centres has gone down
to 2,200, of whom seven were women. The issue of
Palestinian prisoners who remained in detention, in
violation of articles 49 and 76 of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, was a cause of concern and tension in the
occupied territories.8 In Gaza, the Special Rapporteur
met with former detainees and prisoners and was
informed that their wives and children had experienced
economic difficulties because the prisoners were often
the sole breadwinners of their families. Family visits
had been few, owing to both frequent transfer of
prisoners in Israel and the difficulty of obtaining a
permit to enter Israel.9
47. According to the report of the Special Rapporteur,
some former prisoners suffered from psychological
traumas which affected their families.10 He suggested
that the disturbing phenomenon of domestic violence in
the occupied territories could partly be a consequence
of psychological trauma experienced by former
prisoners.
48. The Special Rapporteur reported that there had
been fewer deaths at checkpoints as a result of
ambulances being delayed by permit checks. Two
deaths were reported in 1998. One was that of a mother
who did not have a permit to enter Israel who died after
childbirth while waiting at the checkpoint in Hebron.
The Rapporteur noted that the Israeli army admitted
that that was a mistake and brought the soldiers before
a military court.11
49. According to the Special Rapporteur, the
expansion of existing Israeli settlements and the
building of new ones, as well as the construction of
bypass roads, continued to be a source of great concern
in the occupied territories and to have an effect on the
socio-economic life of Palestinians. For example, the
Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories reported
that on 23 November a Palestinian woman from
Hebron was found dead near the settlement of El-Azar,
south of Bethlehem. Palestinian police accused settlers
of her murder.12 The Special Committee also reported
an incident in which a Palestinian woman was attacked
by settlers while re-entering her neighbourhood which
had been under closure.13
50. The Special Committee reported that five
Palestinian girls were injured in an incident which took
place on 26 November 1998, involving Palestinian
teachers and schoolgirls, Israeli policemen and some
female settlers from Bet-Hadassa. The head teacher
stated that female settlers began shouting at them as
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they walked by the Jewish settlement. The
confrontation then escalated into a major scuffle.
Israeli police were called in and reported that the
students were asked to end their protest and go back to
school. After refusing, a few were detained.14
51. It was also reported by the Special Committee
that a violent confrontation occurred between angry
Palestinian stone throwers and Israeli soldiers on 28
December 1998, following the eviction of two families
at Kifl Harith.15 During the confrontation seven
Palestinians and two soldiers were injured, and 20
women refused to evacuate one family’s house. They
were forced out by tear gas fired into the house.
2. Follow-up activities to the Fourth World
Conference on Women
52. Palestine responded to the Secretariat’s
questionnaire on the implementation of the Beijing
Platform for Action.
53. Following the adoption of the Platform for Action
and in light of regional, Arab and national Palestinian
instruments approved in the preparatory stages of the
Conference and the outcome of the Arab ministerial
conference held in Amman in September 1996, work
was carried out at official and grass-roots levels to
formulate a national strategy for Palestinian women,
taking into account Palestinian resources and the
priority needs of Palestinian women. As a result of
these efforts, a national strategy for Palestinian women
was formulated and announced at a conference held in
June 1997.
54. Organizational mechanisms have been created to
fulfil this goal. At the governmental level, a
coordination framework (the Interministerial
Coordination Committee) was formed of
representatives from the women’s affairs departments
in ministries and State institutions with a view to
promoting the national status of Palestinian women.
The Committee pursues its work in accordance with the
Beijing Platform and the needs and priorities of
Palestinian women with a view to translating those into
various activities and programmes.
55. The response of the Palestinian National
Authority to the questionnaire provided comprehensive
information on the situation of women. Based on the
priorities of Palestinian women, activities were
undertaken in accordance with the Platform with
particular emphasis on the eight priority areas.
56. According to the report, traditions notwithstanding,
the gender concept is now accepted in Palestinian
society and the stereotypical image of women has
begun to change. More education and employment are
now available for women, and their capacity to work
and participate in production and to use modern
technologies will grow, thus strengthening their role
and their equality with men in the fundamental areas of
concern discussed in Beijing.
3. Assistance to Palestinian women
57. Info rmation provided by the United Nations
system shows that gender concerns are being
increasingly integrated into the continuing assistance of
organizations of the United Nations system to
Palestinian women. This assistance ranges across
various areas such as education, income-generation
activities, capacity-building and institution-building.
However, no information was provided in the critical
area of reproductive health.
58. The Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) supported
the establishment of a Women’s Human Rights Unit in
a local non-governmental organization which focuses
on legal research and education to improve the status
of women in Palestinian society and the provision of
legal aid to both individual women and women’s
groups. The Office is also assisting legislators and civil
society organizations in a review of personal status
legislation. In addition, it is participating in the United
Nations Gender Task Force, which has recently been
focusing its efforts on the organization of a campaign
on the prevention of violence against women.
59. During the period under review, the Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
carried out the following activities in support of the
Palestinian National Authority:
(a) Provision of technical assistance and
advisory services to the National Committee for
Palestinian Women for Follow-up to Beijing in
preparation of the Palestinian national report on
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action;
(b) Preparation of a research paper on gender
and citizenship and the role of non-governmental
organizations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip before
and after the peace accords.
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60. Since 1994, the World Food Programme (WFP)
has been concentrating its activities in Gaza and the
West Bank on poverty alleviation and social relief,
aimed at reaching the most severely affected
populations.
61. In May 1998, the WFP office began a two-year
project which supports the social safety net programme
of the Ministry of Social Affairs, addressing the urgent
food security needs of poor households. About 16,000
very poor households in Gaza and 12,000 in the West
Bank are benefiting from WFP food assistance. Of
those, over 65 per cent are headed by women.
62. This strategy is based on the WFP commitments
to women’s advancement (1996-2001) following the
Beijing Conference, which are aimed at reducing
gender inequalities. In addition to the social safety net
schemes, WFP has been providing food for the
following gender-related activities in 1998-1999:
training of 23 women in social work; literacy
programmes for 754 women in Gaza; training in
kitchen gardening and water recycling for 150 women;
training in health care for 85 women; food-for-work for
50 women from low-income households.
63. In addit ion, to combat the conservative values
limiting opportunities for Palestinian women, the WFP
office is organizing gender-awareness sessions with
WFP staff, governmental counterparts, and nongovernmental
organization implementing partners.
64. A recent assessment of activities (April 1999)
noted that particular efforts had been made to involve
women in all project activities at the decision-making
level and as active beneficiaries.
65. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
provides essential education, health and relief and
social services to some 3.6 million registered Palestine
refugees in the Agency’s area of operations,
comprising Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab
Republic, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Assistance to
Palestinian women was delivered within the context of
the Agency’s regular programmes for Palestinian
refugees.
66. In the 1998/99 scholastic year, 458,716 pupils
were enrolled in Agency preparatory, elementary, and
secondary schools, of whom 228,935, or 49.9 per cent,
were female. Women accounted for 62 per cent of
trainees in UNRWA’s technical/semi-professional
courses. Of the 866 continuing UNRWA scholarships
in 1998/99, 46 per cent were held by women.
67. UNRWA provided expanded maternal and child
health care and family planning services to Palestine
refugees as an integral part of its primary health care
services, in recognition of the fact that the burden of
child and reproductive ill-health falls overwhelmingly
on women in terms of complications in pregnancy and
childbirth, infant and maternal mortality, congenital
malformations and disability. With women of
reproductive age and children comprising two thirds of
the 3.6 million registered Palestinian refugees, that
investment in maternal and child health was key for
socio-economic development.
68. Difficult socio-economic conditions in refugee
communities during the reporting period continued to
create greater reliance on income earned by women.
More than 50 per cent of UNRWA’s special hardship
case families, who received direct food and material
assistance from the Agency, were headed by
women. UNRWA’s women-in-development programme
provided a wide range of social, cultural, and
educational services at the community level. Seventy
women’s programme centres served as focal points
within the refugee community for UNRWA’s work with
women. During the period from June 1998 to
July 1999, a total of 20,534 participants benefited from
various programme centre activities such as lectures on
health and civil society, legal assistance, childcare,
computer and language skills training, and physical
fitness courses. The programme centres continued to
work towards administrative and financial selfsustainability.
69. During 1998/99, UNRWA’s Income Generation
Programme granted loans valued at $1.67 million to
2,612 women who supported 13,060 dependants. Since
1994 the programme has provided loans worth
$8.18 million to 11,736 women organized in 1,773
solidarity groups. These women were granted loans at
the end of each successful repayment cycle. The
programme was self-sufficient, with all operational
costs and loan loss provision covered from revenues
generated by lending and banking activities. The
programme maintained an annual repayment rate of
99.64 percent.
70. During the reporting period, a total of 1,526
women benefited from the UNRWA Poverty
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Alleviation Programme, which provided small amounts
of credit for income-generation projects.
71. In 1996 the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) initiated a project to support
women’s departments within various ministries to
promote gender equality The project aimed to enhance
the capacity of the ministries to mainstream gender and
development and to create gender-sensitive policies,
strategies and programmes. The project was completed
in 1998.
72. The sharing of information, coordination of
planning and exchange of experience within the
framework of the project have improved the capacity of
the women’s departments to impart a gender
perspective into all ministries of the Palestinian
National Authority. Due to UNDP’s capacity-building,
organizational strengthening and institutional
development efforts, different ministries were
subsequently able to create, formulate and begin to
implement their own projects to meet the needs of their
target groups.
73. In order to strengthen the newly established
women’s department at the Ministry for Culture,
UNDP, in 1998, funded a women’s creative writing and
illustrative arts competition. Almost 200 women
participated in the competition, and the winners were
honoured in an official ceremony. The five winning
pieces in each category will be published in 1999 in the
form of booklets.
74. In 1999, in an attempt to move away from the
welfare system currently utilized by the Ministry of
Social Affairs towards a more development-oriented
approach, UNDP, in cooperation with the women’s
department in the Ministry, initiated a poverty
alleviation project within the Ministry to support
deprived families and groups, through incomegenerating
projects and the creation of new job
opportunities, with a special focus on women-headed
households. Phase I of the project will entail the
creation of a poverty alleviation centre. During phase
II, the centre will study project proposals from the
target groups based on pre-established criteria which
will enable the individuals or groups to work their way
out of poverty.
75. During 1997-1998 UNDP, in cooperation with the
Inter-ministerial Committee for the Advancement of
Women, initiated and succeeded in establishing a oneyear
pilot project, the Rural Girls Development Project,
in Silt El-Dhaher, Jenin. In 1999, the Project was
implemented in three centres in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip.
76. On the non-governmental level, UNDP supports
the formulation of a gap analysis report on the status of
women in the occupied territories within the
framework of the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
This initiative is being implemented in cooperation
with the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and
Counselling and involves a training symposium for
mid-level and upper-level decision makers from nongovernmental
as well as governmental organizations to
disseminate information on CEDAW and create
working groups that will be following economic rights,
education and training, family rights, health rights,
political participation and representation, and the
eradication of violence against women. The gap
analysis report is expected to be published in March
2000.
77. In an attempt to promote a gender sensitive
educational system, UNDP in 1997 developed a project
to assist four educational non-governmental
organizations in elaborating gender-sensitive curricula
addressing the special needs of boys and girls. Teachers
have been trained to develop modules that incorporate
gender concerns into the learning process. During these
training sessions a training manual on gender issues
was prepared. Distributed to schools, it is to be used as
an aid in the practical application of a gender
perspective in the classrooms. The project covered
public, private and UNRWA schools and included a
community awareness campaign with a variety of
reach-out activities such as a weekly radio programmes
for youth addressing gender issues. It was successfully
completed at the end of 1998.
78. UNDP participates actively in the United Nations
Inter-Agency Gender Task Force, which aims to move
towards joint Women in Development/Gender and
Development (WID/GAD) programming among United
Nations agencies and to advocate for and support
Palestinian partner institutions to mainstream gender
into their policy-making process. In November 1999,
within the framework of the Women’s Rights
Campaign, UNDP funded three TV spots on violence
against women and a study day “Poverty and
violence”.
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79. UNIFEM has established the second phase of its
post-Beijing follow-up project with the following
objectives: to support and strengthen permanent
institutional women’s machinery; to ensure the
integration of gender concerns into the national
planning process; and to consolidate the women’s
machinery network on the national, regional and
international levels. The project which was initiated in
October 1998 endeavours to focus on the three main
thematic areas. In each project country, critical areas of
concern have been identified as national priorities. For
the Palestinian territories, they are: legislation,
policies, economics, social dimension, education,
health, environment, media and women under
occupation.
80. UNIFEM has also initiated a Women in
Development Facilitation Project which aims to
strengthen the capacity of governmental and nongovernmental
organizations to follow up on the
Platform of Action by documenting WID/GAD
programmes and projects that are being undertaken in
the Palestinian territories by various international and
national governmental and non-governmental
organizations. The compiled information will be
widely disseminated to facilitate information exchange
on WID/GAD issues among donors, United Nations
agencies, and the Palestinian Authority, in addition to
local and international civil society organizations, in
order to ensure complementation of initiatives and
prevent duplication.
4. Concluding remarks
81. In spite of considerable efforts on the part of the
Palestinian Authority and civil society and by the
organizations of the United Nations system to improve
the economic and social conditions of Palestinian
women, their situation still requires special attention.
They still experience unequal access to the labour
market and to income-generating activities. They are
also victims of de facto occupational segregation
accompanied by lower wages in the employment
sectors in which they are concentrated.
82. As reflected in previous reports, the status and
living conditions of Palestinian women are closely
linked with the progress of the peace process. The
present report shows that women in the occupied
territories continue to be affected in an adverse manner
by a variety of measures, such as closures and
settlement activities.
83. The mainstreaming of a gender perspective into
nation-building programmes and the full and equal
participation of Palestinian women are critical to the
sustainable outcome of the peace. With those
objectives in mind, organizations of the United Nations
system will continue to assist Palestinian women to
increase their capabilities to participate fully and
equally in the peace process and to build and develop
Palestinian society.
B. Release of women and children taken
hostage in armed conflicts and
imprisoned
84. The Commission on the Status of Women, at its
forty-third session, adopted resolution 43/1 on the
release of women and children taken hostage in armed
conflicts, including those subsequently imprisoned.
The Commission requested the Secretary-General to
prepare, taking into account the information provided
by Member States and relevant international
organizations, a report on the implementation of
resolution 43/1 for submission to the Commission on
the Status of Women at its forty-fourth session. In
pursuit of that mandate, the Secretary-General sent a
note verbale to all Member States on 17 September
1999. As of 20 November 1999, the Secretariat had
received 12 replies, six from Governments and six
from the United Nations system.
85. The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda,
Brunei Darussalam and the United Republic of
Tanzania reported that the issue described in resolution
43/1 was not relevant to them since they were not
involved in any armed conflicts.
86. The Government of Thailand reported that,
although the issue of women and children taken
hostage was not relevant to its context, Thailand had
been providing shelter, education and health services to
refugees, displaced persons and asylum seekers from
the armed conflict in neighbouring countries, most of
whom were women and children.
87. The Governments of Australia and Norway
reported that they sought to follow-up on the resolution
through their involvement in international activities
related to humanitarian issues, preventive action,
peacekeeping and peace-building.
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88. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations
provided information from three of its field missions.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) reported that four women and three boys
under 18 years old and 11 other boys who were under
18 years old at the time of their arrest continued to be
imprisoned in El Khiam prison, operated by the South
Lebanese Army. In a signed affidavit submitted to the
High Court of Justice on 27 September 1999 in
response to a petition on behalf of four of the El Khiam
prisoners, Major General Dan Halutz, Head of Israeli
Army Operations, admitted that its General Security
Service (Shin Bet) instructed and paid the interrogators
and jailers at El Khiam prison. The International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the only
organization that has access to El Khiam prison, but it
has yet to make a statement regarding the conditions in
the prison.
89. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum
in Western Sahara (MINURSO) reported that the terms
of resolution 43/1, specifically the reference to
hostage-taking, did not appear to have direct
application to cases in the Western Sahara. However,
the parties to the conflict, the Government of Morocco
and the Frente Polisario, have each charged that the
other is holding women and/or children hostage.
90. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
(UNAMSIL) reported that the war in Sierra Leone had
been characterized by widespread abduction of
civilians, including women and children, by the forces
opposed to the State. In the period prior to the adoption
of the Lomé Peace Accord in July 1999, thousands of
civilians were abducted. Estimates of the number of
people in captivity at that time ranged from 12,000 to
20,000. According to UNAMSIL, one indicator of the
scale of the problem was that some 3,000 children were
abducted from just one location, Freetown, the capital
city, during a rebel incursion in January 1999.
UNAMSIL also reported that up to 30 per cent of the
estimated 15,000 rebel combatants were children, most
of whom had initially been abducted. Abductees had
been used as porters, human shields and for forced
sexual activity.
91. The Lomé Peace Accord stipulates that all
abductees should be released immediately. Within its
framework, a committee was established to facilitate
the release programme. The committee is chaired by
the UNAMSIL Chief Military Observer and includes
United Nations human rights officers, representatives
of non-governmental organizations, United Nations
agencies, representatives of the parties to the Peace
Accord, and, as an observer, ICRC. UNAMSIL
reported that by September 1999, there had been a
disappointing number of less than 500 people released
formally. It also reported that a considerable number of
captives had been released quietly and had slipped
back to their homes. However, a large number of
abductees remained in captivity, and the United
Nations, through the committee, had recognized the
need for sustained and effective advocacy and
intervention on the matter. UNAMSIL also reported
that released abductees frequently displayed signs of
significant physical ill treatment. Almost all released
females reported rape and other forms of sexual abuse.
Many women, when released, were found to be
pregnant. In close cooperation with relevant nongovernmental
organizations, programmes are being put
in place to assist these persons. Upon release, all
children benefit from care and family-tracing resources
made available under the guidance of UNICEF.
92. In their replies, the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Food
Programme and three regional commissions (ECA,
ECLAC, and ESCWA) did not provide any specific
information on women and children taken hostage.
C. Women, the girl child and human
immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome
93. In its resolution 43/2, “Women, the girl
child and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome”, the Commission on the
Status of Women noted the growing proportion of
women becoming infected with HIV in every region,
especially in sub-Saharan Africa and among the
younger age groups. The Commission asked
Governments, relevant United Nations agencies,
funds and programmes, intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations, individually and
collectively, to make every effort to place combating
HIV/AIDS as a priority on the development agenda
and to implement effective prevention strategies and
programmes. It called upon the international
community to intensify its support of national efforts
against HIV/AIDS, particularly in favour of women
and young girls, in the worst hit regions of Africa and
invited the Secretary-General to report to the
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Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-fourth
session. The Commission urged Governments, with the
assistance of relevant United Nations agencies, funds
and programmes, to adopt a long-term, timely, coherent
and integrated AIDS prevention policy, with public
information and education programmes specifically
tailored to the needs of women and girls within their
socio-cultural contexts and sensitivities and specific
needs in their life cycle.
94. The present report complements information
contained in other reports before the Commission.16 In
its section on health the report on the review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action, based on replies by Governments,
highlights the fact that many countries have taken
action on HIV/AIDS. It also highlights specific
activities of the international community in line with
the resolution. Information on women and HIV/AIDS
was requested from the United Nations system, and
replies from the nine entities who had responded as of
15 December 1999 have been included in the present
report.
1. Women and HIV/AIDS
Trends in HIV/AIDS infection of women
95. HIV/AIDS infection rates among women have
been rising steadily, with new information suggesting
that there are significantly more women than men
living with HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa.
Studies conducted in nine different African countries
suggest that between 12 and 13 women are infected for
every 10 men. It is estimated that 12.2 million women
and 10.1 million men aged 15-49 were living with HIV
in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 1999. Women tend
to be infected at a younger age than men for biological
and cultural reasons. Girls in Africa aged 15-19 years
are five or six times more likely to be HIV positive
than boys of the same age. The strongest increase
worldwide in infection rates have occurred in the
newly independent States of the former Soviet Union.
As the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections
had also increased considerably, the risk of further
spread of HIV infection among the larger population
and, in particular, among women was very high.17
96. Physiological differences in the genital tract
contribute to the higher risk for women of acquiring
HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases.
Gender norms limit women’s ability to determine their
level of risk due to ignorance about sex and sexuality,
lower status in society and relationships and economic
and social dependency on male partners. Gender is a
decisive factor for people living with HIV/AIDS, since
the burden of care generally falls on female members
of the household. The stigma of living with HIV/AIDS
is more painful for women than men, and the women
affected are often victims of violence and
discrimination. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV
during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding is of
particular concern. Nine out of 10 of all HIV-infected
babies were born in Africa as a consequence of high
fertility rates combined with high infection rates.
Mainstreaming a gender perspective
97. The urgent need for a more coherent and
intensified United Nations-system response to the
pandemic was the rationale for the creation of the Joint
and Co-sponsored United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 1996 by its co-sponsoring
organizations, the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), UNDP, the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank. The
Programme had increasingly addressed the gender
dimension of the pandemic. Gender-based differences
were taken into account in risks and vulnerabilityreduction
approaches. UNAIDS was cooperating with
women’s networks that undertake advocacy, prevention
and offer care and support to women affected by
HIV/AIDS. To focus more specifically on gender
issues, the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Working Group on
Gender and AIDS was established in 1996. It brought
together technical experts on gender to act as a policy
advisory body on issues relating to gender and
HIV/AIDS. Its role encompassed joint planning of
substantive programmes that address gender concerns
in HIV and development and finding ways in which
gender can be incorporated into all the United Nations
programmes and departments dealing with HIV/AIDS.
98. All of the United Nations entities have provided
support to national efforts against HIV/AIDS, with a
focus on gender issues, including advocacy efforts and
policy advice to include the issue on the national and
international agenda. At the regional level, the
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) addressed
HIV/AIDS in the programme of the 1999 Conference
of Ministers of Finance and Ministers of Planning and
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Economic Development and at the meeting of the
Committee on Women and Development. It was noted
that the sense of urgency in addressing the HIV/AIDS
issue seemed to vary from one African subregion to
another.
99. HIV/AIDS was a key issue during the preparatory
process leading up to the special session of the General
Assembly for the review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Programme of Action of the
International Conference on Population and
Development (1999). A number of priority areas for
further action were adopted relating to the prevention
and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases,
including HIV/AIDS.
100. The World Bank has highlighted the need for toplevel
political commitment in terms of protection of
women’s rights, an expansion of health and educational
facilities that are both physically accessible and
socially acceptable to women, and a wide range of
other multisectoral reforms that would bring about a
sustained reduction in the risk of HIV transmission to
women. In close collaboration with other international
organizations, the World Bank has helped to place
issues relating to HIV/AIDS and women on the agenda
in a variety of international forums. The Bank’s
Economic Development Institute (EDI) and UNAIDS
jointly conducted nine policy seminars for policy
makers from 28 African and Asian countries, focusing
on potential intervention strategies in specific
vulnerable sectors.
101. United Nations entities are aware that action at
the national level was crucial and that all means for
reaching out to various groups should be employed. At
the country level, HIV/AIDS prevention activities have
been coordinated by the UNAIDS theme groups on
HIV/AIDS. The United Nations system currently has
132 theme groups in over 150 countries, and
partnerships are being expanded. Many groups include
representatives from host country Governments, nongovernmental
and bilateral organizations and
associations of people living with HIV/AIDS. This has
increased understanding of factors influencing risk and
vulnerability and of effective ways to address them.
102. The United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), in close collaboration with UNFPA
and UNAIDS, supported a pilot initiative entitled
“Gender-focused responses to address the challenges of
HIV/AIDS”. Orientation workshops on gender
concerns in HIV and development were organized for
UNIFEM and its partners in six pilot countries. In the
Bahamas, India, Mexico, Senegal, Viet Nam, and
Zimbabwe, partnerships between organizations
working on gender and organizations working on HIV
have been formed. Activities have included
community-based data collection on the gender impact
of the epidemic; capacity-building of media personnel
in gender, HIV and human rights concerns;
documentation of the abuses of human rights of people
living with HIV/AIDS; and the development of
resource materials on how to empower women to
negotiate safe sex. A set of training materials has been
developed which facilitates effective advocacy of
gender and AIDS concerns. Causes and consequences
of the epidemic are explored from a gender perspective
which has enabled policy makers and planners to
allocate and plan resources for the prevention of the
epidemic in a gender-responsive manner.
103. With UNESCO’s assistance, a comprehensive and
Africa-wide project entitled “Guidance, counselling
and youth development for Africa” was set up to train
trainers and youth workers in guidance and counselling
techniques to meet the needs of young people,
particularly girls, as they enter adolescence.
UNESCO/UNAIDS organized a regional workshop on
preventive education against HIV/AIDS for grass-roots
women’s organizations in Africa (Abidjan, 1998).
UNESCO stated that only a small percentage of the
organizations working in the area asserted that they
took gender into account in the preparation and
dissemination of educational messages. To raise their
level of risk awareness, men needed to be encouraged
to show greater respect and protection towards women.
104. The International Labour Organization (ILO)
launched its Preventive AIDS programme in Africa, in
collaboration with UNAIDS, and intends to incorporate
more AIDS awareness in private-sector initiatives. ILO
uses existing international instruments like Convention
156, which emphasizes family responsibilities for
promoting gender concerns in HIV/AIDS issues,
especially those relating to male responsibility. It has
undertaken studies on the commercial sex sector and
child labour, since those groups are particularly
exposed to the vulnerabilities that promote the spread
of the HIV virus and have to cope with its effects.
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2. Specific issues of concern
Promotion of female-controlled methods of
prevention and vaccine development
105. The male condom represents the primary
prevention technology available to protect against HIV
infection during sexual intercourse. Increasing
demands to find alternative prevention methods for
women have led to the development of the female
condom and research on vaginal microbicides that offer
women more control for the protection of their
reproductive and sexual health. The introduction of
combination and anti-retroviral treatment has become a
standard of care in developed countries and is the most
effective treatment available for suppressing the
replication of HIV. It has produced ethical challenges
in both developed and developing countries, where the
vast majority of the world’s infected people live
without access to new treatments. The development of
vaccines that are inexpensive and easy to administer
remains a priority for developing countries.
106. UNFPA and UNAIDS have been cooperating on
condom distribution requirements through the Global
Initiative on Global Health Commodities. WHO and
UNAIDS have been working to ensure that methods
capable of providing dual protection (against
pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases) were
given high priority. An informal consultation,
“Launching and promoting the female condom in
Eastern and Southern Africa” was organized in April
1999 in Pretoria, South Africa. Participants
recommended possible ways forward for the effective,
extensive and timely introduction and promotion of
female condoms. Reducing the price of female
condoms by re-using them was seen as a potentially
important strategy; the impact on the safety and
efficacy of the method was being investigated. WHO
has been working with UNAIDS in assisting countries
to make female condoms available in the most
appropriate and inexpensive way, working with social
marketing organizations, the manufacturer and
governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Involving and targeting men was seen as crucial in
order for the product to be useful and acceptable, as
social marketing experiences in Zambia and Zimbabwe
showed. The two agencies have been developing a
planning and programming guide for the female
condom, which would be available early in 2000.
UNAIDS and WHO were also involved in promoting
the development of a microbicide, which could be an
empowering tool, reducing women’s social
susceptibilities to the epidemic. The results have not
been very encouraging, since pharmaceutical
companies have not assisted in making the drug
available to large parts of the developing countries.
107. The World Bank has been implementing a number
of projects to increase the prevalence of modern
methods of contraception and to slow the spread of
HIV infection by both promoting behavioural and
social change and increasing the facilities designed to
treat sexually transmitted diseases among women and
men in Burkina Faso, Chad and Kenya. Programme
activities are designed to encourage women to
recognize and seek treatment for sexually transmitted
diseases.
Mother-to-child transmission and care of
children orphaned by AIDS
108. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV
during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding is of
particular concern. Nine out of 10 of all HIV-infected
babies in Africa are born as a consequence of high
infection rates. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is
eroding improvements in child survival in several of
the most affected countries in Africa south of the
Sahara. The care of and support for children orphaned
by AIDS has increasingly come to the centre of
attention and was the topic of the International World
AIDS Day, 1999.
109. The immediate challenge is to reduce the
transmission of HIV from mother to child, while at the
same time reducing the overall number of infected
women of reproductive age. HIV is acquired by the
infant from the mother around the time of birth or
through breastfeeding. Interventions such as antiretroviral
drugs, caesarian sections and alternative
feeding options can significantly reduce the rate of
transmission. Where the financial resources and
technical infrastructure exist and where HIV testing
can determine a pregnant woman’s seropositive status,
these interventions have brought mother-to-child
transmission of HIV under reasonable levels of control.
The use of different short-course anti-retroviral
regimens given during labour and for one week
postpartum have been demonstrated to reduce
significantly mother-to-child transmission.
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E/CN.6/2000/2
110. The mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) Inter-
Agency Task Team, a joint UNICEF/WHO/UNAIDS/
UNFPA initiative on prevention of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV/AIDS, was established in 1998.
Projects were being carried out on a pilot basis in nine
countries (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire,
Kenya, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda,
Zambia, Zimbabwe). Measures for an integrated
approach to significantly reduce mother-to-child
transmission would include increased access to
voluntary counselling and HIV testing, greater
knowledge of men and women about their seropositive
status, strong reinforcement of prevention messages by
allowing people to act on the basis of their test results,
expansion and strengthening of family planning
information and services, early access to quality
antenatal care with trained health and social workers,
voluntary counselling, and HIV testing for women and
their partners. Furthermore, it would include provision
of anti-retroviral medication to prevent HIV
transmission from seropositive women to their babies,
improved care during labour, delivery and the
postpartum period, counselling for HIV positive
women on infant feeding choices, making replacement
feeding available when needed and supporting women
in their choice of feeding. The opportunity for
promoting behavioural change through services related
to pregnancy and delivery, the only entry point for
service provision for many women in developing
countries, should not be lost.
111. Specific activities on orphans has been carried
out by several United Nations entities. FAO produced a
report on rural children living in farm systems affected
by HIV/AIDS. Farm households and extended families
readily take in orphan children, but assistance provided
by households and communities collapses when the
increase in demand and numbers becomes
unmanageable. UNICEF undertook various activities to
care for orphans and provide skills that would help
them avoid being legally or sexually exploited. The
current decline in official development assistance
(ODA) is threatening assistance to the children victims
of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the International Day
for the Eradication of Poverty, 15 October 1999,
UNESCO launched an appeal to individuals, the
business sector, non-governmental organizations,
foundations, agencies and others to contribute to the
welfare of children orphaned by AIDS so that they
could receive food and shelter, good health care and
education.
Violence against women affecting the health of
women and girls
112. Steps have been taken to change harmful
traditions and practices affecting the health of women
and girls and to eliminate all forms of violence against
women, which was identified as one of the root causes
of HIV infection (A/54/341). Gender-based violence
threatens sexual and reproductive health and greatly
increases women’s and girls’ vulnerability to
HIV/AIDS. The interplay between victimization and
HIV infection is becoming increasingly evident and
needs to be addressed through programmes that
provide women with access to resources, capacitybuilding
and empowerment and health services, in
particular in the area of reproductive and sexual health
care.
113. WHO is supporting a multicountry study on the
prevalence, risk and protective factors and health
consequences of violence against women. The study,
currently under way in Bangladesh, Brazil, Namibia,
Peru, the Philippines, United Republic of Tanzania and
Thailand, is collecting data with a core protocol and
using research teams that include at least one
organization working with women experiencing
violence. The results of the study, to be available in
2001, will provide comparative data for the first time
on which to base intervention and prevention
strategies.
114. The World Food Programme (WFP) has
cooperated with organizations that provide women and
girls with a safety net when they are vulnerable to risk
of violence and HIV/AIDS infection. WFP has
provided food to two institutions in Cambodia which
rescue girls at risk of HIV/AIDS and offers skills and
empowerment training so that they can have a source
of income other than prostitution. UNESCO reported
that funding had been approved to launch a two-year
inter-agency project (UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF,
UNIFEM, UNFPA and WHO) on the eradication of
female genital mutilation in Kenya.
Sexual and reproductive health education for
young people, particularly girls
115. Given the high infection rate among young
women, particularly among girls, special efforts were
made by the United Nations entities to improve
prevention and raise awareness. The overall objective
was to provide women and girls with the required
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awareness and skills to tackle HIV and reduce the
current rate of HIV transmission and sexually
transmitted diseases.
116. UNESCO developed a programme for preventive
education and communication which had been
especially designed for societies in which men
traditionally have the dominant role and women have
little control over their own sexual behaviour and
reproductive capacities. A series of regional seminars
were organized for decision makers from the education
sector. Specialists and teachers in China and Thailand
participated in a regional workshop on the prevention
of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse by improving the quality
of curricula and teachers, organized by UNESCO and
UNDCP (Beijing, 1997). UNESCO/UNAIDS held a
regional workshop on preventive education against
HIV/AIDS for grass-roots women’s organizations in
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, for 17 countries in sub-Saharan
Africa. UNAIDS has been funding the UNESCO
project on HIV/AIDS preventive education and health
education for adolescents, particularly girls at high
risk, in Chile.
117. The UNAIDS interregional project on the
integration of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV
prevention activities into reproductive health
programmes at the primary health-care level comprises
activities such as HIV/AIDS prevention training and
gender-sensitive counselling skills for health
information and service providers, including medical
doctors, midwives, nurses, community health workers,
psychologists, social workers, peer educators,
counsellors and other groups that serve as multiplier
agents for dissemination of information regarding
HIV/AIDS prevention.
118. UNICEF is carrying out a project on integrating
gender awareness into adolescent sexual health
programmes, implemented by the Commonwealth
Secretariat. The project has two phases: the
development of an outline and a review with young
people; and the pretesting of the educational materials
and preparation of a guidebook.
119. Although it had no mandate to intervene directly
on HIV/AIDS, the World Food Programme (WFP) has
taken an active role in empowering women and
educating girls so that they will be more aware of their
rights and better informed about the dangers of
HIV/AIDS. Activities include a vulnerable group
development programme in Bangladesh and a pilot
programme of take-home rations for girls in primary
school in Benin, where enrolment increased — in one
case by 280 per cent — after WFP gave food as an
incentive to girls.
Support for women living with HIV/AIDS
120. Women and girls living with HIV/AIDS are often
stigmatized and victims of violence and discrimination.
The Commission on the Status of Women urged the
creation of an environment that promotes compassion
and support for those infected with HIV and the
provision of a legal framework that would protect the
rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. Various forms
of support have been provided. The ECA African
Centre for Women offers economic activities
empowering women so that they can cope with the
causes and consequences of the epidemic.
121. WHO and UNAIDS supported a project to
explore the impact of HIV/AIDS on HIV-positive
women’s reproductive health and rights, focusing on
women’s experiences of the health service.
Coordinated by the International Community of
Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), the
participatory research project, carried out by HIVpositive
women who are also the subject of the study,
was being conducted in Thailand and Zimbabwe over
18 months. The results will be available in 2001. The
project hopes to provide policy recommendations on
measures to be taken to protect HIV-positive women
from gender discrimination and to promote
improvements in programmes and policies.
3. Conclusions
Good practices
122. The United Nations entities recognize that, for
expanding the quality and scope of engendered
HIV/AIDS strategies and interventions and thus for
programme replicability, it is crucial to identify,
promote and apply “best practices” in reducing both
the risk and vulnerability of women and girls. One
“best practice” is the innovative pilot project cosponsored
by UNIFEM, UNAIDS, and UNFPA on
gender-focused responses to address the challenges of
HIV/AIDS. The project was launched to address the
challenge of HIV/AIDS in six countries (Bahamas,
India, Mexico, Senegal, Thailand, and Zimbabwe). It
aims at strengthening the capacity of women’s
organizations to recognize HIV/AIDS as a critical
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gender issue and to address it through a variety of
initiatives. UNESCO is striving to reinforce the
capacity of local facilitators in raising awareness,
identifying examples of “best practice” concerning
HIV/AIDS preventive education and proposing the
compilation of strategies and research on the transfer of
gender-sensitive health messages to illiterate and semiilliterate
people.
123. In its meeting held in June 1999, the UNAIDS
Inter-Agency Working Group on Gender changed its
modality of supporting individual initiatives through its
members and instead evolved a unified work plan
whereby it will develop a generic advocacy
document/technical guide that will assist member
agencies in the implementation of a programme/project
in a particular country.
Further suggested activities
124. A gender-based response to the HIV/AIDS
epidemic requires continued efforts, coordination and
commitment over the long term at the country, regional
and global levels within the framework of the United
Nations system strategic plan for HIV/AIDS for 2001-
2005 and within the work of the UNAIDS Inter-
Agency Working Group on Gender. The new
International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa,
launched in January 1999 by the UNAIDS co-sponsors
and secretariat must be given the highest priority, since
more than half of current HIV/AIDS global infections
are found in that continent.
125. Strategies should focus on improving women’s
control over their reproductive health, because there is
clinical evidence that infections of the reproductive
tract and sexually transmitted diseases substantially
increase the risk of HIV transmission.
126. Access to voluntary testing and counselling for
men and women should be promoted.
127. The development of advocacy activities,
including advocacy kits targeted at governmental
officials and policy makers; senior health managers;
religious, community, women and youth leaders;
journalists and others is necessary in order to advance
legal and policy reform concerning HIV/AIDS
prevention and treatment. Special emphasis should be
put on the impact of the epidemic on girls and women.
128. Vaccine development, promotion of female
controlled methods of prevention and measures to
decrease mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS
infection need to be reinforced.
Notes
1 See Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women,
Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution I,
annexes I and II.
2 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third
Session, Supplement No. 16 (A/53/16), part two, chap. II,
para. 20.
3 Ibid., Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 6
(A/54/6/Rev.1), vol. I, paras. 44-49.
4 See E/CN.6/1999/2 and A/54/264.
5 UNSCO Report on Economic and Social Conditions in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip (spring 1999), issued by
the Office of the Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories (Gaza, 30 April 1999).
6 According to the 1999 UNSCO report, Israeli-controlled
areas included Israel, Israeli settlements and industrial
zones in the occupied territories.
7 According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics, and cited in the 1999 UNSCO report.
8 “Report on the situation of human rights in the
Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, submitted by
Mr. Hannu Halinen, Special Rapporteur, pursuant to
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/2 A”
(E/CN.4/1999/24), para. 28.
9 Ibid., para. 29.
10 Ibid., para. 36.
11 Ibid., para. 46.
12 Note by the Secretary-Gener al transmitting the report of
the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/54/73),
para. 148.
13 Ibid., para 173.
14 Ibid., para. 150.
15 Ibid., para. 171.
16 “Review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action” (E/CN.6/2000/PC.2); “Final
assessment of the system-wide medium-term plan for the
Advancement of Women” (E/CN.6/2000/3).
17 UNAIDS/WHO, Global AIDS Epidemic Up-date:
December 1999 (Geneva).
United Nations E/CN.6/2001/2
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
9 January 2001
Original: English
01-21443 (E) 140201
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-fifth session
6-16 March 2001
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
Follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The General Assembly, in its resolution 55/71 of 4 December 2000, requested
the Secretary-General to report annually to it, through the Commission on the Status
of Women and the Economic and Social Council, on follow-up to and progress in the
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action adopted at the
Fourth World Conference on Women. Similar mandates were also contained in
General Assembly resolutions 50/203, 51/69, 52/100 and 53/120. The present report
emphasizes efforts undertaken by the Secretariat in support of gender mainstreaming
and follow-up activities, including activities undertaken by non-governmental
organizations, since the submission of the previous report of the Secretary-General
on the subject (E/CN.6/2000/2).
The report on the joint work plan for the Division for the Advancement of
Women and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
is being submitted as a separate report.
* E/CN.6/2001/1.
2
E/CN.6/2001/2
Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4 3
II. Progress in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and in
mainstreaming a gender perspective within the United Nations system . . . . . . . . . . 5–71 3
A. The General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–18 3
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming gender perspectives into the work of
the United Nations system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19–38 5
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality . . . . . . . . . . . 39–44 8
D. Expert group meetings and other activities organized by the Division for the
Advancement of Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45–58 9
E. Reported activities of non-governmental organizations and other institutions
of civil society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59–71 11
III. Information supplied in accordance with specific mandates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72–121 13
A. Situation of Palestinian women and assistance provided by organizations in
the United Nations system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72–101 13
B. Release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently
imprisoned in armed conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102–121 18
3
E/CN.6/2001/2
I. Introduction
1. The Economic and Social Council, in its
resolution 1996/6, on follow-up to the Fourth World
Conference on Women, established the work
programme of the Commission on the Status of
Women, in particular the items to be included in the
agenda of the Commission. With regard to
documentation for the sessions of the Commission, the
Council decided, inter alia, that under item 3 (a) of the
agenda of the Commission, a review by the Secretary-
General of mainstreaming a gender perspective within
the United Nations system should be prepared on an
annual basis.
2. In its resolution 55/71 of 4 December 2000, the
General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to
report annually to it, the Commission on the Status of
Women and the Economic and Social Council on
follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing
Declaration and the Platform for Action. Similar
mandates were contained in General Assembly
resolutions 50/203, 51/69, 52/100 and 53/120.
3. In each of the three reports submitted in the
course of a year, the information that is most pertinent
to the respective intergovernmental body is provided.
The report to the Commission on the Status of Women
emphasizes efforts undertaken by the Secretariat in
support of gender mainstreaming and follow-up
activities undertaken by non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). The report to the Economic and
Social Council focuses on facilitating the coordination
function of the Council. The report to the General
Assembly contains information from all entities of the
United Nations system, including specialized agencies
and international financial institutions, and an analysis
of activities undertaken at the national level and by
NGOs and other actors of civil society.
4. Section II of the present report has been prepared
in compliance with General Assembly resolution
55/71. Section III responds to resolution 2000/23 of the
Economic and Social Council on Palestinian women
and to resolution 43/1 of the Commission on the Status
of Women on the release of women and children taken
hostage in armed conflict and imprisoned. The report
of the Secretary-General on the situation of women and
girls in Afghanistan submitted in response to Economic
and Social Council resolution 2000/9 is before the
Commission as an addendum to the present report
(E/CN.6/2001/2/Add.1).
II. Progress in the follow-up to the
Fourth World Conference on
Women and in mainstreaming a
gender perspective within the
United Nations system
A. The General Assembly and the
Economic and Social Council
1. Fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly
5. The report of the Secretary-General (A/55/341)
on the implementation of the outcome of the Fourth
World Conference on Women and the special session of
the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender
equality, development and peace for the twenty-first
century”, also known as Beijing+5, provided an
overview of the provisions and recommendations for
action contained in the “Political declaration” and
“Further actions and initiatives to implement the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action”
(resolutions S-23/2 and 3, respectively). Those
instruments focus on areas where the Platform for
Action has been strengthened and reinforced, on
implementation measures at the national and
international levels by Governments, the United
Nations, NGOs and other actors. They also focus on
recommendations that have immediate implications for
action at the international level, including those for
consideration by the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth
session.
6. In its resolution 55/71 of 4 December 2000, the
General Assembly, welcoming the outcome of its
twenty-third special session (ibid.) and stressing the
importance of strong, sustained political will and
commitment at the national, regional and international
levels in order to achieve full implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and
outcome of that special session, reaffirmed that the
United Nations system should promote an active and
visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective,
including through the work of the Special Adviser on
Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and
through the maintenance of gender units and focal
points in order to ensure the effective implementation
of the strategic objectives of the Beijing Platform for
Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special
session of the Assembly.
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7. In the same resolution, the Assembly reaffirmed
the primary role of the General Assembly, Economic
and Social Council and the Commission on the Status
of Women in the overall policy-making, follow-up and
coordination of the implementation and monitoring of
the Platform for Action and the outcome of the twentythird
special session of the General Assembly. The
Council was invited to continue to promote a
coordinated and integrated follow-up to and
implementation of the outcomes of major United
Nations conferences and summits and their reviews,
and requested the Council further to intensify its efforts
to ensure that gender mainstreaming is an integral part
of all its activities concerning the follow-up.
8. The Council was also invited to continue to
further policy coordination and inter-agency
cooperation towards the achievement of the objectives
of the Platform for Action and the outcome of the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.
9. The Assembly reaffirmed the central role of the
Commission on the Status of Women in assisting the
Economic and Social Council in monitoring, assessing
progress made and accelerating the implementation of
the Platform for Action and the outcome of the twentythird
special session of the General Assembly within
the United Nations system, and in advising the Council
thereon. In this respect, the Assembly noted that at its
forty-fifth session in 2001, the Commission on the
Status of Women would develop a new multi-year
programme of work, and in this respect requested the
Secretary-General to report to the Commission with
recommendations for the effective implementation of
the Platform for Action and the outcome of the twentythird
special session of the General Assembly,
including through enhancing the effectiveness of its
work and its catalytic role in mainstreaming a gender
perspective in United Nations activities.
10. The Assembly recognized the importance
attached to the regional and subregional monitoring of
the global and regional platforms for action and the
implementation of the outcome of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly by regional
commissions. In this respect, the Assembly called for
the promotion of further cooperation among
Governments and, where appropriate, national
machineries of the same region. The Assembly also
reaffirmed the need for mobilization of adequate
resources at all levels, particularly in developing
countries and countries with economies in transition in
order to implement the Platform for Action and the
outcome of the twenty-third special session of the
General Assembly.
2. Economic and Social Council, substantive
session of 2000
11. In its decision 1999/281 of 30 July 1999, the
Economic and Social Council decided that the theme
for the high-level segment of its substantive session of
2000 would be “Development and international
cooperation in the twenty-first century: the role of
information technology in the context of a knowledgebased
global economy”. Consideration of this topic
provided the Council with an opportunity to show that
information communication technologies were central
to the creation of a knowledge-based economy and
society and that they could play an important role in
accelerating growth, eradicating poverty and promoting
sustainable development in developing countries and
countries with economies in transition, particularly in
facilitating their beneficial integration into the global
economy.
12. For the first time, during its substantive session
of 2000, the Council undertook a comprehensive
assessment of conference review processes. At its
coordination segment, the Council assessed progress
made within the United Nations system, through the
conference reviews, in promotion of an integrated and
coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the
major United Nations conferences and summits in the
economic, social and related fields. Based on an
examination of lessons learned from the five-year
reviews of conferences conducted to date, the report of
the Secretary-General (E/2000/57) on the issue makes a
number of proposals to assist the Economic and Social
Council in its guidance to its subsidiary bodies with
respect to the upcoming 10-year reviews of the
conferences of the 1990s as well as in further
enhancing its work on conference follow-up. The
report also discusses the progress in implementing the
conferences in a more integrated and coordinated
manner at the national and international levels and
makes a number of suggestions to ensure that the
United Nations system provides enhanced support in
this regard.
13. The report draws attention to overlapping
consideration of cross-cutting issues and conference
goals and points out that gender perspectives have not
been consistently mainstreamed in the five-year
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reviews despite guidance on the topic in agreed
conclusions 1997/2. However, the Council’s efforts to
support a more integrated and coordinated follow-up
could reinforce the cross-cutting nature of the recent
five-year reviews, including the outcome of the Fourth
World Conference on Women and the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly, and ensure
the full incorporation of that outcome in follow-up
activities of all organizations of the United Nations
system (A/55/341, para. 35).
14. During the substantive session of 2000, the
Council adopted a number of resolutions, agreed
conclusions and decisions. The Council specifically
addressed its subsidiary bodies, including functional
commissions, in the agreed conclusions and resolutions
and called on them to take necessary measures to
implement the policy recommendations in their work
and, where appropriate, communicate to the Council
any specific follow-up actions.
15. In its agreed conclusions 2000/2 of 27 July 2000,
on the integrated and coordinated follow-up to major
United Nations conferences, the Council invited its
relevant functional commissions to consider a number
of options listed in paragraph 33 of the report of the
Secretary-General (E/2000/57) for enhancing the
reviews of the major United Nations conferences and
summits and to inform the Council for its consideration
at its substantive session in 2001 of the outcome of
their discussion. The Council suggested that particular
attention should be given to the periodicity of the
conference reviews. The Council also recommended
that functional commissions, in reviewing their
options, should consider ways and means of ensuring
their capacity to conduct follow-up of conference
implementation.
16. The Council also adopted, on 28 July 2000,
resolution 2000/26, entitled “The role of employment
and work in poverty eradication: empowerment and
advancement of women”. The Council noted with
concern the persistent problems in addressing the
challenges of poverty eradication, gender inequalities,
empowerment and advancement of women and
employment, as reflected in the outcome documents of
the recent five-year reviews of the Fourth World
Conference on Women and the World Summit for
Social Development.
17. The Council therefore strongly encouraged
Governments to pursue and strengthen their efforts to
work towards achieving the goals of poverty
eradication and reiterated the call for the relevant
organizations of the United Nations system and the
international community to take consistent, coherent,
coordinated and joint action in support of national
efforts to eradicate poverty, with particular attention to
employment creation and work and the empowerment
and advancement of women. The Council urged all
States that had not yet ratified or acceded to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women to do so, and also to
consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the
Optional Protocol.
18. A draft decision on the participation of NGOs not
in consultative status with the Economic and Social
Council in the work of the Commission on the Status
of Women and the Commission for Social
Development was submitted to the Council for
adoption during its substantive session. The Council
decided, on an exceptional basis and as an interim
measure, to invite those NGOs accredited to the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
and/or the twenty-fourth special session of the General
Assembly to attend the forty-fifth session of the
Commission on the Status of Women and the thirtyninth
session of the Commission on Social
Development, provided that they had started the
process of applying for consultative status in
accordance with Council decision 1996/315 of 14
November 1996. The decision was adopted by
consensus under the new title “Participation of NGOs
in the forty-fifth session of the Commission on the
Status of Women and the thirty-ninth session of the
Commission on Social Development”.
B. Activities in support of mainstreaming
gender perspectives into the work of
the United Nations system
19. The Special Adviser on Gender Issues and
Advancement of Women has continued systematically
to promote, facilitate and monitor the integration of
gender perspectives into all areas of the work of the
United Nations system, in accordance with the
Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions
1997/2 on gender mainstreaming and their subsequent
communication by the Secretary-General to heads of
all departments, agencies, funds, programmes and
regional commissions, as well as the renewed mandate
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on gender mainstreaming contained in the outcome of
the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly to follow up implementation of the Beijing
Platform for Action (resolution 55/71 of 4 December
2000). With the additional resource of a Principal
Officer on Gender Mainstreaming, it has been possible
to strengthen the catalytic and advisory work of the
Office of the Special Adviser through initiating more
in-depth processes of consultation with senior
managers and competence development inputs. The
Special Adviser also gave particular attention to the
preparations for the special session of the General
Assembly in June 2000, including inter-agency
collaboration. A summary of such activities is given
below.
20. The Special Adviser continued to meet with
senior United Nations officials stationed away from
New York during their missions to Headquarters, to
discuss implementation of the Platform for Action,
particularly the mainstreaming strategy, as well as
equal opportunities for women and men in the United
Nations, including gender balance. During 2000, for
example, meetings were held with the Executive
Secretaries of the Economic Commission for Europe
(ECE) and the Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Deputy Executive
Secretaries of the Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia (ESCWA) and ESCAP, the Executive
Directors of the United Nations Institute for Training
and Research (UNITAR) and the United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (Habitat), the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and
the United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan and
the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
in Afghanistan.
21. The Special Adviser also met with senior officials
in United Nations entities and held inter-agency
meetings with gender focal points and field-based
United Nations representatives during visits to Geneva
in March and June 2000 and Egypt in October 2000.
These meetings allowed for exchange of information
on specific steps taken to increase gender
mainstreaming, gender balance and a gender-sensitive
work environment, as well as on the preparations for or
follow-up to the twenty-third special session of the
General Assembly. For example, in conjunction with
attendance at the twenty-fourth special session to
follow up the World Social Summit at Geneva, a
meeting was held with OHCHR on the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women and its Optional Protocol, follow-up to the
special session and the efforts of OHCHR to promote
gender mainstreaming. An informal meeting was held
with the Geneva-based members of the Inter-Agency
Committee on Women and Gender Equality. Other
meetings were held with the United Nations
Information Service at Geneva, United Nations Office
at Geneva, and the Board of the International Research
and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
(INSTRAW). In conjunction with the Special Adviser’s
attendance at the First Summit of Arab First Ladies on
Current Challenges and Future Prospects, held in Cairo
from 18 to 20 November 2000, meetings were held
with representatives of the United Nations Egypt
Country Team.1
22. The Special Adviser continued to meet with the
heads of departments and agencies to discuss gender
mainstreaming, for example, UNDP, UNICEF, and the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Visits were
made by the Principal Officer for Gender
Mainstreaming in the Office of the Special Adviser to
ESCWA in April 2000 and ECE in November 2000.
Through a process of consultation with senior
managers, concrete recommendations for increasing the
incorporation of gender perspectives into work
programmes were developed.
23. In its resolution 2000/9, the Economic and Social
Council urged the Secretary-General to ensure that a
gender perspective is fully incorporated into the work
of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan
and to continue to review the situation of women and
girls in Afghanistan and report to the Commission on
the Status of Women. The Office of the Special
Adviser has remained actively involved in the work of
the Afghanistan Support Group and continues to
support the work of the Gender Adviser to the United
Nations system in Afghanistan.
24. Information and reports prepared by the Gender
Adviser on the current situation and its implications for
United Nations system activities have been regularly
shared with the Inter-Agency Committee on Women
and Gender Equality. The relevant report of the
Secretary-General is before the Commission at the
current session (E/CN.6/2001/2/Add.1).
25. Collaboration between the Office of the Special
Adviser and the Office of Human Resources
Management was established for the development of a
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framework for competence development in gender
mainstreaming and a resource base of facilitators. The
competence development programme for all divisions
in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs was
initiated in October 2000.
26. To promote greater understanding of how gender
perspectives could be incorporated into different
sectors, briefing notes were prepared by the Office of
the Special Adviser in collaboration with various
United Nations entities. The briefing notes outline the
linkages between gender perspectives and the sector
issues, indicate ways and means of bringing attention
to gender perspectives and provide resource listings on
where to go for more support — publications,
guidelines, manuals and web sites. A series of briefing
notes has been completed on gender and disarmament
within the Department for Disarmament Affairs that
are used internally in the department to foster greater
awareness, commitment and capacity on gender
mainstreaming. Similar series were prepared on
macroeconomics, trade, statistics, environment and a
number of other individual sectors/issues in the work
programmes of the regional commissions.
27. A framework has been developed for assessing
progress towards gender mainstreaming, utilizing the
concrete guidelines included in the Economic and
Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2, the letter of
the Secretary-General of October 1997 and the
outcome of the special session of the Assembly in June
2000. The framework will facilitate more systematic
and effective reporting on gender mainstreaming and
provide a monitoring tool for the Special Adviser in
her efforts to promote and support gender
mainstreaming throughout the system.
28. An Inter-Agency Steering Committee for the
Special Session, chaired by the Special Adviser, met
regularly to ensure coordination and collaboration in
preparations for the twenty-third special session of the
General Assembly. Members of the Inter-Agency
Committee on Women and Gender Equality were
encouraged to make specific contributions to the
preparations through producing studies and organizing
side-events in conjunction with the special session. The
Director of the Division for the Advancement of
Women participated in the regional preparatory
meeting of ECE, and was represented at the regional
preparatory meeting of ECLAC. The Special Adviser
attended the ILO Symposium on Beijing+5 entitled
“Decent work for women: ILO’s Contribution to
Women 2000”, which was held at Geneva in March
2000.
29. The Office of the Special Adviser and the
Division for the Advancement of Women continued to
collaborate with the Lessons Learned Unit of the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the
implementation of the project on gender perspectives in
multidimensional peacekeeping operations. The overall
findings were published in October 2000 and case
studies from a number of individual missions are under
preparation. In conjunction with the project, a
workshop was held in Namibia in May 2000. The
resulting Windhoek Declaration and Namibia Plan of
Action provide greater clarity on gender mainstreaming
in the area of peacekeeping. The Department of
Peacekeeping Operations established gender units in
both Kosovo, in 1999, and East Timor, in 2000, to
promote incorporation of gender perspectives in all
aspects of the work of the missions. The Office of the
Special Adviser has supported the efforts of the
Department by providing advice and support to the
Gender Units on request. Efforts were made to
influence the implementation plans developed on the
basis of the Brahimi report from a gender perspective,
including through the recommendation for a Gender
Unit in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
30. The Special Adviser and the Executive Director
of UNIFEM were invited to address the special session
of the Security Council on women, peace and security.
The resulting Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)
provides a strengthened mandate for gender
mainstreaming in peace support operations. To ensure
collaboration and coordination of the efforts of the
relevant parts of the United Nations system in
promoting, facilitating and supporting the
incorporation of gender perspectives into peace support
operations, an inter-agency task force was established
as part of the Inter-Agency Committee on Women and
Gender Equality.
31. As part of follow-up to General Assembly
resolution 52/100 of 12 December 1997 and Economic
and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2 of 18
July 1997, in which the General Assembly and the
Council, respectively, requested all bodies dealing with
programme and budgetary matters to ensure that
programmes, medium-term plans and programme
budgets visibly mainstream gender perspectives, as
well as the strong emphasis in the outcome of the
Beijing+5 special session on budgetary processes and
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resource allocations, many departments and regional
commissions increased their attention to gender
perspectives in the medium-term plans for 2002-2005.
Many programmes, e.g., the programmes on
peacekeeping, human settlements, human rights,
protection of and assistance to refugees, trade and
development and the programmes of all the regional
commissions, have moved beyond a general mention of
gender mainstreaming in the introductory section to
more specific attention to gender perspectives in
subprogrammes.
32. The Programme Planning and Budget Division in
the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and
Accounts, prepared clear instructions for the
programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003.
Programme managers were requested to ensure that in
all subprogrammes at least one accomplishment with
an appropriate indicator reflects the gender dimensions
of the work. All entities in the United Nations have
made efforts to identify and incorporate gender
perspectives in their submissions. The work on
planning and budgetary processes is supported by the
work carried out in the Inter-Agency Committee on
Women and Gender Equality task force on gender
mainstreaming in budget processes.
33. The Department of Political Affairs participated
in an Inter-Agency Committee project on gender
mainstreaming in programme budgets, which included
a workshop for managers within the department to
discuss how gender perspectives could be more
effectively incorporated in programme budgets.
34. The Department for Disarmament Affairs moved
beyond encouraging the nomination of female
candidates to its fellowship programme, to including a
briefing for the fellows on gender perspectives in all
areas of disarmament — small arms, weapons of mass
destruction, landmines, disarmament, demobilization
and rehabilitation programmes and disarmament for
development initiatives.
35. The Division for the Advancement of Women in
the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in
collaboration with UNDP, organized a seminar on
gender mainstreaming in the governance and poverty
programmes of the Africa Branch of UNDP.2
36. OHCHR’s policy statement on gender
mainstreaming and the human rights of women is now
included as part of OHCHR’s web site. A series of twoday
workshops was organized for all staff at Geneva
and gender perspectives have been included in the
human rights training manuals for judges, prison
guards and police officers. A draft checklist for
integrating gender perspectives into all aspects of
OHCHR’s work has also been developed.
37. The United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) has documented three success stories on
gender and environment. A framework for a global
network of gender and environment focal points from
both Governments and NGOs is being finalized. The
focal point system would provide an opportunity for
information exchange and data collection as well as
capacity-building at the national, regional and global
levels.
38. The United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) held an expert workshop
prior to UNCTAD X, which was held in Bangkok, from
12 to 19 February 2000, to discuss gender perspectives
in trade and development. The workshop recognized
that the process of globalization brings a number of
new challenges to the promotion of gender equality.
Concrete recommendations were made to UNCTAD X
concerning the integration of gender concerns into
regular sessions of the Trade and Development Board;
incorporation of gender perspectives into analytical
work, policy development and flagship publications of
UNCTAD; identification of good practices; promotion
of full and equal participation of women in traderelated
activities at all levels; and development of a
strategy for making gender perspectives a core part of
UNCTAD activities.
C. ACC Inter-Agency Committee on
Women and Gender Equality
39. The Administrative Committee on Coordination
(ACC) Inter-Agency Committee on Women and
Gender Equality (IACWGE), chaired by the Special
Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of
Women, has continued to provide an excellent forum
for fostering and facilitating greater attention to gender
perspectives in substantive work of the United Nations
and supporting increased collaboration and
coordination throughout the system. The Committee
continues to carry out its work programme through task
forces with clearly defined and time-limited mandates.
The task forces report to the Committee as a whole and
the Committee adopts their annual work programmes.
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40. Following the fifth session of the IACWGE, from
23 to 25 February 2000, inter-sessional work was
conducted on a number of topics by the Committee’s
task forces. Task forces have continued to be active in
the following areas under the guidance of the
designated task managers: gender focal points —
UNFPA; compilation of good practices in
implementing the Platform for Action — UNIFEM;
database on gender training materials — UNICEF and
UNDP; tools and indicators for gender impact analysis,
monitoring and evaluation — ECLAC in collaboration
with the other regional commissions; and gender
mainstreaming in programme budgets — Office of the
Special Adviser. Several of these were expected to be
concluded at the Committee’s next session in February
2001. Two new task forces established at the fifth
session of the Committee began to initiate activities:
gender mainstreaming in the Common Country
Assessment/United Nations Development Assistance
Framework (CCA/UNDAF) process — UNIFEM; and
gender and information and communication
technologies — International Telecommunication
Union (ITU). A series of informal meetings was held in
New York during 2000, particularly on the preparations
and follow-up to the Beijing+5 special session, and the
Geneva-based members of the Committee continued to
meet regularly.
41. Based on the recommendation of the Inter-
Agency Committee at its fourth session in February
1999, the ACC submitted a statement to the General
Assembly at its twenty-third special session (A/S-23/8,
annex). In their statement, members of the ACC
commit themselves to accelerate the implementation of
the Platform for Action and to promote gender
mainstreaming within their organizations.
42. An Inter-Agency Steering Committee for the
Beijing+5 special session, chaired by the Special
Adviser, met regularly to ensure coordination of
preparations, and the Deputy Secretary-General met
with senior United Nations officials on preparations for
the special session of the General Assembly entitled
“Women 2000: Gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”. During the special
session members of the Inter-Agency Committee
prepared panels, presentations and exhibitions. The
task forces on good practices in implementing the
Beijing Platform for Action and on gender training
materials launched their databases during the special
session. In conjunction with the Beijing+5 special
session, the task force on gender mainstreaming in
programme budgets organized a workshop to present
the findings of their work.
43. In response to recent developments, the Inter-
Agency Committee established two new task forces. A
task force on financing for development (ILO) would
work to influence the preparations for the “high-level
intergovernmental event” which will consider issues
relating to financing for development, scheduled to
take place in March 2002. The task force on women,
peace and security, chaired by the Special Adviser on
Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, provided
input to the discussion of the Security Council on
women, peace and security on 24 October 2000, and
was preparing an action plan for the collaborative and
coordinated implementation of Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) in the United Nations system.
44. The Committee continued its active collaboration
with the OECD/DAC Working Party on Gender
Equality. The annual joint workshop on governance,
poverty reduction and gender equality was, however,
postponed from October 2000 to early 2001. The sixth
session of the Inter-Agency Committee on Women and
Gender Equality will take place in New York from 26
February to 2 March 2001.
D. Expert group meetings and other
activities organized by the Division
for the Advancement of Women
1. Expert group meeting on the HIV/AIDS
pandemic and its gender implications
45. International experts gathered in Windhoek from
13 to 17 November 2000 in a meeting on “The
HIV/AIDS pandemic and its gender implications”,
organized by the United Nations Secretariat Division
for the Advancement of Women in collaboration with
WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The Namibian Government
hosted the meeting, which brought together experts and
observers from different regions working on HIV/AIDS
as well as observers from Governments, the United
Nations system and NGOs. The meeting addressed the
seriousness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially in
Africa, and its gender dimensions.
46. Experts concluded that the HIV/AIDS pandemic
must be regarded as a disaster that required gender10
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sensitive short-term relief measures to alleviate
immediate emergencies and long-term interventions
that transformed relations between women and men to
eliminate gender inequality and reduce the risk of
infection. It urged Governments and the international
community to distribute immediately emergency food
aid, including nutrient supplements and home-based
care packs to women and men living with and affected
by HIV/AIDS in the most severely affected countries
and regions of the world.
47. The role of men and changes in gender relations
were considered key elements in fighting the pandemic.
Experts appealed to Governments, international
organizations and NGOs to upscale significantly their
work with men to challenge gender inequalities in
relation to HIV and AIDS, and to encourage men’s
fuller participation in prevention, impact alleviation
and care.
48. The experts’ recommendations have been
forwarded to the Commission on the Status of Women
at the current session, at which it would consider
“Women, the girl-child and HIV/AIDS” as a priority
theme.
2. Expert group meeting on gender and racial
discrimination
49. The Division for the Advancement of Women, in
collaboration with OHCHR and UNIFEM, organized
an expert group meeting on the theme of “Gender and
racial discrimination”. The meeting was hosted by the
Government of Croatia in Zagreb, and took place from
21 to 24 November 2000.
50. The meeting was convened to consider the
intersection of gender and racial discrimination and its
consequences, as well as new and emerging
manifestations of racism, xenophobia and related
intolerance and the difficulties that women encountered
in that respect.
51. The meeting considered three main topics: the
intersection of gender and racial discrimination
directed towards women and girls, such as
ethnic/gender-based violence and trafficking; the
disadvantages, obstacles and difficulties women face in
the enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, political
and civil rights as a result of the intersection of racial
and sex discrimination both in public and private
domain; and measures to eradicate racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and
their specific effects on women and girls and provision
of remedies and redress.
52. The expert group meeting made recommendations
directed to Governments, the United Nations system,
intergovernmental and regional bodies and civil
society. The recommendations aimed to refine and
expand the “actions to be taken” at both international
and national levels outlined in the Beijing Platform for
Action, as well as the further actions identified by the
special session of the General Assembly on Beijing+5.
53. The results of the meeting have been made
available to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its current session, at which it would take up, inter alia,
the thematic issue of gender and all forms of
discrimination, in particular racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights has indicated that the meeting’s results would be
included in the preparations for the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia
and Related Intolerance, as well as the World
Conference itself, which will take place in Durban,
South Africa, from 31 August to 7 September 2001.
3. Meeting on the draft rules of procedure of the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
54. Members of the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women met in Berlin at the
invitation of the Government of Germany, from 27 to
30 November 2000. The purpose of the meeting was to
review and finalize the draft rules of procedure for the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Two
members of the Human Rights Committee served as
resource persons, and the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights was also represented.
55. The draft rules of procedure, which were
finalized at the meeting, were subsequently adopted by
the Committee at its twenty-fourth session in January
2001. The Optional Protocol to the Convention entered
into force on 22 December 2000.
4. Advisory services provided by the Division for
the Advancement of Women
56. The Gender Advisory Services Unit of the
Division for the Advancement of Women of the
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Department for Economic and Social Affairs
implements technical cooperation programmes for the
advancement of women and gender equality. This
technical cooperation depends on Member States’
requirements for technical support. Most Member
States have begun to indicate a shift in government
policy in terms of recognition of a gender equality
approach to policy design, formulation and
implementation.
57. In this context, the setting up and/or
strengthening of institutional mechanisms for the
advancement of women became an essential tool to
move the gender equality agenda forward. However,
national machineries were often marginalized and lack
the capacity and resources to play a more effective
role. The Division currently collaborates with the
Division for Public Economics and Public
Administration to address these issues. They have
established a task force to provide technical support for
the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a
project aimed at building the capacity of national
machineries to promote gender equality in Africa. The
project would promote mainstreaming of a gender
perspective in national planning through a needs
assessment and subregional workshops on gender
sensitive national planning. It would also strengthen
the data collection and analysis capacity to produce
sex-disaggregated data related to the Convention as
well as management information systems. To launch
the project, a consultation meeting was organized on 12
June 2000 that brought together participants from
Africa to implement the Secretary-General’s directive
to give priority to Africa’s urgent development
challenges, and the Arab, Caribbean, European, and
Asia Pacific regions for an interregional perspective.
Representatives from ECA and ESCWA and United
Nations agencies such as UNFPA, UNDP and UNIFEM
also participated.
58. The Division for the Advancement of Women
carried out a study in collaboration with UNDP/Africa
to assess gender mainstreaming activities in UNDP’s
governance and poverty eradication programme. The
assessment was conducted in 22 sub-Saharan countries
and completed in January 2000. A technical review
meeting was held on 20 and 21 March to discuss the
findings of the study. Participants included
representatives from country offices, other divisions in
the Department of Economic and Social Affairs as well
as United Nations agencies, including UNFPA and
UNIFEM. A report summarizing the discussions and
recommendations includes a work plan prioritizing
these recommendations as immediate, short-term and
medium-term action. The results of the study will be
launched on International Women’s Day on 8 March
2001.
E. Reported activities of non-governmental
organizations and other institutions of
civil society
59. Since the issuance of the report of the Secretary-
General to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth
session on follow-up to the Fourth World Conference
on Women and full implementation of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action (A/55/293), a
number of events have occurred at the international,
regional and national levels under the auspices of
NGOs. While these activities were not reported
systematically to the Secretariat, some were brought to
the attention of the Division for the Advancement of
Women and were noted as examples of the widespread
follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
and to the outcome of the twenty-third special session
of the General Assembly by civil society.
60. Initiated by the Fédération des Femmes du
Québec, a Canadian NGO, the World March of Women
2000, a global initiative that involved approximately
5,000 NGOs from 159 countries, culminated in New
York in October 2000. Participants in each country
conducted grass-roots activities to bring attention to,
and develop proposals for addressing, the issues of
poverty and violence against women. The march and
the signed petitions highlighted and drew attention to
the need for concrete measures to eliminate poverty, to
ensure an equitable distribution of the world’s wealth,
to eradicate violence against women, and to ensure
equality between women and men. A panel discussion
was held on 17 October 2000 at the United Nations to
mark the culmination of the World March of Women
2000, and the commemoration of the International Day
for the Eradication of Poverty. An international
delegation, made up of 250 participants of the March,
attended the panel discussion, which was addressed by
the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
61. The International Criminal Court Women’s
Caucus for Gender Justice coordinated a one-day
public hearing on crimes against women in recent wars
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E/CN.6/2001/2
and conflict situations as a part of the Tokyo Tribunal
2000. The one-day public hearing, coordinated by the
Women’s Caucus for Gender Justice and co-sponsored
by VAWW-Net Japan and ASCENT, included
testimonies of victims and survivors of wars and
conflicts in different regions of the globe.
62. The International Women’s Tribune Center
launched its web site, providing another link for
women on the Internet. The site was designed to
provide web addresses for a number of organizations
for women and girls, thereby enabling networking.
63. African NGOs met in Accra, Ghana, in October
2000 to review the “case stories” they had drafted for
the second meeting on the “African Best Practices for
Gender Integration” publication. The meeting brought
together nine NGO representatives from seven African
countries, and was co-sponsored by the Gender
Development Institute of Ghana and the Commission
on the Advancement of Women. The Commission on
the Advancement of Women aims to launch this
publication at the annual Forum.
64. The NGO Women and Armed Conflict Caucus
began to work towards bringing gender perspectives on
armed conflict to the attention of the Security Council
following the Security Council press release on women
and peace issued for International Women’s Day (8
March 2000). The Caucus facilitated the presentation
of the views of women from armed conflict zones to
Security Council delegations and relevant United
Nations departments at events and private meetings
during the forty-fourth session of the Commission on
the Status of Women, in March 2000, and the twentythird
special session of the General Assembly, in June
2000. The Coalition on Women and International Peace
and Security was formed by members of the caucus
based in New York and London specifically to
coordinate preparation of the Arria Formula Meeting,
held on 23 October 2000, and the meeting of the
Security Council on women and peace and security.
The Coalition was coordinated by the Women’s
International League for Peace and Freedom and
included Amnesty International, the International
Peace Research Association, The Hague Appeal for
Peace, the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women
and Children and International Alert. The Coalition
worked closely with the Office of the Special Adviser
on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women,
UNIFEM and the Namibian delegation to the United
Nations, in identifying appropriate experts from the
field for the Arria Formula briefing by NGOs to
Security Council members. It also assisted in widely
publicizing the meeting held on 24 October 2000 and
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) adopted on 31
October 2000. The Coalition intends to continue to
monitor implementation of the resolution.
65. The NGO Community on the Status of Women
launched a LISTSERV to connect women worldwide
with timely information coming out of the United
Nations in New York. It initially targeted women who
indicated an interest at the Beijing+5 meetings, and
gave subscribers email information about the
Commission on the Status of Women meetings and
NGO events, and was designed to assist the NGO
community in follow-up to Beijing+5.
66. NGOs have advanced gender issues for
interaction at the special session of the General
Assembly on children to be held from 19 to 21
September 2001. Organizations like the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, the
Working Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on
UNICEF, the International Federation of University
Women, ESCAP and others interested in gender issues
affecting children, hosted workshops on various
subjects, including HIV/AIDS, emerging health issues
affecting girls, education of refugee girls, tolerance and
reconciliation, sexual exploitation of girls, and
violence against girls. They were presented as part of
an NGO programme to provide Governments and
NGOs with information for drafting the outcome
document of the Beijing+5 special session. The
workshops were held in conjunction with the second
session of the Preparatory Committee in January 2000.
67. Women’sNet, which aims to empower women to
use information and communication technologies more
effectively in their struggle towards advancing
women’s equality, received an “Innovative users of
Internet” award at the Highway Africa Conference
2000. The spirit of the award was to inspire greater use
of the Internet on the African continent. It is the only
web site of its kind in South Africa. In an attempt to
make this kind of information accessible to a wider
community, Women’sNet forges partnerships with
gender organizations and networks across South Africa
and Africa. It has also started a community radio
project.
68. In July 2000, 35 representatives of water
management, water users and information
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organizations from Asia, Africa, South America and
Europe met in Paris for three days to define the tasks of
the newly formed Gender and Water Alliance. Initiated
at the Second World Water Forum, in March 2000, the
Gender and Water Alliance is an informal network of
individuals, NGOs, resource centres, research
institutions, grass-roots organizations, and regional,
national and local institutions. Its goal was to achieve
equality among women and men, regarding
participation and decision-making in the water
resources management.
69. The International Women’s Democracy Centre, in
partnership with the Ulster People’s College in Belfast,
Northern Ireland, brought together women leaders from
Northern Ireland for a two-week programme to learn
the process of lobbying. Designed to develop and
strengthen their public policy, advocacy and lobbying
skills, the hands-on, innovative training programme
combined theoretical learning and practical experience
focusing on the interaction of the legislative, judicial
and executive branches of government with the public
and private sectors to create public policy. The diverse
group came from both rural and urban areas and
different regional backgrounds.
70. Latin American countries and a growing number
of other countries around the world have recognized 25
November as the International Day Against Violence
Against Women. It was first celebrated by the first
Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the
Caribbean held in Bogota, Colombia, from 18 to 21
July 1981, when women systematically denounced
gender violence from domestic battery to rape and
sexual harassment, to state violence, including torture
and abuse of women political prisoners. On 17
December 1999, the United Nations adopted resolution
54/134, designating 25 November as the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The first observance of the Day in the United Nations
was held on 25 November 2000.
71. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts launched an initiative to combat the spread of
HIV/AIDS in November 2000. Ten million girl guides
and girl scouts in 150 countries earned a badge through
specific activities that would help prevent the spread of
HIV/AIDS or for projects that help persons infected
with HIV/AIDS. The World Association of Girl Guides
and Girl Scouts, International Council of AIDS Service
Organizations and UNAIDS developed resource
materials, which were distributed in December 2000 to
all national organizations of WAGGGS.
III. Information supplied in
accordance with specific
mandates
A. Situation of Palestinian women and
assistance provided by organizations
in the United Nations system
72. In its resolution 2000/23 of 28 July 2000, the
Economic and Social Council requested a report on the
situation of and assistance to Palestinian women. The
present report, which covers the period from September
1999 to September 2000, is based on information from
United Nations bodies that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the occupied territories and refugee
camps. Such bodies include the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human
Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories, the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories3 and
the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights on Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967.
The report is also based on information submitted by
entities of the United Nations system providing
assistance to Palestinian people, i.e., ESCWA, the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), ILO, the World
Bank and UNICEF.
1. Situation of Palestinian women
73. In his report on the Palestinian economy, the
United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories stated that, according to estimates from the
Palestinian Ministry of Finance and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the Palestinian economy
improved in 1998: real gross domestic product (GDP)
grew by about 7 per cent; Palestinian labour flows to
Israel by 15 per cent; Israeli-Palestinian trade by 9 per
cent. Donors’ assistance increased by 12 per cent. In
addition, the Palestinian Ministry of Finance and IMF
revised their growth forecasts for 1999 upward to 6 per
cent. In 1999, employment and labour force
participation both increased so that the combined effect
on the unemployment rate was a decline to 12.7 per
cent from 15.6 per cent in 1998.4
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74. Women’s employment and participation in the
labour force grew faster than for men. This could be
explained by the rapid expansion in the agriculture and
services sectors, including public services, where
women were present in high numbers.5 However,
women were still found mainly in part-time jobs. In
1999, the proportion of women working less than 35
hours per week increased by 34.76 per cent while the
same figure for men fell by 11.66 per cent. This
tendency might have resulted from two factors. First, in
the expanding agricultural sector women perform
unpaid work, which is therefore not accounted for;
secondly, married women tend to seek part-time jobs to
increase the household income. Unemployment figures
in 1999 suggest that the gap between women and men
widened. In fact, while the number of unemployed men
fell significantly — by 14.45 per cent — the number of
unemployed women was nearly unchanged, falling
only by 1.80 per cent.5
75. In 1999 there was no reduction in the severity of
the closure policy applied by Israel to the occupied
territories. Personal mobility remained severely
restricted as Palestinians could not travel freely
between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, or enter
Jerusalem without permits from the Israeli authorities.
Palestinian public agencies, businesses, NGOs and
international agencies continued to experience higher
transaction costs, time delays, and loss of productivity
as a result of restrictions in the movement of personnel
and goods at border crossings.5
76. The report of the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human
Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories (A/55/373) stated that closures
and restrictions at checkpoints continued to remain a
cause of concern to Palestinians. For instance, on 9
February 2000, Israeli soldiers raided a Palestinian
house and held family members, including women and
children, at gunpoint. One woman suffered a heart
attack. As the car transporting her to the hospital was
delayed at an Israeli checkpoint (ibid., para. 84) she
died.
77. The Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories
occupied since 1967, Mr. Giorgio Giacomelli (Italy), in
his report to the Commission on Human Rights stated
that the Israeli policy of closures and permits also
affected the right to education as it had serious
repercussions for students in the Gaza Strip. In fact,
more than 1,300 students from Gaza were prevented
from studying at universities and Palestinian
institutions of higher education in the West Bank
because Israel considered them to be a security risk
(E/CN.4/2000/25, para. 47). In the same report, the
Special Rapporteur noted that the issue of Palestinian
prisoners detained in Israeli prisons remained a source
of great concern. Although there had been releases of
Palestinian (political) prisoners, within the framework
of the peace agreements, the number remained high at
1,500. The conditions of detention were below
international standards and difficulties of access to
prisoners were faced by their lawyers as well as by
their families.
78. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories, reported that, in Ramallah, at various times,
the General Security Service had banned parents, wives
and siblings of 200 prisoners from visiting them
(A/55/373, para. 114). The Special Committee also
reported that the prison service had withheld
permission for a British physician to examine the
condition of a 16-year-old Palestinian girl detained in
Ramle (ibid., para. 110).
79. As noted by the Special Rapporteur, harsh prison
sentences often had the effect of taking fathers away
from children and, upon their release from prison, led
to an incidence of violence in the family. As a
consequence, in many cases, men lost their protective
and breadwinner’s role within the household while
women were forced to take additional burdens and
acquire roles other than the ones traditionally
performed by them (see E/CN.4/2000/25, para. 43) in
order to provide for all the economic and social needs
of the family. It is important to note two aspects related
to women taking on new roles: on the one hand, it
might lead to conflicts within the family due to the
difficulty in adapting to and accepting change; on the
other, it might provide opportunities for women’s
empowerment as women gain new decision-making
power within the household.
80. The expansion of Israeli settlements, the
demolishing of Palestinian homes and the building of
bypass roads in the occupied territories continued to
create difficulties for the Palestinians. In particular, the
demolishing of houses in Jerusalem often forced
families to consider moving to the West Bank, where it
would have been cheaper to buy or rent another house,
but where they would have lost their residency rights.
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An incident of this kind was reported by the Special
Committee (see A/55/373, para. 57).
81. The report of the Special Committee also stated
that, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry
of Health, the toxic gas pollution of the West Bank’s
water sources controlled by Israel, caused numerous
miscarriages among Palestinian women (ibid., para. 60)
living in the West Bank.
82. As the present report covers the period September
1999 to September 2000, it does not contain
information related to the effects of the violent
confrontation between Palestinian civilians and Israeli
security forces that erupted at the end of September
2000. Clashes spread provoking numerous deaths,
particularly among Palestinian civilians, including
youth. Such violence had negative economic and social
effects in the occupied territories as well as serious
repercussions on the peace process and on the ability of
the organizations of the United Nations system to
operate effectively in the occupied territories.
2. Assistance to Palestinian women
83. The organizations of the United Nations system
continued to provide assistance to Palestinian people,
in particular women.
84. During the period under review, ESCWA
prepared a study on gender and citizenship and the role
of NGOs in the occupied territories, aimed at proposing
action-oriented policy recommendations to inculcate a
gender-sensitive citizenship in post-conflict countries.
ESCWA organized a workshop for producers and users
of sex-disaggregated data in the occupied territories
and started ongoing projects such as a database on
Palestinian refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic and
Lebanon; a regional household survey in the occupied
territories; and the development of national gender
statistics in the Arab countries, including the occupied
territories.
85. UNRWA provides essential education, health,
relief and social services to some 3.7 million registered
Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations
comprising Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab
Republic, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Assistance to
Palestinian women is a priority, delivered within the
context of the Agency’s regular programmes for
Palestine refugees.
86. During the period under review, UNRWA began a
review of its gender policies with external technical
expertise and funding from the Government of
Denmark. The review sought to align the Agency’s
gender policy and practice more closely with the
framework and targets agreed at the 1995 Fourth World
Conference on Women and subsequently reviewed at
the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly, “Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century”.
87. In the 1999/2000 scholastic year, 468,651 pupils
were enrolled in the Agency’s elementary, preparatory
and secondary schools, of whom 234,500, or 50 per
cent, were female. Women accounted for 69 per cent of
participants in UNRWA’s pre- and in-service teacher
training courses, and for 63 per cent of trainees in
UNRWA’s technical/semi-professional courses. Of the
673 continuing UNRWA scholarships in 1999/2000,
45.3 per cent were held by women. In addition, 14
Palestinian women in Lebanon would benefit from a
scholarship project during 1999/2000 addressed to
women only and managed by UNRWA on behalf of the
Canadian International Development Research Centre.
88. UNRWA provided maternal and child health care
and family planning services and sustained full
immunization coverage to women and children against
vaccine-preventable diseases. Those services were
supported by school health services as well as by
health educational programmes on the prevention of
tobacco use and the prevention of HIV/AIDS and
sexually transmitted diseases.
89. Difficult socio-economic conditions in refugee
communities during the reporting period continued to
create greater reliance on income earned by women.
More than 50 per cent of UNRWA’s special hardship
case families, who received direct food and material
assistance from the Agency, were headed by women.
UNRWA’s women-in-development programme
provided a wide range of social, cultural and
educational services at the community level. Seventy
Women’s Programme Centres served as focal points
within the refugee community for UNRWA’s work with
women. From the beginning of 2000 until 30 July
2000, a total of 27,634 participants benefited from the
various activities of the Centres, such as computer
training, photography, English language courses, child
care services for working women, group-guaranteed
lending, awareness-raising campaigns on health,
disability diagnosis and awareness and legal
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E/CN.6/2001/2
counselling. The Agency is currently reviewing the
quality of training at the Centres, with the aim of
facilitating employment of women upon graduation.
90. During 1999/2000, UNRWA’s income generation
programme granted loans valued at $3.12 million to
3,716 women, who supported 20,050 dependants. Since
1994, the Solidarity Group Lending Programme has
provided loans worth $11.39 million to 15,183 women
organized in 2,271 solidarity groups. These women
were granted loans at the end of each successful
repayment cycle. The programme was self-sufficient
with all operational costs and loan loss provision
covered from revenues generated by lending and
banking activities. The programme maintained an
annual repayment rate of 98.65 per cent.
91. During the period under review, the ILO Arab
regional office undertook a series of activities in
support and assistance to Palestinian women:
• Gender mainstreaming in the Ministry of Labour
(Gaza and Ramallah)
The inter-ministerial coordinating committee for
the advancement of women mainstreamed gender
concerns in certain ministries. In August 2000,
the ILO supported a workshop, held in Ramallah,
to develop an action plan for the Ministry of
Labour.
• Strategy formulation on the promotion and
development of women’s entrepreneurship
Several activities were executed in the framework
of a 1996-1999 training programme implemented
by the International Training Centre of the ILO in
Turin, Italy, to promote and develop Palestinian
women’s entrepreneurship. In particular, four
courses to train trainers to develop technical
capacities and nine technical workshops to
enhance the knowledge and skills of women
entrepreneurs were undertaken. In May 2000, a
seminar comprising national governmental, nongovernmental
and private sector stakeholders was
organized to design a national strategy for
women’s entrepreneurship development.
• ILO multidisciplinary mission to the West Bank
and Gaza
From 31 January to 11 February 2000, the ILO
developed two project proposals for the
advancement of women. The first project aimed
to strengthen the inter-ministerial committee for
the advancement of women and the second to
promote and develop female entrepreneurship.
• Capacity-building programme on gender, poverty
and employment
In December 1999, a subregional planning
seminar for the Arab States was organized in
Beirut on an ILO capacity-building programme
on gender, poverty and employment that resulted
in national action plans. The action plan for West
Bank and Gaza was developed into a draft project
proposal early in 2000 and is expected to be
developed further into a full-fledged project
document.
92. In January 1999, the World Bank formally
established a Consultative Council on Gender in the
Middle East and North Africa Region in order to
formulate solutions to the most pertinent gender
concerns in the area. In the period under review, the
World Bank undertook various assistance programmes
and projects, including:
• Comprehensive development framework
A programme to address the increasing need for a
holistic integrated approach to development
balancing macroeconomic stability with human,
social and structural elements.
• The Second Committee development project
A project designed and implemented with the full
participation of women and included targeted
interventions such as promoting women’s centres
and kindergartens.
• The Palestinian NGO project
A project which financially and technically
supported NGOs that targeted the poor and
marginalized Palestinian population, 70 per cent
of whom were women.
• The education and health rehabilitation project
This project was completed in December 1999. It
provided for appropriate and adequate sanitary
facilities at school sites, promoted the
development of teaching material free of gender
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bias, and aimed at increasing girls’ access to
schools.
• The pilot training centre for disadvantaged youth
Funded through the World Bank Development
Market Place 2000 Competition, the centre would
be created as part of a pilot project that targets
poor rural young women and men who currently
have no training skills useful in today’s job
market.
93. Based on its programme of cooperation with the
Palestinian Authority for the years 1998-2000,
UNICEF addresses gender issues through its
programmes for Palestinian children and women.
94. UNICEF promotes advocacy for women’s rights
by increasing society’s awareness of the scope and
meaning of women’s rights, non-discrimination and
gender equality, using information from all its projects
and education strategies, including better parenting,
gender equity in education and life skills. The UNICEF
strategy also supports an enabling environment that
influences legislation and mobilizes resources for
Palestinian women, in order to monitor and promote
women’s rights. Different types of media are used in
pursuing that strategy, including television, radio, print
media and theatre.
95. Within the women’s health project, UNICEF
supported the following activities aimed at improving
the quality of life of Palestinian women:
• Eight-day training for 75 midwives from primary
and secondary health care settings in the
governmental sector as well as UNRWA and the
Palestinian Red Crescent Society;
• Four-day workshop for 125 maternal care health
professionals on the promotion of woman and
child health and nutrition and the quality of
services;
• Ten-day training for physicians and nurses within
the obstetric and neonatal departments in four
major hospitals;
• The maternal mortality survey being implemented
in the West Bank, which would seek, inter alia, to
identify the most common causes of maternal
death, to strengthen the surveillance system in the
country and to monitor the fate of orphans after
the death of their mothers.
96. During the period under review, UNICEF
supported a five-day training programme on first aid,
health promotion, communication and leadership skills
for 300 nursery teachers in 12 districts, undertaken
within the better parenting initiative implemented with
the Ministry of Social Affairs. UNICEF is currently
supporting the following activities:
• A study on early marriage and dropouts in the
Bethlehem district being conducted to understand
the perception, attitude and practice related to
early marriage, and to examine the relationship
between early marriage and dropping out of
school among females who marry early;
• An awareness-raising campaign on gender and
development issues among students, grades 7
through 10, attending eight schools in the
Bethlehem district;
• A review of new textbooks to assess whether they
are gender sensitive. The results of the review
would be shared with the Ministry of Education;
• Sixteen gender-training workshops targeting 400
education professionals in 8 districts (5 in the
West Bank and 3 in Gaza). The training focuses
on gender awareness and sensitization as well as
on some basic skills to enable the education
professionals to integrate gender into the teaching
process.
97. Gender is mainstreamed in both projects of the
advocacy and capacity-building programme: the
planning, policy formulation and monitoring project
and the children and women in need of special
protection project. During the period under review,
UNICEF worked on the Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey II (still to be completed) aimed at providing
sex-disaggregated data on Palestinian children and
women. Furthermore, UNICEF provided:
• Technical and financial support to the Palestinian
Authority in drafting the Palestinian Child Rights
Charter and ensuring that it was gender sensitive;
• Support to the Palestinian Ministry of Social
Affairs in carrying out a study of orphanages
providing long-term residential care with
emphasis on the under-served girl child;
• Support to efforts aimed at increasing media
coverage of Palestinian children and women,
jointly with the Ministry of Information;
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• Support to the creation of a network of NGOs
working to combat violence against women.
3. Conclusions
98. In the reporting period, the Palestinian Authority,
civil society groups and organizations of the United
Nations system made considerable efforts to improve
the economic and social conditions of Palestinian
women. Yet, despite these efforts and in spite of the
positive trends of the domestic Palestinian economy in
the period under review, women still experienced
unequal access to the labour market and incomegenerating
activities and continued to have higher
unemployment rates than men. Thus, the situation of
women still requires special attention.
99. The status and living conditions of Palestinian
women are linked to the achievement of progress in the
peace process. Women living in the occupied territories
continued to be directly affected by Israeli policies,
especially the closure hindering the efforts undertaken
by the Palestinian Authority, civil society groups and
organizations of the United Nations aimed at advancing
women.
100. Towards the end of the reporting period, violence
between Israeli security forces and Palestinian civilians
erupted in the occupied territories creating great
concern as it jeopardized the peace process and
hindered assistance efforts by the organizations of the
United Nations system. It is important that United
Nations entities continue to be able to operate in the
occupied territories and that efforts are made to
continue working for the advancement and
empowerment of Palestinian women. It is particularly
important that Palestinian women continue to be given
assistance in areas such as education, health, social
services and micro-credit and that efforts are made to
increase their full and equal participation in decisionmaking
and peace programmes.
101. The gender perspective should continue to be
fully integrated in international assistance programmes,
through inter alia, greater gender analysis and the
collection of sex-disaggregated data, which is currently
insufficient. Although the reports of the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the
Human Rights of the Palestinian People in the
Occupied Territories, the United Nations Special
Coordinator for the Middle East Process and the
Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights on Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967
all provided valuable information on the situation in
the occupied territories, they still lack a thorough
gender analysis. Thus, it is important to introduce a
gender perspective in all studies and reports undertaken
by the United Nations on the situation of Palestinian
women.
B. Release of women and children taken
hostage, including those subsequently
imprisoned in armed conflict
102. At its forty-fourth session, the Commission on the
Status of Women adopted resolution 44/1 on the release
of women and children taken hostage, including those
subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflict. The
Commission on the Status of Women requested the
Secretary-General to prepare, taking into account the
information provided by Member States and relevant
international organizations, a report on the
implementation of resolution 44/1 for submission to the
Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-fifth
session in 2001. In pursuance of this mandate, on 20
July 2000, the Secretary-General sent a note verbale to
all States Members of the United Nations. As of 30
November 2000, the Secretariat had received a total of
17 replies from Member States and 12 replies from
relevant entities of the United Nations system.
103. Fourteen Member States reported that they were
not involved in armed conflicts, one Member State
reported that the country’s internal violence had
assumed the characteristics of armed conflict and two
Member States reported that their citizens, including
women and children, were still kept prisoners by the
Government of neighbouring countries with which they
had been in conflict.
104. The Governments of Australia, Brunei
Darussalam, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Marshall
Islands, Morocco, Nauru, Portugal, Thailand and the
United Republic of Tanzania reported that the situation
described in resolution 44/1 did not exist in their
respective countries.
105. Although not involved in situations of armed
conflicts, the Governments of Argentina, China and the
Philippines reported support for international
humanitarian law and support for international
community efforts to stop and prevent conflicts in
order to safeguard the rights of women and children. In
19
E/CN.6/2001/2
addition, the Government of the Philippines also stated
its support for resolution 44/1 and called for the need
to create a monitoring body on the proper
implementation of the resolution and to ensure that
violators were forced to comply.
106. The Government of Spain reported that, although
the issue of armed conflict did not affect it directly, the
Government was involved in cooperation and
development projects in Latin America, including in
many countries suffering from instability and violence
deriving from wars, where mainly women and children
were affected. Some of these projects were
implemented by the Institute of Women through its
“Women and Development” programme, which, inter
alia, aimed to improve the situation of victims,
strengthen good governance and prevent conflicts.
107. The Government of Bolivia reported that,
although there were no armed conflicts within the
country nor between Bolivia and its neighbouring
countries, the eradication of cocaine had created a
problem of violence in the Chapare area and other rural
areas, which had the characteristics of armed conflict
and which affected mainly women and children. The
Government of Bolivia also stated its support for
resolution 44/1 and for international humanitarian law
aimed at protecting women and children in situations
of armed conflict.
108. The Government of Azerbaijan reported that as a
result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, a total of
4,959 citizens of Azerbaijan were counted as missing,
including 71 children, 320 women and 358 elderly
people. Efforts of the State Commission of the
Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages
and Missing People in the 1992-2000 period resulted in
the release from Armenian captivity of a total of 1,086
persons, including 67 children, 243 women and 246
elderly persons. The Government reported that, in
order to address the issue, in December 1999, it
advanced a new initiative in the Committee for
Political Issues of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe confirming that the problems of
prisoners of war, hostages and missing people should
be solved in accordance with the articles of the Geneva
Convention.
109. The Government of Kuwait reported that, as a
result of the 1990 Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, a total of
605 persons, including 7 Kuwaiti women, were held in
detention in Iraq. The Government called for the
immediate publication by Iraq of the names of the
prisoners who were still alive as well as those who had
died. It stated that the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) should be allowed to perform the
assigned tasks in Iraqi prisons and other places of
detention in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.
The Government of Kuwait stated that Iraq should
expedite the tracing process and facilitate the flow of
information related to cases of persons still kept in
detention. It also stated that the Security Council
should exert the necessary pressure on Iraq in order to
bring this humanitarian issue to a conclusion, that this
issue should be raised in the Security Council each
time matters relating to Iraq’s compliance with Council
resolutions were addressed, and that Iraq’s inadequate
response to this issue should be taken into account
whenever new resolutions were adopted.
110. The Secretariat also requested information from
relevant entities of the United Nations system.
111. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations
provided information from six of its field missions.
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
(UNAMSIL) reported that the conflict in Sierra Leone
had been, and continued to be, characterized by a high
incidence of abductions of civilians, including men,
women and children, for the purposes of forced
recruitment, sexual slavery and forced labour. It also
reported that many women and girls were forced to
become the “bush wives” of their abductors and that
social reintegration of released abductees was very
difficult due to the stigmatization that accompanied
rape and the resulting pregnancies.
112. UNAMSIL reported that the Committee for the
Release of Prisoners of War and Non-Combatants,
which was established in July 1999 in accordance with
the Lomé Peace Agreement, continued to meet on a
biweekly basis despite the renewed instances of
fighting in Sierra Leone. It designated its
representatives to carry out regular fact-finding
missions that served to disseminate information about
its activities and any options available to the released
abductees.
113. The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
reported that, according to information collected by the
ICRC, following the transfer of prisoners from Kosovo
to Serbia in June 1999, there were still 950 persons
from Kosovo who remained in detention in Serbia,
including 6 women and 6 minors.
20
E/CN.6/2001/2
114. Since it did not have a mandate to operate within
Serbia, UNMIK was not able to monitor directly the
conditions or proceedings against the women and
children held in detention in Serbia. However, it
continued to highlight the issue of these prisoners and
attempted to rally international support to advocate for
their release. UNMIK also reported that on
1 September 2000, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights appointed a Special
Envoy on persons deprived of liberty in connection
with the Kosovo crisis in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia to seek comprehensive solutions to the
problem of missing persons and detainees from
Kosovo.
115. It was reported by the United Nations Mission in
Georgia (UNOMIG) that, in its area of responsibility,
the long-standing practice of hostage taking, in which
women were sometimes the victims, continued. These
cases were indirectly related to the 1992-1993 armed
conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, which produced difficult
socio-economic conditions, a lack of governance and
effective law enforcement. UNOMIG reported that on 1
June 2000, a UNOMIG patrol, including a woman, was
taken hostage for five days in the Kadori Valley and
that on 4 August 2000, two international field staff
workers of the ICRC, both women, together with their
male local driver, were kidnapped and held for 10 days
in the Pankisi Gorge.
116. UNOMIG reported that in several regions of
Georgia, including Abkhazia, one of the greatest
threats to the local population, representatives of the
international humanitarian organizations and United
Nations personnel, seemed to come from loosely
organized and poorly commanded paramilitary
organizations, some of which may be supported by
political circles while others were exclusively
criminally motivated.
117. UNOMIG stated that the Commission on the
Status of Women should consider the plight of women
and children living in “frozen armed conflict” where
active military operations have ceased, but where
armed combatants remain active. It stated that the
situation of women and children in “frozen armed
conflict” should also be reflected in the Secretary-
General’s report on the implementation of resolution
44/1.
118. The United Nations Transitional Administration
in East Timor (UNTAET) reported that, further to the
violence which erupted in East Timor around the ballot
of last year, more than 250,000 East Timorese, among
them women and children, were forced over the border
to West Timor, Indonesia, where they were kept in
camps, often under the control of militia groups, and
where access to basic needs and services remained
poor. UNTAET reported that, in cooperation with
UNHCR, UNICEF and international NGOs, more than
250 separated children were returned to their families
in East Timor. A further 180 children were also
reunited with their families through the Family
Reunion Programme of UNTAET and UNHCR, aiming
to bring together separated families from each side of
the border.
119. The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in
Cyprus (UNFICYP) stated that it had no relevant
information related to the implementation of resolution
44/1 and the United Nations Mission of Observers in
Prevlaka (UNMOP) reported that, given its military
observer mandate, it has neither the authority, nor the
resources or the capability to investigate such matters.
120. In its regular work, the Department of Public
Information reported that it had contributed to the
implementation of resolution 44/1, particularly through
the widespread dissemination of the international
instruments on the advancement of women and the
human rights of women and children (i.e., the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Beijing
Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its
Optional Protocol), the coverage and promotion of the
Commission on the Status of Women and the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women, the organization of press conferences
in conjunction with special meetings and awarenessraising
activities on the issue.
121. No specific information on women and children
taken hostage was provided by OHCHR, UNDP,
UNRWA, ECA or ESCWA.
Notes
1 The Egypt Country Team included representatives of:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), International Labour Organization (ILO),
International Organization for Migration (IOM), United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United
Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
21
E/CN.6/2001/2
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health
Organization (WHO), and the World Bank.
2 Technical Review Meeting. Assessment of Gender
Mainstreaming and the Empowerment of Women in Sub-
Saharan Africa. A Review of UNDP Support Activities,
20-21 March 2000.
3 In September 1999, the Secretary-General reconfigured
the mandate of the United Nations Special Coordinator
in the Occupied Territories. His title was changed to
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process and Personal Representative of the
Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation
Organization and the Palestinian Authority. In addition
to his responsibilities relating to the occupied Palestinian
territory, the Special Coordinator now also has
responsibilities for coordinating United Nations
development assistance related to the peace process in
Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic
(A/55/137-E/2000/95, para. 2).
4 See United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories report, Spring 2000, Executive Summary.
5 Ibid.
United Nations E/CN.6/2002/3
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
4 January 2002
Original: English
02-20388 (E) 150202
*0220388*
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-sixth session
4-15 March 2002
Item 3 (a) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the special session of the General Assembly entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for
the twenty-first century”: review of gender mainstreaming
in entities of the United Nations system
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2001/2 of 24 July 2001 on the
situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, the
Economic and Social Council expressed concern about
the deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in
the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem,
and requested the Secretary-General to continue to review
the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, and to submit to the Commission on the
Status of Women at its forty-sixth session a report on the
progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report, which covers the period from
September 2000 to September 2001, is based on
information from United Nations bodies or individuals
that monitor the situation of Palestinians in the occupied
Palestinian territory and in the refugee camps in Jordan,
Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and
individuals include the Special Committee to Investigate
Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied
Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the
Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations
Human Rights Inquiry Commission, and the United
Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-
General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and
the Palestinian Authority.
3. The report is also based on information submitted
by entities of the United Nations system providing
assistance to Palestinian people, including the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA) and the World Bank.
II. Situation of Palestinian women
The unfolding of the crisis
4. In the period under review, the region was
marked by the eruption of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, or
* E/CN.6/2002/1.
2
E/CN.6/2002/3
second intifada. That crisis between the parties led to a
year of violent confrontations which left hundreds of
civilians dead, mostly Palestinians (approximately 660
of the over 800 people who died were Palestinians),
and tens of thousands wounded and permanently
disabled,1 including many women and children.
5. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian
People and Other Arabs in the Occupied Territories, in its
reports (A/56/428 and Add.1 and A/56/491) described
several cases of Palestinian women and girls having died
or having been wounded by the Israeli Defence Forces
(IDF) or by Israeli settlers as a result of the second
intifada. For instance, on 3 November 2000, a 14-yearold
Palestinian girl who was on her way back from
school in Bethlehem was killed (see A/56/428). On
another occasion, on 5 January 2001, a 19-year-old
Palestinian woman from Hebron died of wounds from
IDF fire in a clash which had erupted on the West
Bank. On 7 May 2001, a four-month-old Palestinian
baby girl became the youngest person to die in the
ongoing hostilities after IDF tanks opened fire on the
Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The
infant’s mother and grandmother were also seriously
injured by shrapnel (see A/56/428/Add.1). In another
incident, a Palestinian woman, the mother of three
children, was shot by settlers (see A/56/491).
6. The explosive situation on the ground had been
further exacerbated by the Israeli settlement policy, the
protracted internal and external closures of the
occupied Palestinian territory, and the rapid
deterioration of the Palestinian economy over the
course of the year.2
Israeli settlements
7. The expansion of Israeli settlements, the
demolishing of Palestinian homes, the destruction of
land and the building of bypass roads in the occupied
Palestinian territory continued to create difficulties for
the Palestinians. The Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People reported
that, in the period from the beginning of the second
intifada to 12 September 2001, IDF demolished a total
of 559 Palestinian residential buildings and shelled a
total of 3,669 residential buildings. In the same period,
112,900 olive trees were uprooted and 3,669,000
square miles of cultivated land destroyed. During 2001,
the number of settlers in the occupied West Bank and
Gaza Strip increased by 17,000 and reached nearly
227,000.3 Such policies continued to have a deteriorating
effect on Palestinians living in the occupied territory,
including Palestinian women, who, being traditionally
employed in the agricultural sector, suffered markedly
from the destruction of the land they were cultivating.
8. Episodes of violence against the Palestinian
population perpetrated by settlers were frequent. Since
the start of the intifada, settlers have killed 16
Palestinian civilians.4
Movement restrictions and closures
9. The reporting period was characterized by the
most severe restrictions on movement imposed on the
Palestinian population and territory since 1967.5 The
Israeli authorities introduced a policy of recurrent and
often prolonged closures. The mobility of persons,
vehicles and goods was severely restricted on the
borders between the Palestinian territory and Israel,
between the West Bank and Jordan, and between the
Gaza Strip and Egypt. The closure of borders with
Israel resulted in the closure of the safe passage route
established as part of the peace negotiations, while
internal closures within the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip led to the establishment of a dense network of
Israeli checkpoints which, in turn, resulted in traffic
disruption and road blockades.
10. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of Palestinian
People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories
reported that, as a result of the closures, Palestinians were
kept waiting for hours at the crossing points. Women
carrying babies were kept waiting under the heat of the
sun for hours at a time. Delays, increased travel costs
and higher instances of road accidents were repeatedly
experienced by the Palestinians who, in periods of
severe internal closures, were obliged to use secondary
and tertiary roads. The Special Committee reported that in
many instances Palestinians had to change vehicles in
order to go through border crossings (see A/56/491).
During this period, Palestinians often risked intimidation
and harm by military authorities or settlers.6 This situation
deterred many Palestinian women, particularly older
women, from crossing borders for fear of experiencing
intimidation and violence, or because of the
inconvenience of having to wait at the crossing points
for many hours, thus precluding older women from
visiting their children and families.
3
E/CN.6/2002/3
III. Impact of the crisis on Palestinian
women and gender relations and
measures taken to overcome it
Education
11. During the reporting period, schooling was
disrupted by systematic restriction on movement
imposed by Israel, which prevented many Palestinian
children and youths from reaching their schools on a
regular basis. As of June 2001, an estimated 190
schools were reported to have been temporarily closed
owing to Israeli military orders, curfews or physical
damage.7 In the centre of Hebron, 34 schools were
closed, leaving 460 teachers unemployed and 13,000
students without educational facilities (see
E/CN.4/2001/121). Furthermore, 55 per cent of older
students experienced difficulties in reaching institutions
of higher education and over 1,300 Gazan students
enrolled at universities in the West Bank were unable
to access their campuses.8
12. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian
People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories
reported that, in East Jerusalem, an estimated 4,000 to
5,000 Arab children aged between 5 and 18 did not attend
school. Tuition fees for private schools were high and
there continued to be a shortage of public schools. The
city spent only 7 per cent of its education budget on the
Arab sector although Arabs constituted 33 per cent of
the population. Girls continued to suffer from the
insufficient number of schools for them. In the area of
Sur Baher, for instance, there was not a single public
school for girls (see A/56/428/Add.1).
13. In order to address the situation, the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), through the Ministry
of Education of the Palestinian Authority and nongovernmental
organizations supported a communitybased
education programme in Hebron, involving
approximately 200 teachers, which allowed 12,000
children to continue their studies (see A/56/123).
UNICEF organized summer training camps for youths
as well as education classes for illiterate women. The
latter initiative benefited 66 women.
14. Data showed that, in the 2000-2001 academic
year, 477,216 pupils were enrolled in the elementary,
preparatory and secondary schools of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), of whom
238,903, or 50.1 per cent, were women. Women
accounted for 74 per cent of participants in the
UNRWA pre- and in-service teacher training courses
and for 65.2 per cent of trainees in the UNRWA
technical/semi-professional courses. Of the 431
continuing UNRWA scholarships in 2000-2001, 43.9
per cent were held by women. That number was lower
than the number of scholarships offered by UNRWA
during the preceding year (673), 45.3 per cent of which
benefited women.
15. UNRWA has reported that, during 2000-2001, 25
Palestinian women in Lebanon benefited from a
scholarship project aimed at women and managed by
UNRWA on behalf of the Canadian International
Development Research Centre. Women also held 40
per cent of senior managerial posts in the UNRWA
Department of Education.
16. The United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), through its Sustainable Human Development
Unit, developed a project for a gender-sensitive education
system aimed at assisting educational organizations in
elaborating gender-sensitive curricula which address the
specific needs of girls and boys. Teachers were trained to
develop modules that incorporated gender concerns into
the learning process. The project covered public,
private and UNRWA schools.
Health
17. The current emergency situation has caused a
severe breakdown in preventive services, including
immunization, maternal and child health care and
family services. Closures restricted the movement of
patients, medical personnel and medical supplies, thus
preventing many sick and injured people from
accessing the care they needed and resulting in a
significant increase in home deliveries, premature
deliveries and stillbirths. The health system was under
strain, owing particularly to the additional care needed
by thousands of individuals who were wounded during
the crisis.
18. Restrictions on movement limited access to
primary and specialized health care, especially for
Palestinians living in rural areas. The sick and
wounded, as well as pregnant women, faced restricted
access to hospitals. The Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human
4
E/CN.6/2002/3
Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories reported that 70 per cent of the
citizens in Palestinian areas could not receive medical
treatment in hospitals. Many patients died at
checkpoints while waiting in ambulances. Owing to
restrictions, pregnant women could not go for regular
check-ups and some of those women delivered babies
while waiting at checkpoints.
19. The Special Committee also reported a fivefold
increase in the ratio of home deliveries since the start
of the intifada (see A/56/491). UNRWA statistics point
to a decline in the utilization of reproductive health
services at health facilities. During the crisis, women’s
access to prenatal care has declined by 18 per cent,
deliveries in health facilities have declined by 15 per
cent, postnatal care has declined by 13 per cent and
access to family planning services has declined by 12
per cent.9
20. In order to address the situation, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has assumed a leadership role in
advocacy and the coordination of the health resources
deployed in the occupied Palestinian territory and has
set up and coordinated the field task force in the West
Bank.10
21. UNRWA has reported that the Palestine refugee
population had one of the highest birth rates in the
occupied Palestinian territory. Approximately one third
of women married before the age of 18 years and an
equal proportion of women of reproductive age
suffered from iron deficiency anaemia. The social,
economic and cultural context of women’s health has
remained underestimated. In order to address those
challenges, UNRWA has provided maternal and child
health care and family planning services and sustained
full immunization coverage for women and children
against vaccine-preventable diseases. Those services
were supplemented by school health services and the
provision of iron supplements for women throughout
pregnancy and post-delivery, as well as by health
educational programmes on the prevention of tobacco
use and prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually
transmitted diseases. The services were implemented as
multisectoral activities targeting school children and
women’s programme centres.
22. The programme of assistance of the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was adjusted to
address the needs determined by the crisis, particularly
in relation to basic health services and systems. The
emergency assistance included reproductive health
supplies, commodities, contraceptives and necessary
equipment. It also included training of midwives on
basic emergency obstetric care. Through its
programme, UNFPA funded three comprehensive
women’s health centres in Jabalya, Hebron and El
Bureij (Gaza Strip).
23. UNFPA also launched a regional gender initiative
aimed at integrating gender in reproductive health as
well as in developing a monitoring and evaluation
system with country-specific indicators. UNFPA, in
collaboration with UNICEF and the Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics, also worked on a project to
improve adolescent lives through the integration of
sexual and reproductive health into the curriculum of
girls’ secondary schools. Support for women’s health
care was also provided through the strengthening of the
Women’s Health and Development Directorate at the
Ministry of Health.
24. In Lebanon, in collaboration with the Palestinian
Red Crescent Society, UNICEF undertook a health
education campaign which reached 85 per cent of
women living in the camps. The campaign included
topics such as family planning, safe motherhood
practices, control of the spread of HIV and other
infectious diseases, personal hygiene, and prevention
of malnutrition. In West Bank and Gaza, UNICEF
provided psychosocial support for Palestinian women
and youth affected by the crisis through projects such
as telephone hotlines for counselling.
25. UNICEF’s Health and Nutrition Programme
included the “Women’s Health Project” which, beside
upgrading the Obstetrics and Neonatal Units in four
Government-operated hospitals, provided more than
140 doctors and nurses with training.
Economy
26. The border closures mentioned in paragraphs 9
and 10 above had a devastating effect on the
Palestinian economy. In his report on the Palestinian
economy, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process and Personal Representative of the
Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation
Organization and the Palestinian Authority (UNSCO)
stated that, according to estimates from the Palestinian
Authority’s Ministry of Finance and the International
Monetary Fund, the Palestinian economy was expected
5
E/CN.6/2002/3
to continue to grow as it had grown for the past three
years and that real growth rates for gross domestic
product and gross national product for the Palestinian
territory were expected to reach 5 and 6 per cent,
respectively. Instead, the imposition of movement
restrictions and border closures has disrupted the
economic progress of the occupied Palestinian territory.
27. Estimates by the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator indicate that the total income
losses of the Palestinian economy since the start of the
second intifada ranged from $1.8 billion to $2.5
billion.11 Core unemployment rose from the low of 10
per cent reached in September 2000 to 28.3 per cent by
the end of 2000. Despite moderate improvements
between the fourth quarter of 2000 and the first quarter
of 2001, core unemployment remained high at 26.9 per
cent of the workforce. Using a broader measure to
include “discouraged workers”,12 unemployment
amounted to 37.8 per cent, an increase of 78 per cent
from the pre-crisis levels.13 According to the World
Bank, poverty rates in the occupied Palestinian
territory were expected to reach 43.8 per cent by the
end of 2001 (see A/56/428), meaning that half of the
population would have lived on $2.00 or less a day.
28. The crisis has exerted a structural impact on the
Palestinian labour market. While the proportion of
wage workers and employers in the labour force
declined steeply, particularly as more than 110,000
Palestinian labourers were prevented from working in
Israel (see A/56/428), the number of unpaid family
workers and self-employed rose. That led to an
increase in the “informalization” of the economy as
well as to the worsening of labour market conditions in
the context of declining domestic production and
income.14 Considering that women are highly
represented in the informal labour force, that situation
affected women adversely. In situations of crises and
widespread poverty, women are forced to take additional
economic and social burdens upon themselves.
29. Although comprehensive data on household
coping strategies were scarce, existing information
suggested that, owing to the increase in poverty, most
Palestinian households had reduced overall consumption
and were starting to spend their savings. According to a
public opinion poll by Birzeit University in February
2001, 84 per cent of respondents indicated that, in order
to cope with the economic downturn, they had reduced
expenditures, while 55 per cent had spent accumulated
savings. Furthermore, 43 per cent of respondents had
taken new loans and 22 per cent had sold dowry or
wedding gifts.15
30. Where women were heads of households, due to
the death of their husband or other family members,
they had to adapt to changes, including changes in their
family role, under strained economic conditions. As a
result, many women experienced severe psychological
trauma. However, the changing role of women within
the family, if accompanied by adequate economic
conditions, might provide opportunities for women’s
empowerment as women gain new decision-making
powers within the household.
31. In order to counter the disastrous economic
effects of income and job losses, the organizations of
the United Nations system have provided assistance
through various welfare and income-generating projects.
32. In 2000-2001, UNRWA, through its Income
Generation Programme, granted loans valued at $1.9
million to 3,385 women who supported 22,481
dependants. Since 1994, the Solidarity Group Lending
Programme provided loans worth $12.7 million to
18,182 women organized into 2,787 solidarity groups.
Those women were granted loans through a graduated
lending methodology that allowed them to obtain larger
loans at the end of each successful repayment cycle.
The programme was self-sufficient with all operational
costs and loan loss provisions covered from revenues
generated by lending and banking activities. As a result
of the current crisis, the annual repayment rate for the
programme fell from 98.65 per cent to 87.4 per cent.
33. In its women’s development project in Lebanon,
UNICEF supported the camp committees’ microcredit
revolving loan scheme, giving priority to ensuring that
women benefited directly from the loans. Half of the
loans were given to female-headed households and
promoted women’s economic self-reliance. The project
provided 350 loans as start-up capital, directly
benefiting some 2,000 persons. For sustainability and
close monitoring purposes, the management of the
loans was turned over to the women's union and camp
committees.
34. In the West Bank and Gaza, the World Bank
allocated $12 million towards job-creation projects.
The projects benefited mainly men as they constituted
the majority of workers in infrastructure rehabilitation
and agricultural sectors. However, 15 per cent of the
jobs created went to women and the percentage of
women who benefited indirectly was much higher.
6
E/CN.6/2002/3
35. The World Bank also implemented the “Second
Community Development Project”, which identified
the need to include women on microprojects’
committees. The project included targeted
interventions, such as promoting women’s training
centres and nursery schools in order to benefit women
directly. Through the Palestinian NGO Project, the
World Bank financed 105 projects which provided
development grants. Fifteen per cent of those projects
benefited women directly.
36. Through its “Development Market Place 2000
Competition”, the World Bank awarded a pilot project
on “Pilot Training Centre for Disadvantaged Youth”
which aimed to empower both young women and men
through skills training.
37. UNRWA provided direct food and material
assistance to special hardship case families, around 47
to 50 per cent of which were headed by women. From
July 2000 until June 2001, a total of 33,172
participants benefited from the various activities of the
Women’s Programme Centre, such as skills training,
awareness-raising lectures on health, social, gender,
civic and disability issues as well as legal counselling,
play centres and nursery schools. Furthermore, the
Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) issued over
$600,000 in loans to more than 160 women. The
Solidarity Group Lending Programme had reached out
to more than 260 women’s groups since project-startup,
with a total amount of over $400,000. Self-support
programmes, which provided part-grant, part-loan
financial allocations to special hardship case families
to help them reach financial self-sustainability,
benefited over 131 women and their families.
IV. Other measures for women’s
empowerment
Human rights
38. With regard to violence and human rights,
Palestinian women were impacted at different levels
during the reporting period. On one hand, methods of
arrest, administrative detention, methods of
interrogation, conditions of detention and limited
access to family and lawyers had a severe impact on
Palestinians (see A/56/491). On the other hand,
Palestinian women suffered from gender-related
violence within society as well as within the family.
39. With regard to violence from Israeli authorities,
the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable
Rights of the Palestinian People reported that there
were 2,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, many
of whom continued to be subjected to psychological
pressure and physical torture. The Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human
Rights of Palestinian People and Other Arabs in the
Occupied Territories reported that there were 10 female
Palestinian detainees in the Ramla Prison Female
Section. The Special Committee reported the case of
one woman who was beaten and had her hands and legs
shackled to a bed from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. for two days. It
also reported the case of two women who were kept in
the same section as Israeli criminal prisoners and were
subjected to attacks and harassment on a daily basis
(see A/56/491). Those women prisoners protested
against the prevailing conditions and asked for due
representation, access to books, the media, letters,
family visits and medical assistance. However, the
prison administration did not respond to their demands.
Female political leaders were kept together with Israeli
criminal prisoners also in the Megiddo prison, where,
owing to security reasons, family visits or telephone
calls were restricted and access to lawyers was denied.
40. The Special Committee also reported that, on 23
January 2001, a Palestinian woman, suspected of luring
an Israeli teenager to his death via an Internet
relationship, petitioned the High Court of Justice
demanding the right to meet with her lawyer. In her
petition, she complained against the interrogation
procedures of General Security Service interrogators.
However, on 15 February 2001, the High Court of
Justice issued a ruling stating that it was legal for the
General Security Service to adopt interrogation
procedures which would prevent suspects from
sleeping, as long as the intention was to advance an
investigation (see A/56/428).
41. With regard to gender-related violence within
society and the family, a study funded by UNDP, and
undertaken prior to the beginning of the second
intifada, assessed the existing gaps hindering women
from attaining equality and social justice within
Palestinian society.16 The study pointed out that
Palestinian women and girls suffered from “honour
crimes”, rape, incest and other forms of violence,
particularly at the family level. For instance, the study
suggested that annually, several girls were either killed
or threatened with death for tarnishing “family” honour
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and that, in the period between 1996 and 1999, 38
cases of “honour crimes” had been documented. It also
reported that, according to 1998 statistics issued by the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, a total of 115
cases of rape or attempted rape occurred in the
occupied Palestinian territory. However, given the
taboo surrounding the issue of domestic violence,
according to the study, figures did not necessarily
adequately reflect the volume of the problem. Gender
discrimination was also inherent in criminal legislation
whereby the crimes of rape, indecent assault and incest
fell under the category of “crimes against public morals
and ethics” rather than “crimes against individuals”. Such
crimes were thus punished with shorter sentences.17
42. In situations of conflict or complex emergencies
worldwide, many cases of increasing violence against
women and girls are documented. Thus, it might be
possible that, even in the occupied Palestinian territory,
gender-related violence against women and girls was
exacerbated by the political situation owing to the
widespread frustration that the conflict was creating
among Palestinians.
43. In order to address the issue of violence, the
United Nations Development Fund for Women
(UNIFEM) implemented a project entitled “Helping
victims of sexual abuse in Palestinian and Jordanian
societies: strategies to aid disclosure and promote
gender awareness within the criminal justice system” in
February 2001. The project, implemented through the
work of the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and
Counselling in Ramallah and the Jordanian Women’s
Union, focused on the sexual abuse of women and the
stigma that surrounded the disclosure of such abuse.
Project activities included the organization of workshops
with girls and boys in public schools, aimed at creating a
more open environment to discuss abuse as well as the
production of a database on honour killings.
44. The Sustainable Human Development Unit of
UNDP, through the Women’s Rights Campaign, funded
three television spots on violence against women, as
well as a study day on “poverty and violence” in
relation to Palestinian women. In order to address the
issue of women’s human rights, UNDP also supported
the formulation of “A gap analysis report on the status
of women in the Palestinian territories in the
framework of the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women”, carried out
in cooperation with the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid
and Counselling.
Peace and security
45. In the follow-up to Security Council resolution
1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, which recognized the
important role played by women in conflict prevention
and resolution as well as post-conflict peace-building,
the Arab States Regional Office of UNIFEM, together
with the Jerusalem office of UNDP, carried out a study
on the impact of armed conflict on Palestinian women,
in collaboration with the Women’s Department of
Birzeit University. The study undertook an analysis of
the ways in which the current conflict had altered the
status and situation of women, both individually and
within the Palestinian community, and how those
changes impacted on the provision of social services,
education and advocacy support for women in the
Palestinian territory. It was expected to be completed
by the end of 2001.
Decision-making
46. Despite the contributions of Palestinian women in
most areas of development, their participation in the
process of decision-making was remarkably low. Data
from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
indicated that, in 1996, women represented only 6 per
cent of Legislative Council members, 8 per cent of
Palestine National Council members, 8 per cent of
Ministers and 8 per cent of Labour Union members.18
In the judiciary, there were three female judges, but
there was no woman judge in the religious courts.19
There were insufficient statistics on the membership
rate of women to make any assessment of the
participation of women in all the political parties.
47. On the issue of women in decision-making,
UNIFEM funded a project on the Empowerment of
women’s leadership which was implemented by the
Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global
Dialogue and Democracy. The project promoted gender
awareness and capacity-building among Palestinian
media professionals.
Awareness-raising
48. In order to create awareness about the situation of
Palestinian women regionally and worldwide, the
United Nations Department of Public Information
undertook several activities. United Nations Radio
produced numerous radio programmes, including a
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programme entitled “Women in black gain
prominence”. This international movement of women,
initiated in 1988 by a group of Israeli women
protesting the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian
territory, spread to many countries as a movement
against violence. The Middle East Radio Unit produced
seven features on the social, economic and political
hardships faced by women in the occupied Palestinian
territory. Among its activities on the question of
Palestine, the Department of Public Information also
organized a training programme for a group of nine
Palestinian media practitioners, including four women,
aimed at strengthening their professional capacity as
media personnel.
Gender mainstreaming
49. UNIFEM implemented a regional project entitled
“Post Beijing follow-up operation — phase II”, which
achieved tangible results in building the institutional
and organizational capacity of the General Union of
Palestinian Women, as well as that of the Inter-
Ministerial Committee for the Advancement of
Women, to implement their national strategies and
action plans for the advancement of women in the
Palestinian territory. The project built the capacity of
gender focal points in non-governmental organizations
and line ministries to effectively advocate and mobilize
Governments and other stakeholders to integrate a
gender equality perspective into national planning and
policy-making. It also played a facilitating role in
establishing a network of Palestinian journalists around
gender issues.
50. The UNDP Sustainable Human Development
Unit reported that it was developing a comprehensive
strategy to build capacity among the staff of the UNDP
Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People to
adopt a gender mainstreaming approach on the
programme and project level and, more generally, to
raise the level of awareness on gender issues.
51. The UNDP Sustainable Human Development
Unit also initiated a project to support women’s units
within various ministries. Furthermore, it funded the
establishment of a Gender Statistics Unit at the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, whose purpose
was to strengthen the Bureau’s capacity to produce and
disseminate statistics related to gender issues.
V. Conclusions
52. In the reporting period, the violent conflict
between Israel and the Palestinians had a significant
negative effect on Palestinian women. Many women
were killed or wounded and/or lost their husbands,
children or other family members. Furthermore, the
economic and social conditions of women were
severely affected by the crisis as poverty rates
continued to increase while access to basic services,
such as education and health, was severely curtailed for
women and girls.
53. During the crisis, the Palestinian Authority, civil
society groups and organizations of the United Nations
system have made considerable efforts to improve the
conditions of Palestinian women and to encourage a
negotiated solution. In particular, the United Nations
organizations and specialized agencies reacted
immediately to the emergency situation and shifted
their focus from long-term sustainable development
projects to the implementation of humanitarian
assistance programmes aimed at meeting the urgent
requirements of Palestinian women.20
54. In view of the current crisis, it is essential that
United Nations entities continue to operate in the
occupied territory and the refugee camps and that the
focus on the advancement of women, particularly in
areas such as education, health, social welfare, human
rights, employment and economic empowerment, is
strengthened. The meaningful work undertaken by
UNRWA, as regards activities which benefit some 3.8
million Palestine refugees, including women and
children, should be further supported.
55. Since the status and living conditions of
Palestinian women are linked to the achievement of a
peaceful resolution of the conflict, new efforts need to
be made by the international community in order to end
the violent confrontations in the occupied Palestinian
territory. In this regard, it is particularly important that
women are fully involved in any conflict-resolution
and peace-building initiatives to be undertaken in the
region in accordance with the Beijing Platform for
Action and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). It
is also important that efforts be made to increase
women’s full participation in decision-making
processes at all levels.
56. The gender perspective should continue to be
fully integrated in international assistance programmes,
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through, inter alia, greater gender analysis and the
collection of sex-disaggregated data. It is also
important that a gender perspective be introduced in all
studies and reports undertaken by the United Nations
on the situation of the Palestinian people.
Notes
1 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth
Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/56/35).
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 See the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator
in the Occupied Territories on the Palestinian Economy,
Spring 2001, 6 September 2001, Gaza, Occupied
Palestinian Territory, p. 1.
6 Ibid., p. 2.
7 See the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator
in the Occupied Territories on the impact on the
Palestinian economy of confrontation, border closures
and mobility restrictions, 1 October 2000 to 30 June
2001, Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory, p. 16.
8 Ibid.
9 These UNRWA statistics were taken from a presentation
made by the United Nations Population Fund entitled
“Aspects of the crises: clashes between Palestinians and
Israelis”.
10 Ibid.
11 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth
Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/56/35).
12 “Discouraged workers” included those who exited the
labour force and those of working age who never entered
the labour force owing to their belief that it would have
been impossible to find a job (see the report of the
United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories on the Palestinian economy, Spring 2001, 6
September 2001, Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory,
p. 17).
13 See the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator
in the Occupied Territories on the impact on the
Palestinian economy of confrontation, border closures
and mobility restrictions, 1 October 2000 to 30 June
2001, Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory, p. 10.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid., p. 30.
16 See the gap analysis report on the status of Palestinian
women in the context of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, 2001, pp. 5-8.
17 Ibid., p. 9.
18 Statistics were taken from the web site of the Palestinian
Bureau of Statistics (http://www.pcbs.org/english/
gender/gdr.htm).
19 See the gap analysis report on the status of Palestinian
women in the context of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, 2001, p. 14.
20 The humanitarian assistance programmes of the United
Nations system were coordinated through the
Humanitarian Task Force for Emergency Needs,
established on 3 October 2000. The Task Force was
chaired by the United Nations Special Coordinator in the
Occupied Territories and comprised representatives of
the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations system, the
donor community, the International Committee of the
Red Cross and key international non-governmental
organizations (see A/56/123-E/2001/97 and Corr.1).
United Nations E/CN.6/2003/3
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
27 December 2002
Original: English
02-75990 (E) 300103
*0275990*
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-seventh session
3-14 March 2003
Item 3 (a) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women
and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for
the twenty-first century”: review of gender mainstreaming
in entities of the United Nations system
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
September 2001 and September 2002. It reviews the effects on the situation of
women of Israeli settlements and movement restrictions and closures, as well as the
effects of the unfolding humanitarian crisis. The report provides an overview of the
assistance provided to Palestinian women by entities of the United Nations system, in
particular with regard to economic activities, humanitarian assistance, education and
training, health, the human rights of women and the media. The report concludes
with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2003/1.
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2002/25 of 24 July 2002 on the situation of and assistance to
Palestinian women, the Economic and Social Council expressed concern about the
continuing dangerous deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and requested the Secretary-
General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all
available means, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its
forty-seventh session a report on the progress made in the implementation of the
resolution.
2. The present report, which covers the period from September 2001 to
September 2002, assesses the situation of Palestinian women based on information
from United Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon
and the Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee on
the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the United Nations
Human Rights Inquiry Commission, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on
Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied
by Israel since 1967, and the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle
East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the
Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. Despite occasional
references to the situation of women, the reports of these bodies and individuals
rarely provided in-depth analysis of the specific situation of women within the
overall population during the reporting period. Two recent studies, focusing on the
situation of women, were also consulted in the preparation of the report.1
3. The report further reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM),
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food
Programme (WFP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO) and the World Bank.
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. In the period under review, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including major towns such as Jenin, Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem, was
characterized by continued violence, which left hundreds of civilians dead and
thousands of Palestinians, including women and children, wounded (A/57/63-
E/2002/21, para. 4; see A/ES-10/186, sect. III). Between 28 September 2000 and 31
January 2002, the records of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East indicate that an estimated 558 Palestinians were
killed in the West Bank, and an estimated 364 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza
Strip (A/57/63-E/2002/21, para. 4). Women have been injured near or inside their
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homes or when attempting to cross checkpoints. They have also assumed the major
responsibility as caregivers to the injured.
5. In May 2002, the Security Council held an Arria Formula meeting with two
women, one Israeli and one Palestinian. The closed meeting provided an opportunity
for the members of the Security Council to hear the views of women from the
region, including on the importance of women’s equal participation and full
involvement in all conflict resolution efforts in the region.
Israeli settlements
6. The expansion of the Israeli settlements, the demolition of Palestinian homes,
the destruction of land and the building of bypass roads in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory continued to create difficulties for the Palestinians.2 In the Gaza Strip over
400 houses were completely destroyed and 200 seriously damaged, leaving over
5,000 persons homeless (E/CN.4/2002/32, para. 29). Women are affected by house
demolitions that usually render whole families homeless, with little or no means to
rebuild their homes. Carried out without prior notice, families usually find
themselves without clothes, food, furniture or other basic necessities, increasing the
hardship for women who carry household responsibilities.3
Movement restrictions and closures
7. Movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has been severely restricted
(E/CN.4/2002/32, para. 33), with Palestinians being subject to a variety of internal
and external closures, curfews, roadblocks and restrictions that prevent or seriously
inhibit movement and generally keep people confined to their villages or cities and
often to their homes for extended periods, making it extremely difficult for the great
majority of civilians, including women, to sustain their livelihoods.4
The unfolding humanitarian crisis
8. On 7 August 2002, the Secretary-General appointed Catherine Bertini as his
Personal Humanitarian Envoy, who travelled to the region (11-19 August) to assess
the nature and scale of the humanitarian crisis, review humanitarian needs and
propose recommendations for action. The mission concluded that there was a serious
humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, inextricably linked to the
ongoing conflict, and characterized it as a crisis of access and mobility.5 During her
mission, the Envoy also met with women’s groups.
9. As a consequence of the restrictions on movement, normal economic activity,
movement of persons and goods, and access to basic services throughout the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip have been paralysed, with devastating effects on the
Palestinian economy (A/ES-10/186, para. 37 [d]) and sharp declines in all sectors,
especially in agriculture, industry, commerce and tourism. Daily Palestinian income
losses have been estimated at some $7.6 million. Since the start of the current
intifada, overall income losses have been estimated at $3.3 billion.6
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10. The severe economic depression in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has led
to an increase in poverty, including among women. The Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator estimates that the 60 per cent poverty rate has already been
reached, with levels at approximately 55 per cent in the West Bank and 70 per cent
in the Gaza Strip. Total economic breakdown has been prevented only with
continued injections of budgetary support from international donors. Donor aid,
currently at $900 million United States dollars (US$) annually, cannot come close to
covering the cumulative losses.7
11. Lack of domestic economic activity has led to an almost 20 per cent
contraction in employment,8 raising the unemployment rate from 11 per cent in the
third quarter of 2000 to 78 per cent in the second quarter of 2002.9 This decline has
also affected women’s labour force participation, which has remained persistently
low. Women have been severely affected by the decline in the agriculture sector as
they play a major role in agriculture production for the household economy, and loss
of land, or of access to land, deprives them of a vital source of income for the
household. The decline in agricultural activities not only greatly increases the
burden on women to provide for their families, but also negatively affects their
status within the household and society.10
12. Access to water has been greatly affected by closures owing to obstacles
placed in the way of water lorries, the destruction of wells, rooftop water tanks and
rain collection pools by shelling, the damaging of water resources by settlers and
soldiers and the high consumption of water by settlers (E/CN.4/2002/32, para. 36).
The plight of some 200,000 Palestinians who do not have access to a water network
and rely mostly on rainfall remains especially difficult. Water costs have tripled in
some areas, making it more difficult for families to meet their basic domestic and
vital needs. Some of the population reportedly went into debt to purchase water,
while others cut consumption or used unclean supplies.11 The water used is of
extremely poor quality and has a detrimental effect on people’s health, in particular
on the most vulnerable population groups — children, women and the elderly.12
13. The ongoing conflict has affected the nutritional and health status of women
and children. A recent study funded by the United States Agency for International
Development13 found widespread malnutrition, in particular among children and
women of childbearing age, with a significant proportion of chronically
malnourished children. Children’s levels of moderate and severe malnourishment
were found to be at 13.2 per cent for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip combined,
with rates in the Gaza Strip five times those of the West Bank (17.5 per cent and 3.5
per cent, respectively). The study also found that women in the Gaza Strip showed a
tendency towards a greater prevalence of anaemia, which can lead to low birthweight
infants and premature delivery among pregnant women. A market survey
within the study found that market disruptions from curfews, closures, military
incursions, border closures and checkpoints affected access to key high protein
foods, especially meat and poultry and dairy products, and in particular, infant
formula and powdered milk. It also found that a significant portion of the population
could not afford high protein foods, and nearly a third had difficulty affording basic
inexpensive staples such as bread and rice.
14. According to the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of
the Occupied Territories, the adverse impact of closures and prolonged curfews on
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Palestinian villages and towns severely restricted the access of civilians, especially
women, to life-saving services such as emergency obstetric care (see A/57/207).
Indicators of a breakdown in preventive services in the West Bank, in particular,
include an increase in stillbirths and low birth-weight rates, late registration and
irregular attendance of pregnant women for antenatal care (see A/57/63-E/2002/21).
According to witnesses, the current crisis has adversely affected not only
Palestinians’ general physical health and health-care facilities, but also their
psychosocial well-being. Trauma and stress have already become a serious health
problem, especially for women and young people (see A/57/207).
15. The human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has also
deteriorated seriously, with severe violations of the human rights of the Palestinian
civilian population and a rapid escalation of violence in the region. A report
prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (A/57/63-
E/2002/21) described the serious gender impacts of the crisis and reported that
incidences of gender-based violence within families had been multiplying. The
report also stated that the destruction of homes and the death of male heads of
household, coupled with men’s frustration owing to unemployment and immobility,
have resulted in a sharp increase in incest and domestic violence. According to a
UNIFEM study,14 Palestinian women have been subjected to various violations of
their human rights including forced displacement, loss of employment and lack of
health services. It reported that over the years many women had been arrested for
political reasons, held in solitary confinement, forced to give birth in their prison
cells, tortured, verbally and sexually threatened, and abused.
16. Education at all levels has suffered seriously since the beginning of the crisis.
Some schools have been used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as military
outposts; others have been bombed; over a hundred have come under fire, both in
the daytime when the schools are in session and at night. School attendance has been
hampered by checkpoints, which prevent both pupils and teachers from reaching
school on time, and by military curfews. Schools have lost considerable teaching
time as a result of interruption and closures; absenteeism is rife as schools no longer
provide a secure environment; and academic performance has deteriorated
(E/CN.4/2002/32, para. 45).
17. Female pupils and teachers tend to be affected more gravely by the increased
problems of access to education and the dangers involved in travelling to and from
school, as well as the danger students and teachers are exposed to in schools.
Parents have prohibited daughters from attending classes out of fear for their safety,
and female pupils and teachers walk long distances in deserted areas to avoid
soldiers and settlers. Female teachers are more likely to discontinue working owing
to these dangers and to gender-based social perceptions that reduce the woman’s
role in public life.15
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
18. While the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has made it
difficult for international organizations to provide direct assistance to Palestinian
women, the organizations of the United Nations system have continued to respond to
their needs.
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Economic activities
19. In its Medium-Term Plan for 2002-2005 and its current programme of work
and priorities for 2002-2003, the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia has given special attention to the socio-economic situation of Palestinian
people in general and to Palestinian women in particular. In collaboration with the
Arab Gulf Programme for the United Nations Development Organizations and the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in Damascus, ESCWA is also executing a
project to provide gender-sensitive socio-economic data on the situation of
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, more than 60 per
cent of whom are women.
20. The United Nations Development Programme has continued to provide support
and services to women-owned household economy projects in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. One project aims to create opportunities for women to
establish new, or rehabilitate and maintain existing, household economy activities to
increase their production and sales volume and improve their financial and technical
capacities. The ultimate objective of the project is to secure additional income for
poor families, especially in the existing situation, with efforts directed at the poorest
areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. So far, two Palestinian non-governmental
organizations have been contracted to implement such projects in the West Bank.
UNDP also supported the establishment of a women’s design centre in Bethlehem,
which aims to increase the income of rural and urban artisan women and contribute
to their sustainable livelihood by promoting Palestinian handicrafts in local and
international markets.
21. The United Nations Development Fund for Women launched and continues to
support a regional resource network of women’s small and microenterprises in the
Gaza Strip as well as in Lebanon, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic. The aim of
the project is to increase women’s access to and control over economic resources by
upgrading their technical and financial business management skills. The network
also aims to strengthen the outreach and sustainability of gender-sensitive small and
medium-sized enterprise development programmes, and it promotes cooperation
between such institutions.
22. During the period 2001/2002 the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East delivered economic assistance to Palestinian
refugees through the provision of credit to microentrepreneurs. UNRWA’s
microfinance and microenterprise programme granted 2,893 loans to women, valued
at $1.36 million. Until the onset of the economic crisis resulting from the closures
and restrictions on movement of Palestinian labour and commodities beginning in
October 2000, the programme had been fully self-sufficient, covering its costs from
credit operations. In 2001, the programme’s rate of self-sufficiency fell to 89 per
cent as expenditures outstripped income, with declining repayment rates and a
reduction in loan size brought about by the closures and economic decline. As a
result of the current crisis, the annual repayment rate for the product fell from 97 per
cent in 1999 to 91 per cent in 2001 and to 83 per cent in the first half of 2002.
However, despite the loss in portfolio efficiency and quality, the women’s credit
product continued to perform adequately in the face of the enormous pressures
facing the business community, and it remains one of the only sources of credit for
women microentrepreneurs.
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23. From July 2001 to June 2002, UNRWA assisted approximately 6 per cent of its
poorest registered refugees (special hardship case families). Out of a total
population of almost 4 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA, 43 to 52
per cent, depending on the field of operation, are families headed by women. The
Agency’s special hardship assistance provided those families with a critical safety
net in the form of food support and selective cash assistance. The Agency also
promoted community participation by and community services for Palestinian
refugee women through 70 women’s programme centres, which included
occupational training programmes, kindergartens and nurseries. A total of 40,240
participants, mainly women and children, benefited from these services.
Furthermore, the Agency promoted the self-reliance of Palestinian refugee women
through its poverty alleviation programme, which issued $81,750 in small loans
during the period under review to more than 70 women and through the solidarity
group lending product, which assisted 261 women’s support groups with a total of
$371,186. Other self-support programmes, which provided part-grant, part-loan
financing to help special hardship case families generate income, benefited more
than 25 women and their families, with a total amount of $59,265.
24. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization established an
integrated support programme to Palestinian industry with a focus on industrial
upgrading. The programme is comprised of two major components: (a) building
capacity of the Ministry of Industry; and (b) building capacity of the private sector
with five subcomponents respectively. While the programme does not have a
specific component of assistance to Palestinian women, during the period under
review, women were trained in quality management and enterprise upgrading.
Women also participated in the training on UNIDO business performance software,
and received training in Quality and Enterprise Diagnostic.
25. The ILO Regional Office for Arab States has undertaken activities to provide
assistance to Palestinian women. An interregional programme on capacity-building
for gender equality, employment promotion and poverty eradication in selected
countries of Western Asia and North Africa and in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
is currently under implementation. The main objectives of the programme are to
enhance capacities at local, national and regional levels to address the linkages
between gender, poverty and employment, and to develop and implement antipoverty
employment policies and programmes that contribute to gender equality.
The International Labour Organization has also developed several projects aimed at
strengthening the national capacity for promoting women’s security and
employability in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and at strengthening women’s
participation in Palestinian trade unions. The ILO also reported that disruption
created by the crisis made it impossible to implement the action plan for gender
mainstreaming in the Ministry of Labour that it had developed in 2000.
26. In response to the emergency needs, the World Bank manages a total of over
$25 million bilateral donor funds destined for job-creation projects. One of the main
selection criteria is a project’s ability to benefit women directly. The West Bank and
Gaza: second community development project, funded by the World Bank, identifies
the need to integrate criteria such as inclusion of women, youth and the poor in
social appraisals. Targeted interventions, such as promoting kindergartens and
training centres for women, will benefit women directly. Under this project, a series
of meetings attended only by women enabled them to voice their opinion on the
design and implementation of different project components.
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27. The World Bank is also implementing its emergency services support project,
approved by the Bank’s Executive Directors in February 2002, which aims to
mitigate the deterioration of basic social and municipal services brought about by
the ongoing conflict and its negative effects on economic activity and revenue. The
project will, among other things, improve the availability of basic services in the
health sector, sustain municipal waste management and secure essential school
supplies. Through its country office in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the World
Bank, with other donors, is also an active participant in the gender task force.
Humanitarian assistance
28. At the beginning of 2002, the World Food Programme was providing
assistance to some 371,000 non-refugee vulnerable Palestinians who had no reliable
source of income. To respond to the increased food aid requirements of the nonrefugee
population in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the World Food Programme
merged its ongoing emergency and protracted relief and recovery operations into a
new and bigger emergency operation, which was approved jointly with the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in May 2002, at a total cost to the
World Food Programme of $18.3 million.
29. Women remain the primary recipients of World Food Programme food aid in
the Palestinian territories, constituting about 60 per cent of the food aid beneficiaries
of WFP’s emergency operation, and food aid is used as a means to reinforce the
woman’s role as a decision maker in society. Around 900 women participated in
committees managing food aid at the municipal and village levels. In September
2000, the chairperson of the inter-ministerial relief committee, who was also the
Minister of Social Affairs, was a woman, as were 60 per cent of the social workers
in the Ministry of Social Affairs. The strong presence of women in social
institutions and their active involvement in welfare work ensured that women’s
needs as beneficiaries and participants were considered.
30. To the greatest extent possible, considering distances to distribution centres
and security conditions, the World Food Programme makes all efforts with its
partners to distribute the food rations directly to the adult women of registered
families. This is considered a tool to strengthen the woman’s role within the family.
About 55 per cent of food aid recipients at distribution sites were women. Women
were encouraged to participate actively in food-for-work schemes that included
rehabilitation of agricultural land in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, rehabilitation
of water cisterns and rehabilitation of home gardens. Training activities were
organized on topics such as food processing, food security, first aid and literacy,
where the women who attended received in exchange a monthly ration of food for
their families. About half of the persons living in hospitals and charitable
institutions who received WFP food aid were women and girls.
31. Until December 2002, the World Food Programme planned to provide food aid
to half a million food insecure poor and destitute persons who were either not able
to work even if employment were available (among them many female heads of
households, disabled or elderly people) or who had been unemployed for over one
year. The plan also included some 10,000 people in hospitals and social institutions.
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Education and training
32. The education programme of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East continued to be one of the primary means by
which the Agency promoted the human resource development of female Palestinian
refugees. In the 2001/2002 academic year, 486,026 pupils were enrolled in UNRWA
elementary, preparatory and secondary schools, of whom 243,259, or 50 per cent,
were female. Of the Agency’s 16,168 teachers, 48 per cent were female. Palestinian
refugee women accounted for 72 per cent of the participants in UNRWA’s pre and
in-service teacher training courses and for 64 per cent of its trainees in technical and
semi-professional courses. Of the 197 continuing UNRWA scholarships in
2001/2002, 46 per cent were held by women. In addition, during 2001/2002, 58
Palestinian women in Lebanon benefited from a scholarship project addressed to
women only and managed by UNRWA on behalf of a donor country. A separate
scholarship programme, administered with the support of two international nongovernmental
organizations and the Cisco Learning Institute, provided training
scholarships to 60 disadvantaged Palestine refugees from the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip. Of those, 75 per cent were given to female refugees.
33. The Department of Education of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East/United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) made special efforts to help Palestinian refugee
women acquire modern technological skills through a gender-specific project in
collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund for Women. The project
emphasized equal access to information and communication technologies by
Palestine refugee women and men, encouraged gender balance in recruitment and
retention policies, built capacity to produce appropriate information content for
Palestine refugee women and helped them to fulfil their socio-economic,
reproductive and community participation roles. In a further effort to improve the
human resources of Palestine refugee women, in 2001 UNRWA revised the
admissions policy at its Education Science Faculty in Jordan, which offered preservice
teacher training leading to a first-level university degree, by assigning 50 per
cent of the places to qualified Palestinian refugee women in order to promote gender
balance in the faculty. UNRWA also sought to promote the human resource
capacities of Palestinian refugee women through its recruitment policy. Women
occupy 55.5 per cent of senior managerial posts in the UNRWA/UNESCO
Department of Education.
34. The United Nations Children’s Fund supported the Ministry of Education in
the back-to-school campaign, aimed at maintaining high enrolment rates despite
economic and mobility difficulties. A media campaign to encourage children to
return to and stay in school was conducted, and schools are being supported by
UNICEF to provide assistance to 14,000 Palestinian children in need. UNICEF
support also reached a considerable number of Palestinian refugee women in Jordan,
Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, through a variety of activities. These
included training of pre-school teachers, adult literacy sessions, administrative and
computer skills training courses, and vocational training for women, including
management of small businesses. UNICEF also supported income-generating
projects, health education, basic health and first aid concepts, nutrition and early
child development, including the detection and prevention of child abuse, and the
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training of health workers to educate mothers, provide antenatal care and promote
breastfeeding.
35. The International Labour Organization faced difficulties in administering
training courses. Owing to internal travel restrictions and border closures,
Palestinian participants, including women, were unable to attend annual Arabic
language courses undertaken in collaboration with the Arab States programme at the
International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin. They were also unable to attend
courses on women workers’ rights, equality in employment and family
responsibilities.
Health
36. In order to promote the health status of Palestinian refugee women, the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East provided
maternal and child health care and family planning services as an integral part of its
primary health care. During 2001, more than 76,000 women received antenatal care
in the Agency’s five fields of operation, representing approximately 59 per cent of
all expected deliveries among registered refugees. Approximately 20,800 new
family-planning acceptors were enrolled in the programme and the total number of
continuing users exceeded 87,000.
37. UNRWA sustained full immunization coverage of women and children against
vaccine-preventable diseases, supported by school health services and iron
supplementation for women throughout pregnancy and post delivery as well as by
health education programmes on the prevention of tobacco use and of HIV/AIDS
and sexually transmitted diseases, which were implemented as multisectoral
activities targeting schoolchildren and women. Great attention was paid to
improving the access of women to quality care, health information and services.
Within the context of its family planning services, the health programme addressed
such issues as early childbearing and its consequences for the health of women and
children as a matter of high priority. The health programme sought to strengthen its
gender-sensitive programming by obtaining, whenever possible, sex-disaggregated
data, with the objective of reducing gender-based health disparities.
38. The United Nations Children’s Fund continued to facilitate Ministry of Health
access to remote and closed areas by making available international staff and a
United Nations vehicle, thereby sustaining routine vaccination services in the West
Bank. Technical support was given to the Ministry of Health to expand
immunization, monitor maternal and child health programmes, and train health
workers. UNICEF also assisted in the procurement of vaccines and essential
medicines on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development. In
response to the growing concern for the nutrition of women and children in the
occupied Palestinian territories, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Health’s efforts
to enhance the capacity of maternal and child health workers in the following areas:
providing appropriate child feeding, growth monitoring, advice and referral;
coordinating with all key stakeholders to ensure the fortification of flour supplies
with iron; proposing more efficient iron and folic acid supplementation programmes;
increasing awareness-raising activities on the importance of breastfeeding; and
expanding public education programmes, including public health announcements on
television.
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39. The United Nations Children’s Fund supported a women’s health project in
which the obstetrics and neonatal units of two hospitals in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory were upgraded with the provision of equipment and support for staff
training in quality essential obstetric and neonatal care. To strengthen the maternal
care monitoring system, UNICEF supported the updating and printing of registry
books for high-risk pregnancy and maternal and child health, in addition to the
completion of a verbal autopsy of all deaths of women of reproductive age as part of
a national survey on maternal mortality. UNICEF supported psychosocial
interventions at the national and district levels conducted by the Palestinian
Authority and non-governmental organizations, including the training of social
workers to improve their skills; the provision of psychosocial information and
services to families; awareness-raising through television spots and brochures for
parents; and the delivery of family kits. UNICEF initiated or supported psychosocial
coordination and planning in Jenin, Jericho, Tulkarem and the five districts of the
Gaza Strip, and continued to chair the United Nations psychosocial coordination
group.
40. The outcomes of various nutrition studies by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations and its own recent field mission to Jerusalem
reinforced that agency’s determination to pursue its initiatives to provide assistance
for policy formulation and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of
Agriculture, and to support the field activities of the numerous local nongovernmental
organizations, civil society organizations and other international
stakeholders.
Women’s human rights, including violence against women
41. Under a technical assistance project, the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights funded the women’s unit of a non-governmental
organization dealing with human rights. The United Nations Development Fund for
Women supported the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory to develop strategies to aid disclosure and promote
greater awareness within the criminal justice system of crimes of violence
committed against women. The project has trained judges on the legal aspects of
sexual abuse and provided information on such cases to promote greater public
awareness on the issue. Through the Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate
Violence Against Women, UNIFEM supports a project to empower Palestinian
women to confront and protect themselves against violent behaviour.
Media
42. The Department of Public Information held its annual training programme for
Palestinian media practitioners from October to December 2001, in which nine
Palestinian broadcasters and journalists, including four women, participated. United
Nations radio produced an English magazine entitled “Israeli and Palestinian women
offer a model of cooperation” which focused on the Security Council meeting held
in May 2002 during which Israeli and Palestinian women were invited to share their
views on the conflict in the Middle East. The Middle East Radio Unit produced five
features on Palestinian women, including their activities in a non-governmental
organization conference held concurrently with the World Conference against
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Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban,
South Africa in 2001, and their role in helping children to cope with violence.
During the reporting period, the Department of Public Information interviewed a
number of prominent Palestinian women.
43. The United Nations Development Fund for Women supports a project to
strengthen strategic partnerships between media and women’s organizations in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory. Through the initiative, a media and women leaders
network has been established, and local media and women’s organizations have been
trained in gender-sensitive reporting and campaigning.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
44. The situation of Palestinian women is inextricably linked to overall
developments in the region and to progress in the peace process. There are,
however, important and significant differences in how women and men
respectively are affected by the socio-economic and political situation. These
effects are apparent in such areas as basic social services, including education
and health, economic opportunities and means of livelihood, and require
particular attention in terms of data collection and analysis as well as remedial
action. As the international community seeks ways to end the conflict, it is
important that gender perspectives are highlighted and that women are fully
involved in the conflict resolution and peace-building initiatives, as called for in
the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twenty-third
special session of the General Assembly.
45. While the reports by relevant bodies and individuals provided valuable
information on the overall situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and
in some instances also referred to the particular situation of women, further
opportunities should be sought to highlight fully the specific ways in which the
crisis impacts on women as compared with men so that targeted action can be
taken to mitigate negative gender-specific impact. The collection of data
disaggregated by sex, which is currently insufficient, and specific studies on the
impact of the crisis on women in particular areas should be encouraged.
46. The entities of the United Nations system, and especially the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,
continued to provide assistance to Palestinian women through humanitarian
assistance, as well as projects to enhance women’s capacity to provide for
themselves and their families and to maintain women’s access to education and
health. United Nations entities, however, also encountered difficulties in their
work as a result of the crisis.
47. Continuing support by the entities of the United Nations system is critical
for the benefit of Palestinian women in the occupied territories and refugee
camps. As the conflict exacerbates existing hardships and creates new
difficulties, continued assistance should focus in particular on such areas as
women’s employment and economic empowerment, education, health, social
welfare and violence against women. Further efforts should be undertaken to
explicitly identify and address gender perspectives in all international
assistance programmes, in addition to implementing projects specifically
targeted to women.
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Notes
1 Eileen Kuttab and Riham Bargouti, “Impact of armed conflict on Palestinian women”, study
prepared for the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the United Nations
Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (2002); and Johns
Hopkins University and Al-Quds University, “Preliminary findings of the nutritional assessment
and sentinel surveillance system for West Bank and Gaza” (Global Management Consulting
Group; Brussels, Care International; and Washington, D.C., United States Agency for
International Development, 2002). Available from http://www.usaid.gov/wbg/reports_1.htm.
2 Office of the United Special Coordinator, The Impact of Closure and Other Mobility Restrictions
on Palestinian Productive Activities, 1 January 2002-30 June 2002 (United Nations, 2002).
3 Kuttab and Bargouti, op. cit.
4 Kuttab and Bargouti, op. cit.; Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator, The Impact of
Closure ...; Catherine Bertini, “Mission report of the Personal Humanitarian Envoy of the
Secretary-General, 11-19 August 2002” (United Nations, 2002), available from http://domino.
un.org/bertini_rpt.htm.
5 Bertini, ibid.
6 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/57/35),
para. 21.
7 Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator, The Impact of Closure ... .
8 Ibid.
9 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/57/35),
para. 21.
10 Kuttab and Bargouti, op. cit.
11 Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator, The Impact of Closure ... .
12 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/57/35),
para. 29.
13 Johns Hopkins University and Al-Quds University, “Preliminary findings ...”.
14 Kuttab and Bargouti, op. cit.
15 Kuttab and Bargouti, op. cit.
United Nations E/CN.6/2004/4
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
22 December 2003
Original: English
03-67473 (E) 160104
*0367473*
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-eighth session
1-12 March 2004
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to
the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000:
gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
September 2002 and September 2003. It reviews the effects of continued movement
restriction and closures, the construction of settlements, outposts and a separation
wall, as well as the unfolding socio-economic crisis, on the situation of women. The
report provides an overview of the assistance provided to Palestinian women by
entities of the United Nations system, in particular with regard to economic
activities, humanitarian assistance, education and training, health, the human rights
of women, and the media and advocacy. The report concludes with recommendations
for consideration by the Commission on the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2004/1.
2
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2003/42 of 22 July 2003 on the situation of and assistance to
Palestinian women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave
deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, requested the Secretary-General to continue to
review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and
submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-eighth session a
report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report, which covers the period from September 2002 to
September 2003, assesses the situation of Palestinian women based on information
from United Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon
and the Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the
Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee on
the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the United Nations
Human Rights Inquiry Commission, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on
Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied
by Israel since 1967, and the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle
East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the
Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. Despite occasional
references to the situation of women, the reports of those bodies and individuals
rarely provided an in-depth analysis of the specific situation of women within the
overall population during the reporting period.
3. The report further reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Programme (WFP),
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO)
and the World Bank.
4. In response to Economic and Social Council resolution 2003/42, ESCWA
commissioned a report which provides an overview of the most important
demographic indicators over the period 1990-2000, such as population size, age/sex,
structure of the population, marriage patterns, fertility rates, types of households and
employment status.1 It further examines the situation of Palestinian women in
different areas, such as political participation, the labour market, education and
health, and focuses also on poverty among women.
5. The second part of the report provides a review of the political and socioeconomic
situation facing the Palestinian community as a whole since the inception
of the second intifada (29 September 2000) and the particular impact of that intifada
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on the situation of Palestinian women. The report indicates that women’s lives were
greatly affected by loss of income, increased poverty and decreased access to health
services as well as by the death or injury of family members, including primary
breadwinners and children.
6. The report emphasizes the need for mainstreaming a gender perspective in
policies and programmes. It also highlights the importance of developing special
policies and programmes that will target the vulnerable groups of women, such as
women heads of household and women in poverty.
II. Situation of Palestinian women
7. During the period under review, the occupation of Palestinian territory by
Israel continued to have a serious detrimental effect on all aspects of the living
conditions of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian economy continued to
accumulate losses, currently equal to half of its annual gross domestic product.
Unemployment increased threefold and poverty rose among more than two thirds of
the population. Women and children have borne a special and enduring burden
resulting from the occupation.2
8. The human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including
the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose a residence, the right to an
adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, the right
to education, the right to health and the right to life, has drastically deteriorated.3
The serious violation of economic, social and cultural rights has been accompanied
by the continued violation of civil rights and international humanitarian law.
Detentions, inhuman treatment and the destruction of property have also multiplied,
while Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza continue to grow.4 Despite
some hopes generated by the launching of the road map in early June 2003, a
number of concerns were reported in connection with the humanitarian crisis in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory.5
9. According to the Palestine Monitor and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Israel, between September 2000 and July 2003, the deaths of 2,572 Palestinians and
828 Israelis were recorded as a result of widespread violence. The Palestine Monitor
reported that the vast majority of Palestinians killed were male, 325 were children
under the age of 15, and 173 were women.6 Between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2003,
696 civilians were killed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (413 in the Gaza
Strip and 283 in the West Bank), according to the Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights.7
10. The humanitarian crisis, emerging from sharply increasing unemployment and
deteriorating economic conditions due to the Israeli closure policy, has been further
exacerbated by the increasing restrictions imposed on access to international
humanitarian agencies. Between April and June 2003, access to the Gaza Strip was
denied or delayed to international citizens, including staff of United Nations
agencies, and international and Palestinian organizations. In May 2003, borders
were closed to all international citizens, except diplomatic passport holders, for a
period of nine days.8
11. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees, women living in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories have been arrested in Israel for political reasons.
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Prior to the outbreak of the crisis in September 2000, there were three Palestinian
women prisoners. Over the past three years, an additional 77 women were arrested,
seven of whom are from Jerusalem.9 Since June 2002, the reunification of Israeli-
Palestinian families has been suspended.10 Under the new Israeli rule, Palestinian
women living in East Jerusalem, currently governed by Israel, were regarded as
mere residents and were not allowed to give their nationality or residency to their
husbands or children.11
12. The current crisis continued to affect the situation of Palestinian women.
Women’s responsibilities within households had expanded due to the death,
imprisonment or unemployment of male members of households. Many women were
placed in the position of being a primary household provider, caregiver and the main
strategist for coping financially, mentally and physically with the new situation.12
Movement restrictions and closures
13. Due to the closures of roads, local curfews and the multiplication of
checkpoints, thousands of ordinary Palestinian citizens are prevented from going to
work, cultivating their fields or sending their children to school. In some cases,
women were injured near or inside their homes or when attempting to cross
checkpoints in the course of going to work or seeking employment.13 About 140
checkpoints operated in the West Bank, and 25 to 30 others in the Gaza Strip.14
Hundreds of farmers lost their income since they were unable to cultivate their fields
due to local curfews, road closures and checkpoints.15 Women have been severely
affected by the decline in the agricultural sector, a vital source of income for the
household.16 Many schools were unable to operate for extended periods during
curfews. According to the World Bank, 170,000 children and over 6,650 teachers
were unable to reach their regular classrooms and at least 580 schools were closed
owing to curfews, closures and home confinement.17 Since September 2002,
children and students from kindergarten to the university level in most areas have
been unable to attend school for about half of the total school days due to closures
and curfews. School closures, loss of employment and economic pressures
contributed to an increase in child labour, especially for those under 15 years.18
Many secondary school students, including girls, failed to reach the examination
centres in time for their yearly exams.19
14. For security reasons, visas are no longer issued for young Palestinians under
35 years of age to travel abroad or to move from one city of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory to another. It was also reported that a number of expectant
mothers could not reach the nearest hospital in time and gave birth instead at
checkpoints under disastrous hygienic conditions. An increasing number of
ambulances have been made to wait for hours at the checkpoints.20
The construction of a separation wall
15. According to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian People, the Israeli Ministry of Defence announced on 31 July 2003 that
the construction of Phase I of the wall had been completed. Its 145-kilometre route
runs from the village of Salem in the north to the “Elkana” settlement, south-east of
Qalquilya. During the construction, Palestinian homes were demolished and swathes
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of land were bulldozed and seized. The completed construction has already resulted
in the confiscation of 2,850 acres of high-income Palestinian land. Over 50
communities along the wall’s path have been affected. In August 2003, the Israeli
authorities issued land expropriation orders for the “Jerusalem Envelope” barrier,
which could leave some 50,000 Palestinians isolated on the Israeli side. In early
September 2003, the Treasury decided to provide an additional 500 million new
shekels (about $112 million) to complete the separation wall in the Jerusalem area.
On 1 October 2003, the Israeli Cabinet approved the second phase of the wall,
running from “Elkana” to Jerusalem, where a separate network of barriers was being
built.21
16. In some places the wall is located as much as 6 kilometres inside the West
Bank. As a result, villages and communities are physically separated from the rest of
the West Bank and have become isolated Palestinian pockets where the inhabitants
will be effectively cut off from their land and work places and/or their schools,
health clinics and other social services.22 It was estimated that about 200,000
inhabitants of the West Bank in more than 65 towns and villages will be directly
affected.23
17. Access to safe drinking water will be disrupted and farmland destroyed,
threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Palestinians and damaging a wide
spectrum of economic flows and social and educational services. It has been
estimated, in accordance with UNICEF statistics, that 100,000 dunums of the West
Bank’s most fertile agricultural land, confiscated by the Israeli occupation forces,
has been destroyed during the first phase of the wall construction. Vast amounts of
property, notably private agricultural land and olive trees, wells, citrus groves and
hothouses, which tens of thousands of Palestinians relied upon for their survival,
have disappeared. In addition, further agricultural land adjacent to the wall has
allegedly been declared off limits to Palestinians.24
Humanitarian and socio-economic crisis
18. According to the World Bank, at the end of 2002, all Palestinian economic
indicators showed a persistent decline. Gross national income per capita had fallen
to nearly half of its 2000 level. More than 50 per cent of the Palestinian workforce
was unemployed. The portion of the population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
living under the poverty line of US$ 2 per day had increased from 20 per cent in
1999 to 60 per cent by December 2002. The number of the poor had tripled from its
level of 637,000 in September 2000 to nearly 2 million in March 2003.25
19. The number of work permits issued by Israel declined sharply with the
outbreak of the intifada. Only 32,000 permits had been issued by the end of 2002,
compared with the figure of approximately 128,000 Palestinians working in Israel
and Israeli settlements in September 2000. The proportion of women active in the
labour market also continued to decline, falling to 11.6 per cent in the first quarter
of 2003, from 13.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2000. The informal labour sector,
where women were largely represented, had also been adversely affected by the
economic crisis.26
20. According to the Humanitarian Plan of Action 2003 for the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, compiled by the United Nations Technical Assessment
Mission of October 2002, more than 200,000 people who depend on supplies
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brought in by water tankers were left without adequate water supply for long periods
because of curfews and closures. Problems of access were compounded by the fact
that a number of water systems (water pipes, pumps and wells) were destroyed and a
sizeable number of wells and reservoirs in rural areas have been damaged, destroyed
or made inaccessible because of the ongoing violence. A number of West Bank
villages adjacent to Israeli settlements have suffered from recurring closures of the
main valves on their water networks.27
21. The dramatic decline in the standard of living increased malnutrition and has
resulted in a worsening of health conditions. According to the World Bank, real per
capita food consumption had declined by 30 per cent in the past two years. The
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has reported that approximately one in every
four women and children under the age of five suffers from mild anaemia, while
15.3 per cent of children under five, and 6.1 per cent of women between the ages of
15 and 49, suffer from moderate anaemia.28 An update of the nutritional assessment
carried out by the World Bank in January 2003 found global acute protein-calorie
malnutrition in 9.3 per cent of the children across the West Bank and Gaza (13.3 per
cent in Gaza and 4.3 per cent in the West Bank).29
22. A joint WFP/FAO Food Security and Nutrition Assessment Mission fielded in
April/May 2003 noted that the capacity of Palestinian households to cope was
increasingly declining. The mission further indicated that among the negative coping
mechanisms adopted by many affected households were reducing expenditures on
health and education, resorting to cheaper and less nutritious foods, and eating only
one meal per day. A vast majority of Palestinians had become dependent on food aid
for their survival.30
23. According to UNICEF statistics for June 2003, 38 per cent of Palestinian
mothers reported increased difficulties in gaining access to health services and 65
per cent reported that the quality of their food had deteriorated.31 A sharp increase
was observed in the number of births in ambulances or at home, causing distress and
complications to mothers.32 According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, delays
at checkpoints had resulted in 46 women delivering their babies while waiting for
permission to pass through, and as a result, 24 women and 27 newborn babies had
died.33 The incidence of psychosocial trauma continued to climb, and it was also
reported that 43 per cent of Palestinian women had requested psychosocial
support.34
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
24. While the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has made it
difficult for international organizations to provide direct assistance to Palestinian
women, the organizations of the United Nations system have continued to respond to
their needs.
Economic activities
25. During the period 2002/03, UNRWA delivered economic assistance to
Palestinian refugees through the provision of credit to microentrepreneurs. The
Agency’s microfinance and microenterprise programme granted 3,748 loans to
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women, valued at $1.75 million. During the reporting period, nearly 1,250 women
received a total of four loans or more each from the Solidarity Group lending
product programme. A prime engine of the programme’s recovery was the women’s
lending product, through rising repayment rates that increased to 94 per cent in
2002, and had already reached 91 per cent during the first six months of 2003. The
women’s credit product remained the most resilient of all of the programme’s credit
products, and it was catering to an increasing number of women microentrepreneurs
who had entered the informal economy as a result of increased household poverty
and hardship. The UNRWA Solidarity Group lending product programme remained
one of the few sources of credit for such women.
26. During the period under review, UNRWA assisted approximately 6.05 per cent
of the poorest registered refugees (special hardship case families). Out of a total
population of 4,108,461 Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA, 45.8 per cent
were families headed by women. The Agency’s special hardship assistance provided
those families with a critical safety net in the form of food support and selective
cash assistance. The Agency also promoted community participation for Palestine
refugee women through 71 women’s programme centres, with activities including
occupational training programmes, kindergartens and nurseries. A total of 48,757
participants, mainly women and children, benefited from these services.
Furthermore, the Agency promoted the self-reliance of Palestine refugee women
through its poverty alleviation programme, which disbursed $82,533 in small loans
to more than 76 women during the period under review, and through the Solidarity
Group lending schemes, which assisted more than 95 women’s support groups with
a total of $180,470. Other self-support programmes, which provided part-grant/partloan
financing to help special hardship case families generate income, benefited
over 20 women and their families, with a total amount of $63,023.
27. UNDP provided its assistance to Palestinian women through project activities
targeting female-headed rural households. One project, entitled “Emergency
response programme for social infrastructure development in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory”, was implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of
Agriculture and aimed to achieve sustainable food security and income generation
through investing in livestock. Another project, entitled “Emergency support to
existing small income generation projects”, aimed to provide financial and technical
support to 30 small, women-run projects. As a result of the stagnation of the
economy and the high unemployment rate of the male breadwinners, the small and
unsustainable projects run by these women have come to be the only means for
income generation for the household. UNDP also continued the implementation of
two other projects: “Fund for women’s initiatives in local communities” and
“Support to the women-owned household economy” in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories. Through these projects, UNDP continued to provide technical and
financial support as well as training for community-based women’s organizations, as
well as women business owners. These projects benefited 620 women and their
families and communities.
28. UNCTAD collaborated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of
the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Agriculture Relief Committee to
support the livelihoods of Palestinian farmers, including women, by assisting them
in marketing their large surplus of olive oil.
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29. The ILO Regional Office for Arab States has undertaken activities to provide
assistance to Palestinian women, including through an interregional programme on
capacity-building for gender equality, employment promotion and poverty
eradication. The main objective of the programme is to formulate and implement
gender-sensitive employment policies and programmes, aimed at eradicating
poverty. ILO also reported that disruption created by the humanitarian crisis made it
impossible to implement the action plan for gender mainstreaming in the Ministry of
Labour that it had developed in 2000.
30. The World Bank effectively incorporated gender dimensions in its activities
and actively participated in the Gender Task Force in the West Bank and Gaza. In
response to emergency needs, the World Bank managed $25 million in bilateral
donor funds for job-creation projects. Of this, a total of about $2.7 million was
implemented through non-governmental organizations. One of the main selection
criteria for receiving emergency grants was a project’s ability to benefit women
directly. The Bank supported a counselling centre for women in difficult
circumstances, aimed at providing support, therapy, advocacy and vocational
training services to Palestinian women subject to domestic violence.
31. In December 2002, the World Bank completed a beneficiary assessment report
of the second Community Development Project. In accordance with that assessment,
nearly 40 per cent of all schools rehabilitated under the project were girls’ or coeducational
schools. The Bank constructed a girls’ orphanage residence, provided
vocational training to women under the development grants and provided an
integrated educational programme to women with children under the project on the
development of the mothers’ school.
32. ESCWA formed a special task force on the socio-economic rehabilitation of
Palestinian people. A gender perspective has been mainstreamed into the
formulation of planned projects and programmes. ESCWA provided technical
assistance to producers of gender statistics in Palestine.
Humanitarian assistance
33. WFP sent several missions to the Occupied Palestinian Territory to assess the
scale of the humanitarian crisis and suggested measures to prevent further
deterioration of the situation. The United Nations Inter-Agency Technical
Assessment Mission, led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,
visited the area in October 2002, following the assessment mission of the Personal
Humanitarian Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in August 2002.
WFP approved the expansion of its emergency operation for a period of one year at
a total cost of $31 million, in order to specifically address the needs of 530,000
vulnerable non-refugees. In 2003, WFP began a supplementary feeding programme
for 6,145 malnourished children and their families in Gaza and the southern West
Bank. WFP also provided 11,190 metric tons of foodstuff to the International
Committee of the Red Cross to assist 180,000 hardship cases in the rural areas of the
West Bank. WFP encouraged women to receive their food entitlements directly at
distribution sites to increase the effective utilization of food assistance at the
household level. As a result of these efforts, over 55 per cent of food aid recipients
in the Palestinian territories were women.
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34. Between February and June 2003, FAO and WFP jointly undertook a
comprehensive food security and nutrition assessment across all districts of the West
Bank and Gaza. One key objective was to understand and document the conditions
affecting the livelihood, food security and nutritional vulnerability of the population,
men as well as women. The assessment examined, in particular, the food security
and nutritional status of women and children. The assessment report is being
finalized and will provide, inter alia, a series of recommendations for addressing the
special needs of both women and men in the West Bank and Gaza.
35. FAO supported the Ministry of Agriculture of the Palestinian Authority, in
collaboration with the UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People
(UNDP-PAPP), in the preparation of an agriculture revitalization programme (ARP)
for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The programme is an intermediate phase between
emergency assistance and sustainable rehabilitation leading to longer-term
agricultural development. It aims to improve rural livelihoods by first maintaining
and then revitalizing agricultural activities in the West Bank and Gaza. FAO’s
support under the agriculture revitalization programme focused on livestock
production, horticulture, rehabilitation of small-scale irrigation, marketing and
capacity-building.
Education and training
36. The UNRWA education programme continued to be one of the primary means
by which the Agency promoted the human resource development of female Palestine
refugees. In the 2002/03 academic year, 490,949 pupils, of which 245,733 or 50.1
per cent were female, were enrolled in UNRWA preparatory, elementary and
secondary schools. Of the Agency’s 15,163 teachers, 48.4 per cent were female.
Palestine refugee women accounted for 66.6 per cent of participants in the UNRWA
pre- and in-service teacher training courses and for 33.3 per cent of its trainees in
technical and semi-professional courses. Of the 56 continuing UNRWA scholarships
in 2002/03, 48.2 per cent were held by women. During the same period, 90
Palestinian women in Lebanon benefited from a scholarship project addressed to
women only and managed by UNRWA on behalf of a donor country. A separate
scholarship programme, administered with the support of two international NGOs
and the Cisco Learning Institute, provided training scholarships to 60 disadvantaged
Palestinian refugees from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 50 per cent of which
were given to female refugees.
37. The Department of Education of UNRWA made special efforts to help
Palestine refugee women acquire modern technological skills through a genderspecific
project in collaboration with UNIFEM. The project emphasized equal
access to information and communication technologies by Palestine refugee women
and men, encouraged gender balance in recruitment and retention policies, built
capacity to produce appropriate information content for Palestine refugee women
and helped them to fulfil their socio-economic, reproductive and community
participation roles. In a further effort to improve the capacity of Palestine refugee
women, UNRWA continued its admission policy to its pre-service teacher training
programme leading to a first-level university degree by assigning 50 per cent of the
places to qualified Palestine refugee women, in order to promote gender balance
among the faculty members. UNRWA also sought to enhance the capacities of
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Palestine refugee women through its own recruitment policy: women occupy 55.6
per cent of senior managerial posts in the UNRWA Department of Education.
38. UNICEF supported alternative education projects in areas suffering from strict
closures to ensure the opportunity for children to continue learning. UNICEF also
supported initiatives to keep children in school, such as the back-to-school campaign
to ensure that 1 million Palestinian children could attend school and remain in
school throughout the school year. Specific interventions focusing on current and
potential girl dropouts were implemented in four villages in the Bethlehem district,
where the highest rate of girl dropouts was reported. These interventions included
life-skills-based education for 700 girls. In addition, UNICEF supported 48
awareness-raising sessions for parents to advocate for the importance of girls’
education in strengthening the economy and in national development.
39. In an effort to support and empower women, WFP provided food assistance to
poor women and adolescent girls as an incentive for them to attend education and
training programmes. The programmes focused on literacy, food management and
income-generating skills, such as harvesting of olives for commercialization and
raising animals for household consumption and sale.
Health
40. In order to promote the health status of Palestinian refugee women, UNRWA
provided maternal and child health care and family planning services as an integral
part of its primary health-care programme. During 2002, more than 79,900 women
received antenatal care, representing approximately 60 per cent of all expected
deliveries among registered refugees. Approximately 21,000 new family-planning
acceptors were enrolled in the programme and the total number of continuing users
exceeded 90,000. UNRWA sustained full immunization coverage of women and
children against vaccine-preventable diseases and supported school health services
and iron supplementation for women throughout pregnancy and post-delivery. It also
sustained health educational programmes on the prevention of tobacco use and of
HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, which were implemented as
multisectoral activities targeting school children and women. Attention was placed
on improving access of women to quality care, information and services. Within the
context of its family planning services, the health programme addressed such issues
as early childbearing and its consequences for the health of women and children as a
matter of high priority. The health programme sought to strengthen its gendersensitive
programming by obtaining, whenever possible, sex-disaggregated data,
with the objective of reducing gender-based health disparities.
41. UNFPA devoted a significant proportion of its programme to ensuring
women’s access to appropriate and quality reproductive health care, especially
emergency obstetric care and psychosocial counselling. The programme focused
primarily on: the training of health professionals, including physicians, nurses and
midwives in emergency obstetric care (EOC) at the community level; organization
of a community campaign to disseminate information on the EOC training through
the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, a Palestinian NGO; and
continuation of delivery of essential drugs for family planning and reproductive
health at a time when the Ministry of Health and NGO service providers were
severely hampered by a lack of such supplies.
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42. UNFPA also provided comprehensive support to women’s health centres.
Counselling services were organized at three women’s health centres in El-Burej,
Jabaliya and Hebron for traumatized women and their families. The women’s health
centres in Bureij and Jabaliya continued to provide quality reproductive health care
to women in the most populated and underprivileged areas of the Gaza Strip, despite
continued restricted access to the refugee camps. These centres, in collaboration
with a number of local organizations, including the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid
and Counselling (WCLAC), took a proactive role in the communities to curb the
increasing level of violence against women. In 2003 WCLAC developed a manual
on legal and psychosocial assistance in reproductive health and 15 health-care
providers were trained.
43. WHO provided support for strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of
Health to lead and coordinate the health sector. WHO participated in a health sector
review which addressed, inter alia, issues affecting women. WHO also worked on
the reorganization and upgrading of mental health services and reorienting its
approach to the community level, so that more women might benefit. WHO
participated in a number of thematic group discussions aimed at improving the
situation of Palestinian women.
44. UNFPA, WHO and UNICEF developed an advocacy network to promote
access to health care as well as to raise awareness on the precarious health situation,
particularly for women in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Communication
professionals from UNICEF, UNFPA, UNRWA, the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs and WHO meet regularly to coordinate their advocacy
activities. UNFPA assisted the Ministry of Health in producing a documentary film
on the adverse impact of the closures on access of women in labour to hospitals, and
on the reproductive rights of Palestinian women.
Women’s human rights including violence against women
45. Under a technical assistance project, OHCHR has supported the Palestinian
Authority since 1996 to ensure that national laws are in compliance with
international human rights standards and norms. This has had a positive impact on
women who encounter gender-based discrimination and domestic injustices.
OHCHR funded the Women’s Unit of LAW, a human rights NGO which provides
legal counselling to women facing gender-based discrimination and inequality. It
also offers legal aid and representation before government bodies, institutions and
courts of law for women engaged in litigation to redress violations of their human
rights. The Women’s Unit has undertaken research on the effect of Palestinian law
on women’s rights, with a view to formulating recommendations for consideration
by the Palestinian Legislative Council. The adoption of these legal
recommendations, as well as their implementation, is closely monitored by the
Women’s Unit. In addition, OHCHR organized a number of training courses in
human rights for different target groups, such as lawyers, prison officials, women
leaders, journalists, official staff of the Palestinian National Authority, prosecutors
and health-care personnel. Of the 249 participants in these training courses, 65 were
women. In Gaza, OHCHR organized a four-day intensive training course for women
leaders, entitled “Women and Human Rights”, with the aim of strengthening the
capacity of women in the area of human rights.
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Media and advocacy
46. The Department of Public Information held its annual training programme for
Palestinian media practitioners, in which eight Palestinian broadcasters and
journalists, including three women, participated. In March 2003, the Department
revised and updated the publication entitled “The Question of Palestine and the
United Nations”35 in all United Nations official languages and widely disseminated
it to all United Nations offices in the field. Chapter 9 of the booklet specifically
addresses issues concerning Palestinian women. United Nations Radio provided
extensive coverage on the various aspects of the situation in Palestine which impact
on the lives of Palestinian women.
47. UNIFEM supports a project to strengthen strategic partnerships between the
media and women’s organizations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Within the
context of this initiative, a media and women leaders network has been established
and local media and women’s organizations have been trained in gender-sensitive
reporting and campaigning. In addition, gender units were set up at 17 independent
television stations.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
48. During the period under review, the living conditions of Palestinian
women have drastically declined. The deteriorating economic conditions, due to
the Israeli closure policies, have resulted in widespread unemployment, a
decline in standards of living and an increase in poverty, while access to basic
services such as education and health was severely curtailed. The humanitarian
and socio-economic crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has reached
unprecedented levels. The capacity of Palestinian women to cope with this new
situation has been declining, and the number of women dependent on
emergency assistance, particularly food assistance, has risen. Women have also
become subject to increasing violence.
49. The status and living conditions of Palestinian women are linked to the
achievement of a peaceful resolution of the conflict. There are important
differences in how women and men respectively are affected by the socioeconomic
and political situation, which are apparent in such areas as basic
social services, including education and health, economic opportunities and
means of livelihood. These differences need to be taken into account in
research, data collection, policy and strategy developments and implementation
and monitoring of projects and programmes on the ground. It is also important
that efforts be made to increase women’s full participation in decision-making
processes at all levels. As the international community seeks ways to end the
conflict, it is important that gender perspectives are highlighted and that
women are fully involved in the conflict resolution and peace-building
initiatives, as called for in the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome
documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, as well
as in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).
50. As a result of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, the United Nations system faced the challenge
of adopting a two-track strategy, handling both emergency humanitarian
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assistance to the rapidly growing socio-economic crisis and the continuation,
whenever and however possible, of ongoing development programmes.36
Despite the difficult working conditions, the entities of the United Nations
system, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East, continued to provide assistance to Palestinian
women through humanitarian assistance, as well as projects aimed at
enhancing women’s capacity to provide for themselves and their families, and
to maintain women’s access to education and health.
51. It is essential that United Nations entities continue to operate in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps. As the conflict
exacerbates existing hardships and creates new difficulties, continued
assistance to Palestinian women, focused on food security, nutrition,
psychosocial/trauma counselling, health, including reproductive health,
education, human rights and economic empowerment, should be provided.
Special attention should be given to the difficult situation faced by women
where their responsibilities have expanded to include that of primary
household provider or caregiver due to the death, injury, detention or
unemployment of the male members of the family, and to increased poverty due
to movement restrictions and closure and the construction of a separation wall.
52. While the reports by relevant bodies provided valuable information on the
overall situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and increasingly
referred to the particular situation of women, further opportunities should be
sought to highlight fully the specific ways in which the crisis impacts on women
as compared to men so that targeted actions can be taken to mitigate negative
gender-specific impacts. The collection of data disaggregated by sex, which is
currently insufficient, and specific studies on the impact of the crisis on women
in particular areas, should be encouraged. In this regard, the linkage between
the current crisis and the increase in domestic violence could be further
explored. Efforts should be undertaken to explicitly identify and address
gender perspectives in all international assistance programmes, in addition to
implementing projects specifically targeting women. All reports on the overall
situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory should include attention to the
specific situation of women and girls in accordance with Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000).
Notes
1 Eileen Kuttab, “Palestinian women: situation analysis 1990-2003” (Women Studies Institute,
Birzeit University, Palestine, November 2003).
2 A/58/75-E/2003/21, Summary, p. 2.
3 See A/58/311, paras. 24-75.
4 E/CN.4/2003/30, para. 2.
5 A/58/311, Summary, p. 2, and para. 33; A/58/75-E/2003/21, para. 3; the text of the road map is
contained in S/2003/529, annex. The Quartet (composed of the United States of America, the
United Nations, the European Union and the Russian Federation) formally presented its road
map to the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority on 30 April 2003.
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6 Information received 16 September 2003 from the Office of the United Nations Special
Coordinator in the Occupied Territories (UNSCO), para. 2.
7 A/58/311, para. 71.
8 Ibid., para. 43.
9 UNSCO, op. cit., para. 4.
10 A/58/311, para. 59.
11 UNSCO, op. cit., para. 5.
12 Ibid., para. 4.
13 Ibid., para. 3.
14 A/58/311, para. 34.
15 Ibid., para. 53.
16 UNSCO, op. cit., para. 11.
17 A/58/88-E/2003/84, para. 8.
18 A/58/311, para. 59.
19 Ibid., para. 35.
20 Ibid., para. 35.
21 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/58/35),
para. 22.
22 The Impact of Israel’s Separation Barrier on Affected West Bank Communities. Report of the
Mission to the Humanitarian and Emergency Policy Group of the Local Aid Coordination
Committee, May 2003, p. 3, para. 1.
23 A/58/311, para. 26.
24 Ibid.
25 A/58/88-E/2003/84, para. 9.
26 UNSCO, op. cit., para. 6.
27 E/CN.4/2003/30, para. 15.
28 A/58/88-E/2003/84, para. 8.
29 Twenty-Seven Months — Intifada, Closures and Palestinian Economic Crisis: An Assessment
(World Bank, Washington, D.C., May 2003), para. 18.
30 A/58/311, para. 56.
31 Ibid., para. 61.
32 Ibid., para. 62.
33 A/58/75-E/2003/21, para. 51.
34 A/58/311, para. 63.
35 DPI/2276.
36 See A/58/75-E/2003/21.
United Nations E/CN.6/2005/4
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
10 December 2004
Original: English
04-64253 (E) 070205
*0464253*
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-ninth session
28 February-11 March 2005
Item 3 of the provisional agenda
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the special session of the General Assembly entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for
the twenty-first century”
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
October 2003 and September 2004, in reference to Economic and Social Council
resolution 2004/56 of 23 July 2004. It reviews the unfolding humanitarian and socioeconomic
crisis in the situation of women and provides an overview of the assistance
provided to Palestinian women by entities of the United Nations system, in particular
with regard to economic activities, humanitarian assistance, education and training,
health, the human rights of women, and the media and advocacy. The report
concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status
of Women.
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2004/56 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave deterioration
of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to submit to
the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-ninth session a report, including
information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
(ESCWA), on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report, which covers the period from October 2003 to September
2004, reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from United
Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and the
Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian
territory occupied by Israel since 1967. The reports of those bodies and individuals
made occasional references to the situation of women but did not provide in-depth
analysis of the specific situation of women within the overall population during the
reporting period. The Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
violence against women, its causes and consequences visited the Occupied
Palestinian Territory in June 2004. However, the report on that visit was not
available at the time the present report was prepared (see para. 38 below).
3. The report further reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the Office
of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
(UNSCO), the Department of Public Information, the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia, the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World
Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health
Organization (WHO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Bank. In response to Economic
and Social Council resolution 2004/56, the report also draws on information
contained in the report prepared by ESCWA on the economic and social
repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian
people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab
population in the occupied Syrian Golan (A/59/89).
4. The first part of the report provides a review of the second intifada (from
29 September 2000) and its specific impact on the situation of Palestinian women,
as well as the political and socio-economic circumstances of the Palestinian
community in general. The second part of the report provides information on how
the United Nations system has continued to assist Palestinian women.
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5. Taking into account that women tend to suffer disproportionately during times
of political unrest and instability, the report stresses the need to mainstream gender
perspectives in policies and programmes to ensure that the concerns and needs of
both women and men are addressed.
II. Situation of Palestinian women
6. In the period under review, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable
Rights of the Palestinian People expressed grave concern over the devastating
effects of the occupation on the lives of the most vulnerable members of Palestinian
society, women and children.1 The Committee noted that the hardship of daily life
was felt most acutely by Palestinian women who carried the burden of responsibility
within the household because of the death, imprisonment or unemployment of male
members.2 UNSCO reported that women also assumed the additional burden of
responsibility as caregivers to the injured in the absence of adequate institutional
services in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
7. It also reported that Palestinian women were among those who had died since
the onset of the crisis. Between September 2000 and September 2004, more than
3,500 Palestinians had died, including approximately 650 children under the age of
18 and 250 women.
8. Over the past four years, the number of women detainees in prison increased.
According to UNSCO, prior to the outbreak of the crisis, there were three
Palestinian women prisoners. Since then, an additional 300 women have been
arrested, of whom 103 remained in prison in September 2004. Furthermore, the
death, imprisonment and unemployment of adult male members of the community
increased poverty and social burdens that contributed to increased domestic violence
and stress (A/59/89-E/2004/21, para. 58).
9. According to UNRWA, the social, economic and cultural context of women’s
health remained challenging during the period under review owing to the high birth
rate of Palestine refugee women. In particular, malnutrition continued to have a
major impact on the lives of Palestinian women and children. WHO reported that
during a home visit programme conducted by the Ministry of Health, 69.7 per cent
of 1,768 expectant women, within one month of delivery, were found to be anaemic.
UNRWA indicated that in 2003 the anaemia rate of nursing mothers accessing its
services was 15.3 per cent, and that the anaemia rate of pregnant women was 38.3
per cent. UNSCO reported that the nutritional health status of women and children
was also affected by the internal closures. In particular, the closure policy impacted
greatly on food security, which led to a decline in both the quantity and the quality
of food of 73 per cent of the West Bank and Gaza Strip populations, with four out of
10 households identified as chronically insecure by FAO.
10. Human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to
destroy the fabric of Palestinian society (A/59/256, para. 6), including the rights to
freedom of movement, to choose a residence, to an adequate standard of living
including adequate food, clothing and housing, to education, to health and to life, all
of which continued to drastically decline (A/59/381, paras. 30-86). Land
confiscation and the destruction of cultivated fields and houses reached
unprecedented levels. Families and communities were divided, farmers were denied
access to their land, workers to their jobs, children and youth to schools, colleges
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and universities and women and children to basic health and social services
(A/59/381, para. 30). With the continued demolition of houses and destruction of
property, damage to public structures and properties reached an estimated
US$ 1.2 billion.3 In addition, Palestinian women in prison were reported to have
been subjected to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment (A/59/256, para. 6).
11. Restrictions on the movement of goods and persons continued to exacerbate
the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by increasing
unemployment and poverty, preventing health care and interrupting education
(A/59/89-E/2004/21, para. 14). The ILO noted that mobility restrictions entailed
different consequences for men and women. Regarding access to education,
restrictions affect female teachers and pupils more than their male counterparts,
owing to the difficulties and dangers they face travelling to and from schools.
Fearing for their safety, parents may keep daughters from attending classes. Female
teachers are more likely to stop going to work when they have to walk long
distances in isolated areas to avoid checkpoints and settlers.4
12. UNFPA reported that access issues continued to be an important barrier to
women’s utilization of appropriate reproductive health care, including family
planning and obstetric care. Soldiers at checkpoints prevented ambulances and
individuals on their way to health-care facilities from reaching the nearest hospital
(A/59/381, para. 79). UNSCO noted that medical personnel were unable to reach
their place of work regularly and that distribution of medical supplies to rural areas
was difficult. Delays have resulted in women delivering their babies while waiting
to pass, which has led to maternal and infant deaths.5
13. The severe economic depression of the Palestinian economy since September
2000 continued unabated during the reporting period.6 Reality of life in the occupied
territories is one of economic strangulation, with consequent far-reaching social
impacts.7 The mild economic recovery reported in 2003 was short-lived, with trade
flows remaining below pre-intifada levels.8 The World Bank reported that
Palestinian business owners and managers continued to report difficulties arising
from internal closures that hampered their ability to receive necessary inputs and to
market goods. The Bank indicated that in 2004 domestic employment had recovered
to the extent that the number of Palestinians employed in the West Bank and Gaza
surpassed pre-intifada levels. However, it was reported that the number of
unemployed had increased, from 73,000 in the third quarter preceding the intifada in
2000, to 198,000 currently.9 Low levels of employment resulted in high levels of
poverty among Palestinians, particularly women. According to the World Bank, by
mid-2004, 47 per cent of Palestinians lived in poverty, on less than $2.10 per day.
Female-headed households display an incidence of poverty 1.3 times higher than
households headed by men.10 Community and family disapproval of women’s work
in the absence of male breadwinners are major obstacles to women seeking wage
employment.11
14. In spite of high-level educational attainment, women remained marginalized in
the labour market. The International Labour Organization reports that the generally
positive correlation between female education and labour force participation was not
applicable to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Women’s labour force participation
remains low, in spite of their high and successful secondary school enrolment. That
observation was attributed to the high fertility rate among Palestinian women,
relatively early marriage and large families. Those factors, coupled with the large
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numbers of male Palestinian prisoners, the high number of persons killed in conflict
and the destruction of homes, placed increased pressure on the care economy, and
specifically on women, the primary providers of care.12
15. In cases where women participate in the labour market, they are mostly located
in the agriculture and service sectors. Women are deeply affected by movement
restrictions and closures, which affect agricultural production.13 The ILO observed
that, by comparison with men, women are disadvantaged in terms of wages and
social security benefits, and that there are unequal barriers for women entrepreneurs
in terms of property and inheritance rights, access to credit, penal liability and the
availability of childcare facilities. Households resorted to a variety of strategies to
cope with the sharp fall in income, including reducing expenditure and
consumption, postponing payment of bills, applying for credit, seeking family
support, engaging in subsistence activities and other measures.14 The ILO also found
that coping strategies of households tend to fall disproportionately on women and to
restrict women’s options.15
16. UNSCO carried out field research in 30 West Bank rural communities in 2004
and found that women attempted to substitute for the loss of male income, even if
that entailed travel and overnight stay outside the community. In addition, field
research revealed that, although some women found work in textile workshops, the
majority worked inside the community as unpaid family agricultural labourers. It
was also found that women’s entry into the labour force did not result in economic
development, but, instead, added to existing domestic and childcare burdens.
17. According to UNICEF, there are significant gaps in the female literacy rate —
only 87.4 per cent — compared with a 96.3 per cent male literacy rate. UNICEF
reported that the gaps are most prominent among the older population. School
enrolment rates at the basic, secondary school and post-secondary levels grew
during the past decade and are roughly the same for boys and girls. Furthermore,
enrolment was slightly higher for girls than boys at the first two levels. UNICEF
also reported that a substantial number of males and females aged 10-24 years do
not continue to secondary education. The main reason for boys and young men
dropping out was attributed to lack of interest in education, which could be an
indication that starting work is a higher priority for men and boys. On the other
hand, the figures for girls show that nearly half (46.5 per cent) drop out because of
marriage.16
18. Efforts were made to address discrimination against women and the concerns
of Palestinian women through the newly established Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
Previously a sub-unit of the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs
was mandated to reinforce the gender mainstreaming strategy that previously had
been the major responsibility of focal points in various ministries. According to
UNDP, a number of objectives have been identified to address the low participation
of women in the labour force (only 11 per cent of women of employment age
participate in the labour force) owing to low salaries, compared to those of men, and
poverty among female-headed households. The objectives include upgrading
governmental political commitment to include gender, democracy and human rights
issues in the policies and plans of the various ministries and relevant legislation and
regulations; linking lobbying and advocacy activities with the development of
policies and laws; and building a network of links with women governmental
institutions and non-governmental organizations and human rights organizations at
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the regional and international levels, and exchanging experience with them on the
implementation and support of international conventions on women and human
rights, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women.
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
Economic activities
19. The World Bank reported on a number of projects aimed at improving the
situation of Palestinian people, including women. The 2005 higher education project
aims at strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Education and Higher
Education and at providing support to higher education institutions to improve the
management, quality and relevance of programmes. The objectives of the
$80-million social safety net reform project are to protect and enhance the human
capital of children in the poorest households and to strengthen the institutional
capacity of the Ministry of Social Affairs to assist in the implementation of the
special hardship case programmes. Under an improved targeting scheme, poor adult
women living on their own because of separation, divorce or widowhood will
receive cash assistance from the special hardship case programmes. Children
suffering from malnutrition and women of childbearing age benefit from the second
emergency services support project, which is supported by a Trust Fund grant and
co-financed by five other donors in the amount of $40 million.
20. The World Bank also implemented the second Palestinian NGO project. A
main selection criteria for receiving emergency grants is the project’s ability to
reach women as direct beneficiaries. Under the project, a counselling centre for
women in difficult circumstances was designed with the objectives of providing
support, therapy, advocacy and vocational training services to Palestinian women
subject to domestic violence, and to build institutional capacity aimed at reducing
the incidence of violence against Palestinian girls and women. The project is
financed by the Government of Italy through the World Bank. The Gaza industrial
estate project development objectives are to increase direct and indirect employment
in Gaza and to contribute to the gross domestic product of Gaza by creating
conditions conducive to private sector industrial investment, including appropriate
physical infrastructure. The project has a well developed management information
system and includes a breakdown of workers by sex, which is monitored and
updated on a monthly basis. Although employment figures under the project are
currently below expectations owing to the crisis, on average there are about 100
women employed by tenant firms representing approximately 18 per cent of total
employment.
21. The ILO established a Palestinian fund for employment and social protection.
The fund provides a strategic framework for mobilizing resources to improve the
social conditions of the Palestinian people, who are suffering from both occupation
and diminishing welfare. It also serves as a tool for the consolidation of all activities
undertaken to generate employment and provide social protection, ranging from
technical advice and capacity-building to direct financial assistance. The fund is
expected to integrate a significant gender component and to apply a gender
mainstreaming approach. In selecting projects, consideration will be given to
activities that support the employment and social protection needs of Palestinian
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women and men workers. Project proposals will be evaluated to ensure attention to
gender equality concerns.
22. UNDP initiated a number of projects aimed at women’s economic
empowerment. As part of its Emergency Response Division, the UNDP programme
of assistance to the Palestinian people continued to work with the Ministry of
Agriculture to execute a poverty alleviation project targeting female-headed rural
households. The project aims at achieving sustainable food security and creating a
source of income for rural women in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through
investing in livestock. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 42 small agricultural
income-generating projects for female-headed households have been established.
Another project provides emergency support to existing small-income generation
projects run by female-headed households. The project aims at providing financial
and technical support to 30 small women-run projects that were affected as a result
of the ongoing political crisis. As a result of economic stagnation and the high
unemployment rate of male breadwinners, the small and unsustainable projects run
by those women are the only means for income generation for the households.
Support to those small projects aims to increase their sustainability and potential for
generating income for the households.
23. UNRWA reported granting 4,498 loans valued at $2.47 million to women
through its microfinance and microenterprise programme. The microcredit
community support programme also issued more than $880,000 in loans to both
low-income families and entrepreneurs, including women.
Humanitarian assistance
24. As follow-up to an FAO/WFP food security and nutrition assessment
undertaken across all districts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2003, FAO
reported working on the establishment of a multisectoral integrated food insecurity
and vulnerability information system. The objective is to facilitate stakeholders’
access to comprehensive, up-to-date and user-friendly information on food security,
nutrition and vulnerability. Institutional mechanisms and capacity for the collection,
analysis and use of food security- and nutrition-related information disaggregated by
sex will also be strengthened. The sex-disaggregated information will provide a
basis for decision makers in the design, targeting and implementation of policies,
strategies and interventions designed to protect and promote food security and
improve the nutritional status of the entire population — men and women, boys and
girls — throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
25. UNIFEM opened a programme office in Jerusalem in April 2004 under the
auspices of the UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. UNIFEM
is actively involved in local United Nations coordination efforts, including the
Consolidated Appeals Process for humanitarian aid to the Occupied Palestinian
Territory and the United Nations inter-agency humanitarian advocacy group.
26. UNRWA continued to assist Palestine refugee women through its special
hardship case programme. UNRWA reported that of the special hardship case
families, 46 per cent were families headed by women. Under that programme,
families are provided with a critical safety net in the form of food support and
selective cash assistance. Community services are provided for women through 64
women’s programme centres, which include occupational training programmes,
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kindergartens and nurseries. Over 90,000 refugees, mainly women and children,
have benefited from those services.
27. WFP coordinated with local non-governmental organizations to implement the
Supplementary Feeding Programme for 5,000 children and their families, which
included two free medical days for mothers and children under the age of 12. A total
of 217 women and children attended the free medical service.
Education and training
28. The UNICEF response in the education sector focused on ensuring that as
many children as possible had the opportunity to continue learning, even if they
cannot reach their schools. UNICEF supported alternative projects for children in
areas experiencing strict closures, as well as initiatives to keep children in school,
such as the “back to school” campaign, to ensure that a million Palestinian children
could attend school by September 2003 and remain in school throughout the school
year. UNICEF also supported the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in
integrating basic life skills into the curricula of grades 4 and 9; the curricula of
grades 5 and 10 were to be covered during 2004. Training in effective screening and
treatment of psychosocial distress was provided to school counsellors, kindergarten
teachers and social workers to assist them in supporting Palestinian women and
children affected by ongoing violence. UNICEF has made concerted efforts to
mainstream gender perspectives into all UNICEF programme communication.
During 2003/04, specific programme communication materials targeting the girl
child and women were developed, including on iron deficiency, anaemia and the
importance of breastfeeding, a life-skills training manual, remedial education
worksheets and anti-smoking campaigns for young people.
29. The ILO reported that three Palestinian women participated in a national
training workshop organized by the ILO Regional Office for Arab States on the
theme “Vocational training methods and training curricula for people with
disabilities”, held in Amman in 2004 for 10 Palestinian rehabilitation workers. In
2004, a new training programme on the theme “Promotion of social dialogue:
strengthening national social dialogue mechanisms” was initiated. The programme
is aimed at fully involving women national machineries in all activities. The first
course was held from 13 to 19 June 2004, with 15 Palestinian participants from the
Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and the
Palestinian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. A Palestinian woman
from a trade union participated in the course. A Palestinian woman representative
from the newly established Ministry of Women’s Affairs of the Palestinian
Authority also attended as an observer.
30. With the cooperation of the Centre for Arab Women Training and Research,
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
organized a meeting of 16 representatives of key Palestinian women NGOs and
institutions in Tunis in February 2004. The meeting aimed at identifying the
strategic needs of Palestinian women in the social and human sciences, and to
develop a plan by which UNESCO could contribute to meeting those needs.
Outcomes of the Tunis meeting were a project proposal for the establishment of a
specialized independent Palestinian women’s resource centre, which was prepared
and submitted for consideration, as well as funding to various stakeholders. The
objective of the centre would be to contribute to the development of research-based
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policies that promote gender equality and the human rights of Palestinian women by
serving as a monitoring centre and clearing house on information related to
women’s issues in Palestine. It would, inter alia, conduct, collect and house research
and documentation produced on the status and the condition of Palestinian women;
analyse and disseminate information to policy makers and relevant partners; and
facilitate training, networking and empowerment of women’s organizations.
31. Taking into account the link between women’s and girls’ education and
women’s empowerment, UNDP supported the construction of a large number of
girls’ schools in rural communities where tradition does not allow girls to travel to a
distant school, as well as the expansion of schools to allow increased enrolment of
girls. Approximately seven schools for girls were constructed, expanded or
rehabilitated with sanitary facilities. Assistance was also provided for the
development of gender-sensitive educational curricula and teaching modules and for
teacher training in their use. The objective is to foster appropriate gender
perspectives among both boys and girls. A training manual on gender issues was
developed and widely distributed to schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza.
32. To address the lack of education and skills of some women, WFP supported
literacy-, health- and nutrition-skills training. Advanced specialized courses on the
environment, farming, animal husbandry and other income-generating activities,
such as handicrafts, home gardening and food processing, were provided.
33. In collaboration with UNIFEM, the UNRWA Department of Education
continued to assist Palestine refugee women acquire modern technological skills
through a gender project. The project stresses equal access to information and
communication technologies by Palestine refugee women and men, encourages
gender equality in recruitment and retention policies, builds capacity to produce
relevant information content for Palestine refugee women and helps them fulfil their
socio-economic, reproductive and community participation roles.
Health
34. UNFPA continued its emergency obstetric care programme. In particular,
training was provided to health-care providers at the community level. For the
period under review, UNFPA trained 168 physicians, nurses and midwives in
community emergency obstetric care, bringing the total number to 268 providers
since the inception of the emergency programme. In addition, 85 health-care
providers were trained in how to deal with traumatized women. A mapping exercise
of primary health-care facilities with reproductive health services was carried out
and completed in October 2003. The exercise was completed in partnership with the
largest service providers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory from Government,
non-governmental organizations and UNRWA facilities. It was the first of its kind
and will be key to improving service delivery in the area of reproductive health,
especially for women.
35. As part of its regular programme activities, UNFPA also collaborated with a
national NGO in producing a manual on psychosocial and legal counselling in
reproductive health. The manual covers a number of difficult areas of reproductive
health and rights, including rape, incest, domestic violence and psychological abuse.
It also provides a legal guideline and framework for providers in dealing with
women and their families, in order to promote empowerment and rehabilitation. It is
the first of its kind in the Arab region and was produced in Arabic.
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36. WHO addressed the issue of mental health in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, especially among women, who are greatly affected by the social stigma of
mental illness. Women also continued to bear major responsibility for caring for
family members while coping with their own ill health. As part of the
implementation of the new mental health policy, three community mental health
centres were opened and an anti-stigma campaign was launched to address the
general public. The majority of psychologists and social workers working in the
mental health system are women.
37. UNRWA continued to provide maternal and child health-care and family
planning services as an integral part of its primary health-care services to Palestine
refugee women. UNRWA supported full immunization coverage for women and
children against vaccine-preventable diseases; iron supplementation for women
throughout pregnancy and post delivery; and health education programmes aimed at
preventing HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. UNRWA sought to make
its health programmes more gender-sensitive by obtaining, whenever possible, data
disaggregated by sex, with the objective of reducing gender disparities in health care
and health-care services.
Women’s human rights, including the implications of violence against women
38. The Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on violence
against women, its causes and consequences visited the Occupied Palestinian
Territory on official mission from 13 to 18 June 2004. The purpose of the mission
was to address the impact of the conflict and occupation on women, in particular the
implications of violence against women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The
Special Rapporteur met with a number of Government officials, including the
Minister of Women’s Affairs and representatives of women’s organizations. The
conclusions of the Special Rapporteur will be presented to the Commission on
Human Rights at its sixty-first session, in 2005.
39. In August 2004, the OHCHR Palestine office contributed to a workshop held
in Ramallah for 15 high-ranking women from various Palestinian ministries, in
cooperation with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. The workshop covered many
issues, including international human rights mechanisms, such as the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and women’s rights.
40. OHCHR organized, under the component “Human rights education/awarenessbuilding”,
a one-day seminar focusing on Palestinian women working in the
development field, on the theme “Development and human rights”. The seminar,
held on 3 August 2004, in cooperation with the women’s affairs centre located in the
Gaza Strip, particularly addressed women working in the development field. Of the
24 trainees who participated in the seminar, 18 were women. The course aimed at
strengthening the capacity of women working in the field of human rights and at
providing them with the basic human rights instruments as tools to be used in their
daily work. The seminar also succeeded in making linkages between development,
human rights and the rights-based approach.
Advocacy and media
41. The Division for Palestinian Rights, Department of Political Affairs, continued
in 2004 to work closely with civil society through international meetings and
conferences, including to bring attention to the situation of Palestinian women. The
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civil society declaration, adopted by the United Nations Forum of Civil Society in
Support of Middle East Peace in Cape Town, South Africa, in July 2004,
acknowledged that Palestinian women bear the harshest burden of the occupation,
and called on women’s organizations in Africa to express solidarity with Palestinian
women. The plan of action adopted at the United Nations International Conference
of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People, held at United Nations
Headquarters in September 2004, specifically called for the implementation of
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) mandating the full participation of women
in all international peace and justice efforts regarding Palestinian rights. The
Division also continued to include information on the situation of Palestinian
women in its monthly monitoring publication Chronological Review of Events
Relating to the Question of Palestine and a monthly bulletin, as well as in its
documents collection in the United Nations Information System on the Question of
Palestine (UNISPAL), under the subject category “Women”. A special web address
has been created permitting external web sites to link on an ongoing basis to the
UNISPAL subject category on Palestinian women.
42. The Department of Public Information continued its annual international
media seminars on peace in the Middle East, bringing together current and former
policy makers from the region as well as senior officials, international experts and
representatives of the world media. Several Palestinian women journalists
participated in the seminar. The revised and updated Department of Public
Information publication, issued in the six official languages of the United Nations,
was widely disseminated to all United Nations field offices. Chapter 9 of the booklet
addresses various issues concerning Palestinian women, including social and
economic progress. On the United Nations web site, the News Centre has covered a
wide range of developments related to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory and its impact on Palestinian women.
43. United Nations radio reported extensively on issues related to the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women.
The vital role of women as peacemakers and builders of society in many regions of
the world, including the Palestinian Occupied Territory, was highlighted as one of
“Ten stories the world should hear more about”, a new project launched by the
Department in May 2004. The issue of Palestinian women is also addressed on the
programme “Women” produced by United Nations Radio. From 10 November to
19 December 2003, the Department organized a training programme for a group of
six Palestinian broadcasters and journalists, including four women, to strengthen
their professional capacity as information media personnel. The United Nations
Information Service at Geneva also promoted the question of Palestine, for example,
by issuing a press release on 24 June 2004, in English and French, on the visit to the
Occupied Palestinian Territory by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on
Human Rights on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
Institutional arrangements
44. In June 2004, UNDP entered into an agreement with the newly established
Ministry of Women’s Affairs of the Palestinian Authority to support the
development of a three-year action plan aimed at promoting gender-sensitive
structures, programmes and policies. The plan will be carried out in consultation
with women’s groups, NGOs, ministries and experts. UNDP, in coordination with
UNIFEM, assisted the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Palestine with the drafting of
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an interim work plan and strategic vision. In efforts to promote gender equality,
including within the context of the Millennium Development Goals, the UNDP
Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People has committed to providing the
necessary human resource base to ensure the smooth operation of the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs. As a follow-up to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action, support was also provided for the establishment of women’s units within
ministries of the Palestinian Authority to advocate for gender-sensitive policies and
promote the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee for the advancement of
women.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
45. In the reporting period, the ongoing conflict in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory had a significant negative effect on Palestinian women. Women were
among those killed or wounded and/or who lost their spouses, children or
family members. Furthermore, the declining economic conditions, caused by
restrictions on movement, perpetuated massive unemployment, an increase in
poverty and lack of access to health care, health-care services and education.
Restriction of movement has also resulted in the death of pregnant women and
infants. Furthermore, pressures of the ongoing conflict have led to increased
domestic violence and psychological stress among women and children. In view
of that increase, it is imperative that the newly established Ministry of
Women’s Affairs, in collaboration with NGOs, focus on the root causes and
consequences of domestic violence in order to identify appropriate measures to
combat the problem.
46. The organizations of the United Nations system have continued to make
efforts to improve the conditions of Palestinian women. Many of the initiatives
undertaken by the entities of the United Nations system have been aimed at
long-term sustainable development for Palestinian people, including women. It
is important that the United Nations entities continue to assist Palestinian
women in coping with the socio-economic difficulties they face as a result of the
conflict. Palestinian women continue to require assistance with incomegenerating
projects aimed at poverty alleviation, education and training, access
to health care and health-care services, and with ongoing advocacy initiatives
aimed at combating violence against women and protecting their fundamental
human rights. Member States, entities of the United Nations system, nongovernmental
organizations and other relevant institutions should intensify
their efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women.
These targeted efforts should be accompanied by increased efforts to visibly
address gender dimensions in all activities of support and assistance to the
Palestinian people in the socio-economic and humanitarian fields.
47. While the reports by relevant bodies provided considerable information
on the overall situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and made
reference to women, limited information was provided on the specific situation
of women and girls. The specific impacts of the crisis on women, as compared
to men, should be highlighted so that targeted actions can be taken to mitigate
gender-specific negative impacts. Gender perspectives should be more fully
integrated into international assistance programmes through, inter alia, indepth
gender analysis and the collection of data disaggregated by sex. Gender
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perspectives should also be fully incorporated into all studies and reports
undertaken by the United Nations on the Palestinian people in order to
effectively assess the impact of the situation of Palestinian women.
48. Since the status and living conditions of Palestinian women are linked to
achieving a peaceful resolution of the conflict, additional efforts need to be
made by the international community to end the violent confrontations in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory. In that regard, it is particularly important that
women are fully involved in all conflict-resolution and peacebuilding initiatives
to be undertaken in the region, in accordance with the Beijing Platform for
Action and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). It is also important that
efforts be made to increase women’s full participation in decision-making
processes at all levels.
Notes
1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/59/35),
para. 26.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid., para. 25.
4 International Labour Organization, “The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories”,
International Labour Conference, 92nd session, 2004 (ILO, 2004), para. 18.
5 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/59/35),
para. 26.
6 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/59/13),
para. 6.
7 International Labour Organization, “The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories”,
International Labour Conference, 92nd session, 2004 (ILO, 2004).
8 World Bank, “Palestinian perceptions of their quality of life and of the current economic
environment”, West Bank and Gaza Update (2004).
9 World Bank, “Recent economic developments”, West Bank and Gaza Update (2004).
10 International Labour Organization, “The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories”,
International Labour Conference, 92nd session, 2004 (ILO, 2004), para. 90.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid., para. 72.
13 Ibid., para. 79.
14 Ibid., para. 91.
15 Ibid.
16 Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics 2004 youth survey.
United Nations E/CN.6/2006/4
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
7 December 2005
Original: English
05-63226 (E) 060106
*0563226*
f
Commission on the Status of Women
Fiftieth session
27 February-10 March 2006
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the special session of the General Assembly entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for
the twenty-first century”
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women**
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
October 2004 and September 2005, in reference to Economic and Social Council
resolution 2005/43 of 26 July 2005. It reviews the situation of women and provides
an overview of the assistance provided to Palestinian women by entities of the
United Nations system, inter alia with regard to economic activities, humanitarian
assistance, education and training, health, and the human rights of women. The
report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the
Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2006/1.
** The submission of the present report was delayed due to the need for consultation with relevant
departments.
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2005/43, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about
the grave deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, requested the Secretary-General to
continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available
means, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fiftieth
session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from October 2004 to September 2005.
The first part of the report reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on
information from United Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps in Jordan,
Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the
Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of
the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee
on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Special
Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in
the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, and the Special Rapporteur
on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
3. The second part of the report reflects information submitted by entities of the
United Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the
Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Public Information, the Office of
the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
(UNSCO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), ESCWA, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Fund
for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World
Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHabitat),
the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) and the
World Bank.
4. The report also provides recommendations aimed at improving the situation of
Palestinian women, including through the continued assistance of the United
Nations system.
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II. Situation of Palestinian women
5. Despite a period of relative calm from February to August 2005 which marked
the evacuation of Israeli settlers from the Gaza strip,1 the majority of Palestinian
women and children continued to suffer the consequences of the conflict and
restrictions of access (E/ICEF/2005/P/L.29, para. 34). Poverty and unemployment
persist in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (E/CN.4/2005/29, para. 8) and human
rights violations in the form of violence against women are pervasive
(E/CN.4/2005/72/Add.4, p. 2). An increasing number of families have exhausted the
means that enabled them to cope with the crisis over the past five years and face
difficulties in meeting their basic needs. This negative trend is a major source of
stress and anxiety for a population already weakened by years of violence, isolation,
movement restrictions and severe economic decline. As a result, women and their
families suffer chronic insecurity.2
6. The Palestine Human Development Report 20043 emphasized that
development was not possible without women’s participation. It highlighted the
growing concern about the existing gap between women and men in terms of
opportunities, choices and living conditions.4 The report highlighted the limited
participation of women in the official development process, the job market and in
decision-making processes in public institutions.5 The Special Rapporteur on
violence against women, its causes and consequences attributed the increasing
inequality of women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to a double system of
subordination, that is occupation and patriarchy, which was sustained through
multiple forms of direct and indirect violence inside and outside the home
(E/CN.4/2005/72/Add.4, para. 47).
7. The Special Rapporteur reported that women in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory are killed or threatened with death for tarnishing family honour. Women’s
transgressions of socially expected behaviours, derived from prevailing patriarchal
norms and standards, are believed to violate the “honour” of men and the family and
legitimize violence against women as a disciplinary measure to maintain or restore
family honour. Women accused of promiscuity may be imprisoned in their homes,
subjected to verbal and physical violence, married to their violator or even murdered
in the name of honour (Ibid., para. 56).
8. The patriarchal biases prevailing in the legal provisions and criminal justice
system prevent women from accessing justice and escaping violence (Ibid., para.
60). The Personal Status laws that regulate women’s rights and roles within the
family in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are not unified. For example, Muslim
women in the West Bank are subject to Jordanian law; those in the Gaza are subject
to Egyptian law; and Christian Palestinians are subject to laws established by their
respective churches (Ibid., para. 60 (a)).
9. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and
consequences welcomed the establishment of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in
2003 and reported that it was addressing violence against women as a cross-cutting
issue in all of its programmes (Ibid., para. 62). The Ministry of Women’s Affairs
worked with the Ministry of the Interior to train police on women’s rights and to
create police stations that facilitate women’s access. The Special Rapporteur noted
that the Ministry has the potential to improve the situation of Palestinian women and
promote and protect women’s rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory if it
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receives the necessary resources and support (Ibid., para. 63). Non-governmental
organizations conducted community educational workshops in accordance with
international standards on women’s rights and monitored the criminal justice
system’s response to victims of violence (Ibid., para. 67).
10. The Special Rapporteur noted that the occupation permeated all aspects of life
and entailed violations of economic, social and cultural rights (Ibid., para. 13) and
reported a noticeable regression in terms of women’s rights and fundamental
freedoms (Ibid., para. 66). The death, imprisonment or unemployment of many adult
male members of the community, which affected all areas of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, increased poverty and social tensions that contribute to
increased domestic violence (Ibid., para. 48).
11. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian
territories occupied by Israel since 1967 reported that the occupation and the wall
violated women’s rights (A/60/271, para. 43). Palestinian women were routinely
harassed, intimidated and abused at checkpoints and gates and were humiliated in
front of their families and subjected to sexual violence by soldiers and settlers
(Ibid.).
12. The Special Rapporteur also reported that approximately 120 Palestinian
women were in prison, 11 of whom were in administrative detention — that is,
being held without charge or trial. A total of 22 of the female prisoners were married
and 18 were mothers (Ibid., p. 42).6 Women prisoners were subjected to genderbased
violence while under investigation and detention (A/60/271, para. 43). The
conditions in prisons raised concerns about women’s health and well-being (Ibid.).
13. The Special Rapporteur on adequate housing emphasized on several occasions
the disproportionate effects of house demolitions on women, children and the
elderly (E/CN.4/2005/72/Add.4, para. 28). House demolitions and the destruction of
natural resources increased the economic and psychological burden on Palestinian
women, who remained primarily responsible for running households and caring for
family members.7 Extra hours spent at checkpoints added to the time burden faced
by women.8
14. Restriction of movement through closures continued to play a defining role in
the lives of most Palestinians.9 Drawing on the 2005 Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics survey, ILO reported that 52.5 per cent of households cited the closure
measures, 53.6 per cent cited military checkpoints and 16 per cent of households
cited the wall as obstacles to accessing health services.10 Some women had been
forced to give birth at checkpoints after having been denied passage or while
waiting to pass, which had led to maternal and infant deaths; others had not been
able to reach medical facilities for pre- and post-natal care.11 Information provided
by UNRWA revealed that 15 pregnant women in 2004 and 8 in 2005 had
experienced delays of 1 to 2.5 hours while being transported to hospital by
ambulance (A/60/324, para. 6). The problem was more acute in rural areas,
especially for women who lived in villages cut off by checkpoints from the cities
where the hospitals were located (Ibid., para. 11).
15. At its thirty-third session in July 2005, the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women reviewed the third periodic report of Israel
(CEDAW/C/ISR/3) and expressed concern about the number of incidents at Israeli
checkpoints which had had a negative impact on the rights of Palestinian women,
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including the right of access to health-care services for pregnant women. The
Committee called upon Israel to ensure that the authorities at all checkpoints were
instructed to ensure access to health care for pregnant women, while protecting the
security of Israel (A/60/38, paras. 257-258).
16. UNWRA reported that the social, economic and cultural context of women’s
health remained challenging during the period under review, as the Palestine refugee
population had one of the highest birth rates in the region. The Palestine Human
Development Report expressed concern about the high fertility rates in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, which were attributed to social custom and tradition, both of
which encouraged large families and early marriage for girls.12 The report observed
that fertility rates in the Palestinian territories were among the highest in the
world.13 Approximately one third of Palestine refugee women marry before the age
of 18, and an equal proportion of women of reproductive age suffer from iron
deficiency anaemia. The preliminary results of a study conducted by UNRWA
revealed that over 36 per cent of pregnant women and over 43 per cent of nursing
mothers in the Gaza Strip were anaemic (A/60/65-E/2005/13, para. 53). ESCWA
reported that food insecurity had adversely affected women’s health (Ibid., para.
53). A home visit programme conducted by the Ministry of Health found that the
nutritional health status of women and children was affected by internal closure
measures.14
17. UNICEF reported that although the overall health service coverage had been
stable, the utilization and quality of maternal and child health services continued to
be jeopardized. While 98 per cent of births were attended by skilled health staff and
96 per cent of pregnant women benefited from antenatal care, prematurity and low
birth weight, related to the health and nutritional status of the mother and the quality
of maternal and newborn health services, accounted for 41 per cent of infant deaths.
That percentage was close to 46 per cent in the Gaza Strip.15
18. UNICEF also reported that preventive and curative maternal and child health
services and health promotion activities were disrupted by the current conflict,
resulting in decreased essential care for women and children. Only 42 per cent of
mothers who delivered in hospitals over the past five years had received health
education on key maternal and infant health topics, such as breastfeeding, maternal
nutrition and family planning. Neonatal mortality played a role in the stagnation or
aggravation of the infant and under-five mortality rates among Palestinian children.
19. Women’s access to decision-making remained limited.16 The Palestine Human
Development Report revealed that female representation in ministries, parties and
community organizations was still very limited. An indication of the low levels of
political participation of Palestinian women was demonstrated by the decreasing
number of women in executive, legislative and local institutions. Female
representation on the Palestinian National Council did not exceed 8 per cent, while
the Legislative Council had only 5 women members out of a total of 88. Within the
executive authority, the Cabinet included only 2 women ministers, while women
represented only 12.5 per cent of the 250 directors general appointed in various
ministries. In municipal and local councils, the percentage of women had never
exceeded 1 per cent until the elections held in late 2004, when it rose to 17 per
cent.17
20. For the first time in 28 years, positive developments were, however, noted in
the first round of multiparty local elections held in December 2004 and January
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2005. There was a record participation of women, both as candidates and as voters.
As a result of legislation establishing quotas, there should be at least two women in
each council.18 According to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its
causes and consequences, women’s groups had called for quotas for women
candidates in the elections — 30 per cent for local council elections and 20 per cent
for the legislative council. ILO reported that there had been some debate around
women’s candidatures. However, a number of Palestinian organizations, in addition
to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, have supported the idea.19
21. Poverty remained widespread in the occupied territories.20 Approximately
11 per cent of all Palestinian families living below the poverty line in Palestine were
headed by women, and the overall percentage of poor families headed by women
was greater than that of poor families headed by men.21 The Palestine Human
Development Report observed that there was a close relationship between female
poverty in Palestinian society and the nature of the male-dominated job market.
Horizontal and vertical segregation between women and men had a negative effect
on women, especially those living below the poverty line.22
22. The participation of women in the labour force remained low.23 In the third
quarter of 2004, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics labour force survey
reported the unemployment rate as 27.4 per cent for men and 23.1 per cent for
women. ILO noted that the working patterns of women and men were highly
differentiated in the occupied territories. More women than men were studying.
However, only 1 woman in 10 of working age was employed.24 With regard to
wages, the hourly wages of women were above those of men in agriculture and in
services but below those of men in manufacturing and in commerce, hotels and
restaurants.25
23. ILO reported that one in three young persons aged 15-24 and over half of those
aged 25-29 were in forced idleness, which reinforced the exceptional circumstances
prevailing in the occupied territories.26 ILO stated that the situation required urgent
attention in the form of significant assistance in vocational training, business
development and employment orientation specifically directed at young women and
men. Young women and men also faced numerous constraints in mobility within the
territories and in accessing employment in Israel or in the industrial estates.27
24. The proportion of women in part-time work was significantly higher than that
of men: 40 per cent for women compared to 17 per cent for men. ILO noted that this
might be a factor in the very moderate real wage increases registered in 2004 and
might also explain why 27 per cent of workers earned less than the average wage
and less than the minimum wage.28 A number of work permits for business people
had been issued, although utilization had been low. The photographic control of
women and men workers at checkpoints through the use of customized screening
machines was perceived by Palestinians as an example of indecent working
conditions, a health hazard and a humiliation.29
25. For the period under review, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs took measures to
further the political, economic and social empowerment of women.30 It established
good working relations with other ministries and collaborated on gender
mainstreaming initiatives. Efforts were made, for example, to mainstream gender
perspectives in the social security policy, with the assistance of ILO. Examples of
good practices were also disseminated in order to develop a gender-responsive
budgeting process.31
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III. Assistance to Palestinian women
Economic activities
26. The World Bank reported on an improved targeting scheme of the Social
Safety Net Reform Project, which would enable poor adult women living on their
own because of separation, divorce or widowhood to receive cash assistance from
the special hardship case programme.
27. IFAD reported on phases I and II of its rehabilitation and development
programme. IFAD mobilized $10 million towards phase II, aimed at restoring access
to essential services and social and physical infrastructure in Gaza and the West
Bank and providing immediate income through the provision of employment in
infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion; and promoting opportunities for the
target group to access resources needed to improve their income-earning
opportunities. Specific initiatives targeting poor rural women were included in the
programme, such as two community centres (in Azzoun and Jayyous villages),
under the savings and credit associations which serve the financial and social needs
of women in the area. The community centre for the Women’s Rural Development
Society was opened to provide training courses to meet the financial needs of
women. In addition, a rural credit component, implemented in cooperation with the
Arab Bank, continued to provide direct financing to rural women to set up and/or
expand their small income-generation activities. Since the beginning of the project,
a total of 340 women’s income-generating activity loans were made, amounting to
$950,300. The repayment rate for women’s loans was reported by the Arab Bank as
96 per cent, as of 31 March 2005.
28. UNRWA continued its microcredit community support programme to promote
the socio-economic status and self-reliance of the most vulnerable among the
refugees, including women. The microcredit community support programme issued
more than $1.87 million in loans to a mix of low-income families and small
entrepreneurs, including women. Furthermore, UNRWA reported granting
4,719 loans valued at $2.93 million to women through its microfinance and microentrepreneurship
programme.
29. UN-Habitat introduced a housing and income-generating programme for
widows and underprivileged women in Hebron, with an initial funding of
$6.2 million. The objectives of the project are to foster self-reliance by facilitating
the transition from welfare to gainful employment, promoting the local economy
and contributing to poverty alleviation through job creation. The initial phase of the
project aimed at supporting 100 female-headed households in Hebron municipality
through the provision of shelter and opportunities to engage in income-generating
activities.
30. UNDP reported on the establishment of eight centres for the empowerment of
community women. Within the framework of the community centres activation
project, those centres were established in collaboration with UNIFEM and a Young
Men’s Christian Association women’s training programme. The establishment of the
centres (2 in the north of the West Bank and 6 in southern West Bank) have
contributed to job creation and enhanced women’s access to services and resources.
In addition, UNDP, with support from the United States Agency for International
Development, established a rural women’s empowerment centre in the northern
West Bank village of Shufa. Educational and economic empowerment programmes
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were initiated in partnership with the municipality and with the technical support of
UNIFEM. In order to enhance girls’ access to education, approximately eight
schools for girls were constructed, extended or rehabilitated, including upgraded
sanitary facilities, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
31. Empowering Palestinian women and fostering their contribution to economic
development was among the main objectives of the UNCTAD integrated capacitybuilding
programme. The project for promoting the development of small- and
medium-sized enterprises sought to foster individual entrepreneurial capabilities and
build institutional capacity for establishing a dynamic private sector and
internationally competitive small- and medium-sized enterprises. Women were
encouraged to join the programme through targeted promotional activities, including
seminars and print advertisements. Moreover, the project stipulated that at least
30 per cent of participants in the initial achievement motivation workshop, the
Entrepreneurship Training Workshop, should be women. To date, the programme
had attracted 17 women out of 61 entrepreneurs. They included promising women
entrepreneurs, including the owners/managers of existing enterprises, and those who
were willing to start their own businesses.
32. UNIDO activities in Palestine aimed at building the capacity of the Ministry of
Industry and the Private Sector to promote and foster the sustainable development of
the Palestinian industrial sector in terms of competitiveness, quality, productivity,
export, partnership potential, contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP), as
well as the creation of sustainable employment and income-generating
opportunities. Those activities, directly or indirectly, benefited Palestinian women.
Humanitarian assistance
33. UNRWA provided essential educational, health, relief and social services to
over 4 million registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s five areas of operations:
Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The
Agency’s assistance to Palestine refugee women focused on education and technical
training, delivery of women-focused health services, social service support and the
provision of microfinance. UNRWA also provided emergency assistance to the
Palestinian refugees living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to respond to the
urgent needs generated by the ongoing crisis. The emergency appeal programmes
focused on food aid, emergency employment creation, repair and reconstruction of
the conflict-damaged infrastructure in kind and cash assistance, and mobile health
clinics. The Agency created 2,037,886 days of temporary work under its direct-hire
programme and community-based infrastructure and construction projects to help
beneficiaries maintain minimum levels of income and support their families. In the
Gaza Strip, approximately 20 per cent of the beneficiaries of the direct-hire
component were female heads of households, while in West Bank, due to the nature
of the work, around 12 per cent of the beneficiaries were women.
34. Through its socio-economic unit, UNSCO continued to monitor social and
humanitarian indicators relating specifically to women, such as access to health-care
services, and the incidence of childbirth at roadblocks and checkpoints. This
information has been shared for use in the reports of key partners, such as the Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. UNSCO also undertook a
comprehensive study of the impact of economic fragmentation on rural communities
in the West Bank, highlighting the specific effect of closures on women.
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35. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs coordinated the
response of United Nations agencies and other humanitarian bodies in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. The Consolidated Appeals Process included four themes:
fragmentation; impoverishment; acute crisis areas; and protection of civilians.
Gender-based projects were integrated into the Consolidated Appeals Process and
the Common Humanitarian Action Plan to address the impact of the humanitarian
crisis on women.
36. UNHCR reported on programme activities that were designed to ensure the
participation and empowerment of refugee women in decision-making. Of the
8,873 Palestinian refugees registered in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, approximately
4,000 were women. UNHCR assisted 2,274 refugees. Refugee women had access to
material assistance, counselling and medical support through UNHCR implementing
partners. Refugee women in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya continued to benefit from
the job placement activities, microcredit project schemes and job-oriented and
vocational training of UNHCR.
37. The WFP office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory achieved significant
progress in advocating the role of Palestinian women in management and access to
food assistance and participation in food-for-work and food-for-training activities,
implemented in partnership with key organizations and ministries working closely
with women. Some food-for-training courses included gender sensitization,
introduction to HIV/AIDS awareness and women’s human rights. Women were
encouraged to personally receive their food entitlement or were authorized to
designate another person to collect the rations on their behalf.
Education and training
38. The World Bank reported on a tertiary education project ($10 million) that
aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education
and to provide support to higher education institutions to improve their management
and the quality and relevance of programmes. During the period under review, the
Development Grant Facility supported the Centre of Arab Women for Training and
Research in its regional research work on Arab women and decision-making, which
includes a Palestinian national research team.
39. Education programmes continued to be one of the primary means by which
UNRWA promoted the development of girls and women. In the 2004/05 academic
year, some 489,000 pupils, half of them girls, were enrolled in the Agency’s
elementary, preparatory and secondary schools. More than half of the Agency’s
teachers were women, as were 67 per cent of the 1,170 participants in pre-service
teacher training courses. UNRWA administered 110 scholarships for Palestinian
women in Lebanon and other scholarship projects for approximately 70 female
refugees. The UNRWA Department of Education, in collaboration with UNIFEM,
continued to assist Palestine refugee women in acquiring modern technological
skills. The project emphasized equal access to information and communication
technologies (ICT) by Palestine refugee women as well as men, encouraged gender
equality in recruitment and retention policies, and built capacity to produce
appropriate information content for Palestine refugee women to assist them to fulfil
their socio-economic, reproductive and community roles. UNRWA also promoted
community participation by and community services for Palestine refugee women
through 65 women’s programme centres. Activities included occupational training
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programmes, kindergartens and nurseries. Over 133,450 refugees, mainly women
and children, benefited from these services.
40. UNICEF provided 40,000 children in areas affected by violence, deteriorating
economic conditions and closures with remedial worksheets, school bags and
stationary, as well as basic clothing. A total of 904 school-in-a-box kits were
purchased, of which 375 were distributed to schools in Gaza. The rest were prepositioned
to the West Bank in order to provide emergency response in the districts
of Nablus and Hebron. The kits assisted about 70,000 students to continue their
education during closures. UNICEF also piloted the child-friendly school concept in
100 schools in Gaza and the West Bank. In addition to ensuring that physical school
conditions were more child-friendly, especially for girls, the project trained
approximately 850 schoolteachers on child-centred pedagogy and participatory
school and classroom processes. The participation of adolescent girls in year-round
sports programmes, including summer recreational activities, was realized. Out of a
total of more than 6,000 adolescents, 3,250 females participated in weekly sports
programmes aimed at relieving stress and the damaging effects of violence.
41. UNESCO provided policy and planning advice and other capacity-building
assistance to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. By supporting the
provision of gender-responsive educational services, including guidance and
counselling for school-age girls, teacher training and the production of learning
materials, UNESCO focused on eliminating gender disparities in primary and
secondary education in the Palestinian territories. In collaboration with UNIFEM
and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, UNESCO developed training in the areas of
vocational counselling and guidance for girls in grades 8 to 12; academic assistance;
and workshops for parents to raise their awareness of the importance of education
for girls.
42. The Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political Affairs
reported that one of three trainees from the Palestinian Authority in the annual
training programme for staff of the Palestinian Authority was a woman.
43. UNFPA organized training at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to improve
mainstreaming of gender perspectives in the planning process and monitoring of
progress through the development, testing and use of gender analysis tools,
including for gender audits. Training was also provided for women newly elected to
municipalities and focused on developing capacities for advocacy and mobilization
of communities in local development, particularly women.
44. UN-Habitat supported a technical and vocational training centre for
underprivileged women in the southern area of the Gaza Strip, with an initial
funding of $2 million. There were previously only two such training centres for
women in the northern and central areas of the Gaza Strip, and women’s enrolment
in vocational, industrial and commercial training schools and institutes was
marginal. The proposed centre for the southern area of the Gaza Strip targeted
women who were registered as hardship cases with the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The project aimed at empowering women who were the poorest of the poor, without
income, or who were socially marginalized as divorcees, widows and heads of
households.
45. OHCHR organized training courses for different target groups, including
Palestinian police forces and prison personnel, judges and workers in the
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development field, taking into consideration gender balance in the selection of
participants and integrating women’s issues into all training activities. Training
curricula and programmes included sessions on women’s rights. In addition,
OHCHR worked closely with the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs to carry
out training sessions for Ministry staff.
Health
46. In order to address the challenges of high fertility rates and promote the health
status of Palestine refugee women, UNRWA continued providing maternal and child
health-care and reproductive health services as an integral part of its primary health
care. A total of 85,737 women received antenatal care in five fields of operation of
the Agency. In addition, 20,088 new women sought family planning guidance. The
total number of continuing users was 104,803. UNRWA also sustained full
immunization coverage of women and children against vaccine-preventable
diseases. Those services were supported by school health services, the provision of
iron supplements for women throughout pregnancy and post delivery, and health
education programmes on the prevention of tobacco use and the prevention of
HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.
47. WHO reported on a project to strengthen the nutrition department of the
Ministry of Health and establish a national nutrition surveillance system. The
project assisted the development of a nutrition department, improved the technical
capacity of relevant personnel, developed nutrition-related policy documents and
plans of action, and supported training and research on improving nutritional
services, particularly for women and children. The project benefited women by
strengthening nutrition surveillance systems and coordinating nutrition activities
through thematic groups and nutrition service delivery, particularly for women.
48. UNFPA reported on a capacity-building programme to support the Ministry of
Health that focused on improving the quality of services and expanding the scope of
the reproductive health package to include early detection of the most common
cancers among women (breast and cervical cancer), in addition to ante- and postnatal
and family planning counselling, management of sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) and reproductive tract infections, and health education. Guidelines
and protocols for reproductive health services were developed for hospitals and
primary health centres. Special attention was paid to the prevention of HIV/AIDS
and STIs through the STIs/HIV/AIDS management/provider’s manual and training
of health providers. In addition, UNFPA designed a programme to train health
providers, general practitioners, midwives, nurses and community health workers to
reach 10,000 pregnant women and 50,000 people who reside in 100 selected
localities. Moreover, a training workshop addressed different reproductive health
issues, including gender-based violence, counselling skills, family planning and
reproductive rights.
49. In preparation for the disengagement operations in the northern West Bank and
Gaza Strip, UNICEF provided critical supplies for mothers and children in the form
of emergency health kits, midwifery and obstetric kits, and family water kits, raised
community awareness on appropriate hygiene practices and promoted breastfeeding.
In areas where access to health facilities was difficult, support was provided to such
facilities, together with the upgrade of the skills of health-care workers. UNICEF
also provided vaccines and vaccine-related supplies to cover 100 per cent of
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Palestinian children and women of child-bearing age for the immunization services
provided by the Ministry of Health, UNRWA and non-governmental organizations.
UNICEF initiated a pilot project aimed at promoting awareness of HIV/AIDS
among adolescent girls and boys.
50. The UNAIDS secretariat supported the participation of seven representatives
from the Occupied Palestinian Territory national AIDS committee, medical relief
committees and the Culture and Free Thought Association in the UNAIDS regional
meeting on the theme “Women, girls and HIV/AIDS”, held in Amman in February
2005.
Women’s human rights, including violence against women
51. UNICEF equipped mothers with the basic skills to detect distress among their
children and to respond to it, as well as to deal with their own stress. Groups of
mothers were formed in the areas most affected by violence and movement
restrictions, such as those in the proximity of settlements or the wall. Each group
attended a series of 12 sessions, addressing issues such as child developmental
stages, child rights, psychosocial well-being, and the negative impact of early
marriage and domestic violence and abuse. More than 15,000 caregivers, the
majority of whom were mothers, attended such sessions.
52. In support of the right to due process, UNICEF provided legal aid for girls as
well as boys. UNICEF also set up a monitoring system which gathered data on, inter
alia, charges, sentencing, pre-trial detention and age and geographic location. The
situation of children in detention was monitored and legal aid was provided.
53. OHCHR continued to support the Palestinian National Authority through a
project on the rule of law. The project had a positive impact on women’s rights by
addressing specific problems of discrimination and domestic injustices, including by
vetting national laws for adherence to international human rights standards and
norms. The project also sought to empower women to know and claim their rights.
On 3 March, OHCHR participated in a workshop organized by the Gaza Community
Mental Health Programme and the Women’s Empowerment Programme on women’s
political participation in Gaza City, involving activists from civil society and the
governmental sector. It was also involved in a meeting in Gaza for approximately 70
women in a marginalized area of Gaza City organized by the Palestinian Working
Women’s Society for Development, which focused on women’s rights, including
women’s participation in political life, in the context of the United Nations
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) and other human rights instruments.
54. As part of efforts to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000),
UNFPA provided support to Palestinian women to produce a lexicon for advocacy
purposes. Such support was undertaken in a participatory manner, together with the
Coalition Combating Violence against Women and other governmental institutions,
to promote national consensus on terminology on major issues related to genderbased
violence. The lexicon also promoted examples of best practices from each of
the institutions. UNFPA, together with the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of
Global Dialogue and Democracy, implemented advocacy activities on sensitizing
legislators, decision-makers and community leaders on the negative effects of early
marriage on the development of Palestinian society.
13
E/CN.6/2006/4
55. UNIFEM negotiated an agreement with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to
initiate a national programme on women’s rights, with focus on femicide.
Advocacy
56. In organizing international meetings and conferences for, and under the
guidance of, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian People, the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of
Political Affairs has included items dealing with the situation of Palestinian women
and ensured the participation of women’s organizations and women representatives
of other civil society organizations. The meetings focused on the legal aspects of the
question of Palestine in light of the 2004 Advisory Opinion of the International
Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the construction of the wall in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory.32 The hardship caused by the wall for Palestinian
women through limiting their access to places of work and worship, schools,
hospitals and community services formed part of the deliberations. Renowned
women lawyers, and women activists from civil society organizations working in
the field of law, were among the panellists guiding the discussions.
57. The Department of Public Information carried out a special information
programme on the question of Palestine, in pursuance of General Assembly
resolution 59/30 of 1 December 2004, aimed at sensitizing public opinion. Working
in close cooperation with the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of
Political Affairs, and through it with the Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Department used a variety of means
to inform the public and reach out to the media and civil society. The United
Nations News Centre continued its coverage of developments related to the situation
in the Occupied Territories and its effect on Palestinian women. Various United
Nations activities, statements and documents related to the situation of and
assistance to Palestinian women were also highlighted through a special “News
Focus: Middle East” page featured on the United Nations News Centre. The
Department of Public Information issued 18 press releases (9 each in French and
English) dealing specifically with assistance to Palestinian women.
58. United Nations in Action series of UNTV featured a programme on
microcredit schemes for Palestinian women, which highlighted the role of
UNRWA.33 In its daily news programmes and current affairs magazines for
worldwide and regional dissemination, United Nations Radio covered, inter alia, the
report of a round-table discussion with three Palestinian women representing nongovernmental
organizations to CEDAW held during its March 2005 session; the
report on the struggle for equality of Palestinian women living in Israel 10 years
after Beijing; the affirmation by CEDAW of the applicability of the Fourth Geneva
Convention to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories according to a
report introduced by Palestinian Women; the report introduced by the Arab Women
in Israel to CEDAW on Israeli discrimination against Arab women in Israel; a report
on a delegation of Palestinian Women who travelled to New York to participate in
Beijing+10; and a report on cooperation between the Palestinian Ministry of Women
Affairs and the World Bank.
59. ESCWA provided technical assistance to the Palestinian National Authority
Ministry of Women’s Affairs for building the capacities of its Advocacy, Media and
Communications Department. Three training workshops were conducted for
14
E/CN.6/2006/4
Ministry staff on addressing gender issues in plans and programmes of other
ministries and to improve their use of data and statistics for lobbying and advocacy.
The ESCWA Centre for Women developed an interactive website to include country
profiles on Arab women, including Palestinian women. Those profiles are updated
on a regular basis to reflect the latest developments in population dynamics, health,
poverty, education, human rights, conflict, labour, political participation and
leadership and the work of the national machinery and non-governmental
organizations.
60. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs chaired the interagency
advocacy group, which includes members of the key United Nations
humanitarian agencies operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. During 2005,
the Office initiated a group activity on the occasion of International Women’s Day
on 8 March. The inter-agency advocacy group published a press release entitled
“Towards a more secure future: United Nations agencies operating in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory call for action in improving the situation of Palestinian
women”. Signed by 10 agencies, the press release was sent to the local media and
received good coverage.
61. The Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political Affairs
updated its documents collection under the subject category “Women” in the
Internet-based United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine
(UNISPAL) and electronic links to relevant websites outside UNISPAL. The special
web address permitting external websites to link to the UNISPAL subject category
on Palestinian women on an ongoing basis was also maintained.
62. In terms of its publications programme, the Division for Palestinian Rights
included information on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, as
available, in its monthly monitoring publications Chronological Review of Events
Relating to the Question of Palestine and Monthly Bulletin, which review action
taken by the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations relevant to
the question of Palestine, as well as other publications.
Institutional arrangements
63. UNDP supported the newly established Ministry of Women’s Affairs in the
development of a three-year strategic action plan whose central objective was the
empowerment of and support to Palestinian women to actively participate in
building and developing a democratic Palestinian state. Since June 2005, the gender
mainstreaming capacity of the Ministry and newly created gender units of various
line Ministries has been increased in order to provide decision makers with the
needed skills and knowledge to operationalize their commitment to gender equality
and women’s rights.
64. The ESCWA Centre for Women sponsored technical assistance activities and
advisory services on institution-building in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs,
concentrating on the formulation of the Ministry’s strategy and policy document.
Advisory services were also provided to enhance the technical cooperation
programme of the poverty alleviation department of the Ministry. Capacity-building
training workshops were organized and conducted for Ministry officials.
15
E/CN.6/2006/4
65. The Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals and the UNV
programmes continued to support the ongoing efforts of UNDP, UNIFEM and the
Ministry of Women’s Affairs to ensure that gender issues were mainstreamed in all
policies and reflected in all programmes. In this regard, UNV supported the
institutionalization process within the newly established Ministry of Women’s
Affairs through the provision of gender training, an ICT unit and support to the
development of a website for Palestinian women to meet and share experiences.
66. In response to a joint request from Palestinian and Israeli women leaders and
activists, UNIFEM convened and facilitated a strategy and planning meeting from
26 to 28 July 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey. The purpose of the meeting was to develop
and advance a plan to establish an international women’s commission for a just and
sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Commission was established in the
context of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and other international
conventions and instruments that call upon States parties to ensure increased
representation of women at all decision-making levels for the prevention,
management and resolution of conflict. The Commission brought together
Palestinian, Israeli and international women dedicated to end the Israeli occupation
and bring about a just peace based on international law, human rights and equality.
The Commission worked for an ongoing and comprehensive reconciliation in order
to realize a mutually secure and sustainable peace and co-existence within the
context of mainstream negotiations.
IV. Conclusion and recommendations
67. During the reporting period, the impact of the conflict continued to
adversely affect women in all spheres of life. Women and their families lived in
a permanent state of insecurity, tension and fear (E/CN.4/2005/72/Add.4, para.
74). They were negatively affected by the restrictions on movement, the
deteriorating economic conditions, poverty and lack of access to health care
and health services. Palestinian women continued to bear the combined
burdens of occupation and patriarchy which have deepened their inequality
and denied them the possibility for enjoyment of rights, fundamental freedoms
and liberty (Ibid., para. 72).
68. The outcome document of the 2005 World Summit highlighted the
importance of eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against
women and girls. The important role of women in the prevention and resolution
of conflicts and in peacebuilding was also highlighted. Member States
reaffirmed their commitment to the full and effective implementation of
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. In this
regard, it is important that Palestinian women are fully involved in all conflict
resolution and peacebuilding initiatives, including at decision-making levels.
Taking into account that women tend to suffer disproportionately during times
of political unrest and instability, there is a need to mainstream gender
perspectives in policies and programmes to ensure that the contribution,
priorities and needs of both women and men are addressed.
69. Entities of the United Nations have continued to make efforts to improve
the situation of Palestinian women. Member States, entities of the United
Nations system, non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions
16
E/CN.6/2006/4
should intensify their efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to
Palestinian women.
70. The Commission may wish to encourage entities of the United Nations
system to increase the participation of women in all assistance activities in
order to fully integrate women’s priorities and needs in the development
process, for example, through increasing women’s involvement in povertyreduction
programmes.
71. The newly established Ministry of Women’s Affairs has undertaken
important initiatives to promote gender mainstreaming in all ministries. United
Nations entities and other international organizations should continue to
coordinate and collaborate to provide financial, advisory and technical
assistance to the Ministry and to gender units in line ministries to ensure that
gender perspectives are identified and addressed in policies and programmes in
all policy areas.
Notes
1 The contribution of UNICEF to the preparation of the present report.
2 UNICEF input to the preparation of the report.
3 The Palestine Human Development Report 2004 was prepared by the Birzeit University,
Development Studies Programme, with support from the United Nations Programme of
Assistance to the Palestinian People and in association with the Ministry of Planning.
4 See Palestine Human Development Report 2004.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 International Labour Organization, “Report of the Director-General on the situation of workers
of the occupied Arab territories” (Geneva, 2005) para. 31.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid., para. 17.
10 Ibid., para. 19.
11 Ibid., para. 19.
12 Palestine Human Development Report 2004.
13 Ibid.
14 International Labour Organization, op. cit., para. 20.
15 UNICEF input to the preparation of the present report.
16 See Palestine Human Development Report 2004.
17 Ibid.
18 International Labour Organization, op. cit., para. 10.
19 Ibid., para. 10.
20 Ibid., preface.
21 See Palestine Human Development Report 2004.
17
E/CN.6/2006/4
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 International Labour Organization, op. cit., para. 63.
25 Ibid., para. 80.
26 Ibid., preface.
27 Ibid., preface.
28 Ibid., para. 88.
29 Ibid., para. 24.
30 Ibid., para. 14.
31 Ibid., para. 14.
32 United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine, United Nations Office at
Geneva, 8 and 9 March 2005; United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in
Support of Middle East Peace, UNESCO headquarters, Paris, 12 and 13 July 2005.
33 The programme was aired on CNN International in January 2005.
United Nations E/CN.6/2007/4*
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
9 January 2007
Original: English
06-65379* (E) 100107
*0665379*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-first session
26 February-9 March 2007
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda**
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
October 2005 and September 2006, in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2006/8 of 25 July 2006. It reviews the situation of Palestinian women and
provides an overview of the assistance provided by entities of the United Nations
system, inter alia, with regard to humanitarian assistance, economic activities,
education and training, health and the human rights of women. The report concludes
with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status of Women.
* Reissued for technical reasons.
** E/CN.6/2007/1.
E/CN.6/2007/4
2 06-65379
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2006/8 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave situation of
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist
Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in the previous
report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women (E/CN.6/2006/4) and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women
at its fifty-first session a report, including information provided by the Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from October 2005 to September 2006.
The report reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from
United Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and the
Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Special Rapporteur of the Human
Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories
occupied by Israel since 1967 and the Special Rapporteur on violence against
women, its causes and consequences.
3. The report also reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the
Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Public Information, the Office of
the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food
Programme (WFP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHabitat),
the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the
World Bank.
4. The report provides recommendations on improving the situation of
Palestinian women, including through the continued assistance of the United
Nations system.
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 3
II. Situation of Palestinian women
5. The period under review was marked by several major developments. It was
dominated by the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West
Bank and the election of new parliaments in both Israel and the Palestinian
Authority, resulting in the subsequent nomination of new Governments.1 After the
election of Hamas in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the fiscal deficit widened
as, inter alia, the Government of Israel began to withhold the payment of the taxes
and duties collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.2 Prospects for continued
international financial support for the Palestinian Authority diminished, leading to a
risk of contraction in the Palestinian economy.3 The United States and the European
Union announced a freeze on their assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it
commits to the three principles spelled out by the Quartet on 30 January 2006, while
maintaining direct assistance to the Palestinian people.4
6. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, movement was limited as a result of
checkpoints, curfews, closures and the separation barrier and its associated regime.5
A climate of economic uncertainty and social hardship continued throughout 2005
and 2006, worsened by recurring violence, ongoing construction of the separation
barrier, restrictions on movement, land confiscation, house demolitions, arrests and
detentions by the Israeli authorities and intensification, from August onwards, of the
fiscal crisis.6
7. Increased restrictions on free movement in and out of the Gaza Strip and
within the West Bank left many women unable to access basic services.7 Access by
some villagers to nearby urban centres had improved temporarily when the number
of closure obstacles decreased to 376 between February and August 2005.8 The
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories
occupied since 1967 noted, however, that the number of checkpoints increased from
376 in August 2005 to over 500 in August 2006.9 As a result, Palestinian women
currently live under conditions of forced isolation and are often separated from their
families and communities, which provide support, safety and solace.10
8. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the
humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate in the Gaza Strip due to shortages of
electricity and water, caused by the 28 June 2006 bombing by the Israeli Air Force
of the Gaza power plant, and the continued sporadic opening of only some of Gaza’s
crossing points.11 The substantial reduction of the electricity and fuel supply,
__________________
1 A/61/80-E/2006/72, para. 75.
2 Ibid., para. 65.
3 Ibid., para. 8.
4 Ibid., para. 6.
5 UNRWA contribution to the report (2006).
6 A/61/80-E/2006/72, para. 8.
7 OCHA contribution to the report (2006).
8 A/61/67-E/2006/13, para. 24.
9 A/HRC/2/5, p. 2.
10 OCHA contribution to the report (2006).
11 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory, Gaza Strip
Situation Report, 12 July 2006, 12 p.m.
E/CN.6/2007/4
4 06-65379
together with the disruption of water supplies, had a severe impact on the daily life
of Palestinians who were without light at night and electricity to do their cooking.12
9. Women account for 49.4 per cent of the Palestinian population, a total of
1.86 million,13 in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. While only 13.8 per cent of
overall households in the refugee population were female-headed, such households
accounted for 46 per cent of the special hardship families, illustrating the burden of
poverty borne by women in the refugee population.14 Special hardship assistance
was provided to 386 families headed by widowed, divorced or abandoned women.15
10. According to the report of the Director-General of ILO on the situation of
workers in the occupied Arab territories, four out of every 10 Palestinians in the
territory were living in poverty on less than $2.10 a day. The absolute figure
increased from 600,000 in 1999 to 1,600,000 in 2005.16 The poverty rate was nearly
50 per cent in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the Gaza Strip rate at
approximately 70 per cent in May 2006.17 Spiralling poverty rates owing to the
ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis had a disproportionate impact on
Palestinian women and increased the vulnerability of youths and young women.18
11. The school enrolment ratio of girls as compared to that of boys is almost equal
for primary and secondary education.19 Gender stereotypes continued to exist in the
school curricula.20 The Palestinian Higher Education Statistics Report (2004)
indicated that more female students (5,043) than male students (4,829) were
enrolled in the science and technology fields. Although women accounted for
approximately 50 per cent of information technology graduates between 2002 and
2005, only 3 per cent of them were employed in the field, compared to 67 per cent
of male graduates.21
12. According to the 2006 report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the
Palestinian people, continued closures within and between the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank severely challenged the Palestinian health system’s ability to function at
appropriate levels.22 WHO noted that the financial crisis threatened to undermine
the delivery of health services that served the majority of the Palestinian population,
including women.23 UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action Report 2006 also noted that
__________________
12 A/HRC/2/5, para. 15.
13 Focus 2005, Vol. 4, published by UNDP Communications Office, Programme of Assistance to
Palestinian People, p. 45.
14 Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/60/13),
para. 120.
15 Ibid.
16 ILO (2006) report of the Director-General on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab
territories, page iv.
17 Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-first Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/61/35),
para. 32.
18 UNDP contribution to the report (2006).
19 Ibid.
20 UNFPA “Gender-based violence in Occupied Palestinian Territory”, Women, Peace and Security
Initiative, Technical Support Division, 2006.
21 Focus 2005, Vol. 4, published by Communications Office of the UNDP/Programme of
Assistance to Palestinian People, p. 19.
22 A/61/80-E/2006/72, para. 53.
23 WHO contribution to the report (2006).
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 5
basic equipment for maternal and newborn health was lacking in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.24
13. Food insecurity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was the result, in part, of
the absence of purchasing power, as few people had sufficient money to cover their
family’s basic food needs.25 The results of a study conducted by UNRWA revealed
that, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank respectively, 54.7 per cent and
34.3 per cent of children aged 6 to 36 months were anaemic, as were 40.2 per cent
and 29.9 per cent of pregnant women and 45.7 per cent and 23 per cent of nursing
mothers. Other micronutrient deficiencies of concern were subclinical vitamin A
deficiency, rickets and iodine deficiency.26
14. The Palestine refugee population has one of the highest birth rates in the
region, as approximately one third of Palestinian refugee women marry before the
age of 18.27 Approximately 39.4 per cent of the Palestinian refugee population is
below 18 years of age and 24.6 per cent consists of women of reproductive age.28
The total refugee fertility rates vary from 2.5 and 2.6 in the Syrian Arab Republic
and Lebanon to 4.4 in the Gaza Strip.29 As a result of increased literacy, generalized
socio-economic hardship, increased public awareness of the need for child spacing
and the widespread use of modern contraceptive methods, the historically high
population growth rates of more than 3.5 per cent among the Palestinian refugees
over the past two decades slowed to 2.5 per cent.30 This trend, however, has been
reversed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the humanitarian crisis in 2000.31
15. According to the 2004 labour force statistics of the Palestinian Central Bureau
of Statistics, women accounted for 15.9 per cent of the total labour force in the West
Bank and for 9.1 per cent in the Gaza Strip. The share in Jerusalem was the lowest
in the West Bank, accounting for only 10.1 per cent.32 Female employment rates
have historically been low in the entire region; however, they have declined even
further with the crisis.33 Unemployment among the working female population
stands at 19.6 per cent.34 The closure and separation of the rest of the West Bank
from East Jerusalem has limited the access of women from East Jerusalem to
employment opportunities.35
__________________
24 UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report 2006, p. 106.
25 A/HRC/2/5, para. 32.
26 A/61/67-E/2006/13, para. 55.
27 Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/60/13),
para. 67.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.
31 Ibid.
32 Millennium Development Goals, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2005 Progress Report,
December 2005, p. 34.
33 ILO (2006) report of the Director-General on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab
territories, para. 79.
34 Focus 2005, vol. 4, published by Communications Office of the UNDP/Programme of
Assistance to Palestinian People, p. 45.
35 Millennium Development Goals, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2005 Progress Report,
December 2005, p. 34.
E/CN.6/2007/4
6 06-65379
16. Despite their low participation in the workforce, Palestinian women have
traditionally played a major role in agricultural production.36 Nearly 90 per cent of
unpaid female family members are engaged in agricultural work.37 With the loss of
land to Israel, Palestinian women are affected by the loss of both a vital source of
income and their role as economic producers.38
17. During the reporting period, the labour market of the Occupied Palestinian
Territory was subject to persistent and unpredictable security restrictions on the
movement of people and products.39 Higher levels of conflict and closure also
placed a greater economic and psychological burden on Palestinian women, who not
only remained primarily responsible for running the household and caring for family
members, but also increasingly engaged in informal employment or selfemployment
activities to supplement their household incomes.40
18. To compensate for lost household income, more Palestinian women were
initiating various types of income-generating activities with the support of
microcredit institutions.41 Despite the difficult environment prevailing in the West
Bank and Gaza, the number of women participating in savings and credit
associations increased by 6 per cent, the savings mobilized increased by 24 per cent
and the total amount of loans increased by 32 per cent.42 The total number of
women members in the savings and credit associations stood at 5,636 persons and
their savings reached $1,471,524.43 The total number of loans issued by the savings
and credit associations reached 3,634 loans.44 The savings and credit associations’
loans provided employment opportunities to female and male members of the
households and improved the overall income of the beneficiaries.45
19. Employment opportunities were limited for women,46 as illustrated, for
example, by the fact that Palestinian women accounted for 31.2 per cent of lawyers,
21.4 per cent of journalists and 11.7 per cent of doctors.47 The female Palestinian
labour force continued to be heavily concentrated in agriculture and services,
whereas the male labour force is more evenly distributed across the main sectors.48
20. Palestinian women have limited access to decision-making. Only 9 per cent of
judges and 12.2 per cent of prosecutors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were
women.49 The Millennium Development Goals Report for the Occupied Palestinian
__________________
36 A/61/67-E/2006/13, para. 73.
37 World Bank (2006) “West Bank and Gaza, Economic Update and Potential Outlook”, p. 24.
38 A/61/67-E/2006/13, para. 73.
39 ILO (2006) report of the Director-General on the situation of workers of the occupied Arab
territories, preface.
40 Ibid., para. 38.
41 Ibid., para. 90.
42 IFAD contribution to the report (2006).
43 Ibid.
44 Ibid.
45 Ibid.
46 ILO (2006) report of the Director-General on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab
territories, para. 106.
47 Focus 2005, Vol. 4, published by Communications Office of the UNDP/Programme of
Assistance to Palestinian People, p. 45.
48 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics cited in World Bank (2006) “West Bank and Gaza,
Education Sector Analysis”, para. 123.
49 Focus 2005, Vol. 4, published by Communications Office of the UNDP/Programme of
Assistance to Palestinian People, p. 45.
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 7
Territories (2005) pointed out that the political participation of women in Palestinian
society is low.50 The proportion of seats held by women in the national parliament
remained 5.7 per cent from 1995 to 2004.51 At the level of local government,
women’s political participation in 2005 was higher, at 19.3 per cent in the West
Bank and 17 per cent in the Gaza Strip.52 By 2005, more than seven ministries had
established gender units, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of
Local Government.53
21. Although the Palestinian Constitution promotes gender equality, this is not
always reflected in the drafting or implementation of laws and legislation.54
Palestinian women are subjected to discrimination under the laws governing
marriage, divorce, the custody of children, inheritance and domestic violence.55
22. As reported by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, the occupation and the
separation barrier continued to violate Palestinian women’s rights.56 The Special
Rapporteur noted that the barrier in Jerusalem, in particular, resulted in the
separation of families, as husbands and wives may separate to allow the Jerusalem
identity holder to retain his or her benefits.57 Furthermore, an Israeli law on
citizenship prohibited Palestinians who marry Israeli Arabs from living with their
spouses in Israel.58
23. Continuous violence took an intolerable toll on the physical and psychological
well-being of Palestinian women.59 Every aspect of their daily lives was impacted
by violence and restrictions on their freedom and dignity.60
24. A case study on gender-based violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
commissioned by UNFPA and presented to an international symposium in Brussels
in June 2006,61 suggested that gender-based violence was increasing as a result of
the increased political tension and violence.62 According to a report released by the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in February 2006 on domestic violence in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory,63 61.7 per cent of married women had been
exposed to psychological abuse, 23.3 per cent to physical abuse and 10.6 per cent to
__________________
50 Millennium Development Goals, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2005 Progress Report,
December 2005, p. 32.
51 Ibid., p. 34.
52 Ibid., p. 34.
53 Focus 2005, Vol. 4, published by Communications Office of the UNDP/Programme of
Assistance to Palestinian People, p. 5.
54 Millennium Development Goals, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2005 Progress Report,
December 2005, p. 34.
55 UNFPA “Reassessing institutional support for Security Council resolution 1325, defining the
UNFPA role and strengthening support for women affected by conflict” consultative meeting,
Bucharest, 17-20 October 2005.
56 E/CN.4/2006/29, para. 46.
57 A/HRC/2/5, para. 63.
58 Ibid.
59 OCHA contribution to the report (2006).
60 Ibid.
61 www.unfpa.org/emergencies/symposium06/index.htm (accessed on 4 October 2006).
62 UNFPA contribution to the report (2006).
63 Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, press conference on the
preliminary results of the Domestic Violence Survey (2005), February 2006, www.pcbs.gov.ps,
cited in UNIFEM “Gender profile of the conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
E/CN.6/2007/4
8 06-65379
sexual abuse. In addition, 63.6 per cent of unmarried women (18 years and over)
were exposed to psychological abuse and 24.6 per cent to physical abuse.
25. Steps have been taken by the Palestinian Authority to address the issues
identified in the report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its
causes and consequences.64 A quota law providing that women must make up 20 per
cent of local councils was approved; legislative steps were taken to address crimes
against women committed in the name of honour; the police and the judiciary were
being trained on issues related to violence against women; and gender units were
created in police departments. In addition, a ministerial committee was created to
amend the penal code to provide better protection to women and provide shelters to
the victims of violence.65
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
26. This section is based on information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system for the preparation of this report. Nine areas of assistance have been
identified: education and training; health; employment and entrepreneurship;
participation; human rights, including the elimination of violence against women;
humanitarian assistance; advocacy; media; and gender mainstreaming.
A. Education and training
27. UNRWA, IFAD and the World Bank provided assistance in the area of
education. The UNRWA education programme is one of the chief means of
contributing to the human development of girls and women. The Agency promoted
occupational training programmes, kindergartens and nurseries, through 65 Women
Programme Centres. Women Programme Centres in three camps of the West Bank
provided refugee women with information technology training and assisted 73
Palestinian refugee women in obtaining high school diplomas. About half of the
teachers and those enrolled in the UNRWA pre-teaching service courses were
women. The IFAD three Village Community Multipurpose Centres were used to
conduct training courses for women in various educational fields.
B. Health
28. Several United Nations entities reported on activities to improve access to
health care for Palestinian women. WHO established a thematic group for women
and child health, which coordinates project activities of different donors and
implementing agencies, exchanges information, provides advice and recommends
priorities for women and children’s health. WHO also provided logistical support to
the Ministry of Health, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNDP and
UNFPA as required.
29. UNRWA undertook multisectoral activities, including full immunization
coverage of women and children against vaccine-preventable diseases. UNRWA also
__________________
64 E/CN.4/2006/61, para. 4.
65 Ibid.
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 9
provided pre-conception folic acid, iron and folic acid supplementation for pregnant
women throughout pregnancy, as well as health education programmes on the
prevention of tobacco use, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition,
the UNRWA community mental health programme in the Gaza Strip provided
essential psychosocial support for Palestinian refugees living in situations of
protracted violence and armed conflict. To facilitate gender-sensitive programming,
the UNRWA health programme provides sex-disaggregated data whenever possible.
To reduce gender-based health disparities, UNRWA encourages gender balance in
recruitment and retention policies in its health programme.
30. UNFPA provided technical assistance on population and development,
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, especially among adolescents.
UNFPA strengthened the integration of reproductive health care in 39 public health
centres and two non-governmental organization clinics. Through its emergency
obstetric programme, UNFPA continued to ensure safe delivery for women in
isolated areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Bureij and Jabaliya, two
innovative women’s health centres continued to provide reproductive health care to
women in two of the most populated and underprivileged areas of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
31. UNFPA also aided the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry
of Health to identify indicators to measure the impact of the collapse of the health
system on pregnant women, as well as on the overload of the maternity wards in
central referral systems.
32. UNIFEM undertook activities to strengthen the institutional capacities of
service providers in order to improve the quality of services, resources and
information for women. Activities included gender training for the psychosocial
teams employed by UNICEF in the Gaza Strip. Coordination meetings among
counselling service providers were also set up. UNIFEM also worked on mobilizing
and strengthening existing networks among non-governmental organizations to
build capacity for better service provision for rural women. During the reporting
period, 15 psychosocial counsellors and social workers provided psychosocial
counselling interventions for over 1,000 women in the Gaza Strip.
33. UNV is implementing a project on solid waste management to improve the
health and environmental conditions of residents of the town of Asira and four
surrounding villages in the Nablus area. Women volunteers lead training sessions
and organize and conduct visits to households to train other women on waste
separation and proper modes of waste collection.
C. Employment
34. Assistance provided in the area of employment included training, research and
the provision of jobs. UNRWA expanded the apprenticeship programme offered by
seven Women’s Programme Centres, to give 151 unemployed refugee women in
Lebanon access to training and employment opportunities. As part of a larger
research initiative, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the
Middle East Peace Process assessed the impact of the Israeli disengagement from
Gaza on living conditions, with particular emphasis on women’s participation in the
labour market.
E/CN.6/2007/4
10 06-65379
D. Entrepreneurship
35. Several United Nations entities provided loans, grants and training to enhance
Palestinian women’s entrepreneurship. Phase II of the IFAD Rehabilitation and
Development Project continued to have a strong focus on women’s economic
empowerment, primarily through access to microfinance and entrepreneurial skills.
IFAD noted that the activities for women entrepreneurs had shown a great degree of
resilience, as evidenced by the safeguarding of their capital and the continued
growth of the enterprises. The IFAD Business Service Centre in Gaza disbursed 228
loans (amounting to $579,800) to women entrepreneurs for animal and agricultural
production and, to a lesser degree, for food processing and handicrafts. A similar
business service centre was being established in Jericho.
36. As a part of phase II of the Rehabilitation and Development Programme, two
community centres in Azzoun and Jayyous villages were officially opened to serve
the financial and social needs of women in the area. The Palestinian Agriculture
Relief Committees granted 12 women’s regional savings and credit cooperatives
interest-free loans. Ten women members of savings and credit associations
participated in an exhibition during the olive harvest festival of Bethlehem, in which
the complete cycle of production of income-generating projects was demonstrated,
encouraging other women to consider establishing joint projects for marketing
goods and obtaining group loans.
37. During the reporting period, UNRWA disbursed over 3,558 solidarity group
loans to women microentrepreneurs in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan and the
Syrian Arab Republic. UNRWA had a portfolio of over 12,980 loans in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, with an outstanding portfolio of over $7.9 million, of which
23.4 per cent were held by women clients.
38. UNIFEM implemented projects in nine rural communities as part of the pilot
phase II of the Sabaya programme, which focused on the economic security of
women. Through this initiative, a total of 106 rural women procured equipment and
machinery and acquired skills that helped them in the establishment of their
enterprises. As a result, four income-generating enterprises were established, run
and managed by the women themselves: an electronic bakery, a sewing factory, a
day-care centre and a chicken farm. In April 2006, the Sabaya programme was
expanded to include a total of 18 women centres in both the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. A large cross-regional exhibition on the development and marketing of
Palestinian women’s handicrafts was organized, where products from some of the
women’s centres under the Sabaya programme were exhibited and contacts
established with individuals, groups and organizations involved in the handicrafts
sector, with a view to future cooperation.
39. UNCTAD established a Palestinian Shippers Council, chaired by a successful
businesswoman. It actively promoted the recruitment of Palestinian women to the
Council and encouraged women’s participation in all Council activities.
40. Training activities to enhance Palestinian women’s entrepreneurial capacities
were provided by several entities. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) organized interactive training sessions for over 100 women as
a means of upgrading their dairy processing skills. WFP provided Palestinian
women with food for work and training activities, including the development of
essential skills to reduce the gender gap in accessing education and training and
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 11
thereby support women’s contribution to household food security. WFP worked to
ensure the equal participation of women and men in all WFP funded activities.
41. IFAD continued to provide capacity-building to the cooperatives of savings
and credit associations: 1,250 women participated in 14 exchange visits to analyse
the performance of the savings and credit associations and exchange knowledge and
experience with other members.
42. The UNCTAD integrated capacity-building programme (Empretec) promoted
the creation of sustainable support structures to help promising entrepreneurs build
innovative and internationally competitive small and medium-sized enterprises. To
date, Empretec has graduated 123 entrepreneurs, 16 per cent of whom were women.
E. Participation in decision-making
43. Several entities provided assistance to enhance the participation of Palestinian
women in various sectors. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
maintained close links with women decision makers, including briefing newly
appointed women ministers and government officials on developments in the
humanitarian situation and how they affect women. During the local and legislative
elections of December 2005 and January 2006, UNDP supported eight nongovernmental
organizations involved in voter education programmes to increase
awareness of human rights, democratic participation and better integration of
women in the democratic election process. With the support of UNDP, newly elected
women members of local government were enabled to participate in training
workshops on finance, management and law organized in eight districts in the West
Bank.
44. At the local government level, UNIFEM supported the mobilization of over
140 rural women in 18 target locations. A women’s committee and a coordinator
were elected in each location to represent all the women of the communities.
Workshops and periodic follow-up meetings to develop a needs assessment and
workplan for each location have been instrumental in strengthening channels of
communication between women and their local government representatives, in
securing women’s access to key infrastructure and in ensuring their involvement in
decision-making on the best use of this infrastructure.
45. UNESCO organized the international symposium on the theme “Arab women
between east and west” in June 2006, with the aim of building links between Arab
and European women and promoting the participation of Arab women in economic,
social and cultural development. The Symposium’s side-event exhibition,
“Creativity of Arab women”, presented works of Palestinian female artists and
craftswomen, and illustrated their role in perpetuating traditions.
46. The World Bank Development Grant Facility supported the Arab Gender and
Development Network. Fifteen Palestinian members benefited from an exchange of
gender equality information with other members of the Network as well as research
and training. The regional research project on the theme “Arab women and decisionmaking”,
supported by the World Bank, included a Palestinian national research
team.
E/CN.6/2007/4
12 06-65379
F. Women’s human rights and elimination of violence against women
47. Several United Nations entities provided assistance related to Palestinian
women’s human rights, including the elimination of violence against women.
OHCHR followed developments in Palestinian legislation with regard to women’s
rights; worked with Palestinian civil society partners on the incorporation of
international human rights standards into existing or draft Palestinian legislation;
and held discussions with the Women and Child Department of the Palestinian
Legislative Council, together with women members recently elected to the Council,
focusing on the role and the rights of Palestinian women.
48. OHCHR, UNFPA and the World Bank provided assistance to address violence
against women. OHCHR worked closely with the judicial reform support group in
the area of crimes against women and girls committed in the name of honour, and
informed the group about the cultural background and legal framework behind this
phenomenon. In November 2005, OHCHR participated in an initial advocacy
campaign launched by civil society organizations to address the issue of domestic
violence and worked in partnership with the national human rights institution and
civil society to promote human rights, including women’s rights.
49. UNIFEM supported the development of a Palestinian Women’s Bill of Rights,
a joint project between the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the General Union of
Palestinian Women, with substantive inputs from Palestinian human rights nongovernmental
organizations and women’s non-governmental organizations.
50. UNFPA supported the development of the national action plan of the Forum of
Non-Governmental Organizations Combating Violence against Women, which
includes the use of training for advocacy and strategy development on reproductive
health to ensure that the national legislation is in line with the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and awareness-raising
campaigns on the national action plan. The World Bank supported the Counselling
Centre for Women in Difficult Circumstances, which provides support, therapy and
vocational training to, and advocacy services for, Palestinian women subject to
domestic violence.
51. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, OHCHR, UNDP and
UNRWA supported capacity-building on women’s human rights and on the
Convention. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia supported
capacity-building for 61 government employees from various Palestinian
ministries — including the Ministries of Women’s Affairs; Social Affairs, Interior,
Planning, Justice, Local Governance; Economy; Health; Education; Finance;
Labour; Culture; Sports and Youth; and Agriculture — through four capacitybuilding
training workshops on the Convention and on preparation of national
reports, in accordance with the guidelines set by the Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women.
52. The OHCHR training courses for the staff of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs
provided an induction to United Nations human rights treaties and mechanisms,
including reporting to treaty bodies, with a focus on the Convention. OHCHR also
conducted training sessions on the Convention and the development of human rights
concepts for representatives of Palestinian civil society, including various human
rights organizations and non-governmental organizations. OHCHR continued to
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 13
integrate women’s issues into all training activities, including curricula, and to
consider gender balance in the selection of participants.
53. UNDP supported the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to provide capacity-building
to gender units and staff in 15 line ministries on gender-responsive planning and
research, and monitoring and reporting on implementation of the Convention.
54. With the support of UNRWA, the Women Programme Centres, which are
pivotal in protecting the human rights of women and children, organized workshops,
seminars and training on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In the
Gaza Strip, over 19,000 women participated in awareness-raising workshops and in
the Syrian Arab Republic, a large workshop was held on civil law and legal issues
related to women.
G. Humanitarian assistance
55. Humanitarian assistance included provision of food, cash assistance,
temporary work and access to health and other services. During the reporting period,
UNRWA provided assistance to approximately 6 per cent of the Agency’s poorest
registered refugees (special hardship case families), 46 per cent of which were
female-headed families. As part of its emergency programme, UNRWA distributed
food to approximately 135,000 refugee families in the Gaza Strip and 75,000 others
in the West Bank. During the reporting period, UNRWA created an estimated 1.8
million days of temporary work. Approximately 23 per cent of the beneficiaries of
the Agency’s emergency job creation scheme in the Gaza Strip were female heads of
households. In the West Bank this figure was 17 per cent. WFP reported that at least
51 per cent of total hardship cases and institutional feeding beneficiaries assisted
through the Ministry of Social Affairs were women.
56. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs supported UNIFEM,
UNICEF and UNFPA in developing the Consolidated Appeal Process for several
projects, including food security and capacity-building initiatives for marginalized
women in 10 villages in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; reproductive health
services; mobile psychosocial centres for women in the Gaza Strip; and
psychosocial and reproductive health support to poor women in Gaza.
57. The World Bank, through its improved targeting scheme, under the Social
Safety Net Reform Project, enabled poor adult women living on their own because
of separation, divorce or widowhood, to receive cash assistance from the UNRWA
Special Hardship Case Programme.
58. The socio-economic unit of the Office of the United Nations Special
Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process continued to monitor women’s
participation in the labour market and the effects of closure on their participation.
Analysis from data collected each month was used in recommendations to donors
and in a published study, “Economic fragmentation and adaptation in the rural West
Bank”.66
__________________
66 Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process “Economic
fragmentation and adaptation in the rural West Bank”, October 2005.
E/CN.6/2007/4
14 06-65379
H. Advocacy
59. Several United Nations entities carried out advocacy activities on the situation
and rights of Palestinian women. OHCHR participated in various seminars and
discussions addressing specific issues of concern on women’s human rights, with
the goal of highlighting how non-governmental organizations can use human rights
mechanisms, especially Special Procedures. The Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs met with representatives of the Palestinian Women’s Institutes,
non-governmental organizations and decision makers, including the Ministry for
Women’s Affairs, and emphasized the role of advocacy for Palestinian women’s
human rights.
60. International meetings and conferences organized by the Division for
Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political Affairs included discussions of the
situation of Palestinian women, with Palestinian women and representatives of civil
society organizations as panellists. Participants at the United Nations Seminar on
Assistance to the Palestinian People in April 2006, the United Nations International
Meeting in Support of Middle East Peace in June 2006 and the United Nations
International Conference of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People in
September 2006 discussed, among other issues, the impact of the occupation on
Palestinian women and children, the most vulnerable segment of the Palestinian
society.
61. WFP collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture to organize International
Women’s Day celebrations in March 2006. To mark International Women’s Day in
the Gaza Strip, OHCHR held a meeting with 50 refugee women, highlighting
women’s rights and participation in political life, and participated in activities that
emphasized the challenges facing Palestinian women following the recent
Palestinian Legislative Council elections.
62. UNESCO inaugurated the Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation
Centre on 18 January 2006. UNDP supported the second phase of the management
of TAWASOL women’s resource centres, which disseminate information on
Palestinian women.
I. Media
63. During the reporting period, the Department of Public Information issued four
press releases (two in French and two in English) related to Palestinian women.
Through its UNifeed service, a daily satellite television newsfeed that reaches
hundreds of broadcasters around the world, the Department distributed 12 stories
related to the question of Palestine, some of which referred specifically to women
and children. In its daily news programmes and current affairs magazines,
distributed regionally and worldwide, the Department covered issues related to
Palestinian women and children, in both official and non-official languages. The
Department also organized an international media seminar on the theme “New
challenges in the Middle East peace process and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue” (June
2006), in which two Palestinian women participated.
64. The United Nations Information Service at Geneva organized five press
conferences during the reporting period on matters pertaining specifically to
Palestinian women. The inter-agency public information and advocacy committee of
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06-65379 15
the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published press statements
providing the latest facts and figures relating to women.
65. Several entities provided assistance in film production activities related to
Palestinian women. UNRWA produced the film “Mother Aysha”, which tells the
story of a woman in the Gaza Strip who freed her family from economic difficulty
by starting a small business with a loan from UNRWA. UNFPA produced a film on
reproductive health services for adolescents, entitled “Strengthening emergency
obstetric care in Palestine”, focusing on the work in reproductive health with
refugees of the Jabaliya and Bureij Women’s Health Centres in the Gaza Strip. The
UNESCO documentary film on women’s experiences, “On the road to dialogue”,
demonstrates the potential of dialogue for increasing understanding through joint
Israeli-Palestinian experiences. In connection with the first Palestinian women’s
film festival, organized in August 2005 with support from UNESCO, the nongovernmental
organization Shashat set up a multimedia reference library in
Ramallah on the subject of women’s cinema.
66. Assistance also included training in media and news production. In the
Department of Public Information Training Programme for Palestinian Media
Practitioners (November 2005), six of the 10 media participants were women.
UNESCO designed and conducted a training course for 10 Palestinian women
journalists on television journalism and television reporting (December 2005). As
part of its Sabaya programme, UNIFEM conducted training in filming, photography
and web design at one of the phase I centres, which benefited 10 rural women from
five villages.
67. The Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Public Information
have included information about Palestinian women in their websites. The
Department of Political Affairs continued to update the documents collection under
the subject category “women” in the Internet-based United Nations Information
System on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL), as well as electronic links to
relevant web sites outside UNISPAL. The Department of Political Affairs continues
to maintain a special web address (http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/women), which
allows external websites to link to the UNISPAL subject category on Palestinian
women. The Department of Public Information, through a special feature page,
“News Focus: Middle East”, maintained easy access to a variety of source
documents and information materials on the situation of, and assistance to,
Palestinian women.
J. Gender mainstreaming
68. Several United Nations entities undertook activities to strengthen institutional
capacities for gender mainstreaming. UNDP supported the Palestinian Ministry of
Women’s Affairs to mainstream gender perspectives in major sectors through the
establishment of gender units in 15 line ministries. The Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs continued to highlight the situation of Palestinian women in
its reports using data disaggregated by sex and age and data on the number of
women living below the poverty line, or in deep poverty.
69. UNFPA provided assistance for institutional capacity-building for gender
mainstreaming through the development of a gender audit in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. The audit provided a comprehensive review of the gaps
E/CN.6/2007/4
16 06-65379
preventing the effective implementation of gender equality and the empowerment of
women in national planning and policy.
70. FAO carried out sensitization and training in gender analysis, including the
training of trainers, to raise awareness of the importance of gender mainstreaming in
the rehabilitation and reconstruction process, and of empowering existing women’s
associations to play a greater role in cooperative production and marketing. The
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that its post-conflict
assessments will include sex-disaggregated data on a systematic basis.
71. To support the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in national planning
processes, UNIFEM collaborated with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in drafting
the chapter on promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in the
2005 progress report on Millennium Development Goals in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory. UNIFEM also collaborated with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on the
content of the gender equality section of the “country assessment lite” document (a
simpler version of the Common Country Assessment exercise), in preparation for a
future common United Nations Development Assistance Framework.
IV. Conclusion and recommendations
72. During the reporting period, the conflict and the widening fiscal deficit
adversely affected women in all spheres of life. Increased restrictions on free
movement in and out of the Gaza Strip and within the West Bank left many
women unable to access the most basic services.67 The reduction of electricity
and fuel supply, together with the disruption of water supplies, had a severe
impact on the daily life of Palestinians.68 Female employment rates, which have
been historically low in the entire region, declined even further with the
crisis.69 Unemployment among the working female population stands at 19.6
per cent.70 Palestinian women were not only primarily responsible for running
households but were also increasingly engaged in informal employment or selfemployment
activities to supplement their household incomes. The Millennium
Development Goals Report for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2005)
pointed out that political participation of women in Palestinian society
remained low.71 Gender-based violence was reported to be widespread.72 Steps
were, however, taken by the Palestinian Authority to address the issues
identified in the report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women,
its causes and consequences.73
73. Entities of the United Nations system continued to make efforts to
improve the situation of Palestinian women. WHO noted that the financial
__________________
67 OCHA contribution to the report (2006).
68 A/HRC/2/5, para. 5.
69 ILO, 2006, report of the Director-General on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab
territories, para. 79.
70 Focus 2005, Vol. 4, published by the Communications Office of the UNDP/Programme of
Assistance to Palestinian People, p. 45.
71 Millennium Development Goals, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2005 Progress Report,
December 2005, p. 32.
72 UNFPA contribution to the report (2006).
73 E/CN.4/2006/61, para. 4.
E/CN.6/2007/4
06-65379 17
crisis threatened to undermine the delivery of health services that served the
majority of the Palestinian population, including women.74
74. The achievement of gender equality and empowerment of Palestinian
women is dependant on a secure and lasting peace. Efforts should be made to
ensure that conflict resolution, peacebuilding and reconciliation and
reconstruction efforts fully incorporate gender perspectives and that women
are involved in these activities, as called for in the Beijing Platform for Action,
the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).
75. The Ministerial Declaration adopted by the Economic and Social Council
at its High-level Segment in July 2006 underlined the important contribution
that employment generation can make to post-conflict reconstruction and
development.75 The creation of an enabling environment for gender equality
and the empowerment of Palestinian women requires ending discrimination
against Palestinian women in the labour market, through both legal and policy
measures, including eliminating occupational segregation and gender wage
gaps.
76. The Commission may wish to encourage Member States, entities of the
United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and other relevant
stakeholders to intensify their efforts to provide financial and technical
assistance to Palestinian women, to fully incorporate gender perspectives into
all areas of support to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to systematically
assess the impact of these efforts.
__________________
74 WHO contribution to the report (2006).
75 Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-first Session, Supplement No 1 (A/61/1),
para. 50.
United Nations E/CN.6/2008/6
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
3 December 2007
Original: English
07-62314 (E) 261207
*0762314*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-second session
25 February-7 March 2008
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
October 2006 and September 2007, in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2007/7. It reviews the situation of Palestinian women and provides an
overview of the assistance provided by entities of the United Nations system, inter
alia, with regard to humanitarian assistance, economic activities, education and
training, health and the human rights of women. The report concludes with
recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2008/1.
E/CN.6/2008/6
2 07-62314
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2007/7 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave situation of
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist
Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in the previous
report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women (E/CN.6/2007/4) and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women
at its fifty-second session a report, including information provided by the Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from October 2006 to September 2007,
and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from United
Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and the
Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and the Special Rapporteur of the
Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories
occupied by Israel since 1967.
3. The report also reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the
Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Public Information, the Office of
the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the World Food Programme (WFP), the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International
Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
and the World Bank.
4. The social and economic situation of Palestinian women from 2000-2006 was
highlighted in a report commissioned by the ESCWA Centre for Women
(E/ESCWA/ECW/2007/Technical Paper.1), which was distributed to countries and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) during the fifty-first session of the
Commission on the Status of Women. ESCWA also prepared the report entitled
“Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living
conditions of the Palestinian people, including Palestinian women, in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the
occupied Syrian Golan”, contained in the note by the Secretary-General (A/62/75-
E/2007/13.
E/CN.6/2008/6
07-62314 3
5. The present report provides recommendations on improving the situation of
Palestinian women, including through the continued assistance of the United
Nations system.
II. Situation of Palestinian women
6. During the period under review, the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
deepened and continued to claim lives (A/62/82-E/2007/66, para. 77). The Israeli-
Hizbullah conflict in Lebanon and its political fallout brought to a halt any Israeli
attempts to implement a unilateral withdrawal from parts of the West Bank (ibid.,
para. 9). Settlement activity and construction of the barrier continued in the West
Bank, as did Israeli incursions into population centres. Efforts to bring political
progress through dialogue between President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert have
continued, under the auspices of the United States Secretary of State.
7. In addition, an intense round of intra-Palestinian violence in Gaza in
December 2006 and January 2007 threatened to degenerate into civil war (ibid.,
para. 8). An agreement, reached on 8 February 2007 to end the factional violence,
and the subsequent formation of the Palestinian Government of National Unity,
calmed the situation, though clan feuds continued in Gaza where law and order are
yet to be fully restored and the firing of rockets into Israel is yet to be halted (ibid.).
The Government of National Unity came to an end in June 2007, when President
Abbas dismissed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and appointed a Government led by
Salam Fayyad, which committed to the Quartet principles. With the formation of the
Government, the European Union and the United States announced their intention to
renew direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority.1 The United Nations strongly
advocated for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international
humanitarian law regarding the use of force and the protection of civilians. Through
the Quartet and other channels, the United Nations worked to facilitate the release
of Palestinian customs and tax revenues through agreed mechanisms, and
encouraged the international community to continue to assist Palestinians in need
(A/62/82-E/2007/66, para. 10).
8. The conflict continued to have a serious detrimental effect on all Palestinian
people. According to the report of the Director-General of the International Labour
Organization on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories, living
standards declined; poverty and unemployment increased; and social disintegration
and political disarray intensified.2 The report also indicated that the financial
embargo imposed by the international community on the Palestinian Authority, the
withholding of Palestinian revenues by Israel, the suspension by Western donors of
their direct budget support, and the restrictions on mobility have led to the further
deterioration of the situation as compared with the previous year.3
9. The ongoing conflict has resulted in a near collapse of the Palestinian
economy, soaring unemployment and a sharp increase in poverty.4 The World Bank
__________________
1 Department of Public Information, News and Media Division, Press release of 5701st meeting
(AM) of the Security Council, 20 June 2007 (SC/9053).
2 ILO (2007). Report of the Director-General on the situation of workers of the occupied Arab
territories, para. 7.
3 Ibid.
4 World Bank, Country Brief: Middle East and North Africa Region, West Bank and Gaza
(September 2007).
E/CN.6/2008/6
4 07-62314
reported that during the last two years, the collapse has accelerated, with gross
domestic product contracting by nearly 9 per cent in 2006 and by 4.2 per cent in the
first quarter of 2007. The long-standing fiscal crisis deepened further in 2006 as a
result of Israel’s withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and the aid boycott,
resulting in a deficit of over 1 billion United States dollars ($).4
10. Poverty and unemployment reached very high levels, with close to 66 per cent
of all households in the Occupied Palestinian Territory living below the national
poverty line and 24 per cent of the labour force unemployed.5 The situation was
particularly severe in Gaza, where 80 per cent of the population relied on United
Nations food aid and 88 per cent lived below the official poverty line of $2.20 per
day (ibid., para. 15). There are substantial gender differences in the labour market,
and military occupation has tended to reinforce discrimination both directly and
indirectly.6 According to ILO calculations based on the Palestinian Central Bureau
of Statistics, in 2006 only 14.7 per cent of women were in employment, compared to
52.0 per cent of men. Most women were engaged in housekeeping (54.1 per cent) or
studying (21.1 per cent).7
11. While 6 out of 10 young women in the 15 to 24 age group were engaged in
studies, the investment was lost to Palestinian society as very few Palestinian
women were in employment.8 Only 4.5 per cent of young women were in
employment in 2006, compared to 28.6 per cent of young men. Nearly one in three
young women was engaged in housekeeping.7
12. The lives of Palestinian women continued to be at great risk as evidenced by
the increasing number of women killed or injured.9 Between 1 September 2006 and
31 August 2007, a total of 67 Palestinian women were killed as a result of the direct
conflict or internal violence and 120 were injured throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. During the same period, direct conflict resulted in the killing
of 2 Israeli women and the injury of 12 others.9 As of June 2007, 118 Palestinian
women, including minors, pregnant women and mothers, remained in Israeli
prisons, detention facilities and camps.10
13. The right to freedom of movement has continued to be obstructed by more
than 500 checkpoints, roadblocks, earth mounds and other types of obstacles.
Movement is also curtailed by the permit system and the barrier (A/62/360,
para. 24). During the period under review there has been a 43 per cent increase in
the number of checkpoints and obstacles to movement in the West Bank (ibid.,
para. 38). Primarily owing to closures, delays at checkpoints and the barrier, close to
30 per cent of pregnant women in the West Bank had difficulties accessing antenatal
care and safe delivery.11 Both primary and secondary services have declined,
especially as the large majority of delivery and newborn care services (80 per cent
of the deliveries in six Health Ministry hospitals in the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip) are unable to perform regular maintenance. Pregnant women with post-natal
__________________
5 ILO, op. cit., para. 12.
6 ILO, op. cit., para 87.
7 ILO, op. cit., table 3.3.
8 ILO, op. cit., para. 88.
9 Contribution of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to the report (2007).
10 Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-second Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/62/35),
para. 20.
11 Ibid., para. 31.
E/CN.6/2008/6
07-62314 5
complications may also be at greater risk when discharged too early from the
hospital owing to lack of staff and space. Emergency obstetrics has become a
priority (see A/62/75-E/2007/13, para. 49).
14. According to UNFPA, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health reported
that since 2000, at least 68 pregnant Palestinian women gave birth at Israeli
checkpoints. Additionally, 10 per cent of pregnant women spent two to four hours
on the road before reaching a medical centre or a hospital, while 6 per cent spent
more than four hours, when the normal travelling time before the intifada was 15 to
30 minutes. This hardship is estimated to have contributed to an 8.2 per cent
increase in the number of home deliveries.12 According to Palestinian Authority
Ministry of Health statistics for 2006, there were an estimated 117,000 pregnant
women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including some 18,000 who suffered
from difficult pregnancy and birth owing to a lack of appropriate and timely
antenatal, delivery and post-natal care. In fact, inadequate medical care during
pregnancy was the third cause of mortality among Palestinian women of
reproductive age, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health (see
A/HRC/4/57, para. 12).
15. Owing to the closures and the barrier, many families are reluctant to let their
daughters endure the degrading experience of waiting at checkpoints or barrier
crossing points, to be searched or subjected to harassment by Israeli soldiers, or to
have to walk long distances to avoid such experiences. Families are much more
likely to pressure young women to drop out of school and not pursue higher levels
of education (A/62/75-E/2007/13, para. 65).
16. The Special Committee noted that the situation of human rights in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory had not improved during the reporting period, and
particularly in the Gaza Strip, it had deteriorated significantly (A/62/360, para. 23).
It was reported to the Special Committee that one pregnant prisoner was made to sit
handcuffed on a small chair, was blindfolded and hit on the face. Some female
prisoners had given birth in prison while tied to their beds. The Special Committee
was also told that one of the ways to force suspects to surrender to Israel forces was
to threaten their spouses and sisters with rape (ibid., para. 64). According to the
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the intensity of Israeli actions
in the month of May in the Gaza Strip had dramatically affected the already
undermined physical and psychological security of women and severely reduced
their enjoyment of basic human rights. In the central Gaza Strip, women were forced
to cease all activities at a centre for women during the month of May owing to the
threat of shelling in the area, as well as inter-factional violence. The increased level
of violence among Palestinian factions had been an aggravating factor, contributing
to the further collapse of women’s protection.13
17. A 2005/2006 survey, published in 2007, carried out by the Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics found that violence against women, especially domestic
violence, was one of the problems faced by households in the Western and Arab
societies. Approximately two thirds of ever-married women in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory stated that they had been subjected to psychological violence
__________________
12 UNFPA news feature, “Checkpoints compound the risks of childbirth for Palestinian women”
(15 May 2007), available from http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=972.
13 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, The Humanitarian Monitor: Occupied
Palestinian Territory, No. 13 (May 2007), p. 7.
E/CN.6/2008/6
6 07-62314
and almost one quarter had been subjected to physical violence from their husband.
Among unmarried women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, more than one half
stated that they had been subjected to psychological violence and a quarter of them
to physical violence.14 The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
reported an increase in the number of deaths for so-called immoral behaviour,
including honour killings by families. In 2007 there were 11 cases of honour killings
of women reported in the Gaza Strip.15
18. The right to education in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to be
seriously affected by the occupation. UNRWA reported that the dropout rate was
very high, graduation rates were low and female education was generally on the
decline. It attributed the collapse of Gaza’s education system and education
standards to the cumulative effects of the occupation, closures, poverty and violence
(A/62/360, para. 58). According to UNICEF, primary school enrolment rates for
girls fell from a peak of 98 per cent in 2000/2001 to 92.1 per cent in 2005/2006. For
boys, the decline was from 95.8 per cent to 90.5 per cent. A huge gap exists between
the proportion of girls completing primary school (94.5 per cent) and those enrolling
in secondary school (76.4 per cent).16 Attendance at rural girls’ schools declines
even further at each education level (A/62/75-E/2007/13, para. 66).
19. UNICEF indicated that young Palestinian girls had few opportunities for
development, recreation and participation, and that there were few safe spaces for
young girls to congregate. Most of the 300 youth clubs across the Occupied
Palestinian Territory lacked funding and were poorly managed and equipped.17
Furthermore, UNICEF noted that the adolescence of many young women has been
compromised by household demands, or pressures to marry early as the median age
at first marriages for women was 18 years.16
20. Food insecurity disproportionately affects women and children. A study
conducted by UNRWA in September 2006 revealed that 57.5 per cent of children
from 6 to 36 months and 44.9 per cent of pregnant women in the Gaza Strip were
anaemic.18 Of children under 5 years of age, 22 per cent were vitamin A-deficient;
20 per cent showed signs of iodine deficiency (32 per cent in the West Bank and
3 per cent in the Gaza Strip); and 4.1 per cent in the Gaza Strip suffered from clinical
vitamin D-deficiency (rickets). The increased incidence of non-communicable
diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, represents an
epidemiological shift that imposes additional burdens on the scarce human and
financial resources (A/62/75-E/2007/13, para. 51). The 60th World Health Assembly
expressed concern about the health crisis and rising levels of food insecurity and
demanded improvement in the living and medical conditions of Palestinian detainees,
including of women and children.19
__________________
14 Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Violence against women
in Palestinian society (Domestic Violence Survey 2005/2006).
15 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA Special Focus: Israeli-Palestinian
Fatalities Since 2000 — Key Trends (August 2007), p. 5.
16 UNICEF contribution to the report (2007).
17 UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report 2007 (29 January 2007), excerpts.
18 UNRWA contribution to the report (2006).
19 Resolution WHA.60.2 entitled “Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including
east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.
E/CN.6/2008/6
07-62314 7
21. Women continued to outlive men. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau
of Statistics, in 2006 the life expectancy for men was 71.7 years compared to
73.2 years for women. In the West Bank, life expectancy was reported as 71.9 years
for men and 73.6 years for women, and 71.4 years for men and 72.5 for women in
the Gaza Strip.20
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
22. The present section focuses on the assistance provided to Palestinian women
by entities of the United Nations system. Nine areas of support have been identified:
education and training; information and communications technology; health;
employment and entrepreneurship; women’s human rights; violence against women;
humanitarian assistance; advocacy and information; and gender mainstreaming.
A. Education and training
23. Several United Nations entities focused on initiatives to improve the access of
women and girls to education and training opportunities. During the 2006/2007
academic year, approximately 500,000 students, half of them girls, were enrolled in
UNRWA elementary, preparatory and secondary schools. Young women constituted
75 per cent of the beneficiaries of small scholarship projects undertaken by
UNRWA.
24. Efforts were made to enhance access to education, including through
construction and/or rehabilitation of community buildings for schools, school
feeding projects and provision of school supplies. Within the framework of the
Integrated Community Development Project ($15 million), the World Bank
supported schools for girls, construction/rehabilitation of community buildings, and
rehabilitation of kindergartens. UNIFEM partnered with WFP in a pilot phase of a
West Bank school feeding project to provide over 13,000 schoolchildren with
healthy midday snacks, which were produced in centres employing over 225
disadvantaged women. Approximately 100,000 schoolchildren in severely affected
areas, half of them girls, were provided with school bags and stationery by UNICEF.
25. To enhance the quality of education, training was provided for 75 principals of
girls’ schools, 150 female school teachers, 2,000 newly appointed teachers and 120
new supervisors. Some 190 librarians in the West Bank were also supported.
26. An initiative was undertaken to empower girls through educational television
programmes. The UNESCO Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity and the Spanish
Agency for International Cooperation are developing a public-private partnership
with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame
Street, to produce the latest season of Shara’a Simsim, the Palestinian version of its
internationally renowned educational television series. The season 2007-2008
focuses on promoting girls’ education and gender equality.
27. To increase access to alternative spaces for learning and recreation, including
those in rural areas, UNICEF supported learning centres. In 2007, some 68,200
__________________
20 Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Demographic and
Socioeconomic Status of the Palestinian People at the end of 2006 (December 2006).
E/CN.6/2008/6
8 07-62314
adolescents, 51 per cent of them girls, participated in learning and recreational
activities and many thousands more used the computer, library, sports and music
facilities. The learning centres enabled adolescent girls, especially those living in
rural areas, to participate in sports competitions for the first time.
28. Training programmes for women were provided in a wide range of areas,
including leadership development, human rights and financial management. In the
West Bank, Palestinian women benefited from the WFP Food-for-Work and training
activities that focused on skills development, knowledge transfer and enhancement
of the productive capacity of women. Women constituted 50 per cent of the village
committee members involved in the selection of activities. The International
Training Centre of ILO continued a project on “Social and civil dialogue for
reconstruction and reconciliation” and provided training to Palestinian participants,
38 per cent of whom were female employees of governmental, employers’ and
workers’ organizations as well as national and international organizations. ILO also
organized several training workshops for women in trade unions to facilitate their
participation in union activities, including election to leadership positions.
29. Activities were undertaken to enhance the capacity of women in financial
management. UNIFEM provided training in management, including financial
management, leadership and bookkeeping. UNDP organized trainings and
workshops on finance, management and law in eight districts in the West Bank to
enhance the capacities of newly elected mayors and female members of government.
UNIFEM provided on-the-job training to women volunteers and administrative
committee members of the Sabaya centres in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
30. A number of training opportunities were also provided to rural women. In the
rural areas of the West Bank, UNIFEM provided academic counselling for women
and academic support classes for girls. Eighteen community centres established by
UNDP are used as women’s centres for capacity development of rural women, legal
counselling and income generation. UNIFEM also supported a food security and
capacity-building initiative in the Gaza Strip, benefiting 50 women in rural areas by
providing them with training and start-up costs for small-scale production projects.
B. Information and communication technology
31. Efforts were made to increase women’s equal access to and benefits from
information and communication technologies. The UNRWA Department of
Education continued to emphasize, inter alia, equal access of Palestinian refugee
women to information and communications technologies, encourage gender equality
in recruitment and retention policies and build capacity to produce appropriate
information content. The World Bank financed the establishment of five multipurpose
community telecentres that provided safe access by women and girls to
information and communications services and technologies through the use of
female-friendly office hours, discount offers for female members, a comfortable
visiting environment, and a regular focus on female non-formal education
opportunities.
32. Through the Sabaya Programme, UNIFEM supported an electronic discussion
among rural women aimed at building their capacity to use the Internet as a form of
communication and expression, and as a means of collecting and processing data
and information relevant to their needs. The use of information technology serves to
E/CN.6/2008/6
07-62314 9
overcome movement restrictions imposed upon women by military occupation and
by societal customs.
33. UNESCO reported that 28 female journalists and media professionals from
Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Palestinian Authority
participated in a training workshop on the topic “Use of ICT in media for female
journalists”, held in Jordan in August 2007. The workshop included, inter alia, an
analysis of current media vehicles for women, the way in which the media is
addressing women’s needs and gender equality issues.
C. Health
34. During the reporting period, United Nations entities focused on increasing
women’s access to reproductive health services, psychological counselling, health
education and disease prevention programmes, immunizations, and provision of safe
water and sanitary facilities. UNFPA provided a range of activities geared towards
maintaining the integrity of the health system. Among these were: support to the
delivery of reproductive health services through the procurement of reproductive
health commodities and equipment for primary health centres and maternity wards;
delivery of fuel for the referral system; the transfer of emergency obstetric cases and
women with genital cancers; and procurement of generators for eight health centres
in Gaza after the destruction of the electrical power grid in Gaza. UNRWA sought to
strengthen gender-sensitive health programming by obtaining, where possible, sexdisaggregated
data and encouraging gender equality in recruitment and retention
policies.
35. Family planning and antenatal care was provided by a number of entities.
Approximately 90,000 women received antenatal care in the five fields of UNRWA
operations. More than 20,000 women sought family planning guidance for the first
time and more than 110,000 women benefited from the service. About 100,000
pregnant women and nursing mothers benefited from the UNRWA food aid
programme; up to 95,000 women with diabetes and/or hypertension received care in
UNRWA non-communicable disease clinics; and 45,000 women were assisted with
admission to hospitals. UNFPA also focused on projects that respond to the needs of
youth, including young women’s needs emerging from the crisis.
36. Various entities also provided psychosocial counselling to women. For
example, UNFPA, in cooperation with the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and
Counselling and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, implemented a
new project with an innovative approach in the field of psychosocial counselling.
The UNRWA Community Mental Health Programme in the Gaza Strip provided
essential psychosocial support for Palestinian refugees living in situations of
protracted violence and armed conflict. UNIFEM provided psychosocial counselling
through specialized lectures, group counselling sessions, one-to-one consultations
and information dissemination, with over 1,000 women as direct beneficiaries.
UNIFEM also set up mobile psychosocial teams that conducted group sessions,
individual therapy, home-delivered psychotherapy sessions, life skills trainings and
health counselling services, directly benefiting over 2,500 Palestinian women.
37. Health education and training programmes, including on HIV/AIDS, were
provided. UNIFEM conducted a specialized training for female school counsellors
on sexuality, health and sexual violence with a focus on, inter alia, girls’ education,
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10 07-62314
including awareness-raising sessions on sexual violence. Sexual health education
sessions for university students and youth, aimed at raising their awareness of
HIV/AIDS and the vulnerability of women, were also supported. Health education
programmes on the prevention of tobacco use, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted
diseases were promoted by UNRWA.
38. Another important area of support from United Nations entities was
vaccination programmes. UNRWA continued to offer women and children full
immunization coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases. UNICEF supported
the Ministry of Health in Gaza in producing vaccination record cards for
approximately 140,000 infants and pregnant women, procuring emergency primary
health-care kits, including obstetrics, midwifery, first aid, and baby and family
hygiene kits. UNICEF also provided tetanus vaccines for 75,000 women of
reproductive age, and promoted breastfeeding and appropriate child feeding
practices.
39. Taking into account that women and girls have the major responsibility for
collecting water for household use and often lack decent sanitation facilities,
UNICEF focused on extending access to safe water and decent sanitation facilities
in order to improve the situation of women and girls, including at school. UNICEF
provided daily drinking water to 343 schools and 32 health facilities across Gaza,
and is constructing or rehabilitating sanitation facilities at 52 schools and 8 clinics.
In addition to constructing wells and water networks, UNICEF distributed 450 water
tanks to rural families, and 6 mobile water tanks to Gaza municipalities.
D. Employment and entrepreneurship
40. Entities initiated or continued training for job placement, created employment
opportunities and supported projects aimed at income generation and
entrepreneurship. Joint initiatives, including research projects, were also undertaken
by United Nations entities. ILO supported the project “Job placement for graduates
of vocational programmes”, which aims to stimulate employment and income
generation opportunities for 140 unemployed new graduates from Palestinian
industrial/vocational schools and Ministry of Labour vocational training centres.
The participation of women was 26 per cent in Gaza and 38 per cent in the West
Bank, and 55 per cent of the total trainees received permanent jobs.
41. The Occupied Palestinian Territory was included in the ILO-led regional
programme “Gender equality and workers’ rights in the informal economies of the
Arab States” (2006-2008), a joint initiative of the ILO Regional Office for the Arab
States, the Centre for Arab Women Training and Research, the International
Development Research Centre and the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations
Development Organizations. The two-year initiative consists of three interlinked
components: research, training, and policy advocacy. During the research phase, two
regional background papers on statistics and social protection and five country case
studies (Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen and the Occupied Palestinian Territory),
were produced and discussed during a research workshop held in Tunis in April
2007. Three Palestinian researchers developed a country case study that focuses on
extending social protection to workers in the informal economy from gender
equality and workers’ rights perspectives. Currently the project is entering the
training phase, which will culminate in a regional training on social protection and
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07-62314 11
statistics in the informal economy. The third component on policy advocacy will
focus on specific policy briefs and round tables addressing policymakers and think
tanks.
42. The International Labour Organization committed $1 million for the
establishment of the Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection. The
Fund serves as the institutional framework for resource mobilization and for social
and economic development in three core programme areas: community
infrastructure, enterprise and human resources. In August 2007, the ILO Regional
Office for the Arab States fielded a multidisciplinary mission to the Occupied
Palestinian Territory to formulate technical cooperation strategies aimed at poverty
reduction and the promotion of decent and productive employment for Palestinians,
with special emphasis on youth and women.
43. Initiatives, including joint initiatives, were undertaken with a view to building
the capacity of key stakeholders in fostering women’s entrepreneurship. The
Empretec programme of UNCTAD and ILO aims to support the development of
small and medium-size enterprises, through building institutional capacity for
establishing a dynamic private sector and internationally competitive enterprises. Of
the 123 trainees who graduated, 16 per cent were women, representing leading
industries and services across the West Bank. A round-table meeting for the
Chairmen and Senior Executives of the Federation of Palestinian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry and its 14 member chambers in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, supported by ILO, aimed to improve the role of employers’ organizations in
employment creation, particularly through the promotion of small and medium
enterprises, with a special focus on strengthening and empowering women’s
entrepreneurship.
44. As women microentrepreneurs are among the poorest members of
communities, credit to these women constitutes a fundamental source of capital that
enables them to meet the basic needs of their families. During the reporting period,
UNRWA disbursed over 38,000 solidarity group loans, valued at over $25 million,
to women microentrepreneurs in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan and the Syrian
Arab Republic. The Agency also provided over 5,500 consumer loans, worth over
$3.2 million, to working-class families in the Gaza Strip with no access to bank
loans. In June 2006, UNRWA had a portfolio of more than 13,600 loans in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic, valued at over
$9.6 million, 20 per cent of which were held by women clients.
45. With a view to enhancing the role of Palestinian women in the improvement of
national food security and the agricultural industry, FAO supported the continuation
of the project “Support to household food security and income generation through
bio-intensive backyard agricultural production and cottage industry activities for
women in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip”, started in 2006. To date, some 180
women have participated in intensive training in food preservation and processing,
with a focus on market orientation. Fifty women were selected for the intensive
“backyard production” component that includes grey-water recycling facilities to
overcome limited water supply.
46. United Nations entities reported on efforts to create work for women,
including through programmes and projects at the community level. UNRWA
created an estimated 1.8 million days of temporary work under its direct-hire
programme and community-based infrastructure and construction projects to help
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12 07-62314
beneficiaries to maintain minimum levels of income and support their families. In
the Gaza Strip and West Bank, 17 per cent of the beneficiaries were female heads of
household. In 2006, UNESCO submitted to the Islamic Development Bank, a
$2.8 million programme focused on generating job opportunities for young women
and men, through revitalizing cultural heritage sites of old cities in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. Through various programmes and projects implemented during
the reporting period, UNIFEM created employment opportunities for over 300
women, mostly from rural areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
47. The importance of including women in economic decision-making was
highlighted by UNCTAD, which reported on the election, in 2007, of a leading
Palestinian businesswoman to the Board that oversees a project entitled
“Establishment of the Palestinian Shippers Council (PSC)”, launched at the
beginning of 2006, with the aim of protecting the interests of the Palestinian
shipping community of exporters and importers. It was noted that women currently
represent 40 per cent of the PSC management team.
48. In April 2007, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the
Middle East Peace Process led a joint United Nations system agency evaluation of
socio-economic needs in the Jordan Valley, in particular those of women. Through
the evaluation, priority areas of intervention were identified that would increase the
economic participation of women in their communities. It is envisaged that a joint
United Nations programme, coordinated by the Office, will follow towards the end
of 2007.
E. Women’s human rights
49. Several United Nations entities undertook initiatives focused on protecting and
promoting the human rights of Palestinian women and girls, including through
advocacy, training, seminars, support to the fulfilment of reporting obligations and
preparation of action plans. OHCHR-Palestine, along with various representatives of
Palestinian civil society, continued developing advocacy strategies to encourage the
incorporation of international human rights standards into the Palestinian legislation
and policy, with a special focus on women’s rights. In 2007, OHCHR-Palestine
conducted advocacy activities with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry for
Women and Children, on the issue of justice sector reform, emphasizing the need for
enhancing women’s access to justice and other social support mechanisms.
OHCHR-Palestine participated in seminars and discussions addressing specific
issues relating to women’s rights. The work of relevant United Nations human rights
mechanisms and the ways in which NGOs can effectively use such mechanisms,
especially Special Procedures, to advance the rights of women were highlighted.
50. During the period under review, significant support was provided to capacitybuilding
on women’s human rights. OHCHR-Palestine conducted several trainings
on women’s human rights. Eight training courses were organized in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip for representatives of Palestinian civil society, including human
rights organizations and other NGOs. Gender balance was taken into account in the
selection of participants and gender perspectives were integrated in the development
of the curricula, objectives and goals and monitoring and evaluation. An intensive
training of trainers course for Palestinian human rights defenders and activists from
human rights organizations was organized. Workshops and training courses were
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07-62314 13
also organized on women’s rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women, targeting representatives of Palestinian
human rights organizations. In May 2007, OHCHR-Palestine conducted two courses
specifically for female participants in the West Bank and Gaza City to educate
women’s groups on United Nations Special Procedures and the United Nations
treaty bodies and submission of communications. Training on gender equality and
women’s human rights was delivered by UNIFEM to male and female youth
members of the “Youth Rights Monitor” project’s Palestinian Legislative Council
Monitoring Committee and of the project’s Media Committee.
51. In close cooperation with OHCHR, UNESCO actively participated in the
implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education Plan of
Action for 2005-2007 in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The two entities will
collaborate on the first stages of this project aimed at promoting human rights,
peace, democratic citizenship, intercultural understanding and human rights
education. The initial stage of the project, which analyses the current situation of
human rights education in the Palestinian school system, was completed in late
2006.
52. As part of its capacity-building and awareness-raising campaign on women’s
human rights and violence against women in the Gaza Strip, UNIFEM provided
legal counselling and legal literacy services to more than 1,500 women in
marginalized areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As executing agency for the
United Nations Democracy Fund “Youth Rights Monitor” project, UNIFEM has
taken a gender-sensitive approach to monitoring youth rights and in advocacy
through the local media.
53. OHCHR-Palestine engaged closely with Palestinian women’s organizations in
coordinating a unified alternative report for the Committee on the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination and participated in various seminars and discussions
addressing specific issues related to women’s rights, highlighting the work of
relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms and how NGOs can effectively
use such mechanisms to advance the rights of women.
F. Violence against women
54. The issue of violence against women was taken up by a range of United
Nations entities, in collaboration with some Palestinian NGOs. For example,
OHCHR-Palestine, UNFPA, WHO and Al-Muntada (Palestinian Non-Governmental
Organizations against Domestic Violence) organized a series of activities across the
Occupied Palestinian Territory in commemoration of the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women. These activities included a countrywide
media campaign from 25 November to 10 December 2006. Ten workshops,
facilitated by Al-Muntada, were held at various locations throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. Each workshop focused on gender-based violence and the
psychological and social health of women as affected by the current political, social
and economic situation confronting the Palestinian society. An advocacy plan was
subsequently developed for civil society organizations to ensure that the
recommendations would be acted upon. OHCHR-Palestine continued to follow
developments in relation to domestic violence against women, including through
participation in the initial advocacy campaign launched by civil society
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14 07-62314
organizations to address the issue. The campaign concluded with the drafting of a
plan of action that was formally launched by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in
November 2006.
55. UNESCO produced and published a fact sheet on violence against women in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which was distributed in December 2006 during
the National Campaign on the Elimination of Violence against Women.
G. Humanitarian assistance
56. United Nations entities continued to provide humanitarian assistance to
Palestinian women living in refugee camps and disadvantaged villages. Activities
included providing food, monetary assistance, creating an environment conducive
for learning and providing extracurricular activities.
57. UNRWA provided special assistance to over 1 million refugees in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, 45 per cent of whom were female heads of
households. The Agency’s special hardship assistance provided the poorest families
with a critical safety net in the form of food support, selective cash assistance and
preferential access to the Agency’s vocational training centres, where pupils could
learn skills to help to lift their families out of poverty.
58. UNESCO continued its participation in the project “Isolated and
disenfranchised communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, funded by the
Trust Fund for Human Security. The project aims to address the most urgent needs
of Palestinian people living in 14 disadvantaged villages and 2 refugee camps,
including through enhancing their learning environment and implementing
extracurricular activities, promoting intangible and oral heritage, with special
attention to cultural projects with potential for employment generation, and
producing informative radio programmes, talk shows and documentaries.
H. Advocacy and information
59. Several United Nations entities carried out advocacy activities, including
through meetings, conferences, establishment of databases and research. Entities
also collected, analysed and disseminated information on the situation of Palestinian
women.
60. The Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political Affairs
organized seminars and conferences that included a focus on the situation of
Palestinian women. For example, the United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the
Palestinian People, held in Doha in February 2007, as one of its sub-themes,
addressed the plight of the most vulnerable segments of the Palestinian society,
including women. The United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in
Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, held in Brussels in August 2007, devoted one
of its workshops to the topic of the empowerment of women and the role of
women’s organizations in promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Division also
held an annual consultative meeting with civil society organizations, including
women representatives. Eighty women’s organizations are currently accredited to
the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
In addition, the Department of Public Information, in cooperation with the
E/CN.6/2008/6
07-62314 15
Government of Japan and the United Nations University, organized an international
media seminar entitled “Re-engaging the Israelis and the Palestinians in the search
for a comprehensive and lasting political settlement”, in Tokyo in June 2007.
61. Several actors were instrumental in organizing activities to mark International
Women’s Day in 2007. WFP, CHF International (formerly known as the Cooperative
Housing Foundation), the Ministry of Agriculture in coordination with UNFPA, the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Gaza Community Mental Health
Programme organized a commemoration of International Women’s Day in Gaza in
2007. Activities focused on raising awareness on the theme “Ending impunity for
violence against women”. In the West Bank, WFP-Occupied Palestinian Territory, in
partnership with CHF International and the local committees, organized a
celebration of International Women’s Day, including the opening of two exhibitions,
of Food for Training products produced by women beneficiaries of the WFP Food
for Training programme.
62. Research and documentation, including through databases, on the situation of
Palestinian women were supported by a number of United Nations entities. Through
its Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation Centre, UNESCO
commissioned, collected, analysed and disseminated research on gender equality
and the human rights of women. The Centre developed online databases, produced
publications, organized training courses and targeted seminars to ministries, NGOs,
students and researchers. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
gathered information and documents on emerging gender issues through field
networks and in collaboration with other humanitarian and development actors to
inform its gender advocacy on women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The
Division for Palestinian Rights continued to update and expand the documents
collection on Palestinian women in the Internet-based United Nations Information
System on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL). In addition, the UNESCO
Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation Centre published a documentary
study entitled “Deferent roles of Palestinian women in the thirties and the forties:
the political participation of Palestinian women”. The two editions were launched
on 12 October 2006.
63. In order to raise awareness about the situation of Palestinian women in rural
areas, UNIFEM continued to support the development of a database used by the
Sabaya women’s centres to gather and update information on resources and services
accessible to women within rural communities. During 2007, UNIFEM analysed
data gathered from the 18 areas of implementation of its Sabaya Programme and
developed relevant indicators on rural women. These indicators serve as a crucial
tool for raising awareness about rural women’s needs among decision makers and
service providers.
64. Film was also used as an advocacy tool to bring attention to the situation of
women in the region. UNIFEM supported the production of an advocacy short
documentary film, entitled Maria’s Grotto on the issue of femicide in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, filmed in the West Bank by the Palestinian filmmaker Buthina
Khouri. The screenings of the film Divorce — the Iranian Way, in 18 rural
communities through the Sabaya centres were also supported by UNIFEM. Over
660 women attended these film screenings and participated in the ensuing
discussion sessions on women’s rights.
E/CN.6/2008/6
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65. The Department of Public Information reported a special information
programme on the “Question of Palestine”, aimed at sensitizing public opinion on
this issue. The English Unit of United Nations Radio filed 10 news stories and
5 feature stories on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including on
the situation of Palestinian women. The Arabic Unit of United Nations Radio
covered the situation of, and assistance to, Palestinian women through news,
features and in its weekly programme on women. Through a special feature page,
entitled “News Focus: Middle East”, the Department maintains easy access to
information materials on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women,
including two web-only articles entitled “A difficult future for the Gaza Strip”, by
Jonas Hagen, dated 25 January 2007, and “Gaza border closures accompanied by
fears of humanitarian crisis”, by Sana Aftab Khan, dated 2 August 2007.
66. The Department of Public Information drew attention to the situation of
Palestinian women through its publications, press conferences and briefings and
seminars. In addition to the UN Chronicle magazine (issue 1, 2007), its monthly
compilation entitled “Chronological review of events relating to the question of
Palestine”, and the bimonthly newsletter NGO Action News, the Department of
Public Information also reported that the United Nations Information Service in
Geneva organized three press conferences and biweekly briefings on matters
pertaining to Palestinian women: the commemoration of the International Day of
Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and the visit of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights to the Occupied Palestinian Territory in November
2006.
I. Gender mainstreaming
67. A number of United Nations entities initiated activities to strengthen gender
mainstreaming in policies and programmes, including at the country level. the
UNDP “In-house gender mainstreaming capacity development” initiative aims to
institutionalize gender mainstreaming in programmes and operational activities of
the UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. UNDP also promoted
the incorporation of gender perspectives into the development strategy of a
participatory rural development and planning project from its inception. FAO
supported a project on “Mainstreaming gender dimensions into water resources
development and management in the Mediterranean region (GEWAMED)”,
coordinated by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari and financed by the
European Commission. The project was designed to build a national and regional
shared knowledge base on gender equality issues, policies and related actions; to
enhance dialogue among the countries of the Mediterranean region; and to
contribute to the adoption of national gender-oriented policies and other related
instruments. FAO, IFAD and the Gender and Water Alliance are members of the
Consultation and Advisory Gender Committee of the project.
68. Other entities adopted policies and employed specialists to advance gender
mainstreaming. UNRWA adopted a Policy for Gender Equality to achieve gender
mainstreaming in operations and service delivery. The Agency’s assistance to
Palestinian refugee women focuses on meeting their human development needs in
the areas of education and technical training, female-focused basic health care, and
the provision of microfinance.
E/CN.6/2008/6
07-62314 17
69. The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process, requested the deployment of a Gender Adviser to support the work of
the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in preparing
an analysis of the main gender inequality issues and concerns on the ground. The
Gender Adviser would also identify gaps in the current programmes/activities,
assess the quality and effectiveness of the existing gender equality programmes in
the different sectors’ humanitarian response, and identify strategies to overcome any
deficiencies.
70. During 2006-2007, the ESCWA Centre for Women provided technical
cooperation and advisory services to the Palestinian Ministry for Women’s Affairs
on gender mainstreaming and strategic planning.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
71. During the period under review, the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory deepened. The conflict and intra-Palestinian violence continued to
have a detrimental effect on all Palestinian people. The international financial
embargo, the withholding of Palestinian revenues by Israel and the suspension
of direct budget support from donors have led to a further deterioration of the
situation.
72. The situation of Palestinian women was directly affected by increased
poverty and unemployment and the decline in living standards and food
security. The movement of women and girls was restricted by closures,
checkpoints and roadblocks, as well as the permit system, which limited their
access to health-care services, employment and schools. Close to 30 per cent of
pregnant women in the West Bank had difficulties accessing antenatal care and
safe delivery. Both primary and secondary services have declined. Continuing
declines in the education system were marked by high dropout rates, a wide
gap between girls completing primary school and those enrolling in secondary
school, and low graduation rates. Violence against women, especially domestic
violence, remained a widespread problem.
73. In its resolution 61/143, the General Assembly highlighted violence against
women as both a human rights violation and a constraint to development and
called for accelerated efforts to eradicate such violence. In the agreed
conclusions adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-first
session, the Commission called for the elimination of discrimination and
violence against the girl child. Enhanced efforts are needed to eliminate all
forms of violence against Palestinian women and girls and to protect and
promote their human rights, including through systematic and effective
utilization of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women.
74. Improving the situation of and enhancing the impact of assistance to
Palestinian women is linked to the achievement of a secure and lasting peace.
Renewed efforts need to be made by the international community to seek an
end to the violent confrontations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and a
peaceful resolution of the conflict. Women should be fully involved in conflict
resolution and peacebuilding initiatives to be undertaken in the region, in
E/CN.6/2008/6
18 07-62314
accordance with the Beijing Platform for Action and Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.
75. United Nations entities should continue to operate in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps. Assistance focused on the
empowerment of women, particularly in areas such as education, health, social
welfare, employment and economic development, should be strengthened.
Enhanced efforts should also be made to increase women’s full participation in
decision-making processes at all levels.
76. A gender perspective should be fully integrated into international
assistance programmes, through, inter alia, gender analysis and the collection
of sex-disaggregated data. All studies and reports undertaken by the United
Nations on the situation of the Palestinian people should incorporate specific
attention to gender perspectives. Governments, academic institutions,
international organizations, and civil society, including non-governmental
organizations, should be encouraged to collaborate on qualitative and
quantitative action-oriented research on the situation of Palestinian women and
girls.
77. Member States, entities of the United Nations system, non-governmental
organizations and other relevant stakeholders should intensify their efforts to
provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women and
systematically assess and report on the impact of those efforts.
United Nations E/CN.6/2009/5
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
1 December 2008
Original: English
08-62831 (E) 291208
*0862831*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-third session
2-13 March 2009
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
October 2007 and September 2008, in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2008/11. It reviews the situation of Palestinian women and provides an
overview of the assistance provided by entities of the United Nations system with
regard to, inter alia, education and training; health; employment and
entrepreneurship; women’s human rights; violence against women; and humanitarian
assistance. The report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the
Commission on the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2009/1.
E/CN.6/2009/5
2 08-62831
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2008/11 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave situation of
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, in order to assist
Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in the previous
report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women (E/CN.6/2008/6), and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women
at its fifty-third session a report, including information provided by the Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from October 2007 to September 2008
and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from United
Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and the
Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, and the Committee on the Exercise of
the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
3. The report also reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the
Department of Political Affairs of the Secretariat, the Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the
World Food Programme (WFP).
4. The following United Nations entities contributed their input to the present
report through the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, the United Nations Human
Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), UNICEF, the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM), WFP, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
5. The report concludes with recommendations on improving the situation of
Palestinian women, including through the continued assistance of the United
Nations system.
II. Situation of Palestinian women
6. During the reporting period, new hope for the achievement of a peaceful
settlement of the question of Palestine emerged, with the launch of the Annapolis
process and regular bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The
E/CN.6/2009/5
08-62831 3
Quartet, the League of Arab States, several Arab countries, as well as Turkey,
contributed to regional efforts to advance peace (see A/63/368-S/2008/612, paras. 6-9).
7. The situation on the ground in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, remained difficult and hampered political efforts to
achieve the vision of two States living side by side in peace and security. In the
Gaza Strip, in particular, prolonged violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis
prevailed (ibid., para. 5). Despite the efforts to bring about peace, deaths and
injuries resulting from the occupation and the internal conflict increased during
2007 and continued to rise in the first months of 2008.1 In 2007, some
412 Palestinians were killed, including 10 women. Approximately 345 people were
killed between the beginning of 2008 and 21 April 2008, 89 per cent of them in the
Gaza Strip, including 31 women and 80 children.2
8. Within the framework of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women,
peace and security, peacebuilding efforts by Palestinian organizations continued
despite the difficult political circumstances. Civil society organizations, such as
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy
(MIFTAH) focused efforts on linking the political and social agendas of the
Palestinian women’s movement at the grass-roots level. In addition, the
International Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli
Peace engaged in policy dialogue at the international and national levels, to increase
women’s participation in peace negotiations. The Commission included 20
Palestinian women leaders, working within governmental and non-governmental
Palestinian organizations.3
9. Internal conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory compounded existing
hardships. After the Hamas takeover of Gaza, additional restrictions on the
movement of goods and people into the Gaza Strip, led to deteriorating conditions
and shortages of basic commodities, including food, electricity and fuel. Increased
restrictions on the operations of humanitarian agencies hindered the delivery of
humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (see A/63/74-E/2008/13,
summary).
10. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human
Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories
expressed serious concern about the continuing deterioration of the human rights
and humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (see A/63/273,
paras. 114-118). In particular, the Committee noted that isolation of the Gaza Strip
had the most dramatic impact on women and children (ibid., para. 45).
11. The right to freedom of movement continued to be obstructed in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. In January 2008, the Human Rights Council expressed grave
concern about “the continued closures of and within the Occupied Palestinian
Territory and the restriction of the freedom of movement of people and goods,
including the repeated closure of the crossing points of the Gaza Strip, which
created an extremely precarious humanitarian situation for the civilian population
__________________
1 World Health Organization, Health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan: report of the Secretariat (A/61/INF.DOC./4),
annex, para. 1.
2 Ibid., para. 13.
3 Department of Political Affairs contribution to the report (2008).
E/CN.6/2009/5
4 08-62831
and impaired the economic and social rights of the Palestinian people”.4 In
September 2008, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported
630 obstacles blocking Palestinian movement, including 93 staffed checkpoints and
537 unstaffed obstacles in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.5
12. The conflict continued to negatively impact the Palestinian economy as
restrictions were tightened in the West Bank and Gaza’s primary border crossings
remained closed, thus constraining development projects.6 The International
Monetary Fund reported that the macroeconomic environment had been less
favourable than envisaged, unemployment and poverty remained high, especially in
Gaza, and real incomes in the West Bank and Gaza were reduced by the sharp rise in
inflation.6 The World Bank noted that as the Palestinian economy declined, the
Occupied Palestinian Territory was steadily becoming more aid dependent.7
13. Based on the Palestinian Expenditure and Consumption Survey for 2007, about
79 per cent of households in Gaza and 46 per cent in the West Bank lived below the
poverty line.8 In 2008, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
found that previously self-reliant families progressively were falling into poverty
owing to the deteriorating Palestinian livelihoods.9 In fact, nearly two thirds
(62.5 per cent) of female-headed households live in poverty.10 To cope with poverty
and food insecurity, many parents reduced their food intake to allow their children
to eat.11
14. Poverty and the global rise in food prices greatly affect Palestinian living
conditions.7 Owing to inadequate income and employment, 80 per cent of
households in Gaza (1.3 million people), and 33 per cent in the West Bank (0.7
million people), are dependent on international food assistance.12 A joint
FAO/WFP/UNRWA rapid survey on food security found that despite humanitarian
aid, food insecurity was on the rise and almost two thirds of household income was
spent on food only.13 Moreover, the study found that women and children continued
to be disproportionately affected by food insecurity. Food insecurity was found in
households where the percentage of female residents was 50 per cent or higher.11
This was explained by unequal employment rates between men and women with
almost equal education levels, and the lack of integration of women in the formal
labour market.11
__________________
4 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/63/53),
chap. II.A, resolution 7/18, para. 3 (f).
5 OCHA Closure Update: Main Findings and Analysis (30 April-11 September 2008), September
2008.
6 International Monetary Fund, “Macroeconomic and Fiscal Framework for the West Bank and
Gaza: Second Review of Progress”, 22 September 2008.
7 World Bank, “Palestinian Economic Prospects: Aid, Access and Reform”, September 2008.
8 UNRWA, “Prolonged Crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Socio-economic
Developments in 2007”, 2008, chap. VI.
9 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, The Humanitarian Monitor — Occupied
Palestinian Territory, No. 25 (May 2008).
10 UNFPA Occupied Palestinian Territory Consolidated Appeals Process 2008.
11 United Nations country team Occupied Palestinian Territory contribution to the report (2008).
12 International Labour Organization, Report of the Director-General, on the situation of workers
of the occupied Arab territories, 2008.
13 World Food Programme, Food Security and Market Monitoring Report, No. 19 (July 2008).
E/CN.6/2009/5
08-62831 5
15. During the period under review, the employment and labour situation in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to deteriorate. ILO reported a much
degraded employment and labour situation owing to continuing impediments to the
movement of persons and goods in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. Only one
in three persons of working age was employed; enterprises were either closing or
operating well below their capacity and new investments were deferred.12
16. Women were more likely not to participate in the labour force than men. For
the second quarter (April-June 2008), the labour participation rate of women was
16.0 per cent compared to 66.3 per cent for men.14 Some 64.4 per cent of men with
13 or more years of schooling participated in the labour force, compared to
42.1 per cent of women with the same number of years of schooling.14 For young
women aged 15 to 19, the participation rate was 2.1 per cent compared to
25.4 per cent for young men of the same age group.15
17. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that for the second
quarter of 2008 (April-June), the percentage of women in agriculture, fishing and
forestry was higher than that of men — 30.7 per cent of women and 11.0 per cent of
men.16 An ILO study found that 60 per cent of female workers and only 16 per cent
of male workers were located in the informal economy.17 The high percentage of
women in informal employment was attributed to the lack of an adequate and
affordable social infrastructure and services that placed the burden of caring for the
young, elderly, and the sick on women, thus limiting their employment options and
steering them into informal work arrangements often performed from home.17
18. Movement restrictions negatively affected women’s health. In the period under
review, 69 pregnant women were forced to give birth at Israeli military checkpoints.
Thirty-nine babies and five women died as a result.18 Since childbirth facilities are
located in urban-based hospitals, some pregnant women moved to the homes of relatives
living in towns a few weeks before the expected delivery (see A/HRC/7/44, para. 7 (d)
and (e)). The attendance rate for newly pregnant women at maternal and child healthcare
clinics decreased from 4.8 visits per pregnant woman in 2005 to 3.7 visits per
pregnant woman in 2006.19 The Ministry of Health collaborated with international
agencies, including UNICEF, to secure vaccines for newborn babies, children and
mothers.20
19. WHO reported that the health conditions of female prisoners in general were
extremely difficult and poor.21 At the end of July 2008, it was reported that
77 Palestinian female security prisoners were held in Israeli prisons and detention
centres.22 Approximately 25 per cent of Palestinian female prisoners suffered from
__________________
14 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey (April-June 2008) Round
(Q2/2008), 15 September 2008, table 6.
15 Ibid., table 8.
16 Palestinian Authority: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics: Labour Force Survey (April-June
2008).
17 International Labour Organization, Unprotected Employment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip:
A Gender Equality and Workers’ Rights Perspective, Beirut, 2008, Executive Summary.
18 World Health Organization, 2008, op. cit., para. 16.
19 World Health Organization, 2008, op. cit., para. 61.
20 Ibid, para. 63.
21 Ibid., para. 12.
22 Mandela Institute for Human Rights, referenced in the UNIFEM executed project “Protection of
Female Prisoners and Detainees in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centers”, as cited in United
Nations country team contribution to the report (2008).
E/CN.6/2009/5
6 08-62831
treatable illnesses, including excessive weight loss, general weakness, anaemia and
iron deficiency owing to poor quality food and the lack of essential nutrients.23 In
addition, they were exposed to harsh treatment from male and female prison
officers, with no regard for their condition or their special needs in pregnancy.21
20. Recent assessments of the psychosocial well-being of the Palestinian
population showed that severe stress and other mental health problems had
increased. The prolonged tension, lack of physical security, mobility restrictions and
limited educational and leisure opportunities were identified as some of the causes
of psychological strain for many Palestinians, especially women, children and
adolescents.10
21. Incidents of violence against women, including domestic violence, continued
during the period under review. Results of a UNFPA survey and a UNRWA
qualitative study associated the increase of domestic violence rates with the rising
political violence in 2007.11 The UNRWA study also indicated that rates of domestic
violence had risen since the commencement of the second intifada in September
2000, with men using women as outlets for their anger, frustration and
powerlessness.11 UNFPA found that the majority of married (61.7 per cent) and
unmarried (53.3 per cent) women were exposed to psychological violence.10
Poverty, low education levels, lack of decision-making power, violent childhoods,
conflict in the community, drug abuse and lack of access to divorce were all viewed
by refugee women as causes of domestic violence. A link was also made between
little or no income in female-headed households and domestic and gender-based
violence.11
22. The right to education continued to be seriously affected by the occupation.11
Although girls outnumbered boys in primary and secondary enrolment for the
academic year 2007/2008 (548,781 women versus 548,314 men), the female dropout
rate continued to surpass the male dropout rate at the secondary level — 3.8 per cent
versus 3 per cent.24 The school dropouts were attributed to early marriage, the
economic situation and travel restrictions.11 In the period under review, UNICEF
also reported that young Palestinian girls continued to have few opportunities for
development, recreation and participation. There were few safe spaces for them to
go, and most of the 300 youth clubs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory
lacked funding and were poorly managed and equipped. UNICEF also indicated that
adolescence was often compromised by household demands and early marriage of
young women and girls.25
23. The percentage of women in decision-making remained low. According to the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, women accounted for 12.6 per cent of the
members of the Legislative Council; 7.4 per cent of ambassadors; 11.2 per cent of
judges; and 12.1 per cent of general prosecutors.26
__________________
23 Fact sheet “Medical neglect of Palestinian Women in Israeli prisons”, published by Addameer
Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association, Mandela Institute for Human Rights and
Palestinian Counseling Center, June 2008, within the Protection of Palestinian Female Prisoners
and Detainees in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centers project, available at:
http://www.aseerat.ps/files/FactsheetJune2008_-_Neglect.pdf (in United Nations country team
contribution).
24 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Palestine in Figures 2007”, May 2008, p. 23.
25 UNICEF contribution to the report (2008).
26 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, press release, 6 March 2008.
E/CN.6/2009/5
08-62831 7
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
24. The following section focuses on the assistance provided to Palestinian women
by entities of the United Nations system. Based on contributions from United
Nations entities, eight areas of support were identified: education and training;
health; employment and entrepreneurship; women’s human rights; violence against
women; humanitarian assistance; advocacy and information; and interagency
coordination efforts, including gender mainstreaming.
A. Education and training
25. Several United Nations entities reported on initiatives to improve the access of
women and girls to quality education opportunities and a gender-sensitive
curriculum. During the 2006/2007 academic year, 241,183 girls (50.1 per cent of
pupils) were enrolled in UNRWA elementary, preparatory and secondary schools.
Girls constituted 69.8 per cent of students benefiting from the
UNRWA-administered scholarships. UNDP provided remedial literacy and English
and computer training to 3,925 female dropout students.
26. As part of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) framework
and in collaboration with UNICEF, UNIFEM and UNFPA, UNESCO commissioned
a study on “Scaling up” girls’ education in 2007. As a follow-up to the study, a
Vocational Guidance and Counselling System was established within the Palestinian
education system, supported by UNESCO. UNICEF worked with the Ministry of
Education and Higher Education to, inter alia, provide math and science teaching
kits to disadvantaged schools to improve the teaching and learning process in
classrooms. UNICEF also supported the finalization of the five-year education plan
aimed at providing equal and quality educational opportunities for girls and boys.
Six young women were employed by UNIFEM to offer academic guidance to young
girls in schools. UNFPA supported the Ministry of Education’s efforts to increase
access to gender-sensitive life-skills based sexual and reproductive health education
in secondary schools.
27. Construction and/or rehabilitation of community buildings for schools and the
provision of school supplies were reported by United Nations entities as key steps to
support girls’ access to education. For example, UNDP supported the construction of
classrooms, libraries and laboratories in 16 schools, including all-girls schools. It
supported the construction of three kindergartens that were managed by women’s
centres or local councils, and created six permanent jobs for women as teachers and
administrators. UNICEF worked with the Palestinian Water Authority and the
Coastal Municipal Water Utility to provide water to 120 schools, construct
10 sanitary units at Farabi Girls Primary School, and raise awareness on personal
hygiene and environmental sanitation in schools and selected vulnerable
communities.
28. Training programmes for women were provided in a wide range of areas
related to vocational and professional development. UNRWA reported that
2,109 girls received technical and vocational training (36.3 per cent of total
students). Some 53 per cent of the Agency’s more than 18,000 teaching staff were
women. Professional training opportunities were offered to 445 of the teaching staff,
49 per cent of whom were women. Through its Small and Microenterprise Training
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Programme, customized for the needs of microentrepreneurs and small business
owners in Gaza, the Agency offered 563 courses for more than 11,907 participants,
20 per cent of them women. UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture trained
25 Palestinian women in traditional arts and crafts. Within the UNESCO
Architectural Competition for the Design of Public Spaces and Urban Facilities in
the Old City of Nablus, 16 young women architects were assigned to professionals
to develop their design concepts into executive designs. Four junior women
architects benefited from “learning by doing” training associated with the
Bethlehem Area Conservation and Management Plan.
29. Training programmes were also promoted as a means to enhance women’s
leadership and increase their access to and benefits from information and
communication technologies. For example, in 2007, UNESCO supported the project
“Giving women a voice” to build capacity and campaigning skills of 20 young
women community leaders in Hebron and the southern rural area of the West Bank.
In 2008, UNESCO also supported the project “Women taking the lead”, in
cooperation with the Arabic Media Internet Network, which provided a training and
career development programme for 15 women journalists and 30 media managers in
Gaza and West Bank.
30. In Gaza, UNDP established centres aimed at providing equal access to social
and economic services for women and their families. In addition to developing
women’s skills, the centres also offered women safe meeting and working spaces
and informal psychosocial support. Some 219 training courses, seminars or
workshops were held on an annual basis in the centres; 65 women benefited from
permanent jobs created by the centres.
B. Health
31. Several United Nations entities reported on activities to promote equal access
to health care for Palestinian women. WHO facilitated health coordination meetings
with health-care providers at district level, to formulate solutions to women’s and
girls’ needs for preventive health services, including mammography tests. WHO
collaborated with UNFPA in providing medicines and equipment for health services
targeted to women of childbearing age.
32. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Red Crescent
Society, UNICEF provided 452 first aid kits, 13 emergency health kits,
10 midwifery kits, 16 obstetric surgical kits and 60 resuscitation kits to the Ministry
of Health and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
33. UNRWA offered full immunization coverage of women against vaccinepreventable
diseases. UNICEF supported the Ministry of Health with the
procurement of vaccines and related supplies for more than 100,000 women of
childbearing age.
34. With support from UNIFEM, permits were obtained for 28 external doctors to
enter prisons and examine female prisoners in need of specialized medical care.
35. Family planning and antenatal care were given priority by a number of entities
to ensure safe deliveries for women in isolated areas of the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. Approximately 90,000 women received antenatal care in the five fields of
UNRWA operation. More than 24,000 new female patients sought guidance on
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family planning. WHO provided the Ministry of Health with recommendations
aimed at improving pregnant women’s access to health facilities. UNFPA supported
39 public clinics aimed at strengthening the integration of reproductive health
services in primary health care, and promoted attention to gender-based violence in
counselling services offered in primary health-care facilities. Qualified staff,
including physicians, nurses and midwives, were retrained by UNFPA as obstetric
care emergency staff in the West Bank and Gaza.
36. Various entities also provided psychosocial counselling to women. The
UNRWA Community Mental Health Programme in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
provided psychosocial support to 6,321 Palestinian refugee women. Four UNFPAsupported
women’s health centres provided clinical, psychosocial, legal advice,
outreach, physiotherapy, gymnastics and health education services to women living
in underprivileged areas of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. UNIFEM continued
to provide rural women in marginalized areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip with
legal and psychosocial group counselling sessions, one-on-one consultations and
specialized treatment for mental health problems. During the period under review,
UNIFEM trained 115 women leaders as community resource persons on mental
health issues. One-on-one psychosocial consultation/counselling was provided to
150 women, and an additional 1,200 women benefited from group psychological
counselling sessions.
37. UNDP organized workshops and provided psychosocial support to 500 women.
Five women were employed to conduct counselling services and train other women
on conflict resolution, self-confidence and communication skills. UNDP also
conducted health-awareness sessions and provided free medical consultations for
6,270 women, and psychological and legal-awareness sessions for 12,620 women to
help them to cope with stress. In partnership with UNIFEM, UNICEF reinforced its
crisis intervention teams in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to increase their ability to
deal more effectively with women needing psychosocial assistance.
38. Gender-sensitive health education and training programmes, including on
HIV/AIDS, was provided. UNRWA promoted health education programmes on
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, including for its entire staff.
39. WHO supported the Ministry of Health in establishing and operating thematic
groups on reproductive health, nutrition and mental health, to facilitate and
coordinate activities of care providers, providing advice, recommending priorities
and exchanging information.
C. Employment and entrepreneurship
40. United Nations entities reported on efforts to create work for women to
promote self-reliance and restore livelihoods that would contribute to longer-term
food security. WFP prepared a package of job creation, income-generation,
vocational training and livelihood support to assist poor farmers, unemployed
workers and vulnerable women. Priority was given to female-headed households
which comprise 33.6 per cent (2,850) of the beneficiaries assisted in the West Bank
and 50.6 per cent (82,560) in Gaza.
41. Thirty per cent of the beneficiaries of the UNRWA Job Creation Programme,
operating in the West Bank and Gaza, were women. Within this Programme,
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UNRWA/Gaza Field Office developed a maternity policy that enabled pregnant
contract holders to enjoy 42 days of unpaid maternity leave without losing their
jobs. A gender-sensitive monitoring mechanism was created to ensure a decent work
environment for women, including through the UNRWA Breastfeeding Policy.
42. Several United Nations entities provided grants and training to enhance
Palestinian women’s entrepreneurship. UNDP offered training to 18 low-income
women in two women’s centres in Jabalia and Nuseirat. Some 24 women benefited
from the construction of the Jenin Vocational Training Centre and its courses on
fashion design, computer and secretarial skills. In the Gaza Strip, UNDP trained
1,043 poor housewives on recycling household waste and manufacturing home
decorations; conducted income-generation projects for five women organizations;
and trained 30 women on starting and managing their own businesses. The UNDP
programme also trained 60 women on civic education. In the West Bank, UNIFEM
trained 250 poor women on managerial and technical skills to process local surplus
of fruits and vegetables into healthy marketable products.
43. The ILO Regional Office in Beirut, together with the Palestinian firm Riyada
Consulting and Training, prepared a paper entitled “Situation and institutional
assessment of business women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, which
assessed the level of involvement of women in private sector institutions. In March
2008, ILO conducted a regional training of trainers on “Gender and
entrepreneurship together”, attended by four Palestinian representatives of
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business women associations and training
centres, with the objective of assisting ILO partner organizations to promote
enterprise development among poor women.
44. UNRWA and IFAD reported microcredit schemes for women as critical to
poverty reduction and women’s economic empowerment. UNRWA disbursed over
2,030 new group loans valued at almost US$ 900,000 to women microentrepreneurs
in the Gaza Strip. Through its direct and indirect lending schemes, the Agency
extended 1,950 microcredit loans to Palestine refugees, 81 per cent of whom were
women.
45. FAO completed the women’s empowerment project on “Support to household
food security and income generation through biointensive backyard agricultural
production and cottage industry in the West Bank and Gaza Strip”, which targets
East Jerusalem, Hebron, Jenin and Gaza. Beehives and rabbits were distributed to
500 women for income generation and household consumption. FAO promoted a
national exhibition for women’s associations in Ramallah, which allowed them to
market their crafts and their agricultural and food products. The FAO Junior Farmer
Field and Life Schools scheme was also launched to build livelihood and
entrepreneurship skills of youth, including young women. The project liaises with
16 NGOs throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
46. UNCTAD reported on its two-year project (2006-2008) titled “Establishment
of the Palestinian Shippers Council”, which represents and protects the interests of
Palestinian shippers and exporters. UNCTAD emphasized that the Council, which is
chaired by a businesswoman, is committed to recruiting female members and
encourages their full participation in all Council activities.
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D. Women’s human rights
47. United Nations entities reported advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns on
the human rights of women and girls. On the International Day for the Elimination
of Violence against Women in 2007, OHCHR implemented a three-day campaign in
the West Bank aimed at promoting the protection of the rights of Palestinian women.
UNDP conducted an awareness-raising campaign on violence against women,
offered courses for 1,200 women and men on women’s rights and trained 20 female
lawyers on women’s rights advocacy for women victims exposed to violence.
48. During the period under review, significant support was provided to capacitybuilding
on women’s human rights. OHCHR, in cooperation with the Palestinian
Working Women Society for Development, organized an event for 30 men and
women that focused on the challenges faced by women in the enjoyment of their
human rights, best practices on legal investigations on violence against women and
girls and ways to access the United Nations mechanisms for the protection of
women’s rights. UNIFEM supported the production of a gender-sensitive academic
counselling manual and the provision of legal literacy sessions to nearly 1,500
women about the Palestinian legal system. A regional workshop for judges and
parliamentarians on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women was co-organized by the ESCWA Centre
for Women and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women in
Jordan in October 2007. Three Palestinian women attended the training, one
member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and two judges.
49. Through its project “Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation
Centre” in Ramallah, UNESCO supported the development of the human and
institutional capacities of governmental and non-governmental organizations related
to women’s rights. UNESCO and the Centre for Women’s Legal Research and
Consulting in the Gaza Strip, started collecting stories of discrimination against
women to contribute to the UNIFEM initiative entitled “The CEDAW Stories”.
Seventy stories had been collected up to August 2008. UNESCO also commissioned
a paper entitled “Listening to girls’ stories: girls’ education in conflict”; and
produced a fact sheet on Palestinian women and education. The Centre for Women’s
Legal Research and Consulting conducted several trainings targeted at Government
and NGOs. A total of 28 staff members from the legal department of the Palestinian
Authority were also trained on analysing laws from a gender perspective.
Qualitative and quantitative research methods were taught from a gender
perspective to 42 trainees from departments in the Palestinian Authority by the
Centre.
50. UNFPA collaborated with the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling,
a Jerusalem-based Palestinian NGO, in the development of a manual for service
providers on a gender-sensitive approach to psychosocial and legal counselling. The
UNRWA Gaza Field Office launched the wide-reaching empowerment initiative,
“Equality in action”, focusing on achieving equality with regard to status, options
and opportunities for women and men across the Gaza Strip. Through its
65 women’s programme centres, the Agency supported evening classes and
continued learning for 2,345 women, awareness sessions on women’s rights for
11,952 women and youth-related activities for 19,529 girls. UNIFEM organized
activities and workshops, including on the Convention on the Elimination of All
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Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, in 80 community centres in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
51. United Nations entities reported on efforts to promote the rights of young
women. UNICEF Jordan promoted awareness-raising activities targeted at parents
and community members on the rights of adolescents, particularly those of girls.
These activities led to an increase in the participation of girls in developmental and
learning activities in women’s programme centres. UNIFEM continued supporting
the Youth Rights Monitor project, implemented by a local NGO specialized on
media and youth. A group of 98 youth role-model-activists (50 females and
48 males) was formed to promote awareness on rights and responsibilities among
their peers and younger beneficiaries.
52. Women with special needs were also the focus of various initiatives promoted
by United Nations entities. For example, OHCHR, in partnership with the Stars of
Hope Society for Empowerment of Women with Disability, organized a high-level
event entitled “Try the wheelchair”, to sensitize participants about the reality of
Palestinian women living with disabilities. In Rafah Governorate, UNDP established
a special club for hearing-impaired women and men and provided activities for
approximately 200 members, including art, handcraft and sports.
E. Violence against women
53. United Nations entities continued to address violence against women as a
serious violation of the human rights of women. For example, in December 2007, a
one-week study tour for 14 representatives of local Palestinian NGOs from the West
Bank was hosted by OHCHR in Geneva, to enhance the interaction of NGOs with
the United Nations human rights mechanisms and to design strategies to combat
violence against women. A national conference on combating gender-based violence
was organized by UNFPA and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, field research on forced prostitution and women’s trafficking
was supported by UNIFEM and implemented by a local NGO. UNIFEM upgraded
two toll-free help lines in Gaza and one in the West Bank for female victims of
violence. More than 9,300 women received counselling and awareness-raising
through this initiative.
54. United Nations entities undertook several initiatives aimed at training women
to protect themselves from violence and enhancing the institutional capacity of
NGO partners to prevent violence and support victims. For example, UNFPA and its
NGO partners created community-based initiatives that enable women to protect
themselves from gender-based violence. The Fund also helped to build the capacity
of local institutions to integrate women’s protection within the package of
psychological support offered for women at risk; and promoted the collaboration of
two NGOs in the West Bank and one in the Gaza Strip, to strengthen their
awareness-raising capacity at the community level on violence against women.
55. Entities from the United Nations reported efforts to build alliances with
strategic governmental organizations, as well as civic and civil society actors, to
prevent violence against women. For example, UNFPA worked with civil society
and faith-based organizations on the promotion of women’s rights and the
elimination of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation. In 2008,
UNFPA and the Ministry of Social Affairs started a project to strengthen vocational
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training for young women and to enhance the capacity of Ministry staff in the area
of protection against and prevention of gender-based violence.
56. UNFPA also worked with national partners in their implementation of Security
Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, through the creation
of community-based initiatives that empower women to protect themselves from
gender-based violence. These initiatives also helped to build the capacity of NGOs
to improve services, particularly psychosocial support. UNIFEM continued its
support of the International Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable
Palestinian-Israeli Peace.3
F. Humanitarian assistance
57. United Nations entities continued to provide humanitarian assistance to
Palestinian women living in refugee camps and disadvantaged villages. For
example, UNRWA assisted the poorest registered refugees, mostly families headed
by women. The Agency’s special hardship assistance provided the families with a
safety net that included food support, cash assistance, and preferential access to the
Agency’s vocational training centres.
58. Food security was addressed as a priority in several initiatives undertaken by
United Nations entities. School feeding in the most insecure areas of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip aimed at encouraging parents to keep children in school and
provided employment opportunities to the community. The WFP Food for Training
Programme implemented in the West Bank targeted 9,200 women and focused on
home gardening, handicrafts, food processing, animal raising, agriculture and
beekeeping. Some 8,400 women benefited from life-skills training on health and
nutrition. Through a cash-for-work scheme, the Programme also introduced school
feeding to preschool and primary school children in the most food-insecure areas of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It provided part of the food commodities and salaries
for 2,000 women in local bakeries and women’s centres. The UNRWA food aid
programme benefited 112,256 pregnant women and nursing mothers and 56,587
women were assisted with admission to hospitals. In the Gaza Strip, UNIFEM
piloted a school feeding initiative benefiting 450 children in kindergartens in the
Nuseirat refugee camp, involving 12 women workers. In Jordan, UNICEF assisted
Palestinian refugee women with access to neonatal care and nutrition support.
59. The WFP institutional feeding programme also supported women residing in
institutions such as orphanages, hospitals and homes for the elderly. Beneficiaries of
the programme included 2,400 women in Gaza and 5,100 women in the West Bank.
Under the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation, launched in September 2007,
WFP and the Ministry of Social Affairs worked to cover the food needs of destitute
people, in particular widows, divorced and separated women, and elderly single
women. Some 57 per cent (15,000) of the beneficiaries in the West Bank and 55 per
cent (47,000) in Gaza were women.
60. United Nations entities reported initiatives to contribute to adequate housing.
For example, UNRWA assisted 265 female-headed households with shelter
reconstruction or rehabilitation; 11 per cent of refugees participating in
infrastructural self-help projects were women. The Saudi Committee for the
Palestinian People Relief pledged $6.3 million to UN-Habitat for the project on
“Establishment of a housing and income-generating programme for poor women in
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Hebron, West Bank”. The project includes the construction of 100 housing units and
the establishment of small-scale income-generating activities targeted to poor
women and their families.
G. Advocacy and information
61. Several United Nations entities collected, analysed and disseminated
information on the situation of Palestinian women and advocated for women’s
empowerment and gender equality. For example, WHO continued to collect
information on the health implications of restricted mobility for women.
62. Media resources were used as advocacy tools to bring attention to the situation
of women in the region. For example, through its publications programme, the
Division for the Palestinian Rights within the Department of Political Affairs
included information on the situation of Palestinian women in its monthly
compilation entitled “Chronological review of events relating to the question of
Palestine”, and the bimonthly newsletter “NGO Action News”. UNFPA published a
study entitled “Women in crisis and cultural preservation”.
63. On the occasion of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence
Campaign 2007” (25 November-10 December 2007), UNFPA promoted actions to
combat violence against women through posters, workshops, and television and
radio spots, initiating a platform for discussion among a number of different actors.
UNIFEM produced billboards and reserved radio time to advocate for women’s
rights. It also conducted advocacy and media campaigns on the conditions of
women in prisons and detention centres. UNIFEM also screened a documentary
entitled Maria’s Grotto, on crimes committed in the name of honour, for over
600 women. In consultation with OHCHR, UNIFEM produced a DVD, Women
Capable of Making a Difference, in Arabic with English subtitles, which sheds light
on the situation of women in the Gaza Strip.
64. Initiatives on research and documentation on the situation of Palestinian
women were supported by a number of United Nations entities. Under the guidance
of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian
People, the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political Affairs,
addressed the issue of Palestinian women in discussions at international meetings
and conferences. The ILO Regional Office produced the study, Unprotected
Employment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip: A Gender Equality and Workers’
Rights Perspective, which was published in Arabic and English. The case study was
presented during a Regional Expert Group Meeting on gender equality and workers’
rights in the informal economies of Arab States, held in Tunis in July 2008.
65. The Advocacy and Research Unit of the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs increased efforts to collect sex-disaggregated data in its
Protection of Civilians database and increasingly paid attention to gender equality
issues in its publications Humanitarian Monitor and Protection of Civilians Weekly
Report.
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H. Gender mainstreaming
66. Joint programming by United Nations entities is being promoted to enhance
coordinated support to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including on gender
mainstreaming initiatives. For example, the Department of Political Affairs reported
that the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
Process oversaw six United Nations agencies’ joint submission to the UNDP-Spain
Millennium Development Global Achievement Fund in close collaboration with the
Palestinian Authority. The United Nations country team reported that under the
Fund, UNESCO, UNIFEM, UNDP and FAO also developed a three-year joint
programme on “Culture and development in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” and
UNIFEM provided technical support to ensure that a gender perspective was
incorporated in the programme document.
67. UNDP took the initiative to build internal staff capacity on gender
mainstreaming in order to provide effective support to Palestinian women. For
example, training was provided to more than 40 operational and programme staff in
the UNDP/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), including on
gender sensitization, gender analysis, and gender sensitive indicators in
programmes. A UNDP/PAPP gender strategy was drafted. In August 2008, a senior
Social Development and Gender Adviser was hired to offer technical support to
UNDP/PAPP and other United Nations entities, NGOs and governmental partners.
68. In June 2008, UNIFEM conducted two training sessions on gender
mainstreaming. The first was targeted at key programme staff from United Nations
entities, including those participating in the joint Millennium Development Goals
programmes, and the Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Women’s Affairs. The
second involved heads of agencies in discussions on gender mainstreaming within
the context of the United Nations country team Performance Indicators for Gender
Equality. UNIFEM and FAO conducted a one-day sector-specific gender workshop
on “Mainstreaming gender in agricultural issues”, to discuss the meaning and
importance of integrating gender perspective into planning, implementation and
monitoring of food security-related projects.
69. Other entities adopted policies and employed specialists to advance the gender
mainstreaming strategy. UNFPA partnered with civil society organizations to build
their capacity in advocating for gender mainstreaming in the health sector and
planning and budgeting processes. In November 2007, the ESCWA Centre for
Women and UNIFEM organized a joint regional workshop on gender-responsive
budgeting in Amman, which aimed at highlighting the importance of genderresponsive
budgeting for incorporating gender perspectives into policies,
programmes and projects. Two representatives from the national machinery on
women of the Palestinian Authority attended the training.
70. Other United Nations entities adopted training as key for capacity-building for
gender mainstreaming. ILO sponsored an official of the Ministry of Women’s
Affairs to participate in an intensive training course on participatory gender auditing
in the ILO Training Centre in Turin, Italy, in May 2008, which resulted in the
Ministry working on a strategy for implementing participatory gender audits within
institutions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In September 2007, the ESCWA
Centre for Women conducted an expert group meeting for the enhancement of the
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work of national machineries for mainstreaming gender perspectives into policies,
programmes and projects.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
71. During the period under review, efforts continued at the national, regional
and international levels to bring about a peaceful settlement in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including through bilateral negotiations. Despite these
efforts, the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued with negative
social and economic impacts on the Palestinian people, including on women and
girls.
72. The situation of Palestinian women was directly affected by continued
poverty and unemployment and the decline in living standards and food security.
The movement of women and girls continued to be restricted by closures,
checkpoints and roadblocks, which limited their access to health-care services,
employment and education. Pregnant women had difficulties accessing health
services for antenatal care and safe delivery. Movement restrictions also
contributed to school dropout rates among girls. Incidents of violence against
women, including domestic violence, also continued during the period under
review.
73. Improving the situation of and enhancing the impact of assistance to
Palestinian women is linked to the achievement of a secure and lasting peace.
Renewed efforts need to be taken by all relevant actors at the international,
regional and national levels, including measures to ensure that women
participate fully in all conflict resolution and peacebuilding in the region, in
accordance with the Beijing Platform for Action and Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.
74. United Nations entities should continue to provide assistance to women
and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and refugee camps, particularly
in areas such as education, health, social welfare, employment and economic
development. Enhanced efforts should also be made to increase women’s full
participation in decision-making processes at all levels and ensure their
economic empowerment.
75. A gender perspective should be fully integrated into all international
assistance programmes, through, inter alia, gender analysis, the collection of
sex-disaggregated data and the use of gender-responsive budgeting processes.
All studies and reports undertaken by the United Nations on the situation of the
Palestinian people should incorporate specific attention to gender equality
perspectives. Governments, international organizations, civil society, including
non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions, should be
encouraged to collaborate on qualitative and quantitative action-oriented
research on the situation of Palestinian women and girls.
76. Member States, entities of the United Nations system, non-governmental
organizations and other relevant stakeholders should intensify their efforts to
provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women and girls and
systematically assess and report on the impact of those efforts.
United Nations E/CN.6/2010/4
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
16 December 2009
Original: English
09-65401 (E) 120110
*0965401*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-fourth session
1-12 March 2010
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on
Women and to the twenty-third special session of the
General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender
equality, development and peace for the twenty-first
century”: gender mainstreaming, situations and
programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women for the
period from October 2008 to September 2009, in accordance with Economic and
Social Council resolution 2009/14. It reviews the situation of Palestinian women and
provides an overview of the assistance provided by entities of the United Nations
system with regard to, inter alia, education and training; health; employment and
entrepreneurship; women’s human rights; violence against women; and humanitarian
assistance. The report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the
Commission on the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2010/1.
E/CN.6/2010/4
2 09-65401
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2009/14 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council, concerned about the grave situation of
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation in order to assist
Palestinian women by all available means, including those set out by the Secretary-
General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women (E/CN.6/2009/5), and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women
at its fifty-fourth session a report, including information provided by the Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from October 2008 to September 2009
and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from United
Nations bodies or individuals that monitor the situation of Palestinians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and the
Syrian Arab Republic. Such bodies and individuals include the Special Committee
to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, and the Committee on the Exercise of
the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
3. The report also reflects information submitted by entities of the United
Nations system that provide assistance to Palestinian women, including the
Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Public Information of the
Secretariat, ESCWA, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the
World Health Organization (WHO).
4. The following United Nations entities contributed to the present report through
the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: FAO, ILO,
the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNDP, UNESCO,
UNFPA, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat),
UNICEF, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UNRWA,
WFP and WHO.
5. The report provides recommendations on improving the situation of
Palestinian women, including through the continued assistance of the United
Nations system.
E/CN.6/2010/4
09-65401 3
II. Situation of Palestinian women
6. The importance of a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine continued
to be emphasized during diplomatic developments and events during the reporting
period. The discontinuation of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations undertaken within the
framework of the Annapolis process, a destructive conflict in Gaza and a deepening
internal divide despite efforts towards Palestinian unity characterized the reporting
period. Recent months, however, have witnessed renewed efforts by the
international community to achieve the vision of two States living side by side in
peace and security (see A/64/351-S/2009/464, para. 5).
7. During the Israeli military operation Cast Lead in December 2008 and January
2009, intense fighting, high numbers of civilian casualties and extensive damage to
the civilian infrastructure in Gaza were witnessed (ibid., para. 9). While figures
from different sources vary, an estimated 1,300 Palestinians lost their lives and
5,300 were injured in the conflict, and 14 Israelis were killed and more than 530
injured. A majority of the casualties were reportedly civilians, particularly among
Palestinians (ibid., para. 13).
8. According to estimates by United Nations agencies, the three-week conflict in
Gaza led to the destruction of 3,700 houses and 2 health-care centres and resulted in
damage to 48,700 houses, 15 hospitals, 41 health-care centres and 273 schools
(ibid., para. 14). A survey of 2,020 households conducted in March 2009,1 revealed
that 40 per cent of women wanting pre- or post-natal care during operation Cast
Lead were prevented from access to such care by the security situation.2 The survey
findings noted that a considerable proportion of the Gaza population reported
symptoms of distress weeks after Israel had withdrawn its troops and discontinued
the operation. A survey on the psychosocial consequences for women3 showed that
they continued to experience extreme fear, even after a truce had been declared and
the hostilities had ended.
9. On 6 February 2009, at its forty-third session, the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed deep concern about the
military engagement, which resulted in heavy civilian casualties and a humanitarian
crisis in Gaza. The Committee noted with deep concern that the human rights of
women and children, in particular those relating to peace and security, free
movement, livelihood and health, had been seriously violated. The Committee urged
the parties to the conflict to involve women in the decision-making process on the
promotion and maintenance of peace and security at all levels in accordance with
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).
__________________
1 Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, Norway (2009): information from a household
sample survey on “Life on the Gaza Strip six weeks after the armed conflict” (December 2008-
January 2009), conducted with support from UNFPA and cited in the contributions of UNFPA
and the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
2 Contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the
present report.
3 Culture and Free Thought Association (2009); information from a survey, commissioned by
UNFPA on the “Gaza Crisis: psychosocial consequences for women”, conducted by the
Association, which is a non-governmental organization partner of UNFPA in Gaza, and cited in
the contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the
present report.
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4 09-65401
10. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the
continuation of the blockade that was imposed by Israel in June 2007 has triggered a
protracted crisis with humanitarian consequences. The living conditions of women
and men in Gaza deteriorated as a result of the erosion of livelihoods and the
gradual decline of infrastructure, including basic services for health, water and
sanitation, and education.4
11. Although restrictions of movement affect both women and men, concerns over
possible harassment at checkpoints have curtailed women’s movement, reducing
their access to education, economic participation and social inclusion. This had a
particularly negative impact on the access of women heads of household to
employment opportunities.2 A World Bank study noted that the high transaction and
financial costs of transport as a result of unpredictable and often protracted waiting
times had a disproportionate impact on women.5 Recent measures by the
Government of Israel to ease restrictions in certain places in the West Bank are
expected to have a significant impact on the freedom of movement and economic
development of the Palestinians, if these measures are sustained and expanded
(A/64/351-S/2009/464, para. 26).
12. House demolitions resulting from the requirement for building permits by the
Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem and in some parts of the West Bank have
continued in the past year. A total of 51,000 people in Gaza were internally
displaced and are now living in makeshift shelters that provide minimal protection.
Others fled to the homes of friends and relatives.6 The negative impacts on families
who are displaced include the significant deterioration of social and financial
conditions, including long-term trauma, family separation, disruption of family life
and education, as well as increased poverty.4 Women are particularly affected by the
displacement and the lack of security.
13. According to the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of
the Occupied Territories (A/64/339), women are particularly affected by the
occupation and Israeli settlement policy. During its field mission to Egypt, Jordan
and the Syrian Arab Republic, the Committee was presented with a number of cases
illustrating that Palestinian women, as a result of fear of harassment at checkpoints
or by settlers, increasingly felt unable to provide for their families or were afraid to
move outside the boundaries of their communities.
14. The ongoing conflict continued to have a negative impact on the economic
environment. In 2008, the consumer price index rose by 9.89 per cent on average in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and by 13.98 per cent in Gaza. At the same time, the
average rise in food prices in the two areas was more than 17 per cent and 21 per cent,
respectively. In early 2009, the rate of price increases slowed down, but prices remained
__________________
4 Contribution of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to the present report.
5 World Bank, “Towards enhancing women’s mobility in the West Bank”, West Bank and Gaza
Update (July 2009).
6 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Field Update from the Humanitarian
Coordinator, 9 February 2009, and the Gaza Flash Appeal, 2 February 2009; Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights, press release 6/2009 of 12 March 2009, cited in A/HRC/10/20, Report of the
Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied
since 1967, Richard Falk.
E/CN.6/2010/4
09-65401 5
high.7 Despite increases in the import of goods into Gaza since the military operation
ended, the level of imports still remains at less than one fifth of what the volume was
prior to the imposition of the comprehensive closure regime in May 2007, and imports
are mainly food and sanitation items (A/64/351-S/2009/464, para. 16).
15. According to the most recent estimates, the poverty rate among households
headed by women was 61.2 per cent, compared with 56.9 per cent for households
headed by men in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2007. The poverty rate
among female-headed households with seven or more children was 79.7 per cent,
compared with 68.6 per cent for households with five or six children (A/64/77-
E/2009/13).
16. Over half of the Palestinian population of working age is between 15 and 29 years
of age. Those who have the possibility to complete secondary education face limited job
prospects. Over half of those in the 15 to 29 age group do not have access to education
or employment.8 In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the rate of participation in the
labour force for young women is estimated to be below 13.6 per cent, compared with
54 per cent for young men, for the first quarter of 2009.9
17. During the reporting period, the rates of women’s participation in the labour
force remained low at 15.4 per cent (16.5 per cent in the West Bank and 13.5 per
cent in Gaza), compared with a participation rate for men of 66.9 per cent (68.5 per
cent in the West Bank and 63.8 per cent in Gaza).9 The majority of women in the
labour force have little or no education, and their low participation rates can be
attributed to sociocultural restrictions, high fertility rates, and a general low level of
employment caused by the various constraints imposed by the ongoing occupation
on the economy.2 Women who are employed are concentrated in the farming,
forestry, hunting and fishing sectors (34.8 per cent), followed by education (32.5 per
cent) and health services (7.2 per cent).9
18. While there has been a continuing increase in the number of married women in
the labour force over the past seven years, unmarried women comprise the majority
of the female labour force. According to research conducted jointly by the Birzeit
Women’s Studies Institute and the World Bank, higher education is a major factor
for employment among both married and unmarried women. During the reporting
period, the probability that a woman would join the labour market increased
18 times if she had a high school degree and a full 37 times if she had a
postgraduate degree.10
19. Nearly 90 per cent of women in the informal economy work in the agricultural
sector.11 According to FAO, women farmers face dwindling household incomes due
to high input prices, and have to buy food at higher prices. Most small-holder
__________________
7 International Labour Organization, report of the Director-General to the International Labour
Conference at its 98th session, appendix on the situation of workers of the occupied Arab
territories, para. 91.
8 International Labour Organization, op. cit., preface.
9 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey (January-March 2009) Round
(Q1/2009).
10 Women’s Studies Institute/World Bank (June 2009), “The impact of Israeli mobility restrictions
and violence on gender in Palestinian society 2000-2007”.
11 World Health Organization, report by the secretariat on the health conditions in the occupied
Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan dated 7 May
2009 (A/62/24, annex, para. 5).
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6 09-65401
farmers also face obstacles in marketing their agricultural products owing to the
inundation of Israeli imports into the Palestinian economy and the restrictions of
movement and access to goods. Families in some areas face additional
vulnerabilities owing to drought and the high price of tanked water. As a result of
the loss of grazing lands owing to settlement expansion, the barrier and closed
military zones, herding communities are particularly afflicted with high fodder
prices.2
20. According to a World Bank assessment of restrictions on Palestinian water
sector development, women surveyed in a small village in the West Bank in 2008-
2009 complained about poor water quality. The proximity of many wells to sewage
sources led to water-related health problems and increased work in treating water
for household use.12
21. A total of 40.4 per cent of 3,767,126 Palestinians currently live with food
insecurity.13 The 2009 socio-economic and food security survey report on the West
Bank found that 31 per cent of female-headed households were food insecure,
compared with 24 per cent of male-headed households.14 In the West Bank, the food
insecurity prevalence among households with more than 50 per cent women is
29 per cent, compared with the 25 per cent West Bank average.2 According to the
World Bank, Palestinian families are forced to reduce their consumption and change
their diets because of higher food prices.12 Preliminary findings from a survey
conducted in Gaza in May and June 2009 showed that 68 per cent of female-headed
households were food insecure, compared with 60 per cent of male-headed
households. Food insecurity in Gaza was estimated to have increased by 4 per cent
from May 2008.2 The survey also revealed that a higher number of women and girls
in a household increases the likelihood of food insecurity in the household.
22. The rise in food insecurity and poverty in Gaza has resulted in an increased
burden on women.2 In the event of the death, disability or unemployment of the
husband, women become the main breadwinners for the family. The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported an increased number of single-parent
households. Older women, women with disabilities, women heads of household and
displaced women and girls faced continued hardship as a result of the ongoing
blockade of Gaza.4 Approximately 20 per cent of households claim that boys’ needs
are prioritized when there is a food shortage at home, while the least likely
household members to receive priority during a food shortage are the elderly.2
23. Education is undermined as a result of the blockade, with the delivery of
essential educational materials being delayed or denied entry at crossing points.
Most educational facilities have not been repaired owing to the lack of building
materials. Many schools are running on double shifts to accommodate the large
number of students.15
__________________
12 World Bank (2009), Assessment of restrictions on Palestinian water sector development, Middle
East and North Africa Region, Sustainable Development, Washington, D.C.
13 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Consolidated Appeals Process 2010
(forthcoming).
14 FAO, Socio-Economic and Food Security Survey Report on the West Bank, carried out jointly
by FAO, WFP and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, August 2009.
15 Gisha Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement, “Obstacle course: students denied exit from
Gaza, July 2009, cited in the contribution of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs to the report.
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09-65401 7
24. In the 2008/09 academic year, a total of 239,188 girls, 49.92 per cent of pupils,
were enrolled in UNRWA elementary, preparatory and secondary schools. The dropout
rate for girls was 0.97 per cent, and 66.8 per cent of the students benefiting from
UNRWA administered scholarships were girls.16
25. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2008, 9.1 per cent
of women 15 years and older were illiterate, compared with only 2.9 per cent of
men.17
26. Recent data on education indicate that women constituted 45.2 per cent of
those who had completed two years or more of higher education; 54 per cent of
students at local universities; 57 per cent of students at university colleges; and
37 per cent at community colleges in 2007.18 Tertiary students have limited
postgraduate study options within Gaza and face great difficulties in arranging to
study abroad at the postgraduate level.15 This has hindered progress in improving
girls’ and women’s education, thus limiting their potential to assume leadership
positions at all levels.4 Even though women accounted for 58 per cent of graduates
from local universities, they represented only 16.6 per cent of academic teaching
staff at universities.18
27. UNICEF reported that adolescent Palestinian girls continued to have limited
opportunities for development, recreation and participation, with few safe spaces
available to them. Youth clubs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory had
insufficient funding and were poorly equipped and managed. Adolescent girls’
opportunities were often compromised by the burden of unpaid domestic work or
pressure to marry early.2
28. The closure regime, including the barrier, checkpoints, closures and earth
mounds, restricts Palestinian women’s access to adequate prenatal, natal and postnatal
medical care.19 During the operation Cast Lead, maternal and child health
services at primary health-care centres were disrupted. Despite the critical
conditions, maternity assistance for normal deliveries continued to be provided, as
was specialized health care for obstetric and neonatal complications. In many cases,
however, such services were provided in improvised settings within health facilities
whose maternity wards and operating theatres had been transformed into trauma
units. Findings from a UNFPA assessment in February 2009 suggest that there was a
31 per cent increase in the number in miscarriages at four hospitals surveyed and a
50 per cent increase in neonatal mortality at one of the hospitals in Gaza City.20
29. The sixty-second World Health Assembly expressed deep concern at the
serious implications for pregnant women and patients arising from the restriction of
movement imposed by Israel on the movement of Palestinian ambulances and
medical personnel, and demanded that Israel, the occupying power, improve the
__________________
16 Contribution of UNRWA to the present report.
17 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “On the Eve of International Population Day”, 11 July
2009.
18 Contribution of ESCWA to the present report.
19 See A/HRC/10/35, report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
issue of Palestinian pregnant women giving birth at Israeli checkpoints.
20 See UNFPA, Gaza crisis: impact on reproductive health and obstetric care, February 2009, cited
in the contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to
the present report.
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8 09-65401
living and medical conditions of Palestinian detainees, in particular children and
women patients.21
30. A UNIFEM study22 highlighted a high prevalence of domestic violence and
violence against children, with displaced women being identified at increased risk of
gender-based violence.23 Although precise figures of violent crimes committed
against women, including so-called “honour killings”, are not available,
organizations that provide protection services for victims of violence continued to
report such cases in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. During the period from
January to August 2009, at least 10 women were reported to have been killed as a
consequence of so-called “honour” crimes.24 Perpetrators enjoy relative impunity
for those crimes and are often sentenced to less than three years of imprisonment
and serve about two years of the sentence.
31. According to the UNIFEM study,22 domestic violence was cited as the primary
safety problem facing women and girls, while public and political violence was the
main safety and security problem facing men and boys. The highest reported rise in
domestic violence against women was among households displaced by the conflict
and in the southern Gaza Strip, which also had the highest reporting of increased
domestic violence against children. The study further highlighted that violence
against men was more likely to be treated as a public crime, while violence against
women was often treated as a private family problem. Men were 10 times more
likely to report the crime to the police than women. Limited legal and public
mechanisms were available to men and women victims of social and political
violence in Gaza, and there was distrust of the available mechanisms.
32. The Palestinian Authority has taken measures to increase women’s
participation in all aspects of public and political life.22 However, women are rarely
present in decision-making positions in peace negotiations, either at the national or
international level. As a result of the quota established in 2004, women’s political
participation increased to 12.7 per cent in the Legislative Council and to 18 per cent
in the local and municipal councils.25
33. According to the Palestinian Authority, women comprised 37 per cent of the
employees in the Government sector and 15 per cent of senior employees in
Government departments. Out of 15 ministers 5 are women, and they constitute
4.3 per cent of deputy ministers, 5.4 per cent of ambassadors, 10 per cent of judges
and 16.9 per cent of lawyers.2
34. The Palestinian Authority endorsed the United Nations Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 9 March 2009. It is
expected that gender equality legislation will be prepared to ensure the
implementation of the Convention.25 In June 2009, the Palestinian Authority,
through its Council of Ministers, issued a decision requesting all governmental
departments to prepare gender-sensitive annual budgets.2
__________________
21 See WHA62/2009/REC/1, World Health Organization, Report of the Sixty-Second World Health
Assembly, Geneva.
22 UNIFEM, Voicing the Needs of Women and Men in Gaza: Beyond the Aftermath of the 23-Day
Israeli Military Operations (2009).
23 The study was based on a household survey of 1,100 adult men and women conducted across the
Gaza Strip in the first week of March 2009.
24 Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, member of the World Organization against Torture
SOS-Torture Network, August 2009, cited in the contribution of the United Nations country
team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
25 Contribution of the Palestinian Authority to the Beijing+15 review.
E/CN.6/2010/4
09-65401 9
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
35. The present section focuses on the assistance provided to Palestinian women
by entities of the United Nations system. Based on contributions from United
Nations entities, seven areas of support were identified: education and training;
health; employment and entrepreneurship; women’s human rights; violence against
women; humanitarian assistance; and gender mainstreaming.
A. Education and training
36. Women’s and girls’ access to education and the availability of career guidance,
training and recreational opportunities are key elements to their economic
empowerment and well-being. UNICEF and UNESCO supported the Ministries of
Education and Higher Education and the Ministry of Labour, as well as
non-governmental organizations within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, to
enhance access to and quality of girls’ education and to provide career guidance.
UNICEF increased the number of centres in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that
provide adolescent-friendly services and education to girls from 69 in 2008 to
133 in 2009. In total, around 60,000 adolescent girls and boys have participated in
activities and services provided at those centres, with girls’ participation reaching
53 per cent. UNESCO proposed policy options for the development of a
comprehensive and holistic career guidance system, based on its report entitled
“Career Guidance in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Mapping the Field and
Ways Forward”.
37. Evidence has shown that girls’ access to education may be dependent on the
available infrastructure. WHO constructed sanitary units and instituted hygiene
campaigns at 20 girls schools in the West Bank for about 9,000 students. UNIFEM
and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education created a “healthy canteen”
pilot project in 61 different schools throughout the West Bank that provided healthy
snacks, with the aim of improving the health and nutritional status of
schoolchildren.
38. Technical and vocational education remains a critical factor in women’s access
to the labour market. Training programmes for women were provided in a wide
range of areas related to vocational and professional development. The UNRWA
Department of Education continued to assist Palestinian refugees in acquiring
professional skills. During the reporting period, a total of 2,670 girls benefited from
the UNRWA Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme.
UN-Habitat, through its Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian
People, is in the process of establishing a technical and vocational training centre in
Hebron for underprivileged women.
B. Health
39. United Nations entities supported improved access to health services,
including reproductive health, psychological counselling, health education and
prevention programmes. WHO monitored restrictions that prevent women from
accessing health services outside the Gaza Strip. Information was collected on
women who were denied the right to leave Gaza and related deaths. According to
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10 09-65401
WHO, 51 women and girls died during the period from October 2007 and August
2009 while waiting to receive medical treatment that was only available outside
Gaza. WHO assisted UNFPA in providing clearances for medicines and equipment
in order to provide services for women of childbearing age.
40. Several United Nations entities provided capacity-building on improving the
provision of health care. WHO provided technical support to the Palestinian Red
Crescent Society Maternity Hospital and the Makassed Hospital, the largest
specialized hospitals providing obstetric care for Palestinian women. UNFPA
targeted all Ministry of Health maternity workers in a capacity-building programme.
41. The provision of reproductive and maternal health care was supported by
United Nations entities. During the reporting period, UNRWA provided antenatal
care to approximately 102,000 pregnant women, post-natal care to more than
89,000 women and family planning services to about 133,000 clients in five fields
of operation. UNICEF supported the Ministry of Health through providing essential
equipment for newborns and basic obstetric equipment for 4,000 high-risk newborns
and 7,500 pregnant women in 13 neonatal units. In partnership with
non-governmental organizations working on health issues, UNFPA supplied
20 remote communities in the West Bank with basic reproductive health and
obstetric care as well as health education programmes. Over a six-month period,
UNICEF provided micronutrients and fortified biscuits for 80,000 children and
40,000 pregnant women.
42. A number of United Nations entities provided psychosocial counselling to
women. WHO introduced a community approach to improving the situation of
mental health workers, their clients and the family members of the mentally ill. The
UNRWA Community Mental Health Programme in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
offered essential psychosocial support for Palestine refugees, including women and
girls. Psychosocial support was provided by the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs through individual and group counselling to family members
of female prisoners held in Israeli jails and to former prisoners in support of their
reintegration in the society.
43. Disease prevention through immunizations, mammograms and healthy lifestyle
guides was the focus of a number of United Nations entities. UNRWA continued to
provide full immunization coverage of women and children against vaccinepreventable
diseases, provided pre-conception folic acid, and iron and folic acid
supplements for women throughout pregnancy. Health education programmes on the
prevention of tobacco use and the prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted
diseases were established. UNFPA supported four women’s health centres, which
provided clinical, psychosocial and legal support, physiotherapy and health
education to women living in the most populated and underprivileged areas of the
Occupied Palestinian Territory. WHO and WFP instituted programmes to improve
nutritional and health behaviours.
C. Employment and entrepreneurship
44. Access to job opportunities supports women’s self-reliance and ensures their
livelihoods. In August 2009, UNESCO, UNIFEM, UNDP and FAO began
implementation of the joint programme on “Culture and Development in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory”, a three-year programme which promotes
E/CN.6/2010/4
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institutional development through policies and practices for safeguarding cultural
heritage, and socio-economic development through ecotourism and arts and crafts.
To improve women’s access to opportunities in the labour market, UNRWA
recruited women as teachers, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, field workers,
administrative staff, site engineers, school cleaners and agricultural labourers. In
collaboration with Palestinian non-governmental organizations, skills training was
provided to more than 10,000 women in areas such as computer literacy,
hairdressing, sewing, traditional Palestinian handicrafts and embroidery. Through its
emergency job creation programme, UNRWA continued to offer short-term
employment opportunities to families without a breadwinner in a range of skilled,
unskilled and professional positions. UN-Habitat completed the design and initial
documents for a project for a housing and income-generating programme for poor
women in Hebron, which aims to improve the living conditions of poor women and
their families through the construction of 100 housing units and the establishment of
small-scale enterprise activities for generating income in Hebron.
45. Credit to women microentrepreneurs constitutes a fundamental source of
capital that enables them to meet the needs of their families for food, clothing,
health care and education. Several United Nations entities provided grants and
training to enhance Palestinian women’s entrepreneurship. IFAD provided
assistance to Palestinian women through credit and savings schemes in its
Rehabilitation and Development Project Phase II, benefiting 8,200 households. The
Deprived Families Economic Empowerment Programme of UNDP focused on
capacity-building and economic empowerment by supporting 2,210 poor
entrepreneurs to develop their own business enterprises. Nearly half of those
entrepreneurs are women who did not qualify for commercial loans. By July 2009,
the UNRWA Microfinance and Microenterprise Programme had made loans to
small-scale enterprises in Gaza and the West Bank, to women in Gaza through a
solidarity group lending product, to microenterprises in Gaza and the West Bank and
to workers and low-paid professionals. The UNRWA Small and Microenterprise
Training Programme provided short-term training customized for the needs of
microentrepreneurs and small business owners in the Gaza Strip. During the
reporting period, more than 618 courses and 18 workshops were conducted for over
13,453 participants, almost 20 per cent of whom were women.
46. Efforts were made to enhance the role of Palestinian women in the
improvement of national food security and agricultural production. UNDP organized
tailored vocational training and business courses for women and provided women
with assets such as livestock, home gardens and greenhouses to produce goods for
their own consumption or for sale on the local market. Agricultural projects
supported by FAO targeted women in income-generating and capacity-building
activities through backyard production and home gardening, mainly in areas
affected by drought or conflict and/or in Bedouin communities. A total of
650 female-headed households currently receive assistance in Nablus, Dorah,
Tulkarem and Gaza. The WFP Food For Training and Food For Work programmes
involved 14,376 women (49 per cent of beneficiaries) in home gardening,
handicrafts, food processing, animal raising, beekeeping, agricultural awareness,
soap making, and embroidery in the West Bank. UNDP supported the Palestinian
Agricultural Relief Committees to provide economic assistance to more than
5,000 members of a women’s cooperative in the West Bank. The initiative is now
run in 132 locations in the West Bank and Gaza.
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12 09-65401
47. A 2008/09 School Snacks project run by WFP focused on the empowerment
and capacity-building of women, with approximately 140 of them receiving cash for
work and monthly rations of wheat flour for the production of snacks. UNIFEM
piloted a school feeding initiative with the Nusseirat Women’s Programme Centre
targeting 450 children in kindergartens in the Nusseirat refugee camp.
48. ILO participated in the review of the Palestinian National Development Plan to
promote a longer-term perspective on achieving decent work and social justice for
both women and men.
49. Efforts were made to increase women’s equal access to and knowledge of
communications and information technologies. UNESCO implemented a two-year
project on Strengthening Palestinian Participatory Democracy and Public Dialogue,
financed by the United Nations Democracy Fund, which aimed to increase women’s
participation in democratic decision-making, public debate and media through
strengthening the outreach and advocacy capacities of women’s organizations and
women journalists.
D. Women’s human rights
50. Capacity-building efforts also focused on the promotion of women’s rights. In
December 2008, OHCHR, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority’s
Independent Commission for Human Rights, organized a training course on “Rights
of women and juveniles in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice”. The
activity targeted 14 Palestinian prosecutors from the West Bank, focusing on the
role of prosecutors in the protection of women’s and juveniles’ rights in the process
of administration of justice. In the Gaza Strip, OHCHR provided training to a group
of female lawyers on protecting human rights as part of its training-of-trainers
programme. The training aimed at developing human rights expertise and training
capacities. OHCHR conducted a workshop on basic human rights and the rights of
people with disabilities in the Gaza Strip for a group of mothers of children with
disabilities. During the reporting period, OHCHR held several meetings with
Palestinian institutions on the issue of so-called “honour killings”.
51. A number of awareness-raising campaigns on the human rights of women and
girls were organized by United Nations entities. OHCHR, ESCWA and UNRWA
conducted training sessions and workshops on awareness-raising on the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. ESCWA held its
second regional workshop on implementation of the Convention for
parliamentarians in Beirut in November 2008. On the occasion of International
Women’s Day 2009, OHCHR organized an event for 24 representatives of local
women’s rights non-governmental organizations in the West Bank, addressing the
United Nations protection mechanisms and women’s rights in international law and
under Palestinian legislation. The discussion focused on the main causes of violence
against women and the role of men in protecting women’s rights.
52. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs conducted advocacy
and media campaigns to raise the awareness of the general public, key individuals
and organizations at the international level of the conditions of female prisoners in
Israeli prisons and detention centres. UNIFEM provided legal and social support to
Palestinian female prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons. In particular, prisoners
whose family members were unable to visit them have received monthly visits from
E/CN.6/2010/4
09-65401 13
lawyers. Two support groups for released female prisoners were established in the
West Bank. A three-day summer camp was held for former prisoners and for
relatives and children of current and former prisoners. In the Gaza Strip, a training
course on “Oral history documentation skills” targeting former female prisoners was
conducted with the goal to collect stories about their imprisonment.
53. In an effort to engage youth, UNIFEM continued to support the Youth Rights
Monitor project, implemented by a local non-governmental organization, is
specialized in media and youth. The project, targeting young people between the
ages of 14 and 25, institutionalizes the participation of Palestinian youth in national
public policy dialogue and debate, with a special focus on the rights of youth,
including women’s rights.
54. UNRWA partnered with 103 Palestinian community-based organizations,
including 65 women’s programme centres, to develop capacity for the
implementation of social services for vulnerable people, including women.
Programmes focused on increasing women’s economic self-reliance; expanding
women’s role in managing community-based organizations; and promoting refugee
women’s knowledge of human rights.
55. In support of the sixtieth anniversary of UNRWA, the Department of Public
Information assisted with the translation and printing of public information materials
on issues affecting the women refugee population. More than 300,000 visitors to
United Nations Headquarters saw the exhibit on the theme “The Palestinians —
60 years of struggle and enduring hope”, which was on display from November 2008
to January 2009 and portrayed Palestinian life, including several dozen images of
women and their daily life, under occupation.
E. Violence against women
56. Within the framework of the Secretary-General’s multi-year campaign on the
theme “UNite to End Violence against Women”, UNIFEM led the Combating
Violence Against Women festival in Ramallah during the annual campaign,
“16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence”, which took place from
25 November to 10 December 2009. The event was supported by eight United
Nations entities, the Ministries of Women’s Affairs, Social Affairs and the Interior
as well as Al Muntada, a coalition of 15 local non-governmental organizations
committed to ending violence against women. The festival highlighted the
collaborative work performed by United Nations entities, local non-governmental
organizations and the Ministries to end violence against women, with a focus on
youth groups.
57. Several United Nations entities were instrumental in increasing services to
survivors of domestic violence. UNIFEM supported the upgrading of an existing
toll-free helpline for women and children victims of violence. The helpline
expanded its working hours, provided a social worker in the Gaza Strip to directly
follow up with people requesting help and provided funding for a physician to
respond to medical queries. UNFPA, in cooperation with the Nablus, Jenin and
Jericho municipalities, continued to provide psychosocial counselling to women and
worked with local non-governmental organizations to improve measures for women
to access services that address gender-based violence. The UNRWA Gaza and West
Bank field offices continued to hold individual and group counselling sessions for
E/CN.6/2010/4
14 09-65401
victims of gender-based violence who are in need of therapeutic services through
the Community Mental Health Programme. During the reporting period,
6,321 women benefited from counselling through the programme.
58. UNIFEM worked with the Ministry of Interior to strengthen the Palestinian
institutional capacity to combat violence against women through developing
guidelines and procedures for security forces, including police officers assigned to
Family Protection Units. Through a local non-governmental organization, UNIFEM
supported two intensive training courses targeting 40 security force members (men
and women) from the West Bank as part of efforts to promote community responses
to working with survivors of gender-based violence.
59. In partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs, UNIFEM continued to work
with the Mehwar Centre, an anti-violence institution in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory that provides multiple services to survivors of gender-based violence. This
pilot institution works with the community on prevention of violence and the
protection and empowerment of women and children victims. It lobbies for the
adoption of relevant national policies and laws. During the reporting period, the
Mehwar Centre sheltered 62 women and 8 child victims of violence. Four new cases
per month, on average, were received. The Centre provided a variety of services,
including counselling, psychological support, legal advice and representation, and,
in coordination with other local organizations, health care, vocational training, and
educational and job opportunities.
60. United Nations entities participated in advocacy activities and efforts to raise
awareness about violence against women. UNIFEM promoted an event to increase
the sensitivity and the commitment of youth to decreasing incidences of domestic
violence through the medium of hip hop music. UNRWA organized awarenessraising
sessions on the theme “Women and men united to end violence against
women and girls”. The sessions were attended by 782 members of the community
and 213 staff and addressed topics such as sex education, equality of men and
women in the family, and violence against women and children.
F. Humanitarian assistance
61. A number of United Nations entities responded to the destructive military
conflict of December 2008 and January 2009 with emergency assistance, in addition
to their ongoing humanitarian assistance. In January 2009, WFP launched an
emergency operation to provide assistance to households headed by women,
widows, and divorced or separated women, among other vulnerable groups. Femaleheaded
households comprised approximately half of the total beneficiaries assisted
by WFP in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. UNRWA sheltered more than 50,000
persons in 50 of its schools across Gaza, where they received food, water, blankets,
mattresses, hygiene kits and medical care from the Agency and from local and
international non-governmental organizations. UNHCR provided non-food items for
3,200 families (around 18,000 persons) to be distributed by UNRWA to the
population in Gaza. UNDP disbursed $20 million through its emergency cash
assistance programme to people who had suffered partial or total damage to personal
property during the offensive, 952 of which beneficiaries (7 per cent) were women.
62. In the West Bank, United Nations entities continued to provide emergency
assistance programmes, including food aid, to around 70,000 refugee families
E/CN.6/2010/4
09-65401 15
during 2009. UNHCR supplied non-food items, such as plastic sheeting, sanitary
napkins, diapers, blankets and logistical equipment.
63. In August 2009, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued
its Special Focus report detailing the humanitarian impact of two years of blockade
on the Gaza Strip, including a section on the effects of operation Cast Lead on
women in Gaza. Based on a large-scale public opinion survey of 1,815 households
in Gaza, a UNDP report entitled “Inside Gaza: attitudes and perceptions of the Gaza
Strip residents in the aftermath of the Israeli military operations” (March 2009)
provides data disaggregated by sex on the impact of the crisis on women and men.
64. In accordance with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace
and security, the Inter-Agency Gender Task Force of the United Nations country
team, led by UNIFEM and the Gender Standby Capacity Project Adviser, issued the
report entitled, “Voicing the needs of women and men in Gaza: beyond the 23-day
Israeli military operation” in April 2009. Based on a gender needs assessment, the
report provided information on gender equality issues addressed in
humanitarian/early recovery assistance, during and after the Israeli military
operation.
65. UNIFEM and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
developed a guidebook for the humanitarian sector in Gaza that provides standards
for the integration of gender equality issues from the outset of complex
emergencies. The guidebook aims to enable humanitarian service providers to reach
their target audience with the maximum positive effect while minimizing
exacerbation or inadvertent exposure to risk.
G. Gender mainstreaming
66. A number of United Nations entities initiated activities to strengthen gender
mainstreaming in policies and programmes. In 2008, the Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs and UNIFEM jointly deployed a Gender Standby Capacity
Project Adviser to provide technical support on gender mainstreaming within
humanitarian action, in particular with regard to five sectors: water and sanitation;
health; protection; job creation; and cash assistance. As a result, the 2009
Consolidated Appeals Process projects showed an increase in commitment and
technical capacity from individual United Nations agencies and members of an
umbrella organization of international NGOs regarding the incorporation of gender
equality perspectives into programmes. In addition, the United Nations
Inter-Agency Gender Task Force strengthened its terms of reference and its
participation in sector coordination. The visibility of gender issues increased in
sectoral responses.
67. In May 2009, UNIFEM, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNRWA and ILO began
implementation of a joint programme under the Millennium Development Goals
Achievement Fund on “Gender equality and women’s empowerment in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory”. This three-year joint programme promotes
Palestinian women’s social, economic and political empowerment and aims to
reduce gender-based violence, increase the representation of women in decisionmaking
bodies, increase the adoption of policies and laws on gender equality issues
in decision-making bodies, and enhance opportunities for women’s economic
empowerment.
E/CN.6/2010/4
16 09-65401
68. ESCWA provided technical cooperation and advisory services to the
Palestinian Ministry for Women’s Affairs on gender mainstreaming and strategic
planning. Institutions of the Palestinian Authority participated in meetings and
workshops aimed at building the capacity of Palestinian national mechanisms for
gender equality.
69. ILO and UNDP contributed to the development of the Palestinian National
Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza (2009-2010), prepared by the
Palestinian Authority. This report highlighted that women and men in Gaza do not
face challenges in the same way but have different capacities and access to support
systems through which to manage situations of stress.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
70. During the period under review, despite some positive developments, the
overall humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued
to deteriorate in most areas. The rise in food insecurity and poverty has
resulted in an increased burden on women to maintain household food security.
The continued closures, checkpoints and roadblocks limited the access of
Palestinian women and girls to health-care services, education and
employment. Pregnant women had difficulties accessing health services for
antenatal care and safe delivery.
71. Improving the situation of and enhancing the impact of assistance to
Palestinian women is linked to the achievement of a secure and lasting peace.
Renewed efforts need to be made by the international community to seek an
end to the violent confrontations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and a
peaceful resolution to the conflict. Women should be fully involved in the
conflict resolution and peacebuilding initiatives to be undertaken in the region,
in accordance with the Beijing Platform for Action and Security Council
resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) on women,
peace and security.
72. United Nations entities should continue to provide assistance to women
and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and refugee camps, particularly
in areas such as education, health, social welfare, employment and women’s
economic empowerment. Attention should be paid, however, to ensure that
assistance programmes and projects do not inadvertently reinforce
conventional divisions of labour according to gender and gender stereotypes.
Enhanced efforts should be made to achieve women’s full participation in
political and economic decision-making processes at all levels. Concrete actions
are needed to increase the participation of Palestinian women, in particular
young women, in the labour force. Attention should be given to increasing
access by Palestinian women to safe and affordable means of transport.
73. Food security should be made a high priority. Strong, comprehensive
measures, including safety nets, are needed to ensure that women have access to
safe, adequate, nutritious and affordable food, and to increase the access by
women small-holder farmers to technologies, credit and markets.
74. Enhanced efforts are needed to eliminate all forms of violence against
Palestinian women and girls and to protect and promote their human rights,
E/CN.6/2010/4
09-65401 17
including through the systematic and effective implementation of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Incidents of discrimination and violence against women and girls, including
so-called “honour killings”, should be strongly condemned. Perpetrators of all
forms of violence against women should be prosecuted, and any climate of
impunity surrounding such offences should be eliminated. Renewed efforts by
all relevant actors are needed at the international, regional and national levels
to prevent sexual violence against women, in accordance with relevant Security
Council resolutions.
75. A gender perspective should be fully integrated into international
assistance programmes, through, inter alia, gender analysis and the collection
of sex-disaggregated data. All studies and reports undertaken by the United
Nations, including the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights
of the Palestinian People, and the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of
Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967, should
systematically incorporate information on the situation of women and girls.
76. Governments, academic institutions, international organizations and civil
society, including non-governmental organizations, should be encouraged to
collaborate on qualitative and quantitative action-oriented research on the
situation of women and girls.
77. Member States, entities of the United Nations system, non-governmental
organizations and other relevant stakeholders should intensify their efforts to
provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women and girls and
systematically assess and report on the impact of those efforts.
United Nations E/CN.6/2011/6
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
10 December 2010
Original: English
10-68649 (E) 070111
*1068649*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-fifth session
22 February-4 March 2011
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: implementation of strategic
objectives and action in critical areas of concern, and further
actions and initiatives
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
1 September 2009 and 30 September 2010, in accordance with Economic and Social
Council resolution 2010/6. It reviews the situation of Palestinian women and
provides an overview of the assistance provided by entities of the United Nations
system with regard to education and training; health; economic empowerment and
livelihoods; violence against women; power and decision-making; and institutional
arrangements. The report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the
Commission on the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2011/1.
E/CN.6/2011/6
2 10-68649
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2010/6 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave
situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem. It requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation in
order to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those set out by
the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance to
Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2010/4), and to submit to the Commission on the Status
of Women at its fifty-fifth session a report, including information provided by the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the progress
made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 September 2009 to 30 September
2010 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from
United Nations entities or individual experts that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and
information submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide
assistance to Palestinian women, including ESCWA, the United Nations country
team for the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. In this regard, the United
Nations country team has coordinated contributions to the report by the following
United Nations entities: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO); the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP)/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian
People, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Fund for Women
(UNIFEM, now part of UN-Women), the United Nations Office for Project Services
(UNOPS), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health
Organization (WHO).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. The reporting period was characterized by efforts to resume negotiations
between the parties on all permanent status issues, a volatile situation on the ground
throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the
deepening divide between Gaza and the West Bank (see A/65/35, para. 4).
Systematic engagement by the United States of America and other members of the
Quartet with the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships and other stakeholders in the
region led to the resumption of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians on
2 September 2010. That had been preceded by several rounds of proximity talks
assisted by the United States. The League of Arab States also engaged actively
within the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative, including meetings with the
Quartet (ibid., para. 5).
E/CN.6/2011/6
10-68649 3
5. The consequences of years of occupation and conflict and multiple political
and economic crises in 2009, particularly in Gaza where the Israeli military
operation “Cast Lead” undermined social services, infrastructure and homes,
continued to be felt.1 While initial estimates indicate that economic growth
accelerated in 2009 and real growth in the West Bank and Gaza was about 6.7 per
cent, conditions in the Gaza Strip remained difficult.2 Changes in Israeli policy
regarding entry of material — from a “positive” list of goods allowed into Gaza to a
“negative” list of items that would be prohibited or restricted from entry — brought
some relief to the population, but remained insufficient to address the full range of
socio-economic needs.3
6. The expansion of Israeli settlements continued in the West Bank, including
East Jerusalem (see A/65/35, para. 5). A total of 230 cases of house demolitions and
evictions were documented through August 2010 in East Jerusalem and “Area C”.3
As of July 2010, approximately 61 per cent of the barrier had been completed. In
contradiction to the 9 July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of
Justice, the barrier continues to deviate significantly from the 1967 Green Line into
Occupied Palestinian Territory in the West Bank. When completed, approximately
85 per cent of the barrier will run inside the West Bank (see A/65/35, para. 34). Free
movement in the West Bank continued to be obstructed by Israel even though the
number of checkpoints was reduced (ibid., para. 7) during the reporting period,
contributing to greater freedom of movement between Palestinian urban centres,
East Jerusalem excluded.3 As at the end of August 2010, there were some 500
closure obstacles throughout the West Bank4 (compared with 618 in August 2009;
see A/65/380, para. 19), where there were continued restrictions preventing
Palestinians from using key roads and accessing East Jerusalem as well as other
areas isolated by the barrier. Furthermore, there was no improvement regarding
access of Palestinians to farming and grazing areas, as well as water resources,
located in Area C.3 The humanitarian needs were becoming more acute due to
inadequate water quality. In East Jerusalem and the West Bank water sources were
closed off to establish settlements and military zones.1 Due to its high salinity,
80 per cent of the water supply in Gaza is not fit for human consumption.1
7. The divide among major Palestinian factions continued to affect the lives of
ordinary Palestinians, especially in Gaza, and prevented Palestinians from uniting in
support of the Palestinian Authority (see A/65/35, para. 8). The Gaza Strip remained
under the de facto control of Hamas (see A/65/380, para. 26).
8. Although the political situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, related
both to the Israeli occupation and to the divide among major Palestinian factions,
affects all individuals, women and girls are affected in distinct ways.
9. At the end of 2009, formal labour force participation of women in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory was among the lowest levels globally: 15.2 per cent
__________________
1 UNICEF, Humanitarian Action Report 2010.
2 World Bank, Brief on West Bank and Gaza (March 2010).
3 Contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the
present report.
4 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, The Humanitarian Monitor (August 2010).
E/CN.6/2011/6
4 10-68649
in the West Bank, down from 15.8 per cent in the first two quarters of 2009,5 and
9.1 per cent in the Gaza strip.6 According to a study conducted by UNESCO and the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on market factors that discourage women
from joining the labour market, some 60 per cent of women in the formal labour
force are employed in education, textiles, clerical work, farming and agriculture.
ESCWA reports that the Palestinian National Authority and UNRWA continued to be
the two main employers of women.
10. While no legal barriers prevent women from entering into businesses or
economic-related contracts, engaging in autonomous economic activity has meant
increased mobility for some women. Most must carefully navigate social norms in
order to avoid family conflict since women must often obtain the permission of
brothers and husbands to work.7 Few women occupy high-level positions, and wage
gaps between women and men persist. Men are given priority in hiring processes,
and young women wait four times as long as young men to find work.7
11. A survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics suggests
that the majority of women who are out of the labour force are mostly young
(15-34 years of age) married women without children. Some 45 per cent of these
women have given up seeking employment (31 per cent in the West Bank and 63 per
cent in the Gaza Strip) due to previous unsuccessful job search.8 However, in the
absence of male income security, following high levels of unemployment among
men (38.6 per cent in May 2010),3 additional burdens have been placed on women
to earn an income in order to meet the basic needs of their families.
12. Many women, in particular middle-aged women and women with low levels of
education, turn to a range of informal activities, from petty trading in Gaza, to
grocery shopkeeping, sewing, agriculture and livestock production. Many informal
activities have benefited from microcredit schemes introduced by aid agencies,
however, with mixed results. In some cases, women borrowed money to support
their husbands’ economic activities, and in other cases they were constrained by the
strict repayment policies of the lender. Lack of raw materials or goods mobility, in
combination with a massive decline in people’s purchasing power, has imposed
challenges on those projects and their success.7
13. Imposed movement restrictions and the lack of a means of transport
constituted crucial barriers to employment for women. According to case studies
conducted in the West Bank and Gaza, public transport covers more than 70 per cent
of the transport needs of women.9 However, the combination of movement
restriction and gender stereotypes, schedules that do not meet women’s needs and
public (verbal or physical) harassments have resulted in restricted access to
transport for women. Additionally, a lack of fare integration has led to higher
__________________
5 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Labour Force Survey (October-December 2009):
Round (Q4/2009)”, cited in the contribution received from the United Nations country team in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
6 UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, “MDG attainment in the Palestinian
context” (2010).
7 World Bank, Brief on checkpoints and barriers (2010).
8 According to a Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics study cited in the contribution received
from the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present
report.
9 World Bank, “Gender and transport in MENA: case studies from West Bank, Gaza and Yemen”,
MENA Knowledge and Learning Quick Notes Series, No. 21, March 2010.
E/CN.6/2011/6
10-68649 5
transport costs for women (approximately 15 to 20 per cent higher than for men)
and for poor people living at the outskirts of towns since they are forced to take
multiple means of transportation to reach their destinations.9
14. High unemployment levels among women do not only impose economic
hardship on women but also tend to lead to high levels of food insecurity. Other
factors include large families, higher proportions of women and children and low
levels of education. As a result, food insecurity affects 61 per cent of Gaza Strip
households and 25 per cent of West Bank households, with higher rates of food
insecurity among female-headed households than male-headed households in both
the Gaza Strip (68 and 60 per cent) and the West Bank (27 and 22 per cent),
respectively. Age is an important factor in the level of food insecurity among
female-headed households since older women are less likely to find employment
than younger ones. For example, the average age of women heads of food-insecure
households is 62 and 56 years in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, respectively.10
15. Access to education, training and recreational activities remained critical for
the economic empowerment and well-being of women. Available data show that
while the overall quality of education available to women is variable, access to and
participation in education by women is increasing.11 The Occupied Palestinian
Territory ranked in the medium range (76 out of 128) of the Education for All
Development Index,12 and the enrolment rate and performance of girls has
improved. In the 2009/2010 academic year, girls represented 47.9 per cent of the
total student population in UNRWA-run schools in the Gaza Strip and 57.5 per cent
in the West Bank.13 Approximately 62 per cent of all teachers in basic education
were women.3 The ongoing conflict, insecurity and movement restrictions, however,
continued to pose serious challenges to women’s and girls’ access to education,
training and recreational activities.
16. Gender stereotypes continued to constrain women’s access to education and
training and have an impact on the choice of education and training courses with
concentrations of females and males in distinct fields of study. Curricula, especially
in secondary schools, contributed to the portrayal of stereotypical roles for women
and men.3 Girls are also encouraged by their parents to pursue education paths that
are in line with their perceived future roles as mothers and caregivers.3 Dropout
rates were higher for boys at the primary level (1.3 per cent, compared with 0.5 per
cent for girls), and higher for girls at the secondary level (3.8 per cent, compared
with 3.0 per cent for boys).11 Concerns remained regarding the linkage between the
rate of girl dropouts at the secondary level of education and at early marriage.3
17. Illiteracy remained a serious obstacle hindering women’s economic and
political empowerment. While only 1 per cent of youth (15-24 years) was illiterate,
illiteracy among adults was much higher, with 75.6 per cent of all illiterate adults
__________________
10 Socio-economic and food security survey conducted by FAO/WFP on the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, cited in the contribution received from the United Nations country team in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
11 ESCWA, “Social and economic situation of Palestinian women: 2006-2009” (E/ESCWA/ECW/
2009/Technical Paper.1) (May 2009).
12 The Education for All Development Index provides a composite measure of progress,
encompassing access, equity and quality; see UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring
Report: Reaching the Marginalized (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2010).
13 UNRWA, “UNRWA in figures” as of 1 January 2010.
E/CN.6/2011/6
6 10-68649
being women.14 Illiteracy rates among food-insecure heads of households were
notably high, with 64 per cent in the West Bank and 34 per cent in the Gaza Strip.10
18. Health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are closely linked to
the socio-economic consequences of the occupation. Acute and chronic forms of
malnutrition continued to pose major problems, in particular in the Gaza Strip. Posttraumatic
stress and other psychological and behavioural disorders are an emerging
health priority.15
19. Significant concerns persisted with regard to maternal and child health due to
mobility constraints and insufficient infrastructure. Many pregnant women were
unable to reach UNRWA health centres on time because of movement restrictions.15
According to UNIFEM, difficulties in accessing medical facilities were more acute
for rural women, given the number of checkpoints between villages and the lack of
hospitals in rural areas (see A/HRC/13/68/Rev.1, para. 10).
20. Due to a shortage of delivery beds, inadequate conditions and space in delivery
rooms, and inadequate basic facilities, most women were being discharged one to
two hours after normal delivery.3 While the United Nations does not maintain a
specific monitoring mechanism on the issue of Palestinian women giving birth at
Israeli checkpoints, no births at checkpoints have been reported by the Palestinian
Authority and Israel since January 2009 (see A/HRC/13/68/Rev.1, paras. 7-9).
21. The political and economic conditions affected women’s and girls’ health and
nutrition, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Food insecurity contributed to micronutrient
deficiency and high levels of anaemia in infants and pregnant women.16 In herding
communities in Area C, stunting reached up to 38 per cent of children aged 6 to
17 months. Of the surveyed girls, 7.8 per cent suffered from acute malnutrition,
compared with 4.8 per cent of boys; 16.7 per cent girls compared with 14.1 per cent
boys were acutely underweight.17 The prevalence of anaemia increased among
9-12-month old infants, from 49 per cent in 2008 to 57 per cent in 2009.18
22. Mental health issues affected women both as primary caregivers and as
patients. In families with mentally ill members, women bore the brunt of the care.
Women made up the majority of professional mental health providers who worked
often under substandard conditions.18 Some 30 per cent of children screened at
UNRWA schools were reported to have mental health problems (A/HRC/12/48,
para. 1282). Several reports emphasized that poverty and movement constraints left
women unable to care for their children and relatives leading to anxiety, panic
attacks, disturbed sleep and eating patterns, and depression (A/HRC/12/48,
para. 1280).19
__________________
14 UNESCO, Global Education Digest 2010: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World
(Montreal, Canada, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2010). Available from
http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/ged/2010/GED_2010_EN.pdf.
15 WHO, “Health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including east Jerusalem, and in
the occupied Syrian Golan” (Sixty-third World Health Assembly (A63/INF.DOC./6), 2010).
16 UNICEF, “Humanitarian action 2010: mid-year review: Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
17 “Food security and nutrition survey of herding communities in Area C”, joint
UNRWA/UNICEF/WFP household survey, April 2010.
18 Ministry of Health, nutrition surveillance system (2009).
19 See also UNIFEM, Voicing the Needs of Women and Men in Gaza: Beyond the Aftermath of the
23-Day Israeli Military Operations (2009).
E/CN.6/2011/6
10-68649 7
23. Palestinian women continued to be exposed to different forms of violence,
including those related to the ongoing Israeli occupation and factional tensions, as
well as domestic violence, so-called “honour” killings and trafficking. During the
reporting period, out of a total of 68 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers
one was a woman, and among 215 injured persons 90 were women.20 Fear of Israeli
violence, as well as the Palestinian factional conflict, is a daily source of stress and
insecurity for the entire population.21
24. Data on violence against women remains scarce. Women and girls are reluctant
to resort to women’s and human rights organizations, the police and courts for a
number of reasons, including the lack of awareness of the availability of assistance
mechanisms and the strong stigma attached to reporting abuse. According to
non-governmental organizations, forensic clinic data confirmed 499 cases of rape;
13 women had been killed in so-called “honour” killings in 2009 (nine in the West
Bank and four in Gaza); and 126 women had left their homes due to sexual
harassment, rape or physical abuse by a family member.22
25. The current legal framework in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is a
significant obstacle to gender equality.21 While the Palestinian Basic Law, which is
the main source of legislation, establishes that Palestinians shall be equal before the
law and the judiciary without distinction based upon sex,23 gender-based
discrimination persists in law in a range of areas, including the penal code and laws
on marriage, divorce, custody of children and inheritance. For example, in the West
Bank, the law provides for a reduced sentence with respect to an offence in a “state
of great fury”.24 Laws in force in both the West Bank25 and the Gaza Strip26 relieve
rapists who marry their victim of any criminal responsibility. None of the existing
laws cover marital rape.21 In addition, weaknesses in the judicial systems have led to
an increase in the use of customary law, at times to the detriment of women’s
rights.21
26. A draft national strategy to combat violence against women has been
developed, but not yet finalized. It promotes a legal framework and institutional
mechanisms to protect women from violence and also promotes improved social
protection and health services for women victims of violence. In the field of law
enforcement, the Palestinian Cabinet requested in February 2010 that the President
suspend legal provisions on “family honour”.3
27. There is growing support among Palestinians for women’s rights and gender
equality. A UNDP survey revealed that Palestinian attitudes towards women’s rights
__________________
20 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Protection of civilians” database,
1 October 2009-24 August 2010, cited in the contribution of the United Nations country team in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
21 UNDP, “MDG attainment in the Palestinian context” (see footnote 6).
22 Numbers and figures presented by the Al-Muntada Coalition of Palestinian non-governmental
organizations at the violence against women workshop, January 2010; cited in the contribution
of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
23 Article 9 of the Amended Basic Law (promulgated 18 March 2003), published in the Palestine
Official Gazette Special issue No. 2 (19 March 2003).
24 Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 (1960), article 98, cited in UNDP, “MDG attainment in the
Palestinian context”.
25 Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 (1960), article 308, cited in UNDP, “MDG attainment in the
Palestinian context”.
26 Egyptian Penal Law No. 58 (1936), article 291, “MDG attainment in the Palestinian context”.
E/CN.6/2011/6
8 10-68649
exhibited strong support for a revision of the legal code in order to boost women’s
equality: 70-80 per cent of survey respondents stated that women should be equal to
men before the court, the law, at home and at work.27 Based on a joint study by
UNESCO and the Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation Center of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, Palestinian political representatives are gradually
recognizing their responsibility for gender equality issues and starting to take
actions towards the advancement of women.28 In addition, a regional initiative
between the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, and
non-governmental organizations in February 2010 discussed amendments of the
Personal Law (marriage age, child custody, legal status for women, shared budget
and divorce).3
28. Palestinian women participate in both formal and informal realms of political
life. In 2009, women represented 20 per cent of the ministers of the Palestinian
Authority.29 Women’s informal participation in political parties has been significant,
at least in terms of visibility and effectiveness, if not in terms of numbers. With the
factional split and the freeze of the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006, efforts
to promote women’s political participation drastically decreased, including with
regard to women’s active role in peacebuilding and negotiation. Though women
were in leadership roles within the Palestinian Authority and the de facto authority,
they were often excluded from strategic meetings and decision-making processes,
absent from the internal political reconciliation process30 and did not participate in
permanent status negotiations.31
29. A cornerstone of Palestinian social, economic and political activity has been
the multifaceted volunteer work done by women’s associations, which have not only
organized to promote peace and political change but also implemented practical
projects targeted to support communities to meet their daily needs. These
associations have undertaken diverse work, including establishing nursery schools
and kindergartens in an attempt to facilitate women’s integration into the public
sphere and to improve parenting practices and childcare; offering legal advice;
challenging patriarchal assumptions about women’s capacities and rights including
through popular education campaigns; organizing protests and building strategic
partnerships with Israeli women in the peace movement.32 According to data made
available by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, representation by
__________________
27 UNDP, “Palestinian perception toward the human security situation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory”.
28 UNESCO/Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation Center, descriptive report on the
main survey regarding knowledge, perceptions and practices of Palestinian Legislative Council
members towards gender (June 2010), cited in the contribution of the United Nations country
team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
29 Contribution of ESCWA to the present report.
30 United Nations, UNIFEM and UNDP, Women Count for Peace: the 2010 Open Days on Women,
Peace and Security (September 2010).
31 ESCWA, joint study on the theme “Status of Arab women: means to strengthen the role of
women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding” (December 2009).
32 See Manal A. Jamal, “Gender and human security: Palestine revisited”, Working Paper Series,
No. 08-09 (Dubai, Dubai School of Government, 2008); Cynthia Cockburn, From Where We
Stand: War, Women’s Activism and Feminist Analysis (London, Zed Books, 2007), cited in the
UNDP publication Human Development Report 2009/10: Investing in Human Security for a
Future State (2010).
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10-68649 9
Palestinian women in decision-making positions such as boards of trustees and
board members of non-governmental organizations was approximately 30 per cent.
30. According to information made available by the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics in April 2010, 34 women were held by Israel in detention centres and
prisons, where they were reportedly deprived of medical treatment (see A/65/35,
para. 35). As of August 2010 there were 23 Palestinian women held in Palestinian
prisons in the West Bank where access to basic material needs and respect for the
rule of law were limited.33 The gendered effects of detention are manifold given
women’s and men’s different roles and responsibilities in dealing with the effects of
imprisonment of family members. Women shoulder the responsibility of maintaining
households and raising children when male family members are detained.34
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
31. The overall environment of occupation and conflict, movement restrictions and
violence continued to be cross-cutting issues that permeated every aspect of
Palestinian women’s lives. Despite some positive developments, the overall
humanitarian needs in parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory remained acute.
Limits to women’s movement affect their access to health care, education and
socio-economic opportunities and their ability to participate in decision-making
processes as well as their caregiving and domestic work.
32. Such conditions have to be considered in terms of the assistance provided to
Palestinian women by United Nations entities. Section III sets out six key areas:
education and training, health, economic empowerment and livelihoods, violence
against women, power and decision-making and institutional arrangements.
A. Education and training
33. United Nations entities continued to develop and implement a range of
initiatives to improve access of women and girls to education, training and
recreational activities, including provision of scholarships for universities and
vocational education and training to strengthen women’s participation in the
economy and labour force. In 2009/2010, through the UNRWA Department of
Education, 533 female students benefited from technical and vocational education
and training at the Ramallah Women Training Centre and 357 benefited in the Gaza
Strip. UNRWA promoted women’s rights and gender equality as universal human
rights values through its human rights curricula for grades 1 to 9. UNIFEM offered
educational services at community-based women’s centres in remote areas of the
West Bank and provided 100 young girls and women in the localities of Auja and
Fasayel in the Jordan Valley with literacy classes, computer training and English
language courses.
__________________
33 UNIFEM project on protection of Palestinian female prisoners and detainees in Palestinian
prisons, cited in the contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory to the present report.
34 Institute of Women’s Studies, Birzeit University, “The impact of Israeli mobility restrictions and
violence on gender relations in Palestinian society: 2000-2007”, cited in the UNDP publication
Human Development Report 2009/10: Investing in Human Security for a Future State (2010).
E/CN.6/2011/6
10 10-68649
34. The United Nations Children’s Fund supported 4,000 female students with life
skills education, such as conflict management and team skills, and provided
recreational activities for 300 low-performing schools, targeting more than 11,000
female students in grades 2 to 6. Through its 100 adolescent-friendly centres,
UNICEF offered educational and recreational activities to more than 20,000 young
women. During the reporting period a total of 12,931 women accessed the UNRWA
project on social and recreational spaces for women and girls in the Gaza Strip,
where they engaged in discussion forums in and classes in such areas as the arts,
sports, skills-building, computers and literacy. UNRWA ran its fourth Summer
Games programme, providing over 250,000 children in the Gaza Strip with sports
and arts activities, raising awareness within the community of the importance of
physical exercise for girls and providing girls with spaces (e.g., swimming) they are
not ordinarily able to access.3 On two occasions, facilities of the Summer Games
were attacked by armed and masked men, but UNRWA ensured the successful
continuation of the Games.
B. Health
35. UNRWA continued to be the main comprehensive primary health-care provider
for Palestinian refugees and continued to promote a comprehensive life cycle
approach to health with a strong focus on primary health care and prevention. A
number of United Nations entities supported improved access to health services in
the area of reproductive health.
36. Building on a pilot project aimed at improving the quality of maternal and
newborn health in two hospitals in the Gaza Strip in 2010, WHO expanded the
project activities to another six hospitals in the Gaza Strip. An estimated 24,000
mothers have benefited from the project activities since the launch of the pilot phase
in April 2009. The project managed to increase the mother’s stay at the hospital
from one hour to up to six hours. Medical checkups were performed for mothers and
newborns, early initiation of breastfeeding was encouraged, and basic health
education messages were provided for both the health of mothers and newborns.
37. In terms of direct services, UNICEF delivered micronutrient supplementation
to more than 50,000 pregnant women and 55,000 children. UNRWA delivered food
aid to 7,838 pregnant women and nursing mothers. Maternal health-care services
were provided to refugees in 20 primary health-care centres across the Gaza Strip.
Additionally, family planning services were provided to about 23,141 clients.
38. The United Nations Children’s Fund, WHO and UNFPA worked on improving
infrastructure, processes and skills among maternal care providers, in direct
cooperation with the Ministry of Health. With the support of UNICEF, the Ministry
developed a reproductive health handbook and equipped six neonatal units targeting
10,000 high-risk newborns.3 Female health workers were trained on the integrated
management of childhood illnesses as well as on breastfeeding practices and
nutrition protocols for severe acute malnutrition. Activities were also undertaken to
raise women’s awareness of breast cancer and to promote self-examination. From
March to July 2010, over 6,000 women were screened for breast cancer. In that
context, WHO presented the first Palestinian 3-D animated movie based on a true
story about Fatenah, a breast cancer survivor. More than 200 training sessions were
held for more than 3,000 doctors and nurses (three quarters of whom were women).
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In order to break the professional isolation of Gaza Strip health professionals, WHO
supported training for doctors and nurses in modern practices in maternal and
neonatal health care in cooperation with the Al Makased Hospital in East Jerusalem.
In cooperation with the Directorate of Hospitals, UNFPA organized training in
emergency obstetric care protocols for all Ministry of Health maternity workers in
the West Bank and in two maternity wards in Gaza (see A/65/77-E/2010/56,
para. 37). UNFPA also continued to provide equipment, medications, and supplies to
isolated communities.
39. In regard to other areas of health, UNFPA provided clinical and psychosocial
services and health education to 30,000 women in the most underprivileged areas of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip through support provided to four women’s health
centres. The UNRWA community mental health programme in the West Bank
included group, individual and peer-to-peer counselling. A total of 37,668
beneficiaries (of which 71 per cent were women and girls) participated in group
activities, and 109,612 beneficiaries (of which 61 per cent were women and girls) in
individual counselling from January to September 2010. UNICEF provided
psychosocial support to more than 16,000 women and 10,000 girls. The work of
UNDP on HIV/AIDS continued under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria.
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
40. Assistance by United Nations entities concentrated on covering basic
livelihood needs and job creation and on enhancing women’s access to
entrepreneurship, particularly in rural areas and agriculture. UNRWA and FAO
focused on households with female or no breadwinners. Female-headed households
accounted for approximately 50 per cent of beneficiaries of the WFP Social
Hardship Cases General Food Distribution programme. In addition, WFP provided
daily supplementary food items to 63,312 and 92,454 students in the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip, respectively. In the West Bank, WFP worked with women’s centres
that prepared the school snacks in exchange for cash and WFP food baskets.
41. As one of the largest employers in the area, UNRWA employed more than
10,000 staff members in its operations across the Gaza Strip. In addition, 35 per cent
of all beneficiaries of the UNRWA emergency job creation programme were women,
who were trained in embroidery, recycling and honey production, and who were
recruited as skilled and unskilled labourers. UNIFEM and the Ministry of Education
and Higher Education carried out the second phase of the women community-based
school canteen project, which provided healthy school snacks. It targeted 230
schools and involved 28 women’s organizations in 12 districts. The programme
highlights the economic contributions of women and women’s centres, while
improving the health of schoolchildren.
42. To enhance women’s economic opportunities, support was also directed
towards women’s entrepreneurship and access to credit. During the reporting period,
the UNRWA Microfinance and Microenterprise Department in the Gaza Strip
disbursed 1,126 loans to female entrepreneurs (out of a total of 3,080 loans). Women
received more loans than men in the agricultural and industrial sectors, and
represented more than one third of participants (585 out of 1,609) in microenterprise
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12 10-68649
trainings. UNRWA also provided 12 grants to women to enable them to begin
income-generating projects.
43. The Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund Joint Programme on
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Palestinian Occupied Territory
(MDG-F)35 launched a gender equality employment strategy. A series of measures
were implemented, including three needs assessments for vocational education
centres and women cooperatives, and the training of 27 women leaders and
15 gender audit certified trainers. A training workshop on gender and international
labour standards was held, focusing on gender equality in the workplace.
44. A number of programmes implemented during the reporting period specifically
addressed the role of Palestinian women in agriculture. For example, FAO focused
on boosting fruit and vegetable cultivation and on improving water management and
income-generation for female-headed households. Livelihood skills for youth were
enhanced through the FAO Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools project, which
were implemented in 26 schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza, benefiting
1,200 girls and boys by teaching both agricultural and life skills (see A/65/77-
E/2010/56, para. 51). UNIFEM provided rural women with business counselling/
training to enable them to better manage their own small income-generating
projects.
D. Violence against women
45. With assistance from United Nations entities, 50 social workers of the Ministry
of Social Affairs were trained in ways to combat violence against women, an
existing helpline was upgraded and a coalition of women’s and human rights
organizations was established (Amal Coalition to Combat Violence against Women
in the Gaza Strip). Additionally, staff of the Palestinian Legislative Council were
trained on the collection and analysis of data of violence against women.
46. As a result of a conference on so-called “honour” crimes organized by the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in March 2010,
a task force was established comprising representatives from the Palestinian
Authority, United Nations entities and civil society organizations. The task force is
to address the issue throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Within the
framework of the global campaign entitled “16 Days of Activism against Gender
Violence”, and as part of the campaign of the Secretary-General entitled “UNiTe to
End Violence against Women”, UNIFEM organized in Ramallah in December 2009
the second festival to combat violence against women, which was attended by more
than 800 people and supported by 10 United Nations agencies. In that context,
MDG-F organized the joint campaign entitled “Women and Men are a Nation:
Together to End Violence against Women” in the Gaza Strip, which included a
festival, radio spots, a mural painting and a study day.
47. With regard to assistance for survivors, UNIFEM continued to support the
Mehwar Centre in Bethlehem, a multi-purpose service structure addressing violence
__________________
35 UNIFEM, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNRWA and ILO established the joint Millennium
Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) Joint Programme, “Gender equality and
women’s empowerment in the Palestinian Occupied Territory”. Unless otherwise indicated
in the present report, “MDG-F” refers to that programme.
E/CN.6/2011/6
10-68649 13
against women in a holistic way. During the reporting period, a total of 93 cases of
“at-risk” women, women survivors of domestic violence and 17 children were
sheltered and received psychosocial, legal, health, vocational and socio-educational
counselling. UNFPA continued to provide outreach psychosocial support through
trained social workers in Nablus, Jenin and Jericho municipalities (ibid., para. 50).
48. Implementation of a UNFPA project continued in five selected areas of the
West Bank, enhancing the capacity of 20 staff of the Ministry of Social Affairs in
the area of violence against women. In a separate initiative under MDG-F, UNFPA
provided training to 120 rural women on such issues as gender equality and genderbased
violence, facilitating 1,400 regional awareness sessions. UNRWA organized a
gender-based violence-training for the staff of Women’s Programme Centres,
educated 360 teachers on early marriage and conducted separate group discussions
for women, men, girls and families from April to September 2010 serving 1,000
participants. A workshop organized by UNRWA, on the theme “Community of
practice in building referral systems for women victims of violence”, brought
together best practice examples in this area.
49. With the support of the Palestinian non-governmental organization Sawa,
UNIFEM issued a report entitled “Trafficking and forced prostitution of Palestinian
women and girls: forms of modern day slavery”, the first of its kind on the issue of
trafficking and forced prostitution of Palestinian women and girls.
E. Power and decision-making
50. The tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325
(2000) on women, peace and security provided an opportunity to highlight the
importance of the participation of Palestinian women in decision-making. The
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process emphasized
the importance of women’s involvement in peace negotiations, peacemaking,
peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts in an op-ed article in the Israeli and
Palestinian press and delivered a speech to a committee of the Israeli Knesset. As
part of the “Global open day for women, peace and security”, held in the context of
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), the United Nations Special Coordinator
Office for the Middle East Peace Process, UNIFEM and UNFPA met with a number
of women peace activists in the Gaza Strip to discuss women’s concerns regarding
peace and security within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participants
identified four key priorities of Palestinian women, namely: supporting women’s
political participation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; addressing the increase
in domestic violence and all forms of violence against women; supporting the
economic empowerment of women; and raising awareness of the humanitarian
impact of the occupation and blockade on women and girls.36 The outcomes of the
event were communicated to the Security Council in October 2010.
51. With support of the Government of Spain, UNIFEM and the International
Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace hosted a
conference on advancing women’s leadership for sustainable peace in the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict and worldwide, in Madrid on 1 and 2 June 2010.
__________________
36 United Nations, UNIFEM and UNDP (see footnote 30).
E/CN.6/2011/6
14 10-68649
52. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia provided training for
the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on how to draft a national action plan for the
implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and launched its biennial flagship
publication Status of Arab Women: Means to Strengthen the Role of Women in
Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding, which addressed the situation of Palestinian
women and changes within traditional gender roles as women have taken on new
responsibilities within their families and communities.
53. To strengthen institutional development in the area of women’s rights,
members of the Palestinian Legislative Council participated in two workshops
organized by ESCWA and other partners on the roles of parliamentarians in the
implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women.
F. Institutional arrangements
54. Several initiatives were undertaken to support institutional development by the
Palestinian Authority and by United Nations entities. These included mainstreaming
gender perspectives in cross-sectoral as well as sector-specific plans and
programmes in agriculture, justice, culture and humanitarian assistance. Activities
focused on capacity-building, awareness-raising and tracking the use of resources.
55. In March 2010, the Palestinian Cabinet endorsed the cross-sectoral national
gender strategy within the framework of the Palestinian Development Plan for 2011-
2013. The gender strategy, developed by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, focuses
on the gaps and challenges in all sectors and proposes interventions through the
collective action of various Palestinian Authority ministries, women’s organizations
and civil society organizations.
56. The United Nations Development Fund for Women assisted the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development in
elaborating the national gender strategy and action plan, as well as in developing
national gender indicators related to the strategy’s priority policy areas.
57. In the agricultural sector, UNIFEM with the cooperation of FAO assisted the
Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture to undertake a gender
analysis of the agriculture sector strategy, within the framework of the Palestinian
Development Plan. FAO continued to work actively with the Ministry of Agriculture
and Ministry of Women’s Affairs to strengthen responses to the needs of women in
agriculture, and involved stakeholders in the dissemination of good practices.
58. United Nations entities supported Palestinian authorities in strengthening
capacity on gender mainstreaming. UNDP/Programme of Assistance to the
Palestinian People facilitated a forum among Palestinian Authority ministries,
United Nations entities and civil society organizations to discuss gender justice, the
promotion of international conventions and instruments on gender equality, and
relevant legislation applicable to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Ministries
of Women’s Affairs and of Labour participated in a training workshop organized by
ESCWA on mainstreaming gender in the plans and programmes of the Ministry of
Labour. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs participated in an expert group meeting on
the revision of guidelines to increase the effectiveness of national women’s
machineries in the ESCWA region.
E/CN.6/2011/6
10-68649 15
59. In the area of culture, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and UNDP/Programme
of Assistance to the Palestinian People, in coordination with programme partners of
the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund programme on culture and
development, organized a workshop on gender mainstreaming and culture to train
staff members from several ministries on concepts related to culture and gender
mainstreaming, and ways to use such concepts in the development of gendersensitive
cultural policies.
60. In order to track the use of resources to promote gender equality and the
empowerment of women, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
supported the roll-out of a gender marker — a tool that measures whether or not the
design of a humanitarian project ensures and advances gender equality — in the
2011 consolidated appeals process. Through the process, all clusters of humanitarian
response received specific guidance on how to mainstream gender equality within
sectors. Preliminary data suggested that compared with the baseline of the 2010
consolidated appeals process, there was a significant increase in gender-responsive
projects in the 2011 process. Under the leadership of UNSCO, several meetings
were held with members of the donor community to ensure harmonization in
development aid effectiveness and meeting commitments on gender equality. In that
regard, United Nations entities in partnership with relevant line ministries took
initiatives that would allow for tracking of internal and external resource allocations
for gender equality priorities and women’s needs at the local level.
61. Efforts were also under way to mainstream gender perspectives within the
work of United Nations entities. The UNRWA gender action plan mainstreams
gender into each of the agency’s programme areas. In 2010, UNRWA developed a
new approach to the development, design and location of community and public
facilities in Gaza, incorporating gender dimensions.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
62. During the period under review, the overall humanitarian situation in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory remained challenging. Despite improvements in
education for women, there was little positive evidence of their social, economic
and legal empowerment. The continued closures, checkpoints and roadblocks
limited the access of Palestinian women and girls to health-care services,
employment and other opportunities. The recent relaxation of movement restrictions
should be continued.
63. Efforts continued at the national, regional and international levels to bring
about a just and lasting negotiated agreement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including through direct negotiations. The tenth anniversary of the adoption of
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) highlighted the need for more systematic
efforts by all parties to ensure women’s full participation in conflict resolution and
peacebuilding initiatives in the region, including in the permanent status
negotiations.
64. United Nations entities should continue to provide assistance to women and
girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and refugee camps, particularly in areas
such as education, health and employment. Special efforts should be made to
support the Palestinian Development Plan for 2011-2013, including its crosssectoral
national gender strategy. Enhanced efforts should be made to achieve
E/CN.6/2011/6
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women’s full participation in decision-making processes at all levels, including in
the political and economic spheres.
65. In order to support women’s and girls’ economic and political empowerment
and well-being, increased attention and continued support is needed to improve
access to quality education and training that translate into employment
opportunities. Strengthened efforts are needed to address stereotypical attitudes that
have an impact upon educational and training choices, including through revisions
of school curricula and textbooks, and through targeted efforts to combat harmful
practices such as early marriage, which may contribute to girls dropping out of
school.
66. When supporting employment for women, attention should be paid to ensure
that assistance programmes and projects do not reinforce traditional gender
divisions of labour, which limit job opportunities for both women and men.
Concrete actions are required to increase the participation of Palestinian women, in
particular young women, in the labour force. Assistance provided by United Nations
entities should not only focus on expanding women’s labour force participation into
non-traditional sectors but also assist women in better seizing the full benefits and
profits from their economic activities. The issue of women’s economic
empowerment needs to address engagement by women in the full range of activities
involved in bringing a good or service to the final consumer, in order to enable them
to reach beyond the local market to national and international markets. United
Nations partners need to systematically address the bottlenecks preventing women’s
advancement in those areas, including women’s lack of access to productive
resources and opportunities; women’s limited access to effective transportation of
goods; and lack of capacity, resulting from limited education and training
opportunities.
67. In order to facilitate the mobility of Palestinian women for personal or
employment-related reasons, attention should also be given to increasing their
access to safe and affordable means of transport, including public transport to
semi-urban and rural areas. The public transportation system could be reviewed and
analysed in order to ensure that schedules and connections are supportive of both
women’s and men’s transport needs.
68. Food security continued to be a high priority. Access of women and men to
employment often contributes to successful strategies to address food insecurity.
Strong, comprehensive measures, including safety nets, employment and/or other
income-generating activities are therefore needed to ensure that women have access
to safe, adequate, nutritious and affordable food, and to increase the access to
technologies, credit and markets by women smallholder farmers.
69. Enhanced efforts are needed to eliminate all forms of violence against
Palestinian women and girls. In addition to establishing provisions for penalizing
and punishing perpetrators, legal frameworks on violence against women should
mandate support for victims and survivors, prevention measures and training for
relevant officials. Ending impunity for violence against women requires awarenessraising,
training for law enforcement officials and gender-sensitive procedures and
processes. The Palestinian authorities and United Nations entities should collaborate
to provide support and services for women and girl victims and survivors of
violence. The legal framework needs to be harmonized with the provisions of the
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Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and
measures for its effective implementation need to be implemented.
70. The Palestinian Authority and some United Nations entities have taken
measures to mainstream gender perspectives into their work, including through
gender-sensitive strategies and programmes. Further efforts are needed to fully
integrate a gender perspective into all international assistance programmes through
gender analysis, the collection of sex-disaggregated data and the use of genderresponsive
budgeting processes. Additional coordinated efforts are needed to assess
the impact of assistance and the extent to which it addresses and matches women’s
needs. Member States, entities of the United Nations system, non-governmental
organizations and other relevant stakeholders should intensify their efforts to
provide financial and technical assistance to benefit Palestinian women and girls
and should systematically assess and report on the impact of those efforts.
71. Some progress has been made in recent years in addressing gender equality
and the empowerment of women in United Nations studies and reports on the
Occupied Palestinian Territory. Such publications should systematically focus
specific attention on gender equality perspectives and incorporate information on
the situation of women and girls, including in reports by the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People
and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, the Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, as well
as in other relevant reports of the Secretary-General.
United Nations E/CN.6/2012/6
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
9 December 2011
Original: English
11-63206 (E) 110112
*1163206*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-sixth session
27 February-9 March 2012
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the
twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming, situations and
programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report summarizes the situation of Palestinian women between
1 September 2010 and 30 September 2011, in accordance with Economic and Social
Council resolution 2011/18, and provides an overview of the assistance provided by
entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and training; health;
economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of law and violence against
women; power and decision-making; and institutional development. The report
concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status
of Women.
* E/CN.6/2012/1.
E/CN.6/2012/6
2 11-63206
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2011/18 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave
situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem. It requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to
assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out by the
Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance to
Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2011/6), and to submit to the Commission on the Status
of Women at its fifty-sixth session a report, including information provided by the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the progress
made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 September 2010 to 30 September
2011 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from
United Nations entities or individual experts that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and
information submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide
assistance to Palestinian women, including ESCWA, the United Nations country
team for the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. The United Nations country
team has coordinated contributions to the report by the following United Nations
entities: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/
Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations
Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the
United Nations Office for Project Services, the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food
Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. During the reporting period, little progress was made in the efforts to reach a
negotiated agreement between Israel and the Palestinians on all core issues which
would end the conflict and the occupation that began in 1967. Progress was
hampered by continuing low levels of confidence between the parties and in the
political process. Direct peace talks began on 2 September 2010 but stalled the
following month and have not resumed since. International efforts, in particular
through the Middle East Quartet, have continued to encourage the parties to
overcome the current obstacles and resume direct bilateral negotiations without
preconditions, expecting them to come forward with comprehensive proposals on
security and territory. The Secretary-General has called upon both parties to refrain
from provocation and to work with the Quartet towards serious proposals on borders
E/CN.6/2012/6
11-63206 3
and security in the context of a shared commitment to resume direct negotiations
that would lead to an agreement on all final status issues.
5. Amid these developments, the Palestinian Authority continued its efforts to
strengthen the State institutions of a future Palestinian State and resumed its efforts
towards reuniting the West Bank and Gaza. However, little progress was
accomplished in implementing the reconciliation accord of 4 May 2011 between the
Palestinian factions, and the internal Palestinian divide continued to restrict the
ability of the Palestinian Authority to extend its State-building work to Gaza (see
A/66/80-E/2011/111, para. 10).
6. At the beginning of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 2011
the Palestinian leadership applied for full membership in the United Nations and
called upon Member States to recognize a Palestinian State within the 1967
borderlines. The Government of Israel expressed its strong opposition to such
Palestinian action (see A/66/367-S/2011/585, para. 13). At the time of the drafting
of the present report, the Palestinian application for United Nations membership was
before the Security Council. While women have played important roles in
promoting peace in the region, few women have been directly involved in the
negotiations since the start of the conflict and have also largely remained absent
from official discussions on statehood and related actions in the United Nations.1
7. On the ground, the overall socio-economic, political and humanitarian
situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory remained challenging and continued
to adversely affect the situation of Palestinian women. In Gaza, Israel’s June 2010
policy decision to ease the closure and further measures taken since brought some
limited relief to the population. However, owing to the pivotal nature of the
remaining restrictions and the magnitude of the existing challenges, overall, these
measures remained ineffective in achieving a genuine improvement in the
humanitarian situation.2 The population of the Gaza Strip remained severely
affected by sporadic upsurges of violent conflict between armed Palestinian
militants and the Israel Defense Forces, in addition to the continuing closures that
penetrate every aspect of socio-economic life. It is estimated that approximately
20,000 girls and boys remain displaced in the aftermath of the 2009 military
operation on Gaza, while 80 per cent of households have at least one member
suffering from psychosocial symptoms.1 The West Bank continues to face a
protracted crisis resulting from the ongoing confiscation and annexation of
Palestinian land, settlement construction, demolitions of houses and livelihood
structures, forced evictions, the revocation of residency rights and obstructed access
to land, markets and essential services.1
8. During the reporting period, there was an increase in settlement construction,
house demolition and evictions of Palestinian families. A total of 544 structures in
Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem were demolished, marking a significant
increase from the previous year. Among the structures demolished were
180 residences, resulting in over 980 people displaced, including approximately
525 children. Overall a total of 14,636 people have been affected by the
demolitions. Palestinian construction is effectively prohibited in some 70 per cent of
__________________
1 Contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the
present report.
2 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Special Focus: Easing the Blockade:
Assessing the Humanitarian Impact on the Population of the Gaza Strip (March 2011).
E/CN.6/2012/6
4 11-63206
Area C, in areas that have been confiscated for use by Israeli settlements or the
Israel Defense Forces. In the remaining 30 per cent of Area C where Palestinian
construction is not prohibited, there are a range of other restrictions that greatly
reduce the possibility of obtaining a building permit. As a result, Palestinians
needing to build in Area C are often left with no other choice than to build without a
permit and risk the demolition of their structures.3
9. Palestinian women continued to be victims of violence resulting from the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Reports indicate that there was an increase in the
indiscriminate firing of rockets, mortars and other munitions on Israel by Hamas
and other militant groups as well as in the frequency of Israeli strikes in Gaza,
resulting in civilian deaths and injuries (see A/66/80-E/2011/111, para. 13).
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israeli forces
killed three Palestinian women, two in the Gaza Strip and another in the West Bank,
and injured 151 others, including 17 in the Gaza Strip and 134 in the West Bank,
where there were also 23 women injured by Israeli settlers. In the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, women sustained injuries, mainly during weekly
demonstrations against actions by the Israeli military, clashes between Palestinians
and Israeli forces in East Jerusalem and in search-and-arrest operations.1 This marks
an increase in casualties and injuries of women compared to last year during which
one Palestinian woman was killed in Gaza (none in the West Bank) and another
86 were injured by Israeli forces and 13 others were injured by Israeli settlers.4
10. In the Gaza Strip, OHCHR received information on the increasing intervention
by the de facto authorities in the restriction of civil rights and freedoms, including
the right to peaceful assembly, and further restrictions on the access to leisure
places, including the closure of some of them, under the pretext of mixing of the
sexes and non-compliance with the Islamic customs. On 15 and 16 March 2011, two
demonstrations in favour of national unity took place in Gaza City. De facto security
forces forcibly dispersed the demonstrations, reportedly beating the participants.
Over 50 women were beaten by the security forces, including 8 girls, who were
briefly detained, beaten with sticks and verbally insulted by approximately
10 security personnel in civilian clothes and police uniforms.5
11. As of May 2011, there were still 29 Palestinian women6 held in detention and
prison by the Government of Israel outside the Occupied Palestinian Territory in
violation of international humanitarian law obligations. The overall living
conditions of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons were reported as unchanged. The
conditions in penal institutions in which women were detained, including the poor
quality of food, limited fresh air and sunlight, dirty overcrowded cells, were said to
contribute to the weakening of the physical and psychological condition of women.
Released women prisoners continue to face reintegration problems.1
12. Poverty, unemployment and food insecurity rates have remained high. In Gaza,
the unemployment rates were at 47.8 per cent for women and 36.2 per cent for
__________________
3 Ibid., Special Focus: Displacement and insecurity in Area C of the West Bank (August 2011).
4 Ibid., Protection of Civilians: Casualties Database, 1 September 2010-1 August 2011.
5 OHCHR closely monitored the demonstration.
6 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor (June
2011).
E/CN.6/2012/6
11-63206 5
men.7 In the period from November 2010 to April 2011, export volumes reached
only 5 per cent of the pre-June 2007 levels and no exports have been transferred out
of Gaza since May 2011.8 The exhaustion of commercial opportunities and
subsequent devastation of the Gazan economy has meant that many households have
lost their incomes, and it is estimated that 38 per cent of Gazans are living in
poverty and that 75 per cent of Gazan households are dependent on humanitarian
assistance.9 In the West Bank, the total poverty rate is 18 per cent, of which 9 per
cent are considered deeply poor.10 There is a decrease in real wages by 6.4 per cent,
comparing the first half of 2009 to the first half of 2010,11 while the purchasing
power decreased, as the inflation rate increased by 2.98 per cent between the
average prices of July 2010 versus July 2011.12
13. Even if there was a slight improvement in overall food security, 2010 estimates
show that 36 per cent of female-headed households and 33 per cent of male-headed
households in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were food insecure. Most of these
are chronically food insecure. In the Gaza Strip, the prevalence of food insecurity
among both female- and male-headed households was higher, at 48 and 52 per cent,
respectively. However, in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, households with a
higher number of female adult members are more likely to be food insecure, owing
to limited access to job opportunities and lower salaries for women. Overall, femaleheaded
households typically have a lower food consumption score, with 38 per cent
having a poor or borderline dietary intake compared to 28 per cent among maleheaded
households.13
14. A significant number of Palestinian women were outside of the formal labour
force, engaged in unpaid domestic work, or were working within the informal
sector. It is estimated that 38.3 per cent of women working in the informal sector in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory are unpaid family members, compared to 9.2 per
cent of men.14 Recent research by UN-Women on the Gaza Strip shows that women
__________________
7 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Labour Force Survey, 2011”, Ramallah, 2011, cited in
the contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the
present report.
8 WPF, World Food Programme, Occupied Palestinian Territory Situation Report, May-June 2011,
available from www.ldf.ps/documentsShow.aspx?ATT_ID=4251.
9 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Fact sheet, humanitarian situation in the
Gaza Strip (July 2011).
10 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Poverty and living conditions in the Palestinian
Territory, 2009-2010”, Ramallah, 2010, cited in the contribution of the United Nations country
team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
11 UNRWA, “West Bank labour market: a briefing on the first-half 2010”.
12 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Monthly consumer price index numbers by major
groups for the months of January-December 2010 and per cent changes from January-December
2009”, available from www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/cpi/dd634faf-669e-448b-a96a-
3a64cb824f9a.htm; and “Monthly consumer price index numbers by major groups of
expenditure for the months of January-July 2011 and per cent changes from December 2010”,
available from www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/cpi/9013200f-427b-464c-a3fe-
462ae224a527.htm, cited in the contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory to the present report.
13 FAO, WFP and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “2010 Socio-economic and food
security survey, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory” (2010).
14 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Informal sector and informal employment survey,
October-December 2008: main findings”, Ramallah, 2011, cited in the contribution of the United
Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the present report.
E/CN.6/2012/6
6 11-63206
play critical roles in securing their households’ livelihoods after a decline in income
of the male breadwinner. However, the economic burden of the protracted crisis
tends to impoverish women even more. Women’s contributions to sustain the
family’s livelihood, such as heavy work on the family’s agricultural holdings and
liquidating personal assets, such as gold or inherited land, have not strengthened
women’s status in the community, but have contributed instead to their
marginalization.15 Women’s entrepreneurship continues to be constrained by the
lack of access to local and international markets. Rural women, especially younger
women, of which many live in Area C, face a number of obstacles owing to their
isolation and lack of mobility.16 According to FAO, in 2010, the work of an
estimated 40 per cent of rural Palestinian women of working age (15-64 years) was
unpaid and unaccounted for in national accounts.17
15. Women’s health remains another area of concern. The persistence of disease
and illness is exacerbated, both directly and indirectly, by persistent obstacles to
Palestinian movement, including checkpoints and access to health and other services,
such as water and sanitation. The impact of the occupation and the overall insecure
situation have contributed to psychological trauma and increased stress among
women, men and children. The poor quality of water continues to cause problems of
parasites, diarrhoea and skin diseases and it is estimated that over 90 per cent of
water in Gaza is unfit for human consumption owing to increased levels of chlorides
and nitrates.18 In the West Bank, over 113 communities, including more than
150,000 women, are not connected to water networks, while those that are connected
face frequent severe water shortages owing to depleted springs and wells.1 In Gaza,
hospitals and clinics continue to be affected by severe shortages in medical supplies,
power cuts, delays in shipments, overcrowding and insufficient doctor-patient time.1
16. Few official health statistics are sex-disaggregated and most are limited to
basic morbidity and mortality figures, reproductive health indicators and cancer
statistics. According to WHO, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and
cerebrovascular diseases and cancer, with only slight differences between males and
females, were the main causes of death, with breast cancer being the leading cause
of cancer morbidity among women. Fertility rates in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, in particular in the Gaza Strip, remain high, resulting in the need and
demand for related health-care services. Micronutrient deficiencies in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory continue to be a major concern, with high rates of anaemia
among pregnant women and children. Results of the 2010 Family Survey indicated
that more than one quarter of pregnant women were anaemic (26.7 per cent of
pregnant women aged 15-49: 39.1 per cent in the Gaza Strip and 15.4 per cent in the
West Bank).19 Access to proper and timely health care can enhance early detection
and treatment of disease and improve mother and child health. For example, the
__________________
15 UN-Women, “Who answers to Gazan women? An economic security and rights research”
(2011).
16 Contribution of ESCWA to the present report.
17 FAO, Palestinian Women’s Associations and Agricultural Value Chains, Rural Employment,
Case Studies Series # 2 (Rome, 2010).
18 UNRWA, “Promoting long and healthy lives in Gaza” (2011), available from www.unrwa.org/
userfiles/2011031723858.pdf.
19 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Family Survey”, Ramallah, 2010, cited in the
contribution of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the
present report.
E/CN.6/2012/6
11-63206 7
identified causes of maternal and infant deaths suggest that many of them could
have been prevented by more effective antenatal, childbirth and early postnatal
health care.20
17. Although the overall quality of education available to women in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory remains variable, access to and participation in education by
women and girls has continued to increase. At present, the Occupied Palestinian
Territory ranks in the medium range (76 out of 128) of the Education for all
Development Index.21 During the 2010/11 academic year, girls represented 51 per
cent of the total student population. In the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, 31,352
girls (58.2 per cent) and 105,015 girls (48 per cent), respectively were enrolled in
UNRWA elementary and preparatory education. However, many challenges remain.
In the Gaza Strip, the limited reconstruction of schools damaged in 2009 continues
to prevent thousands of boys and girls from accessing basic education. According to
UNICEF, overcrowded schools operate on a double-shift basis, stretching their
capacity to its limits. The number of adolescents (both boys and girls) falling below
their grade level and dropping out of school is on the rise, and only 75 per cent of
students continue into secondary school.1
18. In Area C, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, 18 schools had outstanding demolition orders in August 2011, as a result of
the lack of building permits.22 Access to education is further hampered by Israeli
settler violence as well as by restrictions on Palestinian access and movement. An
additional factor for remote communities is the high cost of transport to educational
facilities. Some families living in isolated locations pay up to NIS 100 per child per
month on school transport. Families with several children of schooling age are often
forced to choose only one or two, frequently boys, to complete their education,
while the others are withdrawn from the system after the primary years. Such factors
have led to high dropout rates, particularly among girls.3 In East Jerusalem, a
shortage of over 1,000 classrooms leaves approximately 12,000 children out of the
education system. According to UNICEF, many schools in the West Bank suffer
from water shortages and lack separate or suitable toilets for girls and boys, a
situation that is usually affecting school attendance for girls, especially in secondary
school. Progress made with regard to girls’ and women’s access to and participation
in education has not necessarily translated into decent employment opportunities for
women. For those with higher education, women’s unemployment is significantly
higher than men’s. In 2011, 39.2 per cent of women with 13 or more years of
education were unemployed, compared to 13.1 per cent for men.23
19. Although women have played numerous roles within the Palestinian political
system and served in key decision-making positions, their formal participation and
representation in decision-making, including in governance and legislative bodies,
has overall been limited. In the current Government, women represent 20 per cent of
__________________
20 WHO, Health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in
the occupied Syrian Golan, report by the Secretariat (A/64/27) of 16 May 2011.
21 UNESCO, Education For All Global Monitoring Report: The hidden crisis: Armed conflict and
education (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
22 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Humanitarian Fact Sheet on Area C of the
West Bank, July 2011.
23 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Labour Force Survey, April-June 2011”, Ramallah,
2011. Press release available from www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/
LabourForce_q2e.pdf.
E/CN.6/2012/6
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the ministers and 6 per cent of the deputy ministers and they account for 12.9 per
cent of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Within all ministries, women comprise
30.6 per cent of the staff. In the ministries of women’s affairs and of social affairs,
women are the majority, comprising 68.1 per cent and 56 per cent of all staff,
respectively. Additionally, women account for 11 per cent of all judges, 12 per cent
of all prosecutors, and 11 per cent of all lawyers.24 In 2010, the first Palestinian
woman governor was appointed to serve as Governor of the Ramallah and al-Bireh
Governorate. Despite many shared concerns and priorities, the political situation and
the split between political factions has contributed to divisions among women and
made coordination more challenging, including in terms of formulating common
positions by women’s groups from the West Bank and Gaza in issues related to the
State-building process. On the ground, however, women’s organizations have
continued to support women and girls from all walks of life, including by providing
direct services and empowering women through livelihoods projects; serving as
charitable organizations, providing training to the police and security forces to be
more sensitive to survivors of violence; and undertaking research and advocating for
women’s rights and legal reform.16
20. The disadvantaged situation of Palestinian women has been exacerbated by
weak rule of law and gender-based discrimination that remains embedded in
legislation, regulations and policies. The situation is further complicated by the
existence of two legal systems in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and the lack of
access to legal protection for Palestinian women in East Jerusalem. In addition, the
prevailing gender stereotypes and norms continue to limit women’s freedom of
movement, access to employment, health care and education and the exercise of
other human rights.1
21. High levels of poverty, unemployment and related frustration have contributed
to an increase in tension, and ultimately violence, within families. According to data
collected by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the level of domestic
violence against women and girls in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is high.25 At
present, there is no specific law on domestic violence in place, and there continues
to be a critical lack of systems capable of preventing violence, protecting victims
and prosecuting perpetrators. In addition, the fear of stigma, social exclusion and
retribution, including in the form of more harm, risk of divorce and separation from
children, prevent many women from speaking out about abuse.1
22. Some positive steps have been taken. On 11 January 2011, the Palestinian
Cabinet endorsed the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women (2011-
2019). The strategy, which includes inputs from a range of sources, including
women’s organizations, civil society, community organizations, the private sector,
ministries and women refugees, takes a cross-sector approach, recognizing violence
against women as a development issue affecting the social, economic and political
systems of Palestinian society. Efforts have also been made to address crimes
against women committed under the guise of so-called “family honour”, which still
continue to occur. On 15 May 2011, in response to one such case in the Hebron area,
__________________
24 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Women and men in Palestine, 2010” (2011). Ramallah
cited in the contribution by the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory to the present report.
25 Contributions of ESCWA and of the United Nations country team in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory to the present report.
E/CN.6/2012/6
11-63206 9
the Palestinian Authority President signed a presidential decree removing provisions
within the Penal Code that provided for leniency with regard to murder in the name
of “family honour”, which will come into effect once it is published in the
Palestinian Official Gazette.1
23. The Palestinian Cabinet, together with the Ministry of Planning and
Administrative Development, tasked the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to develop a
cross-sectoral national gender strategy for the period 2011-2013, with the purpose of
placing gender equality and women’s empowerment at the core of the 2011-2013
Palestinian National Plan. The three-year Strategy,26 which was endorsed by the
Council of Ministers in January 2011, highlights multiple challenges Palestinian
women face and serves as a reference for developing gender-responsive policies that
would positively influence the socio-economic and political conditions of both
women and men.
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
24. The political and socio-economic insecurity in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory continues to have a severe humanitarian impact. Despite some recent
macroeconomic improvements, the humanitarian, economic and development needs
remain significant. The needs and related priorities, including of women and girls,
are reflected in several documents, including the Consolidated Appeals Process for
2011, which set out a strategy budgeted at $575 million, the UNRWA medium-term
strategy for 2010-2011, which was estimated at $675 million, excluding emergency
relief interventions, and the Palestinian National Development Plan 2011-2013,
which outlined priority development needs worth $4.161 billion (see A/66/80-
E/2011/111, para. 3). The inclusion of a gender marker in the Consolidated Appeals
Process for 2011 and the deployment of an Inter-Agency Standing Committee
Gender Standby Capacity Adviser during its development period resulted in
significantly higher levels of information related to gender equality in project
documents than in the Consolidated Appeals Process for 2010.1
25. The present section provides information on efforts made by the United
Nations system, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, donors and civil
society, to address the needs and priorities of women and girls. It provides
information on assistance provided in six key areas: education and training, health,
economic empowerment and livelihoods, rule of law and violence against women,
power and decision-making and institutional development.
A. Education and training
26. United Nations entities continued to implement a wide range of initiatives to
improve the access of women and girls to quality education and training. These
actions include the provision of free basic education, transportation to and from
school, scholarships, vocational and literacy training, as well as measures to support
a better transition from education and training to women’s economic empowerment
and job opportunities. In the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian girls
__________________
26 Available from www.unwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/UN-Women-oPt-Booklet-
Palestinian-Gender-Strategy-2011-en.pdf.
E/CN.6/2012/6
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continued to benefit from basic education provided free of charge by UNRWA with
strong achievements in terms of gender parity and girls’ performance. A total of
24 female students benefited from UNRWA-administered scholarships for
universities in the West Bank and 755 female students benefited from technical and
vocational training at the Ramallah Women’s Training Centre. The UNRWA Gender
Initiative provided adult literacy training in Arabic and English to 7,925 women and
information technology training to 1,773 women in the Gaza Strip. It also provided
mobile literacy support to reach women living in remote areas. Increased efforts
were taken to provide graduates of the Gender Initiative with the necessary skills
and experience to enter the job market. In the Gaza Strip, the UNRWA relief and
social services programme offered work experience and skills training to 1,092
women through women’s programme centres, where vocational trainings in areas
such as sewing, hairdressing, handicrafts, and information technology literacy were
taught.
27. UNICEF increased learning opportunities for at least 100 girls in remote
communities in Area C through the rehabilitation of school classrooms. In addition,
UNICEF offered after-school learning and recreational activities in adolescentfriendly
centres to 6,000 adolescent girls in marginalized areas in the West Bank
(including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. OHCHR, together with UNICEF, the
Education and Protection clusters and with the Ministry of Education and Higher
Education worked to improve girls’ access to education by providing school
transportation for isolated Bedouin communities in the Bethlehem and Hebron
governorates, thus reducing the dropout rate and allowing the safe access of female
students to education.
B. Health
28. The United Nations system continued to provide a wide range of health
services to Palestinian women and girls. In its effort to increase access to health care
across the West Bank, UNRWA established five mobile clinics, which provided
regular preventative and curative health care for 13,000 Palestinian patients facing
restrictions on their mobility, 66 per cent of whom were women and children.
UNFPA continued to support two multi-purpose women’s health centres providing a
holistic range of services, including clinical services, legal advice, counselling
services on gender-based violence, psychosocial support, physiotherapy,
gymnastics, and health education to 20,000 female beneficiaries living in heavily
populated and underprivileged areas in Gaza (Jabalia, Bureij) and the West Bank
(Hebron).
29. UNRWA, WHO and UNICEF implemented various measures aiming at
improving maternal and child health. In the West Bank, UNRWA provided antenatal
care to 7,893 pregnant women, post-natal care to 5,593 women and family planning
services to 23,731 women during the first two quarters of 2011. In the same period
9,453 women were referred to hospitals where they received advanced treatment. In
the Gaza Strip, the number of pregnant women receiving antenatal care reached
24,750 and all 8,187 deliveries over the first half of 2011 received post-natal care.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers living in isolated rural communities in the
Gaza Strip, including Bedouins, benefited from home medical visits provided by
UNRWA. Following the expansion of a WHO project to ensure quality maternal and
newborn health in the six hospitals in the Gaza Strip, the rate of early discharge for
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mothers was reduced, thereby improving post-natal care and reducing risk to women
and newborn babies. Additionally, WHO has begun piloting a programme to
increase the midwifery capacity among health-care professionals. To address rising
micronutrient deficiencies among women and children, UNICEF launched the Baby-
Friendly Hospital Initiative to promote infant feeding practices among mothers.
Additionally, UNICEF is supporting a national micronutrient survey to accurately
monitor the micronutritional status of women and children.
30. A range of psychosocial services were also provided. For example, from
October 2010 to June 2011, a total of 29,281 beneficiaries, of whom 62 per cent
were female and 37 per cent below the age of 18, received counselling through the
UNRWA community mental health programme. Over that same period, 86,937
refugees, of whom 58 per cent were female and 50 per cent were below the age of
18, benefited from community-based group activities and awareness sessions in the
area of mental health. In December 2010, WHO held a workshop on the topic “Child
and maternal mental health in the Gaza Strip”, which brought together local
academics and mental health professionals to address ways of integrating mental
health into existing services, with a particular focus on the impact of military attacks
on the mental health of women and children. Each month, approximately 2,000 girls
and 1,000 mothers benefited from protection and psychosocial services in 20 family
centres supported by UNICEF across the Gaza Strip, aimed at strengthening their
coping skills. In addition, group and individual counselling benefited hundreds of
children and their caregivers in affected communities in both the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip.
31. UNICEF provided approximately 28,000 girls in 40 primary schools in the
Gaza Strip with improved access to safe drinking water through water tankers. The
rehabilitation of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in 27 schools is
expected to improve access to safe water and sanitation for roughly 14,000 girls and
550 female teachers. The continued rehabilitation of water networks in the south of
the West Bank resulted in 3,000 women and girls and their families having access to
safe drinking water through water networks for the first time.
32. Within the framework of a five-year HIV joint programme implemented in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN-Women presented the research on the topic
“Exploring dynamics and vulnerabilities of HIV transmission among sex workers in
the Palestinian context” at the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on
AIDS, held in New York in June 2011.
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
33. Socio-economic indicators confirm the continuing need to invest in economic
empowerment, livelihood and food security. Assistance by United Nations entities in
this area includes different forms of financial assistance, capacity-building,
emergency job creation as well as direct food assistance. Female-headed households
continued to be a specific target group for many entities.
34. UNRWA remains one of the main employers of women, particularly in the
extremely limited labour market of the Gaza Strip. In addition, UNRWA offers
women short-term employment opportunities through its emergency job-creation
programme. Between 1 September 2010 and 31 July 2011, a total of 17,424 women
in the West Bank received work through the programme. Tools, materials and
E/CN.6/2012/6
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equipment, such as sewing machines, fabrics and thread for the production of
embroidery items were provided to participating women’s centres all over the West
Bank. In the Gaza Strip, as of mid-August 2011, women held 6,840 out of a total of
24,317 positions created through the programme. Through the “women-run school
canteens” project, funded by Norway and in partnership with the Ministry of
Education and Higher Education, UN-Women has been able to continue to provide
women’s centres with a sustainable income. By preparing the meals for the school
canteens, 26 women’s centres have become financially independent, are providing
an income for the women working with them and are also providing healthy meals
to the schoolchildren.
35. To provide short-term poverty alleviation, UNRWA continued its efforts to
offer relief to special hardship cases in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip,
including through cash assistance. A high number of the beneficiaries were female.
In addition, UNRWA provided emergency cash assistance for shelter repair to
female-headed households in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. UNRWA also
implemented various measures to support longer-term livelihood strategies, including
through the provision of financial services. From 1 September 2010 to 31 July 2011,
14 per cent of the loans in the West Bank were given to women clients. During the
same period in Gaza, UNRWA disbursed a total of 1,071 business loans to female
beneficiaries, amounting to $1,379,700 and a total of 167 non-business loans valued
at $574,100 to support the housing and consumer needs of female-headed
households. With a special emphasis on women-headed households, UNDP/
Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People strengthened activities under the
Deprived Families Economic Empowerment Programme, which works to improve
the living conditions and economically empower the most deprived Palestinian
families, through accessing a package of financial and non-financial services. It is
estimated that 1,400 women benefit from the 35 per cent of projects run by women
under the Programme.
36. ILO, UNDP, UNESCO and UN-Women provided various forms of capacitybuilding,
technical and other support to promote the economic empowerment of
women. ILO, in cooperation with the Union of Cooperative Associations for
Savings and Credit, provided members of 40 women-only cooperatives across the
West Bank with grants, training and technical assistance. ILO also piloted a
capacity-building programme targeting over 200 Palestinian women
microentrepreneurs to introduce and showcase the ILO Gender and
Entrepreneurship Together (GET Ahead) training methodology. In addition to
enhancing employment opportunities for women, this ILO initiative served the
broader purpose of building the capacities of business development service
institutions to provide gender-responsive services. Through the Joint Programme on
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
run by the Millennium Development Goals Fund, UNESCO, UNDP and UN-Women
have supported initiatives such as the community-based production and marketing
of arts and crafts by women artisans and women’s involvement in ecotourism.
37. FAO has continued its work to improve food and economic security through
projects targeting female-headed households. Activities include home gardens,
livestock units, aquaculture, food processing, marketing, improving water
management and support to women associations. Approximately one third of FAO
beneficiaries in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are women. Women and foodinsecure
female-headed households are a primary target group of the FAO three-year
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Plan of Action (2011-2013) for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Female-headed
households are also an explicit target group for WFP in both the West Bank and
Gaza Strip and are prioritized throughout all food distribution programmes. Some
35,651 women had a ration card from WFP in the reporting period. In most cases,
they are also targeted by complementary interventions such as cash assistance. Food
assistance provided by UNRWA reached 10,244 female-headed households in the
West Bank and 7,650 in the Gaza Strip.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
38. During the reporting period, United Nations entities continued to promote
women’s access to justice and implement a range of measures to address violence
against women. Through its Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme,
UNDP/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People supported civil society
organizations providing Palestinian women with legal aid and assistance, including
in divorce cases, and, in conjunction with the Palestinian Bar Association, supported
the establishment of a network of female lawyers. Additionally, women going
through divorce benefited from a financial assistance programme administered
through the Palestinian Maintenance Fund. UNRWA provided legal advice and
support to 3,341 women through legal advice bureaux based in women’s programme
centres. A range of awareness-raising classes on cultural, health and social issues
were also provided at these centres. OHCHR undertook many activities to promote
women’s rights in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including public
information and awareness-raising activities and training on relevant standards of
international human rights law and international human rights procedures for staff
of women’s rights organizations.
39. The United Nations Office for Projects Services designed and constructed a
gender-sensitive prison and detention facility in the West Bank, allowing female
inmates full movement and use of facilities, while providing privacy and separation
from male prisoners. This marked significant progress in the care and rehabilitation
of female inmates in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. UN-Women provided a full
support package of regular weekly social, psychological and legal assistance to
women inmates in the three Palestinian reform and rehabilitation centres, which
included primary need goods to female inmates with newborn babies. In conjunction
with the Independent Commission for Human Rights, UN-Women helped to ensure
the reporting of violations against female inmates, improved monitoring of inmate
conditions and the filing of complaints or requests for actions to the relevant
authorities.
40. On behalf of several donors and the Ministry of the Interior, the United
Nations Office for Projects Services also implemented the expansion of a police
training centre in the West Bank, which has resulted in a comprehensive and modern
training facility for almost 600 cadets, including both male and female students.
Special consideration has been given to the gender perspective in all new buildings,
with a particular emphasis on dormitory buildings, the learning centre and the
gymnasium to ensure the equal participation and education of female cadets.
41. Various entities, including OHCHR, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNRWA and
UN-Women, continued to implement various initiatives to raise awareness and
enhance capacity among practitioners to prevent and respond to violence against
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14 11-63206
women. UNFPA developed guidance and provided training to social workers and
health-care providers on ways of responding to the needs of victims of violence and
implemented awareness-raising initiatives targeted at groups such as rural women
and religious leaders. UNRWA organized capacity-building workshops for their
health-care staff to help them to identify and address cases of domestic violence in
their health centres. Capacity-building workshops on the prevention of domestic
violence were also held for community members in refugee camps and for
community-based organizations. UN-Women supported a public awareness
campaign that included daily radio features, and awareness-raising workshops
reaching 2,051 people in the Gaza Strip. Within the framework of the “16 Days of
Activism Against Gender Violence” global campaign, United Nations entities
supported the organization of festivals to combat violence against women in
Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip, attracting more than 600 and 700 people,
respectively.
42. A range of initiatives aimed to increase the access to services for women and
girls survivors of violence. For example, acting under the umbrella of the Ministry
of Social Affairs, UN-Women continued to support the Mehwar Centre in
Bethlehem, the first multiservice centre providing shelter, psychosocial counselling,
health, legal aid and empowerment opportunities. Building on this experience, a
new multi-purpose centre — the Hayat Centre — was established in the Gaza Strip.
UN-Women also continued to support the Sawa Helpline for survivors of violence
against women. UNRWA established family and child protection committees in nine
refugee camps in the West Bank to bring community representatives, leaders and
organizations together with the UNRWA health, education and social services
departments to lead the implementation of a comprehensive multisectoral approach
to combating violence against women. Efforts are also under way to develop referral
systems for women victims of violence. UNRWA established five one-stop centres
providing health services, legal advice and psychosocial counselling to survivors of
violence and UNRWA frontline staff are being trained to refer and counsel survivors
of violence. UNFPA continued to support three community-based coalitions that
provide psychosocial counselling and help in establishing various community-based
initiatives focusing on women’s empowerment.
43. A number of entities provided institutional support to efforts to address
violence against women, including domestic violence. This included support by
UN-Women to the development of the National Strategy to Combat Violence against
Women (2011-2019) and support by UNDP/Programme of Assistance to the
Palestinian People and UNFPA to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to
implement the 2011 Palestinian Domestic Violence Survey, which will provide key
baseline information for policy, planning and tracking of progress in addressing
domestic violence. UNESCO organized a series of training workshops for
approximately 400 women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
parliamentarians, on analysing data and statistics on violence against women, which
resulted in the development of an action plan by participants linked to the National
Strategy to Combat Violence against Women (2011-2019). ILO contracted the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Birzeit University Institute of
Women’s Studies to jointly conduct a study on the gender dimensions of violence in
the world of work.
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11-63206 15
E. Power and decision-making
44. A number of United Nations entities implemented activities such as
workshops, trainings and awareness-raising initiatives to promote women’s
participation in decision-making and leadership. UNDP/Programme of Assistance to
the Palestinian People organized a two-day workshop in July 2011 to support
dialogue on the kind of State that would best deliver to women, which linked
together women from all over the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The aim of the
workshop was to give Palestinian women a space to voice their concerns and
opinions on a future Palestinian State, to learn from experiences of women in Statebuilding
efforts in other transitional societies, and to propose approaches that
women could take in the coming months to ensure that their opinions are reflected
in public debates. In the Gaza Strip, UNDP provided training in leadership,
empowerment and entrepreneurship to 52 women leaders of the administrative
committees of community-based organizations. UN-Women, in partnership with the
Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, organized awareness-raising activities on
women’s political participation and leadership for 1,136 participants representing a
cross-section of civil society groups.
F. Institutional development
45. A number of United Nations entities, including ILO, FAO, UNDP/Programme
of Assistance to the Palestinian People, UNESCO, UNFPA and UN-Women have
continued to support various ministries, such as the Ministries of Women’s Affairs,
Agriculture, Social Affairs, Labour, Culture and Youth and Sports, to mainstream
gender perspectives into their areas of work and improve the monitoring of progress
in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, including through
sector-specific technical support, the secondment of gender equality experts in
ministries and efforts to improve capacities for gender-based analysis and data
collection. As part of the roll out of the implementation of the Cross-Sectoral
National Gender Strategy for 2011-2013, UN-Women supported the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs in the organization of its first ever international donor meeting
with the aim of seeking support for the implementation of the three-year strategy.
46. ILO organized rounds of training and extensive participatory gender audits,
after which the creation of a national audit team was announced by the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs. The team will continue to work through action plans, developed in
consultation between ILO and its tripartite constituents, thereby effectively
addressing the gender gaps detected in the audits.
47. ILO also assisted in the establishment of a national women’s employment
committee. The committee, which was endorsed by the Minister of Labour on
24 March 2011, will assist the Ministry of Labour and social partners in
implementing specific measures to promote women’s employment and their
protection in the workplace. In July 2011, ILO met with the Minister of Labour to
follow up on a study entitled “Review of labour laws to promote women’s labour
force: a legal analysis and recommendations for promoting gender equality”,
conducted in 2010 in consultation with the Ministry of Labour and the national
women’s employment committee. The study puts forward suggestions for future
revisions of the Palestinian Labour Law.
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48. Both UNDP/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People and UNFPA
supported enhanced attention to gender equality and youth priorities and the
engagement of young women in decision-making. UNDP/Programme of Assistance
to the Palestinian People worked closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and
local civil society organizations to support the drafting of the Palestinian Youth
Sector Strategy 2011-2013 Document, including by ensuring the active participation
of young women and men from the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the
Gaza Strip in the process.
49. The UNESCO Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation Centre
provided training to women leaders of organizations in developing indicators to
measure organizational effectiveness and supported the Ministries of Women’s
Affairs and Culture in the development of gender-sensitive indicators. In addition,
21 participants from the gender units of different ministries were provided training
in gender issues as well as management, planning, advocacy, monitoring and
evaluation.
50. Initiatives targeted at the United Nations system were also implemented. For
example, the UNRWA Gaza Women’s Committee has provided services and training
to women employees to improve their day-to-day work life and assist them in
exploring future opportunities to develop themselves professionally. UN-Women
continued to provide technical assistance and gender training to other United
Nations entities working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on ways to
mainstream gender equality perspectives at all stages of programming and policy
formation.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
51. The overall political, humanitarian, security and socio-economic situation
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory remained challenging. The stalled peace
process, escalation in tensions between the parties, increased settlement
activity, the internal Palestinian divide and continued outbreaks of violence are
causes of serious concern. Improving the situation of Palestinian women
remains closely linked to efforts to find lasting peace. It is critical to ensure
Palestinian women’s full and equal participation in conflict-resolution and
mediation efforts as well as in the statehood dialogue, so that they, along with
men, shape the future direction of their society in accordance with the global
commitments set out in instruments such as the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action and Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008),
1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010).
52. During the reporting period, United Nations entities continued to assist
Palestinian women and girls in a multitude of ways, including by providing
education and health, improving access to safe water, creating employment
opportunities, including emergency employment, supporting their longer-term
livelihood and economic empowerment through financial and other measures,
such as training and capacity-building, and by improving food security.
Female-headed households continued to be a main target group for many
entities. The United Nations system has also assisted in efforts to strengthen
institutional and policy development and the rule of law and, in particular, to
improve the prevention and response to violence against women. Access to basic
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services, however, is still inadequate for all Palestinians, in particular women
and girls, and high levels of unemployment, poverty and insecurity persist.
Continued support and increased investment across all these areas remain a
critical need.
53. Over the past year, important achievements have been made in policy
development. The launch of the Cross-Sectoral National Gender Strategy for
2011-2013 and the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women
(2011-2019) and the initial steps taken to implement them are encouraging.
These strategies serve as important tools to address the urgent needs and
priorities of women and girls, to tackle gender-based discrimination in law and
in practice, to prevent all forms of violence against women, including domestic
violence, and to protect women and girls from such violence. Promising work
was also undertaken to bring more attention to gender equality issues in the
development of the 2011-2013 Palestinian Youth Sector Strategy Document and
in discussions regarding revisions of the Palestinian Labour Law. The effective
implementation of these strategies requires sustained political commitment,
technical support and financial resources.
54. Socio-economic indicators reveal that there is a serious need to continue to
invest in women’s economic empowerment, livelihood and food security.
Women’s economic empowerment is a necessity for women’s political
empowerment but also for the overall development and growth of the
Palestinian economy and society. The Palestinian Authority, United Nations
entities and other stakeholders should continue to develop and implement
measures in support of women’s access to and control over resources, training
and the creation of employment opportunities for women.
55. Enhanced efforts should be taken to systematically incorporate
information on the situation of women and girls in studies, reports and
briefings by the United Nations system and by independent experts related to
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and this information should also be brought
to the attention of the relevant intergovernmental bodies. It is also essential to
continue efforts to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to
incorporate gender equality perspectives into the planning and implementation
of assistance programmes to ensure that the different needs, priorities,
capacities and contributions of women, men, boys and girls are fully recognized
and addressed and the entities continue to provide targeted assistance to
women and girls.
United Nations E/CN.6/2013/6*
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
18 December 2012
Original: English
12-65575* (E) 270213
*1265575*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-seventh session
4-15 March 2013
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda**
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2012/25, highlights the situation of Palestinian women between 1 October
2011 and 30 September 2012 and provides an overview of the assistance provided by
entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and training; health;
economic empowerment and livelihoods; rule of law and violence against women;
power and decision-making; and institutional development. The report concludes
with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status of Women.
* Reissued for technical reasons on 27 February 2013.
** E/CN.6/2013/1.
E/CN.6/2013/6
2 12-65575
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2012/25 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave
situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem. The Council requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid
out by the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance
to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2012/6) and to submit to the Commission on the
Status of Women at its fifty-seventh session a report, including information provided
by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the
progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 October 2011 to 30 September
2012 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from
United Nations entities and individual experts that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and
information submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide
assistance to Palestinian women, including ESCWA, the United Nations country
team for the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. The United Nations country
team has coordinated the contributions to the report of the following United Nations
entities: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development
Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP), the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the
United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process (UNSCO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the
World Health Organization (WHO).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. During the reporting period, the political, social and economic conditions on
the ground remained challenging. While these conditions have an impact on all
Palestinians, women and girls experience them differently because of gender-based
inequalities and discrimination. Despite efforts by the United Nations, the Quartet
and individual Member States to provide facilitation and some initial diplomatic
progress in early 2012, peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians
remained at an impasse, with confidence in the political process eroding. The
continuation of the political and geographical divide between the Gaza Strip and the
E/CN.6/2013/6
12-65575 3
West Bank and limited progress in reconciliation, ongoing Israeli occupation of the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and closure of the Gaza Strip, continued to
give rise to a difficult social and economic situation for Palestinians in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. At the same time, the Palestinians’ State-building programme
progressed further, increasing both the depth and the breadth of institutional
readiness for Statehood. The sustainability of these achievements, however, whether
in the economic or the security fields, is at increased risk. The growing tension and
escalation in violence are of grave concern. The United Nations and Quartet partners
have, as outlined in recent reports by the Secretary-General, continuously urged
both sides to avoid provocations which would be detrimental to the prospects of
peace (see A/67/84-E/2012/68 and A/67/364-S/2012/701).
5. Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continue to face serious
obstacles to freedom of movement and access. Inadequate zoning and planning on
the part of Israeli authorities, residency policies and practices,1 expropriations of
buildings and allocation of land, the barrier, checkpoints, the permit and access
regime, and bureaucratic constraints constitute a multifaceted system which
impeded movement into the Gaza Strip, between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
within the West Bank, and into East Jerusalem from the remainder of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. The barrier and the restrictions have a gender-specific impact
and continue to present particular risks for expectant mothers, such as lack of access
to specialized maternal care for high-risk births. The restrictions have a significant
impact on overall economic development and on the capacity of local and
international organizations to provide humanitarian and other assistance.2
6. Continued settlement activity has resulted in the forced eviction and
displacement of Palestinians, causing direct physical insecurity, disruption of
livelihoods and basic services, a decreased standard of living and increasing
dependence on humanitarian aid. As outlined in recent reports by the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the impact on women’s and families’
psychosocial well-being can be devastating.3
7. Tensions, violent incidents and attacks linked to the conflict and the
occupation continued throughout the reporting period, resulting in civilian deaths
and injury. There was a reported increase in settler-related violence in the West
Bank. Israel faced increased indiscriminate firing of rockets, mortars and other
munitions from Gaza, which spiked during several dangerous rounds of escalation.
Gazans suffered from militant activity as well as operations of the Israeli Defence
Forces (IDF), which conducted an increased number of air strikes (see A/67/84-
E/2012/68 and E/67/364-S/2012/701). According to the Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs,4 in the West Bank 5 Palestinian civilians (4 men and
1 boy) were killed and 2,372 injured (including 1,986 men, 75 women, 288 boys and
__________________
1 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian
territory, “The humanitarian impact of the Barrier”, fact sheet (July 2012).
2 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian
territory, “Fragmented lives: humanitarian overview 2011” (May 2012).
3 See, for example, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied
Palestinian territory, “Demolitions and forced displacement in the Occupied West Bank”
(January 2012); and “Settlements in Palestinian residential areas in East Jerusalem” (April
2012).
4 Figures cover the period from 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2012; data collected by the
United Nations.
E/CN.6/2013/6
4 12-65575
16 girls) by IDF, while 112 men, 21 women and 40 children were injured by settlers.
Forty Israeli settlers (36 men, 1 woman, 2 boys and 1 girl) were injured by
Palestinians. In the Gaza Strip, 11 Palestinian civilians (7 men, 1 woman and
3 boys) were killed and 153 injured (including 84 men, 25 women, 33 boys and
3 girls) during Israeli air strikes. Twelve Israeli civilians (11 men and 1 woman)
were injured by Palestinian rockets launched into southern Israel. According to the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, available
information indicates that violent acts by members of IDF or by settlers are rarely
subject to independent or impartial investigations and that violations are often
perpetrated with impunity.
8. Women in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip remained vulnerable to
arbitrary restrictions on their right to freedom of expression and assembly. The
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that
women continued to be exposed to violence and danger during peaceful
demonstrations, where, on separate occasions, both Israeli and Palestinian Authority
security forces (in the West Bank), as well as the de facto authorities (in the Gaza
Strip), used excessive force in policing the demonstrations.
9. As of 31 August 2012, 6 women were held in Israeli prisons outside of the
Occupied Palestinian Territory in contravention of international law, representing a
decrease, from 29 women, during the previous reporting period. However, reports
indicate that Palestinian women continue to live in poor conditions in these prisons
and face reintegration problems upon release owing to lack of social support.5
10. The reporting period saw an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) figures,
lower inflation and better employment indicators. Yet, poverty and unemployment
rates remained high, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The poverty level was 25.8 per
cent in 2011, ranging from 17.8 per cent in the West Bank to 38.8 per cent in Gaza.6
Palestinian women living in refugee camps tend to be the most vulnerable to
poverty.7 A report recently released by the United Nations country team concluded
that the continued restrictions on imports to and exports from the Gaza Strip
substantially impacted the prospects for economic development and growth.8 An
estimated 80 per cent of the population was dependent on humanitarian assistance.9
11. Some 1.3 million Palestinians were living in food insecurity in 2011. In a joint
assessment on socioeconomic and food security in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
carried out by FAO, UNRWA, WFP and the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics,10 the food insecurity levels among female-headed households in the West
__________________
5 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
6 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Levels of living and poverty in the Palestinian
territory, 2011”.
7 Contribution of ESCWA to the present report.
8 United Nations country team, “Gaza in 2020: a liveable place?” (Jerusalem, Office of the United
Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), August 2012).
9 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian
territory, “Five years of blockade: the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip”, fact sheet (June
2012).
10 FAO, UNRWA, WFP and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Socio-economic and food
security survey: West Bank and Gaza Strip, occupied Palestinian territory — 2011” (May 2012).
Available from www.wfp.org/content/occupied-palestinian-territory-socio-economic-and-foodsecurity-
survey-may-2012 (accessed November 2012).
E/CN.6/2013/6
12-65575 5
Bank were found to be 7 per cent higher than among male-headed households. In
Gaza, 44 per cent of all households were food-insecure, compared with 17 per cent
in the West Bank. Food insecurity levels among female-headed households in area C
of the West Bank had reached 39 per cent.11
12. Available data show that women’s unemployment rates during the second
quarter of 2012 remained high, at 47.2 per cent in the Gaza Strip and 21.4 per cent
in the West Bank. Women’s participation rates in the labour force stood only at
14.9 per cent (compared with 65.9 per cent for males) in Gaza and at 18.6 per cent
(compared with 71.5 per cent for males) in the West Bank. The majority of formally
employed Palestinian women worked in part-time positions, in fields such as
education and teaching, clerical work and services. Refugee women are more
affected by unemployment than non-refugee women in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory.12 Real public sector wages showed significant disparities between men
and women, the average daily wages earned by women amounting to only 84 per
cent of those earned by men in 2011.13 The absence of a social security law has
resulted in discrimination against women and workers with family
responsibilities.14 According to an ILO gender legal review, Palestinian society still
perceives women’s presence in the labour market as a threat to men’s work
opportunities, and as being more expensive to the employer than the presence of
men, because of the perceived high costs of their employment owing to marital
status and maternity leave.15
13. Women’s health continued to be an area of concern, with women in vulnerable
communities having limited access to essential health care. Restrictions on
movement and on access continued to impede access to health care, more
particularly for women in area C,16 in the seam zone17 and in the Gaza Strip. In the
West Bank, according to the consolidated appeals process 2012, about
186 communities (approximately 151,000 women and girls) had limited access to
essential health care, while 249 communities (279,000 women and girls) had no
adequate access to emergency care. Micronutrient deficiencies remain a concern,
with high levels of anaemia, as well as vitamin A and D deficiencies, recorded for
girls, boys and pregnant women. Anaemia levels were at 57 per cent among children
9 to 12 months of age, and 26.8 per cent among pregnant women. An estimated
45 per cent of pregnant women in the Gaza Strip suffered from anaemia. Other
prevalent disorders during pregnancy included hypertension, diabetes and
__________________
11 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
12 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Labour force survey: second quarter” (2012).
13 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Performance of the Palestinian Economy, 2011”.
14 ILO, “Review of labour laws to promote women’s labour force participation: a legal analysis
and recommendations for promoting gender equality” (Geneva, 2011).
15 ILO, MDG Achievement Fund, “Mainstreaming gender equality concerns in Palestinian
cooperatives”, policy brief No. 10.
16 Area C is the portion of the West Bank under full Israeli civil and security control and covers
over 60 per cent of the West Bank.
17 The “seam zone” is the closed area between the Green Line and the separation barrier in which
about 11,000 Palestinians currently reside. See United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory, “West Bank movement and access update”
(September 2012).
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psychological problems.18 In 2011, the Ministry of Health reported that the maternal
mortality ratio was 28/100,000 live births in the OPT and total fertility rates were
4.9 for the Gaza Strip and 3.8 for the West Bank.19 The main cause of morbidity
among Palestinians is chronic non-communicable disorders, while diabetes had an
incidence rate of 154.4 per 100,000 in the West Bank in 2011. Ministry of Health
statistics for the West Bank show that breast cancer was the most common
malignant disease for women (11.8 per cent).20
14. The situation in relation to water and sanitation remains critical, especially in
Gaza, where 90 per cent of water from the aquifer is not safe for drinking without
treatment. Availability of clean water is thus limited, with average consumption of
70-90 litres a day, below the global WHO standard of 100 litres per day.21
According to UNICEF, about 83 per cent of the population in the Gaza Strip is
dependent upon private water vendors for their supplies of drinking water. This
water risks being polluted by the time it reaches the consumer, owing to an absence
of regulation, and puts a financial strain on the most vulnerable families. In the West
Bank, lack of adequate water has placed over 50,000 people in 151 communities in a
vulnerable position. Eleven out of the 19 refugee camps in the West Bank have
official sewerage networks that are connected to municipal main sewerage systems.
The lack of sewerage systems in the remaining camps has affected Palestinian
refugees negatively, and is linked with issues such as clean water and underground
water contamination as well as water-borne diseases. As a result of the lack of safe
drinking water and sanitation services, the health of women and children in
particular is being adversely affected. In addition, water shortages and sanitation
problems cause particularly acute problems for women, insofar as managing with
low water supplies imposes heavier domestic work burdens and confronting a higher
incidence of water-borne diseases among family members entails heavier care
responsibilities; moreover, these problems produce additional strains on household
income. UNICEF reports that inadequacies in water and sanitation facilities in
schools have led to poor hygiene among children in a large number of government
schools. Lack of adequate and separate toilets for boys and girls (in mixed schools)
has affected learning achievements.22
15. Education indicators for enrolment showed significant progress. The net
enrolment rate for basic education is 92 per cent, with more girls enrolled (95 per
cent) than boys (90 per cent).23 Female students constitute about 50.2 per cent of
children enrolled, increasing from 49.4 per cent in basic education to 54.1 per cent
in secondary education and to 57 per cent in higher education.24 In the Gaza Strip,
over 450,000 children, half of them girls, were attending schools during the 2010/11
academic year.25 Still, the education system is characterized by inequitable access
and an overall decline in the quality of education. Access to basic education is
__________________
18 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
19 Ministry of Health, “Annual report” (2011).
20 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
21 “Gaza in 2020: a liveable place?”.
22 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
23 Ministry of Education, “Annual report” (2011).
24 Ibid.
25 “Gaza in 2020: a liveable place?”.
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12-65575 7
affected by high school fees and the significant costs of transportation throughout
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with many families in East Jerusalem having to
send their children to private schools owing to limited space in public schools. In
the West Bank, threat of harassment by Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces on
the way to school, and fear of harm and humiliation at checkpoints, create stress and
fear among children and their families.26 According to UNICEF, in the Gaza Strip,
over 5,000 girls began the 2011/12 school year attending classes in tents, caravans
or tin shacks with minimal protection from the heat. The fuel shortage in the Gaza
Strip, which intensified in February 2012, resulted in scheduled blackouts for 6-18
hours per day and random unscheduled cuts,27 and has had an impact on the
functioning of schools. With regard to the Gaza Strip, literacy rates were positive,
with a 96 per cent literacy rate according to official figures (93 per cent for women
and 98 per cent for men).28 As noted during the last reporting period, advances in
the educational levels of girls at secondary school and university levels are yet to be
translated into gains in the labour market: women’s unemployment rates remain
significantly higher than men’s among women with 13 or more years of education.29
16. While women have continued to participate in a range of roles in political life
and hold various positions within the Palestinian political system and institutions,
they remain underrepresented in decision-making bodies. Women constitute 21 per
cent of the total number of current ministers (five ministers) and 6.3 per cent of
deputy ministers. As of 2010, women constituted 13.2 per cent of the Palestinian
Legislative Council and 18 per cent of local councils.30 These results were linked to
the implementation of a quota system in the Palestinian Legislative Council and
local councils. In the justice sector, women account for 11 per cent of all judges,
5 per cent of prosecutors and 15 per cent of all lawyers.31 There is one female
governor for the West Bank (Ramallah). The Palestinian Authority employs about
88,500 staff, of whom 41.1 per cent are women, with 36.5 per cent of ministry staff
being women. However, women tend to remain at the lower levels of decisionmaking.
32 According to UNRWA, in refugee camps, women also tend to be
underrepresented at the level of camp governance. Women’s organizations and
coalitions continued to raise awareness and advocate on women’s rights, on gender
equality and on combating violence against women. However, movement
restrictions and the divide between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, continue to
contribute to difficulties in coordinating between the different groups.33
__________________
26 UNICEF, “My right to education”, fact sheet (September 2012).
27 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian
territory, “The humanitarian impact of Gaza’s electricity and fuel crisis” (March 2012).
28 “Gaza in 2020, a liveable place?”.
29 Contribution of ESCWA to the present report.
30 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
31 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Women and Men in Palestine: issues and statistics,
2010” (2010).
32 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Women and Men in Palestine: issues and statistics,
2011” (December 2011).
33 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
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17. The Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to be characterized by differing
legal frameworks and a weak rule of law. The existing legal frameworks in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip contain laws that are outdated and discriminate against
women, particularly in matters of divorce, custody of children, inheritance and
violence against women. Little progress in legal reform was observed during the
reporting period, as the Palestinian Legislative Council has not been convened since
2007. A UNDP study in the West Bank shows that women face significant
challenges to accessing justice, including a lack of legal literacy, a lack of legal
assistance, and the insensitivity of justice and security institutions to their needs.34
18. A 2011 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics survey throughout the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip found that approximately 37 per cent of married Palestinian
women had experienced physical or sexual violence by their husbands in the past
12 months.35 Of these, 58.6 per cent reported experiencing psychological violence,
55.1 per cent economic deprivation, 54.8 per cent forced social isolation, 23.5 per
cent physical violence and 11.8 per cent sexual violence.36 In response to this
violence, 30.2 per cent sought refuge with family, while 65.3 per cent kept silent.
Only 0.7 per cent of those women who had experienced violence sought refuge in
shelters. With regard to children, 51 per cent of those surveyed reported having been
exposed to violence inside the household by at least one member of the household.
Of these, 69 per cent were exposed to psychological violence by their parents and
34.4 per cent to physical violence. According to police family protection unit annual
records, the units had received more than 2,500 reports of family violence and
handled a total of 1,755 complaints in 2011.37
19. The informal justice system continues to deal with matters traditionally
considered private issues, even those that are considered crimes by the Penal Code,
such as, inter alia, femicide, so-called honour crimes and violence against women
and children. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, partner non-governmental organizations documented four cases of
honour killings in the Gaza Strip during the reporting period, and eight cases in the
West Bank since 1 January 2012. In 2011, the President signed a presidential decree
that amended articles of the Penal Code by removing provisions for leniency with
regard to murder in the name of so-called family honour. The presidential decree has
still not been published in the official gazette and is therefore not effective.38
20. During the reporting period, the Palestinian Authority and civil society
partners undertook a number of steps additional to those reported in the last
reporting period to address violence against women. Following a rise in reported
violent attacks against women in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority
announced the formation of a committee to study personal status laws to protect
women. Police family protection units mandated to deal with cases of domestic
__________________
34 UNDP, “Public perceptions of Palestinian justice and security institutions” (December 2011).
35 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Violence survey in Palestinian communities”
(December 2011).
36 The survey sampled 5,811 households in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2011.
37 UN-Women, “Policing for women’s security and justice in the occupied Palestinian territory:
A comprehensive background analysis, and recommendations for strengthening the Palestinian
Civil Police and Family Protection Unit”(forthcoming in 2012).
38 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
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12-65575 9
violence in the West Bank were further strengthened, and an additional unit was
inaugurated in Jericho, bringing the total number in operation to eight.39
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
21. The present section provides information on efforts made by the United
Nations system, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, donors and civil
society, to address the specific needs and priorities of women and girls. It contains
updates on assistance provided in the following areas: education and training,
health, economic empowerment and livelihoods, rule of law and violence against
women, power and decision-making and institutional development. Many initiatives
were implemented through the United Nations Joint Programme on Gender Equality
and Empowerment of Women and the Joint Programme on Culture and
Development, funded by the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund
(MDG-F). The first seeks specifically to promote Palestinian women’s social,
economic and political empowerment and reduce gender-based violence by
encouraging their political voice, increasing their opportunities to obtain decent and
productive work, and improving their access to protection and justice.
A. Education and training
22. United Nations organizations continued to implement a range of initiatives to
promote women’s and girls’ access to education and training. In the 2011/12
academic year, 30,657 girls were enrolled in elementary and preparatory education
in UNRWA schools in the West Bank (58.2 per cent of students), and 104,983 girls
in the Gaza Strip (48.2 per cent of students). In the West Bank, 48 female students
benefited from UNRWA administered scholarships for universities and 1,074 female
students benefited from technical and vocational training (22 technical
specializations and 4 trade specializations), as well as career counselling. An
estimated 64 per cent of the 2011 female student graduates (out of a total of 376)
from UNRWA vocational training centres found work within one year. In the West
Bank, ILO partnered with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and UNRWA in developing the technical and vocational
training (TVET) module “Women gain employment skills in photography”. Trained
in entrepreneurial and technical skills, 17 women from the photography course
graduated successfully. In the Gaza Strip, ILO, in partnership with the Islamic
University of Gaza, initiated a project for skills development of women engineers in
the construction sector in Gaza. This project was based on the “Construction skills
deficit in Gaza” assessment which identified a gap between demand and supply, in
addition to the fact that most women engineers in the construction sector were
unemployed owing to social acceptance-related factors. Thirty-six women engineers
successfully graduated and completed the on-the-job training placements. The
Palestinian contractors union offered 10 women engineers a full-time paid job after
the completion of the programme. The FAO “Junior farmer field and life schools
project”, implemented in 22 schools in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, provided
training to 330 girls and 22 teachers in vocational agricultural skills.
__________________
39 Contribution to the present report of the United Nations country team in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
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23. UNICEF supported the rehabilitation of 23 schools, including the construction
of 10 new classrooms. During the reporting period, more than 40,000 children
(50 per cent of them girls) received learning materials, and protective access to
learning was improved for 5,400 children (2,700 girls), including through provision
of school vehicles. Opportunities for safe play and learning benefited 550 students
(50 per cent of them girls) in East Jerusalem and 3,500 children (1,700 of them
girls) in the Gaza Strip. After-school activities in adolescent-friendly services
centres reached 6,514 adolescents (3,252 girls) in 56 such centres (15 in the Gaza
Strip and 41 in the West Bank, including 10 in East Jerusalem), with active learning,
recreational activities and life skills-based education, creative thinking, active
research, social initiatives, forum theatre skills and peers education support. To
promote access to quality education for all Palestinian children, nine United Nations
organizations supported the Ministry of Education in developing an education
package designed to improve capacities on early childhood development and
promote inclusive and child-friendly education. Activities linked to the package
have been piloted in 46 schools (32 in the West Bank and 14 in the Gaza Strip).
B. Health
24. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to
facilitate access to health care for women living in isolated and marginalized
communities. Through six mobile health clinics, UNRWA provided outreach of
primary preventive and curative health care to 58 communities that lack health
services and have access difficulties, and where many women and children face a
threat of violence or harassment because of the current security situation. In
addition, UNRWA health centres in the West Bank treated over 20,000 female
patients for diabetes and/or hypertension. UNFPA rehabilitated and equipped
6 maternity hospitals and 14 primary health-care centres in the Gaza Strip, carried
out capacity development efforts targeting health-care providers in primary and
secondary health-care settings, and conducted outreach to 40 isolated communities
in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, helping them to access key reproductive health
services in isolated areas affected by the separation barrier, settlements and
checkpoints. To improve access of women in vulnerable communities to an essential
package of health services, UNICEF procured small-scale medical equipment for the
functioning of mobile clinics in area C; supported essential-care outreach services to
28 Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley; and procured essential drugs in the
Gaza Strip.
25. UNRWA, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO continued to provide a range of
services targeting maternal and child health. From September 2011 to July 2012, the
UNRWA West Bank Health Department provided antenatal care to 12,699 women,
postnatal care to 10,065 women and family planning services to about 24,611 clients
in the West Bank. Some 15,970 women were also referred to hospitals and assisted
with hospitalization. A total of 1,570 women were newly enrolled in pre-conception
care and 320 men were involved in accompanying their wives to pre-conception
care counselling and for family planning in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, during
the reporting period, there were 10,332 new acceptors of family planning and
6,027 women who were accessing pre-conception care at UNRWA clinics. In the
Gaza Strip, the number of pregnant women under antenatal care was 32,181, with
94 per cent participating in four or more antenatal care visits. Postnatal care was
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provided to 36,330 women (100 per cent for all deliveries during the reporting
period). UNFPA contributed to the development and implementation of behaviourchange
communication campaigns and activities within Palestinian communities
addressing reproductive health issues. As part of the humanitarian response in the
Gaza Strip, practitioners from primary health-care centres were trained on providing
safe delivery within the clinic or at the community level. UNICEF also trained
15 midwives on providing care to mothers and newborns. A total of 912 mothers and
their newborns were visited at least once from January to May 2012 with 2.0 per
cent of newborns and 2.2 per cent of mothers referred to health centres for
additional examinations and care. UNICEF procured micronutrient supplements for
the benefit of about 210,000 children and 110,000 women. UNICEF continued to
support the implementation of the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative in nine hospitals
(six in the West Bank and three in the Gaza Strip). UNICEF support to World
Breastfeeding Week celebrations involved working closely with religious
counsellors to enhance advocacy initiatives for young mothers. In addition, the
community component of the programme targeted all mothers of childbearing age in
the Gaza Strip. The programme upgraded skills of midwives and gynaecologists
(more than 50 were sent for training in East Jerusalem), improved health
information and supervision systems in maternity units and promoted safe childbirth
practices in Gaza communities through health workers and women’s organizations.
26. United Nations entities also continued to provide a range of psychosocial
services. UNICEF provided direct psychosocial support to 12,512 children (at least
6,000 girls) and about 11,000 caregivers (91 per cent of them female) in the Gaza
Strip. UNICEF support to the child protection networks continued with three
additional networks established in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, 14 girls and
11 boys were referred by child protection networks for specialized services and case
management; in the West Bank, 98 girls and 62 boys were referred. Psychosocial
counselling was offered in 21 UNRWA health centres and 15 relief and social
services offices across the Gaza Strip. During the reporting period, 6,407 women
accessed counselling services, the majority in UNRWA health centres.
27. During the reporting period, UNICEF supported a range of initiatives with
regard to water, sanitation and hygiene. This included the extension of water
networks in underserved communities in the south West Bank, benefiting
300 families, and the installation of household water filters, allowing 300 vulnerable
families in the Gaza Strip to access adequate water for drinking and domestic
purposes. UNICEF is also working on improving household-level water storage
capacity and safe sanitation facilities in area C of the West Bank and in the buffer
zone40 of the Gaza Strip. To minimize groundwater pollution and sewage flooding
in Rafah, UNICEF supported wastewater network improvement, benefiting 1,161
women and girls with adequate sanitation. In addition, UNICEF continued to
support the construction or rehabilitation of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities
in 68 schools (29 in the West Bank and 39 in Gaza), benefiting 48,896 students
(22,117 girls) with access to safe and adequate water and sanitation. UNICEF also
supported water tanking to 151 schools in Gaza for February-June 2012, thereby
providing safe drinking water to 70,000 students (37,237 girls), at 0.7-1 litre per day
per student.
__________________
40 The buffer zone is the zone inside Palestinian territory along the northern and eastern border of
the Gaza Strip with Israel, to which Israel restricts access, citing security concerns.
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C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
28. Microfinance support continued to be a source of short-term poverty
alleviation in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, with women representing a high
number of beneficiaries. From September 2011 to July 2012, the UNRWA
Microfinance Department provided 3,439 loans (34 per cent of total loans),
amounting to $3.5 million, to Palestinian refugee and non-refugee women in the
West Bank. In parallel, 171 individual loans, amounting to a total of $102,600, were
provided to poor and vulnerable Palestinian refugee women through the relief and
social services programme community managed fund. In the Gaza Strip, the
UNRWA Microfinance Department disbursed 3,567 loans valued at $5.7 million.
Women received 1,325 loans (37 per cent of the total) and $1.48 million (26 per
cent) in business and non-business loans to enhance entrepreneurship and access to
credit.
29. UNRWA has continued to provide relief to special hardship cases, including
providing grants to 18 income-generating projects across 15 community-based
organizations in the refugee camps in the West Bank. This contributed to the
employment of 42 women, training of 339 women and volunteer opportunities for
77 women. In the Gaza Strip, the programme has provided grants to 10 incomegenerating
projects established at women’s programme centres and communitybased
rehabilitation centres, employing 86 women in microenterprises such as
sewing, food, embroidery and hairdressing. In the West Bank, the UNRWA
humanitarian job creation programme offered short-term employment opportunities
to 10,560 Palestinian refugee women (42 per cent of total beneficiaries). The
humanitarian job creation programme provided a monthly cash-for-work subsidy of
$420 to female beneficiaries, and procured and distributed tools, materials and
equipment to 30 women’s centres.
30. Since the start of the United Nations Joint Programme on Gender Equality and
Empowerment of Women three years ago, ILO and UNRWA have provided various
forms of capacity-building and income-generating projects for women. ILO
provided members of 43 women-only cooperatives with grants, training and
technical assistance, and piloted a capacity-building programme focused on business
management and marketing skills, targeting 300 Palestinian women
microentrepreneurs across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ILO also assisted in
the formation of the National Women’s Economic Council, with the mandate to
formulate and adopt a conceptual policy framework through which to reinforce the
economic participation of women, end discrimination and inequality, provide
support to the Ministry of Labour and influence national policies so as to increase
opportunities for women.
31. FAO, WFP and UN-Women continued interventions to enhance women’s
economic empowerment and food security. FAO provided agriculture inputs and
training on food processing, marketing and bookkeeping to women associations in
rural areas, benefiting 2,000 women-headed households in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip in 2011. WFP provided assistance through food distribution and voucher
programmes, which reached 245,101 women. Female-headed households in both the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip were targeted, receiving, in most cases,
complementary interventions including cash assistance. During the reporting period,
UN-Women supported 32 women’s centres running canteens that became financially
independent and provided meals for 22,572 children. The programme generated
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employment opportunities for 110 women, many of whom were working for the first
time in their lives.
32. Through the Gaza gender initiative, UNRWA implemented the young women
leaders programme aiming to close the skills gap between the labour market and the
educated labour force, through ensuring that young women graduates develop skills
required by the labour market. During the reporting period, the programme reached
723 female graduates. As part of the same initiative, UNRWA ran an empowerment
programme for female-headed households, offering targeted skills-building related
to financial literacy, household management and microbusiness. Three hundred
female heads of household benefited from the programme.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
33. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives designed
to improve women’s access to justice and enhance capacity to prevent and respond
to violence against women. The UNDP Rule of Law programme supported about
10 organizations that provide legal aid to women by representing them in cases
involving family law and other matters such as labour rights, gender-based violence
and family reunification before the sharia courts, in both the West Bank (including
East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The programme supported 275 women with
legal representation and provided legal advice to 1,519 women and psychosocial
support services to 444 women. In addition, 5,710 women participated in legal
awareness-raising workshops. Gender-related training was provided to 240 female
lawyers and 110 female law students. In the Gaza Strip, 3,645 women received legal
advice and psychosocial assistance through legal aid units and from psychosocial
counsellors working in the women’s programme centres supported by UNRWA.
UN-Women supported the formation of a group of specialized lawyers, under the
auspices of the Palestinian Bar Association, to provide legal aid and representation
to women victims of violence. The development of a capacity development
programme designed to train lawyers specializing in defending women victims of
violence was supported as well. UN-Women also provided technical assistance to
the Independent Commission for Human Rights in developing a database for
monitoring women’s access to justice.
34. UN-Women supported the Palestinian Civil Police in developing the first
strategy and action plan, standard operating procedures, job descriptions and
minimum standard guidelines for family protection units, as well as a capacity
development programme for its staff. UN-Women also supported the development
of a media campaign to inform the public of the Palestinian Authority’s commitment
to ending domestic violence and promoted strengthening of coordination between
prosecutors and specialized police in dealing with cases of women victims of
violence.
35. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Office for
Project Services and UN-Women continued to implement initiatives in support of
the strengthening of the management of the Palestinian penitentiary system and the
rehabilitation of inmates in reform and rehabilitation centres administered by the
Palestinian Authority. UN-Women supported the establishment and implementation
of rehabilitation programmes for female inmates in these centres (with a monthly
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range of 30 female inmates), providing them with legal aid and representation
services.
36. During the reporting period, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
supported the implementation of a four-year project entitled “Forensic human
resource and governance development assistance for the Palestinian Authority”,
which aims to ensure that sexual and family violence cases are investigated and
prosecuted with the necessary sensitivity by law enforcement and the judiciary. It
also aims to guarantee that there are sufficient numbers of knowledgeable, skilled
and competent female specialist forensic physicians, doctors, nurses and forensic
scientists for the anticipated enhanced capability in clinical forensic services as
applied to crimes, sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.
37. A number of entities, including UN-Women, UNRWA, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNFPA, supported various
activities aimed at raising awareness on violence against women. Advocacy and
public education initiatives included festivals to combat violence against women in
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a public event organized by women victims of
violence to enable them to speak about their experiences and training for different
stakeholders. Between December 2011 and June 2012, UNRWA delivered basic and
specialized training for staff, community-based organizations and community
representatives on identification, intervention and referral in respect of gender-based
violence cases, violence against women, family protection and the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.41 The Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights continued to engage in
awareness-raising activities regarding women’s rights, and to work closely with
women’s rights organizations to strengthen their capacity in utilizing international
human rights procedures.
38. United Nations entities continued to support the development and expansion of
services targeted at women survivors of violence. UN-Women continued to support
the Mehwar Centre, the first multi-service centre in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, which throughout the reporting period sheltered an average of 20 women
on any given day and continued to provide a range of social and legal services, as
well as to economically empower women and to reintegrate them in society.
UN-Women, in collaboration with UNDP, also continued to support the Hayat
multipurpose centre for the empowerment of women and families, in the Gaza Strip,
at which 30 women benefited from psychological, social and legal services during
the period. In the West Bank, UNRWA developed an internal referral mechanism for
survivors of gender-based violence in nine refugee camps and is currently
expanding the mechanism to an additional seven camps, one village and one city in
the north of the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, the gender-based violence referral
system, established to provide coordinated responses to gender-based violence
across its service programmes in the health, social services and mental health
sectors, was further expanded to include 18 one-stop centres. During the reporting
period, 651 cases of gender-based violence were detected and referred through the
new system, with the majority of victims and survivors having been subjected to
physical violence and emotional abuse perpetrated by their husband. A
comprehensive and confidential gender-based violence information management
system was also designed and launched. Building on initiatives reported in the last
__________________
41 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
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reporting period, entities such as UN-Women, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO
and ILO continued to support Palestinian institutions in building capacity to prevent
and respond to violence against women, including through the implementation of
the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women (2011-2019) and efforts to
improve data collection and analysis in this area.
E. Power and decision-making
39. During 2012, UNDP supported the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of
Global Dialogue and Democracy designed to enhance the capacities of 40 young
Palestinian women leaders across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and strengthen
their networks. As a result, 85 per cent of the trainees participated as observers in
monitoring the local elections held in October 2012. In addition, four participants
ran for elections in the list of their political party. UN-Women, in partnership with
the Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, provided training and awareness-raising
on women’s political participation and leadership to over 1,300 women and men,
including local council members and youth. Through this programme, two local
councils revised their strategies and workplans to ensure that gender was
mainstreamed and the reactivation of the national committee for women’s political
participation was achieved. The Women’s Affairs Technical Committee reported that
over 20 women had submitted applications for membership in the General Union of
Palestinian Women.
F. Institutional development
40. As part of the Joint Programme on Gender Equality and Empowerment of
Women, UNDP advanced gender awareness and expertise among civil servants
working at the local governance units and at different community levels,
undertaking capacity development interventions in partnership with Birzeit
University. Some 370 public servants (38 per cent of them women) were equipped
with the knowledge and tools needed to integrate gender in district development
planning and gender-sensitive budgeting.
41. UNDP and UN-Women signed an agreement with the Ministry of Women’s
Affairs to establish a monitoring and evaluation unit and to conduct a capacitybuilding
development plan for its staff. This unit complements other existing
monitoring and evaluation units at the Ministry of Planning, the Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics and other line institutions in respect of monitoring gender
equality and the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Violence
against Women and the Cross-Sectoral National Gender Strategy.
42. UNDP seconded a gender expert to the Ministry of Justice, who assisted the
Ministry in establishing a gender justice unit. The gender expert worked with the
Ministry to develop a gender action plan based on relevant national strategies. The
strengthening of this gender unit is currently being supported by the United Nations
Office for Project Services at the technical and operational levels through the
Sharaka project.
43. During the reporting period, a number of ministries made progress in
mainstreaming gender in their policies, programmes and strategies. The Ministry of
Agriculture amended its recruitment policy to ensure that 25 per cent of all newly
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recruited staff at middle and senior management levels are women. The Ministry of
Culture mainstreamed gender into the culture sector strategy and documented
promising practices for integrating gender into achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals. The Ministry of Education adopted the school canteens scheme
as a national business model for women. The Ministry of the Interior/Palestinian
civil police reform and rehabilitation centres recognized the right of women inmates
to work during detention and approved economic empowerment opportunities for
women inmates. In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs oversaw the Mehwar
Centre and increased the quality and number of employment opportunities for
women living in the shelter.
44. ILO supported the Palestinian Authority in establishing a national minimum
wage to protect low-wage workers and help marginalized and vulnerable groups,
provided technical assistance with respect to the review of labour and employmentrelated
legislation, and undertook a gender legal review in collaboration with the
National Women’s Employment Committee. A range of amendments, primarily to
the labour law of 2000, were proposed based on the review. ILO also provided
technical assistance in the development of an integrated social security system, and
continued to provide training and technical assistance on the conduct of gender
audits to ministries and other institutions.
45. UNFPA assisted the Ministry of Health in developing a national programme
for family planning services and the national reproductive health strategy for the
years 2013-2016. UNFPA also assisted in the development of curricula focusing on
gender-based violence-related issues, and conducted capacity-building initiatives
focused on religious and community leaders. UNFPA supported the Ministry of
Social Affairs in producing a life skills curriculum for the use of counsellors dealing
with marginalized young girls and boys. WHO conducted training workshops for
Ministry of Health staff to develop capacity to undertake analysis and address the
differential impact of health policies on women and men.
46. UNESCO continued to support the Palestinian Women’s Research and
Documentation Centre in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment
through capacity-building, research, advocacy and documentation activities. The
UNESCO capacity development programme helped various community-based and
non-governmental and governmental organizations to run programmes, conduct
research and analyse policies from a gender perspective, and communicate
effectively in respect of the issues affecting the situation and status of Palestinian
women. UNESCO also implemented a coaching programme for gender units in line
ministries.
47. As in the previous reporting period, a number of initiatives were also
undertaken to enhance gender mainstreaming within the United Nations system.
UN-Women recently completed a gender review of the medium-term response plan
2011-201342 with the purpose of setting clear outcomes, outputs and indicators
which would contribute to and measure progress in terms of gender equality.
UN-Women also undertook pilot gender mainstreaming efforts with UNRWA and
FAO. UN-Women engaged with FAO, in a full assessment of their operations and
programmes, whose recommendations are now being applied by the FAO office. The
__________________
42 The medium-term response plan of the United Nations country team is a strategic planning tool
aimed at structuring the joint work of the United Nations organizations operating in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory.
E/CN.6/2013/6
12-65575 17
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continued to implement a
budget gender marker and directed efforts in particular towards integrating
sex-disaggregated data and analysis in the 2012 consolidated appeals process.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
48. The continued lack of progress in the peace process, growing tensions and
an escalation in violence and related displacement during the reporting period
are of great concern. Restrictive residency, planning and zoning, and movement
policies, together with continued settlement expansion, and the closure of the
Gaza Strip have created a challenging humanitarian situation impacting
negatively on the lives of many Palestinian women and their families. While
there has been progress on some development indicators, the volatility of the
context renders progress fragile and prone to regression. High levels of
unemployment, poverty and insecurity persist and many Palestinian women
and girls still face significant obstacles in accessing basic services such as
education, health, water and sanitation. Insecurity and poverty can exacerbate
gender-based discrimination and abuse, and this has been experienced by
Palestinian women in the form of elevated levels of violence in the public and
private spheres, as well as discrimination in the workplace.
49. Operating in a volatile and complex environment, United Nations
organizations continued to respond to such challenges and carried out extensive
activities to address the needs of women and girls. There were notable
achievements in policy and institutional development during 2011 and 2012.
Initial steps to implement the Cross-Sectoral National Gender Strategy for
2011-2013 and the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women (2011-
2019) have been encouraging. The effective implementation of these strategies,
however, requires sustained political commitment, technical support and
financial resources. Over the reporting period, the Palestinian Authority
continued to take steps to address violence against women, including through
strengthening police family protection units, taking more institutional
ownership of shelters, and announcing the formation of a committee to study
personal status laws to protect women. It is critical to build on, support and
expand such initiatives.
50. The United Nations Joint Programme on Gender Equality and
Empowerment of Women and the Joint Programme on Culture and
Development provided the opportunity for United Nations organizations and
national and local partners to work in partnership and enhance national
ownership mechanisms. It is highly recommended that the United Nations
system build on the achievements of these Programmes and work towards the
continued implementation of joint programmes in partnership with national
and local partners.
51. Improving the situation of Palestinian women remains inextricably linked
to efforts to achieve lasting peace and women’s ability to participate in
decision-making processes related to peace and security. Efforts to involve both
Palestinian and Israeli women in a revitalized peace process need to be
enhanced and supported in accordance with the spirit of Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000). Mechanisms for enhancing accountability and
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18 12-65575
monitoring progress in the implementation of that resolution and related
commitments on women and peace and security should be established.
52. In view of recent political changes in the region and Arab women’s
growing participation in political life and decision-making processes, it is
important to continue to promote and support the right of Palestinian women
to effective political participation and leadership. Special attention should be
given to on-the-job coaching for women newly elected to office. Support for
women at the various stages of electoral processes should be provided and
strategic partnerships with significant stakeholders — political parties, the
media, State institutions and the civil society — should be further developed.
53. It is critical to continue to collect and analyse sex- and age-disaggregated
data on a range of issues impacting the lives of Palestinians and to ensure that
this information is incorporated systematically in reports and briefings by the
United Nations system to relevant intergovernmental bodies.
United Nations E/CN.6/2014/6
Economic and Social Council Distr.: General
19 December 2013
Original: English
13-62776 (E) 020114
*1362776*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-eighth session
10-21 March 2014
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2013/17, highlights the situation of Palestinian women between 1 October
2012 and 30 September 2013 and provides an overview of the assistance provided by
the entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and training;
health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; rule of law and violence against
women; power and decision-making; and institutional development. The report
concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status
of Women.
* E/CN.6/2014/1.
E/CN.6/2014/6
2/17 13-62776
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2013/17 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave
situation of Palestinian women in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East
Jerusalem. The Council requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid
out by the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance
to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2013/6), and to submit to the Commission on the
Status of Women at its fifty-eighth session a report, including information provided
by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the
progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 October 2012 to 30 September
2013 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from the
United Nations entities and individual experts that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the State of Palestine. In accordance with the report of the Secretary-
General on the status of Palestine in the United Nations dated 8 March 2013
(A/67/738), the designation “State of Palestine” is now used in all documents of the
United Nations, notwithstanding the use in parallel of the term used in previous
reports, “Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and
information submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide
assistance to Palestinian women, including ESCWA. The United Nations country
team coordinated the contributions to the present report from the following United
Nations entities: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations
Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People
(UNDP/PAPP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United
Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office for
Project Services (UNOPS), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Office of the United Nations
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), the United
Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women),
the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It
complements other reports on the living and socioeconomic conditions of the
Palestinian people (see A/68/76-E/2013/65, A/68/77-E/2013/13, A/67/13).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. On 29 November 2012, the General Assembly, in its resolution 67/19,
accorded the State of Palestine the status of non-member Observer State in the
United Nations. On the same day, the Secretary-General stated that the vote
underlined the urgency of a resumption of meaningful negotiations to ensure that an
E/CN.6/2014/6
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independent, sovereign, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine lives
side by side with a secure State of Israel. Efforts to achieve a peaceful
comprehensive settlement on all final status issues intensified during the reporting
period. Under the auspices of the United States, direct Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations resumed on 29 July 2013, and a number of meetings have been held
since in Israel and Palestine. The United Nations Secretary-General travelled to the
region — Jordan, Palestine and Israel — on 15 and 16 August to extend United
Nations support and his appreciation for the courageous decision of both leaders to
resume negotiations. The position of the Secretary-General remains that direct
negotiations are the only credible way towards the long-overdue two-State solution.
Prospects for peace were renewed against a tense situation on the ground, and all
parties are called upon to sustain an environment conducive for forward movement
in the peace process.
5. In Gaza and southern Israel, a dangerous escalation of violence occurred in
November 2012, which triggered serious concerns with regard to the respect by all
parties for international humanitarian and human rights law in their conduct of the
hostilities.1 The Secretary-General visited Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the Occupied
Palestinian Territory during the hostilities and engaged in an intense diplomatic
effort that culminated in the announcement of a ceasefire agreement welcomed by
the Security Council which called for a reciprocal cessation of hostilities. According
to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, eight days of fighting
resulted in an estimated 174 Palestinians killed, including 101 civilians (55 men,
13 women, 25 boys and 8 girls), and some 1,046 Palestinians were reportedly injured,
including 446 children and 105 women, while 6 Israelis, including 4 civilians, were
reported killed by Palestinian rocket fire and 239 Israelis were injured, the vast
majority of them civilians, from indiscriminate firing of rockets, mortars and other
projectiles from Gaza. In the West Bank, during the period covered in the present
report, 19 Palestinian civilians (15 men, 1 woman and 3 boys) were killed — almost
quadruple the number of the previous year — and 4,156 were injured (2,811 men,
87 women, 1,238 boys and 20 girls) by Israeli Security Forces — a significant
increase from 2,372 civilians injured during the previous reporting period. During the
current reporting period, 156 Palestinians (105 men, 12 women, 33 boys and 6 girls)
were injured by settlers, while 76 Israeli settlers (61 men, 10 women and 5 boys)
were injured by Palestinians. In the Gaza Strip (excluding during the Operation
Pillar of Defence), an additional 17 Palestinian civilians (11 men, 1 woman and
5 boys) were killed and 227 were injured (167 men, 13 women, 46 boys and 1 girl)
by Israeli Security Forces.
6. The impact of the protracted crisis continues to have a devastating effect on
the psychosocial well-being of women and families. The living conditions of women
vary depending on sociocultural factors and the differential status that applies to
Palestinian women and men in different areas2 and related obstacles to movement
and access. As at September 2013, 1.6 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
remained effectively isolated from the rest of the West Bank, including East
__________________
1 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian
Territory, “Fragmented lives: humanitarian overview 2012” (May 2013).
2 Following the 1993 Oslo Accords and the 1995 interim Agreements between Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank was divided into three zones, Areas A, B and
C. Extensive responsibility was delegated by Israel to the Palestinian Authority in Areas A and B.
Area C remained under full authority of Israel.
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Jerusalem, by the continuing closure by Israel. Access to East Jerusalem has
remained limited for Palestinian residents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Physical
and administrative restrictions continue to impede access to some of the most
vulnerable communities in Area C, and particularly those in the seam zones and the
firing zones.1
7. Food insecurity remains a significant challenge as result of the continued
closure of the Gaza Strip, restrictions on access in the West Bank and related high
rates of poverty, and continued increases in food prices and threats to livelihoods.3
According to the 2012 Socioeconomic and Food Security Survey, food insecurity
levels rose by seven percentage points overall from the previous year, reaching
57 per cent in Gaza and 14 per cent in the West Bank. Female-headed households
receive the highest level of assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory. In 2012,
they received a monthly average of $131 in assistance compared with $78 for
male-headed households. The targeted assistance was successful in lowering the
percentage of food-insecure households, from 54 to 36 per cent for female-headed
households and from 37 to 33 per cent for male-headed households.4 To achieve
further reductions in poverty and improve food security, it will be necessary to
achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth and to create jobs. This will
require further easing of movement and access restrictions that currently hinder
economic development and private sector activity (see A/68/76-E/2013/65).
8. Despite the adoption of a range of policies over the past few years
demonstrating a clear commitment to women’s economic empowerment, in practice
women have not become full participants in the labour market. Instead, labour
market indicators suggest that women are facing increasing challenges. The
significant educational gains made by women have not been translated into gains in
the labour market, reflecting a great loss of economic potential, and unemployment
has increased. In 10 years’ time, women’s overall unemployment rate has almost
doubled, from 17 per cent in 2002 to 32.9 per cent in 2012, while for men the rate
has decreased from 33.5 to 20.5 per cent over the same time period. Young women
below 25 years of age are particularly affected by the lack of jobs, with an overall
unemployment rate of 62.2 per cent, compared with 34.5 per cent of young men. In
Gaza, the unemployment rate for young women reached an unprecedented 88.1 per
cent in 2012 compared with 48.8 per cent for young men.5
9. Discrimination in the workplace is still common. The average daily wage for
women represented 86.8 per cent of that for men in 2012.6 Most women in formal
employment work in the public sector, in health and education. Outside of the public
sector, women have few prospects of earning a living wage. For instance, women
employed in childcare are paid as little as $100 per month. Women are being pushed
progressively into the informal economy, into unpaid and family jobs in the
agricultural sector, domestic work and a broad range of cleaning jobs. According to
ILO, many women lack control of revenues generated. In addition, a recent study
__________________
3 FAO, UNRWA, WFP and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Socioeconomic and food
security survey 2012: West Bank and Gaza Strip” (August 2013) (available from:
http://www.wfp.org/content/state-palestine-socio-economic-food-security-survey-2012-august-
2013 (accessed November 2013)).
4 Ibid.
5 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Labour force survey annual report” (2012).
6 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, factsheet issued on the occasion of International
Women’s Day, 8 March 2013.
E/CN.6/2014/6
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shows that 29 per cent of women aged 25-29 were subject to harassment in the
workplace with little or no access to any complaint mechanism.7 Women tend to be
less present in workers’ unions and less aware of their rights than men. 8 The
Palestinian Authority adopted a minimum wage in October 2012,9 but it is unclear
how the agreement will be enforced across the territory and in sectors employing
mostly women, such as the childcare and textile sectors. There is still no unified
social security law. According to ILO, continued efforts are needed to find the
means to provide income security and combat poverty and social exclusion.
10. Concerns highlighted in last year’s report linked to access to health care and
shortages of drugs and medical disposables remain. In the Gaza Strip, drug shortages
currently stand at 29 per cent, while there is a 52 per cent shortage in medical
disposables.10 Measures taken to improve access to maternal and reproductive health
care are contributing to a declining trend with regard to maternal mortality. Data from
the Palestinian Ministry of Health indicate a decline from 38:100,000 live births in
2009 to 23.7:100,000 (19.6 in Gaza and 27.5 in the West Bank) in 2012.11 Out of
married women aged 15-49, 94 per cent reported receiving at least four visits from
qualified health-care personnel during their last pregnancy. At the same time, a review
by UNFPA found a high prevalence of near-miss cases12 and obstetric complications,
with severe outcomes in 4.5 cases per 1,000 deliveries. According to WHO, the
barrier and restrictions to movement and access continue to present particular risks
for expectant mothers, such as lack of access to specialized maternal care for high-risk
births. In terms of the overall disease profile, the incidence of non-communicable
diseases, such as diabetes, is increasing among Palestinians. 13 Cancer and heart
disease are among the leading causes of mortality in Palestine.
11. The water, sanitation and hygiene situation remains critical. In Gaza, less than
10 per cent of available groundwater resources are suitable for drinking purposes. In
the West Bank, over 1 million people continue to access less than 60 litres per capita
per day of water. Following the escalation of violence in Gaza in November 2012,
damage to the water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure disrupted water supply
and caused sewage to flood into the street, with the potential for polluting water
resources and generating public health concerns.10 Similar concerns have arisen
regarding the impact of the energy crisis developing in Gaza. While Gaza faces
structural power supply challenges, the situation has deteriorated as affordable fuel
has become scarce following the shutdown by Egypt of illegal smuggling tunnels
into Gaza. This has affected operations of the Gaza power plant, which was
__________________
7 International Labour Organization, “The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories”
(2011), p. 3, available from www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/
documents/meetingdocument/wcms_181071.pdf.
8 ILO, 2013, Palestine General Federation of Trade Union Survey.
9 In October 2012, the Council of Ministers adopted a minimum wage of NIS1,450 monthly,
NIS65 daily and NIS8.50 hourly, which took effect on 1 January 2013.
10 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Consolidated Appeal Process, Mid-year
review (2013).
11 See Ministry of Health, Health Annual Report Palestine 2012. Most recent global estimates for
the West Bank and Gaza (2010) show a ratio of 64:100,000 live births, but also confirm a
decline over time (see: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and World Bank estimates. Trends in maternal
mortality: 1990 to 2010, Geneva (2012)).
12 A near-miss case is defined as a severe life-threatening obstetric complication that required an
urgent medical intervention in order to prevent the mother from dying.
13 Palestinian Ministry of Health, Health Annual Report, Palestine 2012.
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6/17 13-62776
producing 25 per cent of the total electricity available in Gaza. Rolling blackouts are
a daily occurrence, severely debilitating economic activity in the Strip and the
functioning of basic services, including health, water and sanitation, with serious
implications for the lives of Gazans, including many women.
12. While education indicators for enrolment continued to show significant progress,
challenges linked to access and quality of education remain. The occupied Palestinian
territory has reached parity in primary education (grades 1-10), and girls outnumber
boys in secondary (grades 11-12) and higher education. The net enrolment rate for
primary education is 93.4 per cent, with slightly more girls enrolled (94.4 per cent)
than boys (92.2 per cent). In secondary education, the disparity is greater, where boys’
net enrolment rate is only at 59.1 per cent, while at 74.7 per cent for girls.14 It is
noteworthy, that in private schools the ratio of girls to boys in primary education
drops to 0.7 (while 1.02 for the whole of the occupied Palestinian territory).15 In both
Gaza and the West Bank, girls outperform their male counterparts in UNRWA
schools.16 A study conducted by the Agency found that families see education as the
only tool to ensure a better future for girls, while education for boys is not seen as
the only option owing to the fact that boys enjoy easier access to the labour market
compared with girls.17 Data from UNRWA shows that female students in the Gaza
and West Bank are enrolling less in vocational training than male students. Disabled
children, especially girls and children from Gaza, have less access to education (in
Gaza, 29 per cent of disabled girls and 19 per cent of boys did not have access to
formal education).18
13. Improvements in enrolment have, however, been coupled with an overall
decline in the quality of education owing to the outbursts of violence, the closure of
Gaza and other factors. According to UNRWA, continuous population growth and
insufficient infrastructure stretches school capacity to its limits, with overcrowding
putting pressure on diminishing resources and taking a toll on the quality of
education delivered — 10,000 additional students joined UNRWA schools in the
scholastic year 2011/12 and 8,000 in 2012/13 as well as in 2013/14. In Gaza, 89 per
cent of the Agency’s 245 schools operate on a double shift basis, resulting in shorter
academic hours and a high number of students per classroom. The average
classroom size in the 2012/13 scholastic year comprised 38 students. In addition, the
shortage of schools means there is little opportunity for children to engage in
organized recreational or creative pursuits during the regular school year. UNRWA
is nonetheless planning to open 13 new school buildings in the first semester and
8 additional schools for the second semester. Access to schools for children living in
the access restricted areas can be dangerous, and classes are often disrupted. The
anxiety associated with attending school in those areas has taken a toll on students,
with teachers reporting signs of psychosocial distress.19 According to the Education
Cluster of the humanitarian country team, in the West Bank, threat of harassment by
__________________
14 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Annual Report. Palestine Children — Issues and
Statistics. Child Statistics Series (No. 15) (2013), Ramallah.
15 Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Educational Statistical Yearbook
2012/2013.
16 UNRWA, Results of 2012 Independent Tests UNRWA Schools by Gender, West Bank.
17 UNRWA, 2013, West Bank Survey on the drop-out rate of boys in school (forthcoming).
18 Diakonia/NAD, 2011, Access to formal education for people with disabilities.
19 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, factsheet: Access Restricted Areas in the
Gaza Strip (July 2013), available from: http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_
ara_factsheet_july_2013_english.pdf.
E/CN.6/2014/6
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Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces on the way to school and fear of harm and
humiliation at checkpoints create stress and fear among children and their families.
At least 6,000 children in the West Bank cross through one or more checkpoints to
reach their schools every day.
14. As a consequence of the November 2013 escalation of hostilities, at least
142 government school buildings in Gaza sustained damage, ranging from light to
complete damage. This resulted in the disruption of schooling and an unsafe
learning environment for at least 123,641 children (at least 50 per cent girls).
According to UNICEF, the escalation of conflict had a devastating impact on the
psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents in Gaza. 20 As observed by
UNMAS, as a trend, every escalation of hostilities is followed by a spike in civilian
casualties caused by explosive hazards left by both sides to the conflict. While
explosive remnants of war in the streets and public places are dealt with quickly by
the police, other hazards are encountered in private spaces, rubble and the access
restricted areas. An emerging issue of concern is the number of children injured as a
result of small arms and other weapons that are stored or made within homes.
During the period covered by the present report, there were 30 victims (3 killed,
27 injured), of which 23 were children (5 girls and 18 boys).
15. Illiteracy rates among individuals aged 15 years or older in the occupied
Palestinian territory fell in the period 1997-2012 from 13.9 per cent to 4.1 per cent.
The illiteracy rate varies considerably between the sexes: 1.8 per cent for males
compared with 6.4 per cent for females. Female illiteracy rates were highest in rural
localities (8.6 per cent), followed by refugee camps (6.3 per cent) and urban
localities (6.1 per cent).21
16. While women have continued to participate in a range of roles in political life,
they remain underrepresented in decision-making bodies. As of September 2013,
women held only 3 out of a total of 24 ministerial level posts in the Palestinian
Government — a drop from 21 to 12.5 per cent since the last report. UNDP reports
that in Gaza, there is only one female minister, who is the Minister of Women’s
Affairs. Women have fewer opportunities to reach higher positions in the public
sector and in the general administration of the Government. At the end of 2012,
women held 47 per cent of the lower-level positions in the administration and 22 per
cent of director’s seats, but only 11 per cent were at the level of general director.22
There has been some progress in the justice sector. Women now account for 15 per
cent of judges, 19.5 per cent of prosecutors and 32.5 per cent of lawyers.23 Some
positive developments were also noted in the local elections held in the West Bank
in October 2012, such as the introduction of an all-women party list in Hebron and
Safa and the enacting of a 2010 manifesto from political parties to increase the
quota of women on lists from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. As such, the women’s
movement has demonstrated its ability to channel its demands and raise women’s
voices for participation. In the 2012 local elections, the number of seats held by
women increased moderately from 18 to 21.4 per cent (1,205 out of 5,629 seats).24
__________________
20 State of Palestine Inter-cluster Rapid Assessment and the Psychosocial Rapid Assessment done
after the escalation of conflict in November 2012 in Gaza.
21 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, available from http://pcbs.gov.ps/site/512/default.aspx?
tabID=512&lang=en&ItemID=890&mid=3171&wversion=Staging (accessed November 2013).
22 Data from 2012 from the Palestinian General Personnel Council.
23 Data from 2012 from the Palestinian Bar Association’s Women’s Lawyer’s Network.
24 Data from the Central Election Commission, 2013.
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Such quantitative gains must be backed up by sufficient technical support to women
in elected and appointed posts. According to UN-Women, as of September 2013, no
women were participating on the Palestinian side in the resumed Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks. Women have also not been present in the internal reconciliation
committees set up to find a solution to the internal political divide. This is a
reflection of a low level of political participation and representation of women
across the board.
17. The Palestinian Legislative Council was not functional during the reporting
period and, as such, there continued to be a hold on the passing of new laws or
amending existing ones through democratic means, including those that are deemed
discriminatory towards women and in contradiction to human rights, within the
legal framework provided by the basic law of Palestine.
18. Since December 2012, human rights organizations and analysts in Gaza have
noticed a negative development in Gaza regarding personal freedoms of the
population, particularly in terms of imposing and enforcing conservative codes of
conduct, and imposing separation of sexes in public. Further to the decision by
Al-Aqsa University to impose a conservative dress code on female students and the
cancellation of the UNRWA marathon after Hamas banned the participation of
women, the de facto authorities in Gaza are now engaging in a “morality” campaign
against young men citing “indecent” or “inappropriate” hairstyles and clothing
(generally referred to as “westernized”), arresting young men and shaving their
heads.
19. Violence against women remains a serious concern. According to the
Independent Commission of Human Rights and civil society partners, 24 women
were killed in the name of so-called “honour” between January and August 2013, in
a significant deterioration over 2012 when 12 women were killed over the whole
year. According to UNDP and UN-Women, the number of cases is most likely
underreported. Studies suggest that overcrowding, especially owing to the housing
situation in Gaza and East Jerusalem, exacerbates violence within households.25
20. A study by UN-Women26 shows that access to justice, especially for women
who are victims of violence, is a difficult and long process. The weakening of
already inadequate protection mechanisms combined with the closure and
restrictions on movement have made it more difficult and often impossible for
women and girls who are at risk of being harmed or killed by family members to
escape and seek justice and help. Although communities and families are often the
source of discrimination and violence, female victims of violence first approach
their communities or families for help. When this approach fails, only some will go
to external service providers, such as the police or providers of social and health
services. This may expose them to various levels of critique, rejection and
marginalization. Such calls for help are in some cases not acted upon or become too
burdensome for the victims, creating a spiral of violence. Owing to movement and
access restrictions in Area C, checkpoints and the Barrier, women in isolated areas
do not have access to formal juridical institutions, having as only recourse the
informal justice system, which does not afford the same rights to women, men, boys
__________________
25 Norwegian Refugee Council, Overview of the Housing Situation in the Gaza Strip (March 2013),
and OCHA, Easing the blockade: Assessing the humanitarian impact on the population of the
Gaza Strip (March 2011).
26 UN-Women, Study on access to justice for women (forthcoming, 2013).
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and girls.27 In addition, social and health services are restricted from establishing a
permanent physical presence in Area C, which limits opportunities for women to report
to health posts for medical check-ups and documentation of injuries related to genderbased
violence.28 Although the overall number of female inmates in corrections and
rehabilitation centres is low, their stories highlight the multiple layers of
discrimination, violence and abuse perpetrated against women in Palestine, as well as
failures of and gaps in the protection and justice systems.26
21. The Palestinian Authority continued to take noteworthy steps to strengthen
capacity to prevent and respond to different forms of violence against women. The
Ministry of Women’s Affairs signed memorandums of understanding with six key
line ministries for the operationalization of the national strategy to combat violence
against women. The Ministry also finalized a national regulation for the
establishment of women’s protection centres detailing the supervisory and
monitoring system within shelters. The Palestinian Civil Police launched a strategy
for family protection units in June 2013 that provides a framework for addressing
the rights of victims of violence in accordance with international standards.
Sustained efforts are needed to improve and expand services and access to justice
for victims, taking into account the context and reality on the ground.
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
22. The present section provides information on efforts made by the United
Nations system, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, donors and civil
society, to address the specific needs and priorities of women and girls. It contains
updates on assistance provided in the following areas: education and training; health;
economic empowerment and livelihoods; rule of law and violence against women;
power and decision-making; and institutional development.
A. Education and training
23. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to
promote women’s and girls’ access to education and training and support the
Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education to improve the learning
environment, for example, through the Education for All package for inclusive and
child-friendly education and early childhood development. The package is currently
being piloted in 47 schools and, for the first time, preschool classrooms were
opened in some of the schools.29 WFP maintained the provision of food assistance
(date bars and milk) in schools, reaching 88,834 children (49 per cent girls).
UNRWA continued to provide primary and secondary education in Gaza to 222,000
students (48.6 per cent girls) and primary education to 51,695 students in the West
Bank (58 per cent girls). UNRWA also continued efforts to narrow the gender gap in
academic achievements, where girls currently outperform boys, while
simultaneously increasing the pass rate of both girls and boys. As a result, the gap in
__________________
27 Ibid.
28 Kvinna till Kvinna, 2013, Inequalities facing women living in Area C of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, West Bank.
29 The initiative, which is coordinated by UNESCO, is supported by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF,
UNRWA, UNSCO, WFP and WHO.
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academic achievement has narrowed significantly, from 25 per cent in 2009/10 to
9.4 per cent in 2012/13. UNICEF supported the rehabilitation of 98 schools in Gaza,
securing safer learning environments for more than 87,945 children (40,915 girls).
In addition, as a response to the escalation of violence in November 2012, 29,000
children (50 per cent girls) received learning materials, and 3,317 children (1,037
girls) and 249 teachers benefited from improved and protected access to learning
environments. To improve the quality of education, UNICEF trained 1,600 teachers
in the most marginalized areas on active learning modules developed by the
Palestinian Ministry of Education.
24. UNICEF, in partnership with non-governmental organizations, continued to
implement after-school activities in adolescent-friendly service centres. During the
reporting period, at least 10,000 adolescents (50 per cent girls) benefitted from
creative learning, life skills, recreational activities and health awareness sessions.
UNRWA provided technical training to 515 women in Gaza. One of its centres
provides special courses in entrepreneurship and communication. In the West Bank,
UNRWA continued its tertiary education programmes. Of these, the trade and the
technical vocation training programmes were attended by 1,217 students
(603 female), and the teacher pre-service training programme was attended by
642 students (424 female). The UNRWA education programme in the West Bank
also provided 38 merit-based scholarships to young underprivileged refugees, the
majority of whom (87 per cent) were young women. In 2013, UNESCO in
partnership with a local radio station, trained five female journalists to produce and
present news in a gender-sensitive manner as part of their integrated approach to
promote the training of female journalists and the equal presence of women’s and
men’s issues across all types of media.
B. Health
25. The United Nations continued efforts to improve the access to and quality of
health services, including maternal and reproductive health care. UNRWA provided
a range of basic health-care services to refugees in the West Bank and Gaza,
including antenatal care services. A total of 11,356 female and 7,976 male refugees
were referred to external secondary and tertiary health-care services. In addition,
3,247 women and 2,290 men received care at the UNRWA-run Qalqilya Hospital. In
Gaza, 60.6 per cent of visits to the health centres run by the Agency were made by
women. During the second quarter of 2013, a total of 24,942 refugee women
benefited from the Agency’s family planning services in the West Bank, while in
Gaza, 61,208 women benefited from such services in the month of August 2013. In
addition, 9,265 women accessed preconception care. During the reporting period,
there were 39,001 newly registered pregnancies. Of all pregnant women registered,
93.3 per cent attended four or more antenatal care visits.
26. UNFPA supported the implementation of the national obstetric care protocol
through the training of 316 health providers and the establishment of hospital
committees to audit near-miss cases in Gaza and the West Bank. Furthermore, they
provided home visits for 2,625 pregnant women as well as postnatal care for 1,664
women in the West Bank and Gaza. Through outreach activities, UNFPA reached
around 8,470 women, as well as 1,884 adolescent females and 975 males, improving
their understanding of issues such as reproductive health, early marriage and healthy
lifestyles. In addition, in August 2013, UNFPA supported the launch of the Youth
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Peer Education Network, which is a network of young Palestinian men and women
who are committed to promote healthy lifestyles among youth and raise awareness
of sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. A total of 97 female and 57 male
school counsellors were trained on the adolescent health guidance book in Jenin,
Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron.
27. In Gaza, UNRWA provided postnatal care in follow-up to all 35,590 deliveries
during the reporting period. Through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, UNICEF
reached 26,000 pregnant women and 36,000 lactating mothers in 9 hospitals and
45 health facilities in the West Bank and 14,720 in 3 hospitals in Gaza with
counselling sessions on exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers and newborn children at
risk were reached through at-home follow-up, and the rate of 78 per cent of mothers
who were exclusively breastfeeding was maintained after the third visit. WHO
conducted awareness-raising activities on safe childbirth and postnatal care, training
769 health professionals on the process of care for mothers and newborns in the
hospital.
28. UNICEF scaled up its psychosocial programmes implemented in Gaza
reaching a total of 149,894 children and adolescents (50 per cent girls), 17,986
caregivers (of whom 65 per cent women) and 852 professionals (45 per cent women)
all focused on helping children to increase their resilience and coping mechanisms
especially in times of crisis.
29. UNICEF also supported a range of initiatives related to water, sanitation and
hygiene. This included support for rehabilitation and construction of water,
sanitation and hygiene facilities in 30 schools in the West Bank and 51 in Gaza,
benefiting 45,930 students (20,292 girls), as well as water tankering to 34 schools in
the West Bank and 81 in Gaza providing safe drinking water to 65,815 students
(34,664 girls).
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
30. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to
promote women’s economic empowerment and improve food security and
livelihoods. Several activities were targeted at building the capacity of cooperatives
and entrepreneurs. In 2012, ILO provided support to the Ministry of Labour in the
development of a cooperative assessment tool for advisory support services and
counselling to cooperatives on enterprise management and governance issues.
Training workshops and coaching activities were provided to cooperative extension
workers on how to undertake feasibility studies and assess the business plans and
performance of newly established cooperatives. ILO also provided direct support to
six women’s cooperatives. UNDP trained women entrepreneurs and provided
technical assistance and support to 28 women’s cooperatives to enhance the
competitive advantage of their products, and at the same time enhance their business,
networking, marketing and advocacy skills. UNRWA implemented a training
programme targeting women entrepreneurs from refugee camps across the West
Bank. Of all graduates, a total of 30 women accessed loans to start or develop small
enterprises. UN-Women continued to build on previous work aimed at providing
poor and rural women with the proper tools and mechanisms for the establishment
of small, sustainable businesses through local women’s community-based
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organizations and scaling up the women-run school canteens project in all the
schools in the West Bank.
31. UN-Women, UNESCO and UNDP built and/or rehabilitated 9 women’s centres
in Gaza and the West Bank. Of those structures, some are made of traditional mud
brick, where UNESCO trained 40 women in the technique of earthen architecture.
The women’s centres will bring a range of services to approximately 50,000 women
in isolated areas.30 A business plan has been developed for three of the centres to
ensure sustainability, and 39 board members of the centres were trained to
adequately manage them.
32. FAO, WFP and UNRWA continued interventions aimed at improving food
security. FAO provided agriculture inputs such as on small animal husbandry,
beehives and home gardens, and provided training on processing of food,
management and marketing, benefiting close to 3,000 female-headed households in
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 2012. Forty women’s associations participated
in several exhibitions conducted in the West Bank and Gaza for the marketing of
processed food products. WFP provided assistance through food distribution and
conditional voucher programmes, which reached 310,148 female beneficiaries. WFP
also started to implement a training component for eligible food-insecure Palestinian
women which aims to improve their knowledge base, capacity and skills, thereby
establishing a solid foundation for economic empowerment. During the third quarter
of 2013, UNRWA supported a total of 36,264 special hardship cases31 in the West
Bank through the provision of food assistance. Of those refugees, 23,281 were
female and 12,983 male, with 5,833 families (50.6 per cent) headed by females. In
Gaza, the Social Safety Net Programme of UNRWA provided basic food supplies
and cash subsidies32 to 401,765 women (48 per cent of the total) from among the
most vulnerable Palestinian refugees.33 A total of 21,310 families are female-headed
households, most of whom are extremely poor.
33. Microfinance support continued to be a source of short-term poverty
alleviation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. UNDP, as of December 2012, had
provided support to 2,453 female-headed households (66 per cent of the total
households supported) to be enrolled in the microfinance component of an
employment and training programme. In the West Bank, the UNRWA microfinance
programme provided 35 per cent of loans to women (out of a total of 10,067)
amounting to 27 per cent of the total value of loans ($13.7 million). In Gaza, the
same programme provided 39 per cent of loans to women (out of a total of 1,382),
also amounting to 27 per cent of the total value of loans ($1.48 million).
34. Through the Gaza gender initiative, UNRWA reached a total of 1,108 female
graduates through its Young Women Leaders Programme. The programme seeks to
ensure that young female graduates are developing the skills required by the labour
market by offering training and courses in areas such as advanced information
technology, English language, management and administration, and leadership. It
__________________
30 Part of those activities are undertaken in the framework of the United Nations Human Security
Trust Fund (a joint programme with FAO, UN-Women, UNESCO, UNSCO and UNRWA).
31 They are identified on the basis of belonging to one or more vulnerability categories, such as
female-headed households or households with one or more members with a disability.
32 Owing to funding constraints, the cash subsidies of the programme were cut in April 2013.
33 The numbers in Gaza seem inflated relative to numbers in the West Bank because they include
both regular cash and food assistance as well as emergency assistance.
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also offers life-skills and self-development coaching and includes a work placement
scheme to enhance employability.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
35. Building on lessons learned and good practices previously reported, United
Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives designed to improve
women’s access to justice and enhance the capacity of institutions and personnel to
prevent and respond to violence against women. Priority was placed on the
implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Violence Against Women
2011-2019.
36. UN-Women continued to support the institutionalization of the Family
Protection Units in the Palestinian Civil Police, which in 2012 handled 2,849 cases
of family violence. UN-Women also continued to support the Corrections and
Rehabilitation Centres Department to implement the United Nations minimum
standard rules in relation to the rehabilitation component for women inmates in all
four Corrections and Rehabilitation Centres in the West Bank where women are held.
With the supervision of social workers, weekly training and exercise sessions were
provided to an average of 30 women at any given time, and through the support of
UN-Women to the Palestinian Bar Association, 20 women inmates were provided
with biweekly lawyers’ visits and representation in court. UNDP continued to
support the Gender Unit of the Civilian Police, including in the development of a
diploma programme on gender-responsive policing targeting mid- and high-level
officers. UNDP also contributed to the establishment of a Coordination Committee
to support and help harmonize strategies of gender units across security institutions.
UNOPS supported a project aimed at improving the response by the Office of the
Attorney General and Public Prosecution to gender-specific human rights violations.
UNODC continued to implement a multi-year programme aimed at building the
capacity and skills of forensics services and related personnel to investigate genderbased
crimes and provide support for victims of sexual and family violence.
37. Efforts were made to expand and improve women’s access to legal protection
and services, as well as services specifically targeted at survivors of violence. From
2011 to June 2013, UNDP provided legal aid services to a total of 43,609 women in
Gaza and the West Bank, tripling the number of women who were provided with
legal representation in courts and almost doubling the number provided with legal
information and advice. UN-Women continued to support the Mehwar Centre,
which between 2008 and 2012 has sheltered 286 women and 79 child victims of
violence and provided a range of services, including: social and legal services for
women in the shelter; social counselling for family members; skills development;
economic empowerment opportunities; support during the reintegration phase; and
conducted outreach activities in the community. UN-Women, through the
Millennium Development Goal programme, also continued to provide support to the
Hayat multipurpose centre in Gaza City for the protection of victims of violence.
Through the gender-based violence referral system established by UNRWA in all its
field operations, 414 cases were reported (75 per cent female) in the West Bank, the
majority of which received individual counselling from the UNRWA Health
Programme’s psychosocial counsellors. In Gaza, 384 survivors of gender-based
violence were detected through the system.
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38. UNFPA and OHCHR continued to support and build the capacity of
community-based organizations and coalitions working in the West Bank and Gaza
on the prevention of gender-based violence, the promotion of gender equality and
the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). This included
training by OHCHR on monitoring and reporting on human rights violations against
women and support from UNFPA for publications documenting an organization’s
experience in monitoring implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Thirteen cases
of violations of women’s human rights were reported by UNFPA partner
organizations.
39. A range of activities were implemented to raise awareness and trigger action to
end violence and discrimination against women. In Gaza, the Agency’s genderbased
violence awareness-raising programmes reached 346 adult women and 275
men as well as 285 youth. Concepts related to gender, human rights and violence
were covered in training and discussion groups, including how to deal with violence
within the home and how to build healthy and equal relationships. In the West Bank,
UNFPA conducted several prevention activities focused on gender-based violence
through awareness-raising sessions, media and advocacy activities, and training of
community leaders, religious leaders and preachers, including staff at the Ministries
of Women’s Affairs, Social Affairs, Religious Affairs and Health. UNFPA also
trained 75 health providers on gender-based violence identification and clinical
management at the hospital, emergency, and primary health care and clinic levels.
ILO supported the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to develop research on
violence at work.
E. Power and decision-making
40. United Nations entities continued to work towards strengthening women’s
participation and representation in decision-making and their engagement in public
life. UNDP supported the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global
Dialogue and Democracy, which is designed to enhance the capacities of young
Palestinian women leaders across the occupied Palestinian territory. In 2013, 181
women received training on topics such as leadership and communication skills,
advocacy, public speaking, human rights and project management. In addition, 453
women were targeted through an awareness campaign related to the Constitution.
41. In October 2012, UN-Women in partnership with UNDP and UNSCO
facilitated a meeting between members of the Palestinian women’s movement and
the United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator. Participants discussed the need for
time-bound plans to increase the participation of Palestinian women in decisionmaking
processes and the establishment of a more permanent channel of
communication between the Palestinian women’s movement and representatives of
UNSCO. In follow-up, UN-Women supported the organization of a two-day
conference in December 2012 on the theme “Towards achievement of equality:
women’s political participation for the achievement of social development”. The
objective of the conference, which brought together over 700 participants, was to
provide a platform for the Palestinian women’s movement to establish a unified
position and identify common priorities in terms of the implementation of Security
Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security and beyond.
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42. UNFPA trained 20 women of the Wisal Coalition in Gaza on Palestinian law
and women’s rights to empower them to: act as community leaders; play an active
role in family conflict resolution; and raise awareness about gender equality issues
and human rights. UNFPA also trained over 40 youth leaders in the West Bank on
communication and social media, gender equality and gender-based violence.
F. Institutional development
43. UN-Women continued to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of
Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Planning, including support for the review of
the Cross-Sectoral National Gender Strategy 2011-2013 and the development of the
new strategy for 2014-2016. UN-Women supported the ministries to develop a
gender-responsive planning and budgeting approach for the Government and to
integrate gender equality priorities in sectoral strategies and plans of line ministries.
UNFPA trained staff of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on the newly defined
national indicators for youth and gender that were developed in cooperation with the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for the national monitoring system. At
present, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs heads the National Committee for Genderresponsive
Budgeting which was established in July 2012 and is tasked to advance
the Gender-responsive Budgeting approach in national plans and budgets and build
such capacities in target ministries. In addition, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is a
member of the Local Aid Coordination Structure, the official coordination forum
among the Palestinian Government, civil society and international partners. Despite
growing responsibilities, the budget of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs remains
limited. The annual budget for 2012 was 6,272,000 NIS, 0.5 per cent of the national
budget.34
44. Assistance was also provided for the institutional development of other
ministries and bodies. UNDP continued to support the gender mainstreaming efforts
of the Ministry of Justice. In 2013, the Ministry established a Juvenile Justice Unit,
properly staffed its Gender Unit, trained all staff on gender equality, integrated
gender and juvenile justice concerns into the workplans of all of its departments and
developed an internal gender strategy. UNESCO continued to support the
Palestinian Women’s Documentation and Research Centre in advancing gender
equality and women’s empowerment through capacity-building, research, advocacy
and documentation activities. The last phase of the project, starting in 2013, will be
transitional in order to create a financially and intellectually autonomous structure.
ILO assisted the National Committee for Women’s Employment in developing their
three-year strategic plan to advocate for gender-sensitive policies, legislation,
capacity-building interventions, economic empowerment, social security for women
workers and a healthy work environment. UNICEF continued to support the
Ministry of Social Affairs to strengthen the national child protection system so that
girls and young women are afforded greater protection from violence, abuse and
exploitation. One of the results is the Amended Child Law that came into force in
December 2012, which clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of duty bearers
and sets enforcement mechanisms for implementation of its provisions.
45. Notably, during the reporting period the United Nations country team
developed the first ever United Nations Development Assistance Framework for
__________________
34 Ministry of Finance, Annual Budget of the Government of Palestine 2012.
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Palestine. UN-Women, as the coordinator of the United Nations Gender Task Force,
ensured its alignment with national gender equality concerns. While promoting
gender equality mainstreaming throughout all United Nations programming, the
United Nations Development Assistance Framework also identified specific
objectives on gender equality. The framework will be implemented in harmony with
the National Development Plan of Palestine 2014-2016.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
46. During the reporting period, prospects for peace were renewed through
the resumption of direct negotiations. This occurred against the backdrop of a
tense situation on the ground. The outbursts of violence and growing insecurity
which have occurred since the previous report to the Commission are of great
concern. The Secretary-General has called upon all parties to sustain an
environment conducive for the peace process to move forward.
47. Many observations from previous reports still stand. Restrictions on
movement and access, increased settlement expansion and settler violence,
demolitions of Palestinian infrastructure and displacement, the fragmentation
of the Territory and the closure of the Gaza Strip continue to have a negative
impact on the lives of Palestinian women and their families. Progress on
development indicators has remained slow owing to the volatility of the context,
which renders progress fragile and prone to regression, including as it relates to
women’s rights.
48. High levels of unemployment and poverty persist, and many Palestinian
women and girls still face significant obstacles in accessing basic services,
health care, justice institutions, water and sanitation, and economic
opportunities. Signs of increased food insecurity levels, declining quality in
education and the growing challenges faced by women in the labour market are
all issues demanding greater attention in the coming year. The critical situation
with regard to water, sanitation and hygiene as well as energy, in particular in
Gaza, are other serious concerns that must be addressed with urgency by all
relevant stakeholders.
49. Violence against women remains a serious concern. As noted in previous
reports and as was evident during the reporting period, insecurity and poverty
can exacerbate gender-based discrimination and abuse, including in the
workplace, and lead to elevated levels of violence against women in both the
public and private spheres. Stronger efforts are needed by all actors to prevent
all forms of violence and address obstacles and challenges to women’s access to
justice and services.
50. The United Nations system should use the development of the first United
Nations Development Assistance Framework for Palestine and the new
Palestinian National Development Plan to improve harmonization and
efficiency among all development actors. This includes the initiation of new
joint programmes building on the results and good practices created by the
joint programmes on gender equality and empowerment of women funded
under the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund that ended in
April 2013.
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51. The United Nations system and the donor community should use the
current momentum to support the Palestinian Authority to build on the positive
steps taken at the policy and institutional levels to address violence against
women and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. In particular,
further political commitment, technical and financial support will be required
for the effective implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Violence
Against Women (2011-2019) and the National Gender Strategy (2014-2016).
Technical and financial support must be provided to the Ministry of Women’s
Affairs and women’s civil society organizations.
52. More determined action is needed by all actors to increase women’s
participation and representation at all levels of decision-making and to support
women in elected and appointed posts. With the renewed peace talks, efforts to
engage both Palestinian and Israeli women in the related processes need to be
enhanced and supported in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1325
(2000) and 2122 (2013). Mechanisms for enhancing accountability and
monitoring progress in the implementation of these and related commitments
on women, peace and security should be established. The recent experience of
UN-Women in building the capacity of women leaders in different regions in
negotiation and mediation skills could be applied.
53. Dialogue during the reporting period between women’s civil society
organizations and senior representatives of the United Nations entities proved
rewarding and informative for those involved. This should be transformed into
a regular practice.
54. While progress has been made in improving systems for data collection
and analysis, it is critical to continue to build capacity to collect and analyse
sex- and age-disaggregated data on the full range of issues that have an impact
on the lives of Palestinians and to ensure that this information is used to inform
programming and is incorporated systematically into all reports and briefings
by the United Nations system to relevant intergovernmental bodies.
United Nations E/CN.6/2015/5
Economic and Social Council
Distr.: General
19 December 2014
Original: English
14-67639 (E) 130115
*1467639*
Commission on the Status of Women
Fifty-ninth session
9-20 March 2015
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2014/1, highlights the situation of Palestinian women for the period from
1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014, and provides an overview of the assistance
provided by the entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and
training; health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; rule of law and violence
against women; power and decision-making; and institutional development. The
report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the
Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2015/1.
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2014/1 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave
situation of Palestinian women in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East
Jerusalem, and the critical socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Gaza
Strip. The Council requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the
situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid
out by the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance
to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2014/6), and to submit to the Commission on the
Status of Women at its fifty-ninth session a report, including information provided
by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on the
progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 October 2013 to 30 September
2014 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from the
United Nations entities and individual experts that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the State of Palestine.1
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and
information submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide
assistance to Palestinian women, including ESCWA. The present report include s
contributions from the following United Nations entities: the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization
(ILO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations
Secretariat, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Programme of Assistance to
the Palestinian People, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United
Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process (UNSCO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the
World Health Organization (WHO). It complements other reports on the living and
socioeconomic conditions of the Palestinian people (see A/69/84-E/2014/75,
A/69/371-S/2014/650, A/69/81-E/2014/13 and A/69/13).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. During the reporting period renewed efforts were made to resume direct final
status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians under the auspices of the
United States. Despite an intensified direct engagement between the parties for a
period of nine months starting in July 2013, an agreement failed to emerge and talks
__________________
1 In accordance with the report of the Secretary-General on the status of Palestine in the United
Nations dated 8 March 2013 (A/67/738), the designation “State of Palestine” is now used in all
documents of the United Nations, notwithstanding the use in parallel of the term used in
previous reports, “Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
E/CN.6/2015/5
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have been suspended since the end of April 2014. Israeli settlement announcements
accompanying each tranche of agreed release of Palestinian prisoners complicated
negotiation efforts. At the end of March 2014, Israel did not release the fourth
tranche of prisoners, citing lack of political progress within the peace talks, and the
State of Palestine moved to accede to 15 international treaties and conventions,
including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, which have since come into effect. Following a reconciliation agreement
between Fatah and Hamas on 23 April 2014, a Government of National Consensus
was formed on 2 June 2014 in accordance with the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) commitments and the positions of the Quartet and Arab Peace
Initiative.2
5. The situation in the West Bank deteriorated with a rise in violence and several
disturbing developments, including the abduction and killing of three Israeli
teenagers followed by the abduction and killing of a Palestinian teenager, continued
settlement expansion, settler violence, land expropriation, the demolition of
Palestinian houses and a high number of arrests of Palestinians, including Hamas
affiliates, and confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces and settlers.
During this period of heightened tensions, rocket fire at Israel from militants in the
Gaza Strip increased. Israel responded mostly with airstrikes. The security situation
began to dramatically unravel on 7 July after Hamas, for the first time in 20 months
and following the arrest of hundreds of its members in the West Bank, claimed
responsibility for firing a barrage of rockets towards Israel. On 8 July, Israel
launched “Operation Protective Edge”, with the stated goal of stopping rocket
attacks and destroying Hamas’ capability to conduct operations against Israel,
including by destroying tunnels. On 26 August, an open-ended ceasefire brokered by
Egypt went into effect and has largely held since.
6. The 51-day conflict — the third major one in six years — left an
unprecedented level of loss of life and destruction. According to the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 2,100 Palestinians, including 1,475
civilians (709 men, 260 women and 506 children) were killed. Additionally, over
11,100 Palestinians, including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly were
injured.3 Sixty-six Israeli soldiers and six civilians, including a child and a foreign
national, were killed and 250 Israeli civilians and 450 soldiers were injured. In
Gaza, an estimated 18,000 houses were destroyed or severely damaged, as were 111
UNRWA installations and critical infrastructure, including Gaza’s only power plant.
At the peak of the conflict, more than 500,000 people were internally displaced with
around 293,000 of those taking shelter in UNRWA schools, 100,000 people lost their
homes and continue to be displaced.
7. On 23 July 2014, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution S-21/1, in
which it decided to establish an independent international commission of inquiry to
investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human
rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, in the context of the military operations
conducted since 13 June 2014, and to report to the Council at its twenty-eighth
__________________
2 The Quartet asked that all members of future Palestinian Governments be committed to
non-violence, the recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations,
including the road map.
3 Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
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session in March 2015. A technical gender expert deployed by UN-Women is
supporting the investigations.
8. The conflict has had a devastating impact on women and their families, further
increasing vulnerability and insecurity. As the primary caregivers in Gaza, women
are faced with acute challenges in coping with the large number of families with
members killed or injured, the long-term impact of damaged infrastructure and
reduced services. Displacement proved especially difficult for women and girls with
reports of sexual harassment and gender-based violence in shelters, limited privacy,
compromised dignity and reduced access to hygiene.4 Psychosocial distress levels,
already high among the Gaza population, have worsened significantly as a result of
the conflict and will require specialized support, specifically for children and
women.4 Female-headed families, including new widows, are a priority group in
need of protection and support.
9. In the West Bank, tensions and violent clashes between Palestinians, Israeli
security forces and settlers resulted in a marked increase in civilian deaths and
injury during the reporting period compared with the previous year. According to
the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 5 in the West Bank, 44
Palestinian civilians (34 men and 10 boys) were killed and 4,611 were injured
(3,497 men, 92 women, 970 boys and 52 girls) by the Israeli Defense Forces, while
145 Palestinians (99 men, 10 women, 30 boys and 6 girls) were injured by Israeli
settlers. Seventy-eight Israeli settlers (58 men, 8 women, 8 boys and 4 girls) were
injured by Palestinians.
10. The ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,
and the closure of the Gaza Strip, continued to affect the social and economic
situation of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory. The living conditions
of women vary depending on sociocultural factors and the differential status that
applies to Palestinian women and men in different areas6 and related obstacles to
movement and access. As at September 2014, some 1.8 million Palestinians in the
Gaza Strip remained effectively isolated from the rest of the West Bank, including
East Jerusalem, by the continuing closure by Israel. Access to East Jerusalem has
remained limited for Palestinian residents from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Physical and administrative restrictions continue to impede humanitarian access to
some of the most vulnerable communities in Area C, and particularly those in the
firing zone and those located behind the Barrier.
11. Food insecurity levels in the West Bank and Gaza Strip remained high at
33 per cent (57 per cent in Gaza Strip and 19 per cent in the West Bank),7 as a result
of the continued closure of the Gaza Strip, restrictions on access in the West Bank
and related high rates of poverty and continued increases in food prices and threats
to livelihoods. Since food insecurity is defined in the Palestinian context as the lack
__________________
4 Gaza Crisis Appeal, September 2014 Update (available from: http://www.ochaopt.org/
documents/Gaza_Crisis_Appeal_9_September.pdf (accessed September 2014).
5 Figures cover the period 1 October 2013 to 30 August 2014.
6 Following the 1993 Oslo Accords and the 1995 interim Agreements between Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank was divided into three zones, Areas A, B and
C. Extensive responsibility was delegated by Israel to the Palestinian Authority in Areas A and
B. Area C remained under full authority of Israel.
7 FAO, UNRWA, WFP and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Socioeconomic and food
security survey 2013: West Bank and Gaza Strip” (unpublished information).
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of economic access to food, trends of food insecurity are driven by economic
performance. The situation in the West Bank worsened compared to last year, when
food insecurity stood at 14 per cent.
12. Female-headed households account for only 9.8 per cent of all families in
occupied Palestinian territory (8.3 per cent in the Gaza Strip and 10.5 per cent in the
West Bank). Latest available data7 indicate that 26 per cent of female-headed
households in the West Bank are food insecure compared to 18 per cent of the maleheaded
households. In the Gaza Strip the situation is the reverse, as a result of
external assistance targeting female-headed households. Food insecurity among
those households is 51 per cent, compared to 58 per cent among male-headed
households. In Gaza, food insecurity is estimated to have increased as a result of the
recent conflict and the high levels of displacement, the inability of the population to
access their livelihoods, especially agriculture, and increased unemployment rates.
This is expected to contribute to a deterioration of the nutritional status of women
and children.8
13. Women continue to face significant challenges in the labour market. The
labour force participation rate among women remained low at 16 per cent
(compared to 65.8 per cent for men) in Gaza and 18 per cent (compared to
71.3 per cent for men) in the West Bank. Available data shows that women’s
unemployment rates remained high during the reporting period at 61 per cent in
Gaza and 26 per cent in the West Bank.9 Young women are particularly affected by
youth unemployment, with an overall unemployment rate of 64.7 per cent,
compared with 36.9 per cent of young men. In Gaza, the situation is particularly dire
with unemployment rates of 86.3 per cent for young women and 51.8 per cent for
young men.9 Discrimination within the workplace continued to persist , as evidenced
through disparities in wages. The average daily wage for women represented
81.1 per cent of that for men in 2013,10 demonstrating an increase of the wage gap
of 5.7 percentage points compared to 2012.
14. Concerns related to limited access to essential health care and shortages of
drugs and medical disposables remain, with increased concerns in Gaza. The current
crisis has left health-care centres damaged, without adequate medical equipment and
stock, and health-care providers unable to properly attend to the needs of women
and girls requiring sexual and reproductive health services. As a result of the
destruction to homes and the shelter crisis, it is expected that about 3,000 displaced
pregnant women will continue to suffer from lack of access to basic services and
special dietary and vitamin supplements.4 During the crisis, more than 45,000
pregnant women were deprived of access to basic reproductive health services, and
around 5,000 deliveries took place in extremely poor conditions. 4
15. The water and energy situation remains critical. Gaza’s only aquifer will
become unusable as early as 2016, with the damage irreversible by 2020;
95 per cent of water from the aquifer is unfit for human consumption. For drinking,
people either purchase desalinated water from tankers or depend on small
__________________
8 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Gaza Initial Rapid Assessment”
(27 August 2014).
9 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2014. Labour Force Survey: (April-Jun, 2014) Round
(Q2/2014), Press Report on the Labour Force Survey Results, Ramallah-Palestine.
10 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. “Labour force survey annual report.” (2013).
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desalination units at home.11 Prior to the conflict, the precarious energy supply only
met approximately 46 per cent of the estimated demand. With the destruction of
public infrastructure including the only power plant and water facilities during the
recent conflict, the functioning of basic services, including water and sanitation
were severely debilitated and present serious implications for the public health of
the population, including women.
16. In terms of education, the situation showed mixed results. According to the
latest data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics,12 the adjusted net enrolment
rate in primary education in Palestine was 92.74 per cent in 2012, with a gender
parity index of 0.99. In the case of lower secondary education the enrolment rate
was 83.6 per cent and the index 1.06 with girls slightly outnumbering boys. For
upper secondary education the rate was 71.55 and the index 1.24 in favour of girls.
Improvements in enrolment have, however, been coupled with an overall decline in
the quantity and quality of education as a result of violence, the closure of Gaza and
restrictions on movement. Additionally, the significant gains made by women in
education over time have not been translated into progress in women’s participation
in the labour market. Continuous population growth and insufficient infrastructure
stretched school capacities to its limits, negatively affecting the quality of education
delivered. Prior to the crisis, Gaza faced a shortage of almost 200 schools and two -
thirds of schools were operating on a double shif t basis. The hostilities are expected
to magnify the shortage of classrooms as roughly 258 schools (including at least 75
UNRWA schools) sustained damage and some schools are completely destroyed. 4 In
the West Bank, threat of harassment by Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces on
the way to school and fear of harm and humiliation at checkpoints continue to create
stress and fear among children and their families.
17. While women have continued to participate in a range of roles in the political
realm, they remain underrepresented in formal decision-making bodies and
processes. As at September 2014, women held 3 out of 17 ministerial level posts
(16.6 per cent) in the new Palestinian Government of National Consensus — an
increase from 12.5 per cent in the previous Government, but a drop from 21 per cent
of the last Government of May 2012. In the justice sector, women only account for
15 per cent of judges, 16 per cent of prosecutors and 21 per cent of lawyers, with
some drops registered from the previous year when figures were 15, 19.5 and 32.5
respectively. Women hold about 41 per cent of public sector employment and tend to
remain at lower positions of decision-making.13
18. The occupied Palestinian territory continued to be characterized by a weak rule
of law. Many barriers to women’s access to justice, especially for women victims of
violence, remain, hampering opportunities for women to seek redress.14 The
existing legal frameworks contain laws that are outdated and discriminate against
women, particularly in matters of divorce and child custody. Women and girl
victims of violence continue to face a combination of challenges preventing them
from accessing available security and justice services, ranging from difficult
physical access to security and judicial institutions, in particular those residing in
__________________
11 http://www.unicef.org/oPt/Outcome_document_on_Water_and_Energy_in_Gaza_-
_16_May_2014.pdf.
12 http://data.uis.unesco.org/#.
13 Data from 2012 from the Palestinian General Personnel Council.
14 UN-Women, “Women’s Access to Justice — Access Denied.” (December, 2014).
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Area C, to stigmatization of and pressures from families and communities on
women who seek justice. Even in cases where women manage to access justice
services, they often face service providers who lack professional knowledge in
dealing specifically with women and girl victims of violence and who continue to
interpret outdated laws pertaining to the Penal Code and personal status law in a
way that infringes on women’s rights.
19. The informal justice system continues to deal with matters traditionally
considered private issues, including so-called honour crimes and domestic violence.
According to the civil society partners, 19 cases of femicide were reported for the
period of January to September 2014, compared to 28 cases for the whole year of
2013. However, the number of cases is most likely underreported. During the
reporting period, no cases of so-called honour crimes were reported to OHCHR in
Gaza. This is likely a result of the social and cultural context and a lack of
willingness to report such incidents openly. According to OHCHR, new trends have
emerged in femicide cases or the killing of women as a result of family disputes or
crime. Studies suggest that overcrowding, especially owing to the hous ing situation
in Gaza and East Jerusalem, exacerbates violence within households. 15
20. The Palestinian Government continued to take noteworthy steps to strengthen
capacity to prevent and respond to different forms of violence against women. In
May 2014, the President issued a presidential decree that amended articles of the
Penal Code by removing provisions for leniency with regard to murder in the name
of so-called family honour. The Palestinian Cabinet approved the National Referral
System for Women Victims of Violence (Takamol) in 2014. While the Family
Protection from Violence law was provisionally accepted, it is still under discussion
with regard to its legislative applicability with the Palestinian Basic Law. The Office
of the Attorney-General appointed 15 trained prosecutors to investigate violence
against women cases. Sustained efforts are, however, needed to improve and expand
services and access to justice for all victims and survivors of gender -based violence
and to review, revise and strengthen relevant laws.
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
21. The United Nations continued its efforts to respond to the range of
development and humanitarian challenges. Priorities for the United Nations support
to the Palestinian people are outlined in a set of key documents, including the
United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the State of Palestine 2014 -
2016, which is aligned with the Palestinian National Development Plan 2014 -2016,
and the 2014 Strategic Response Plan for the occupied Palestinian territory which
outlines the humanitarian programming. This section updates on assistance provided
by the United Nations system, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, donors
and civil society, to address the specific needs and priorities of women and girls in
the following areas: education and training; health; economic empowerment and
livelihoods; rule of law and violence against women; power and decision-making;
and institutional development.
__________________
15 Norwegian Refugee Council, Overview of the Housing Situation in the Gaza Strip (March
2013), and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Easing the blockade: Assessing
the humanitarian impact on the population of the Gaza Strip (March, 2011).
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A. Education and training
22. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to
promote women’s and girls’ access to education and training and improve learning
environments. In the 2013/14 academic school year 29,518 girls (59 per cent of all
students) were enrolled in elementary and preparatory education in UNRWA schools
in the West Bank and 111,825 girls in the Gaza Strip (48 per cent of all students) ;
630 female students were enrolled in technical and vocational training programmes
(55 per cent of total) and 427 female students (63 per cent of total) were enrolled in
a teacher training degree programme administered by UNRWA. In addition,
UNRWA granted 36 scholarships to young refugees, of which 30 were granted to
young women who excelled academically but would otherwise be unable to afford
tertiary education in fields such as business administration, sciences, engineering
finance and accounting. Through its Al-Fakhoora Dynamic Futures Programme in
Gaza, UNDP provided academic scholarships for 324 students (180 female) and
supported their economic empowerment opportunities in the form of paid internship
to facilitate the transition to the labour market.
23. To promote access to quality education for all Palestinian children, nine United
Nations organizations16 coordinated by UNESCO continued their support to the
Ministry of Education and Higher Education in piloting an educational package
designed to improve capacities on early childhood development and promote
inclusive and child-friendly education regardless of gender, disabi lities,
backgrounds and circumstances. A major achievement has been the opening of
Grade 0 (one year of pre-school) classrooms in 30 public schools in the West Bank
and 14 in Gaza aiming to improve the development and learning of more than 1,000
children (50 per cent girls). Forty-four Early Childhood Development teachers (all
female) have been trained in these pilot schools, along with Grade 1 teachers to
facilitate the transition to primary education. In addition, training and awareness
sessions on inclusive education in Gaza reached 603 university students
(369 female) and 825 teachers (518 female).
24. In the West Bank, UNICEF and partners supported safe access to schools,
providing protective accompaniment to schoolchildren at 14 Israeli military
checkpoints and gates for safer commutes to school. This has benefitted 3,568
children (29 per cent girls) and 304 teachers. In Gaza, UNICEF, with the Ministry of
Education and partners, supported the reopening of schools to ensure that 230,000
schoolchildren (52 per cent girls) return to school after the hostilities, including
support for the cleaning and disinfection of 27 Government schools that were used
as collective shelters during the conflict, as well as training about 12,000
schoolteachers and administrators on psychosocial support, a policy of non-violence
in schools and identification of traumatized children and referrals. Along with
partners, UNICEF implemented after-school activities that benefitted 14,000
adolescents (50 per cent girls) with creative learning, life skills and recreational
activities. The gender-sensitive after-school activities aimed to increase leadership
skills and the participation of girls.
25. Food assistance continued to play an important role in improving learning
environments. WFP reached 140,014 children (50 per cent girls) through its food
assistance in schools in the West Bank and Gaza. UN-Women maintained the
__________________
16 FAO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNRWA, UNSCO, WFP and WHO.
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“Women-Run School Canteens” programme in the West Bank providing access to
healthy and nutritious food for 123,809 schoolchildren (50 per cent girls). Through
extracurricular activities, the programme also raised awareness of schoolchildren,
teachers, staff and parents on the effects of good nutrition on health.
26. UNESCO continued to support the training of 83 young female journalists on
the use of social media and gender-sensitive reporting. In addition, specialized
workshops were organized on women journalists’ rights, media ethics and the role
of women journalists in promoting reconciliation. Psychosocial counsell ing is being
provided to 30 female journalists from Gaza and the West Bank.
B. Health
27. The United Nations continued to build on good practice and results reported in
the previous year to improve the access to and quality of health services, includi ng
maternal and reproductive health care. UNRWA remained a major provider of basic
health-care services in the West Bank and Gaza, operating a range of care facilities,
as well as mobile clinic teams and employing over 2,000 staff. From October 2013
to June 2014, UNRWA provided antenatal care to over 30,000 Palestine refugee
women in the West Bank, which is more than double the number of women served
last year. A total of 11,258 Palestine refugee women (68.6 per cent) were referred to
secondary or tertiary care.
28. UNFPA continued to support a national programme of family planning and
advanced the coverage of its services within Ministry of Health clinics and through
civil society organizations. UNFPA also maintained support for a maternal mortality
surveillance programme. In addition, UNFPA supported the integration of gender -
based violence services into the national health system to detect, treat and refer
survivors of gender-based violence and 1,200 health service providers were trained
on gender-based violence response. During the hostilities in Gaza, UNFPA
supported five maternities in Gaza with medical supplies and essential drugs and
reached 4,000 displaced women with dignity kits, reproductive health services and
psychosocial support. In addition, UNFPA reached 120,000 displaced young people
with recreational activities and psychosocial support.
29. United Nations entities continued to provide a range of psychosocial services
and support initiatives to improve the quality of mental health services. The
UNRWA Emergency Community Mental Health Programme paid particular
attention to Bedouin Palestine refugee children and women living in Area C and the
Seam Zone in the provision of counsel ling and psychosocial support. During the
reporting period, 2,735 women and girls (56 per cent) participated in psychosocial
group activities. UNRWA also implemented community awareness and behavioural
change programmes, including community-based family protection services
integrated in the primary health-care centres, to address gender-based violence,
child protection and sexual and reproductive health rights. Through the Family and
Child Protection Programme, UNRWA aims to protect vulnerable groups in
Palestine refugee camps, children, youth, women, the elderly and people with
special needs from all forms of abuse, neglect and discrimination. Through WHO
support, 117 mental health professionals (42 per cent female) received specialized
training in child and adolescent mental health, family therapy that addressed genderbased
violence, recovery, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
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30. In response to the escalation of violence in Gaza, UNICEF provided drugs and
medical consumable items for use in pediatric hospitals and primary health centres
in the Gaza Strip benefiting at least 30,000 children (50 per cent girls). In addition,
UNICEF-led awareness-raising activities on communicable diseases that reached
3,998 women (47 per cent of the total), 2,935 children (50 per cent girls). More than
23,475 lactating mothers in Gaza benefited from breastfeeding counselling,
including 6,202 women during the conflict in Gaza.
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
31. Within its development programming, United Nations entities continued to
prioritize initiatives to promote women’s economic empowerment and improve food
security and livelihoods.
32. Microfinance support remained a source of short-term poverty alleviation in
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, the UNRWA Microfinance
Programme provided 2,776 loans to Palestinian refugee women (36 per cent of total
loans) amounting to $3 million (28 per cent of total loans). To promote the
economic empowerment of women, UNRWA introduced a microfinance programme
that targets women only with home-based income generating projects or activities.
33. UNDP, through its Productive Families and Economic Empowerment
Programme, provided support to nearly 4,000 women entrepreneurs and femaleheaded
households in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to secure sustainable income
and employment. As a result, 37 per cent of the targeted beneficiary families were
lifted out of poverty and 79 per cent improved their average monthly income by
64 per cent. Moreover, UNDP interventions contributed to creating more than 5,000
paid and sustainable new job opportunities for women leading to a substantive
increase in family incomes. Female entrepreneurs and business owners ’ access to
regional and international markets was improved. Through the Deprived Families
Economic Empowerment Programme, UNDP supported comprehensive training and
grant schemes, including business development services, in support of the
empowerment of poor households, including female-headed households. UNDP also
supported the establishment of a national committee to review trade agreements and
cooperation frameworks.
34. UNESCO and partners rehabilitated buildings in four Palestinian villages to be
used as centres for women’s associations. These centres will provide services for
around 150 women. Through women’s engagement in community activities,
UNESCO raised awareness of cultural heritage preservation and its role as a tool for
socioeconomic development mainly through cultural tourism. UN-Habitat
implemented a housing and income-generating project for underprivileged women
in Hebron city where 100 housing units were developed. A technical and vocational
training centre for marginalized women has also been established where small -scale
economic activities and cooperatives were initiated.
35. Various initiatives sought to build women’s skills and capacity to produce and
market various products. UN-Women provided training for a total of 70 women
beneficiaries in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on designing and producing
quality marketable Palestinian handicrafts and products. Additionally, two training
manuals were developed; one on the marketing of women-produced cultural
products and the other on gender-sensitive agro-biodiversity. Supported by FAO and
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UNDP, the national first initiative, aimed to promote and market high quality
cultural and agricultural products of 28 women’s associations locally and globally.
36. UNCTAD implemented a project entitled “Capacity development for
facilitating Palestinian trade”, which aimed to increase the representation of women
in the Palestinian Shipper ’s Council staff (three out of seven employees are women)
and the Council Board of Directors (two out of 13 Board members are women) as
part of capacity development initiatives for facilitating Palestinian trade. The project
reached approximately 220 women. It also supported 173 women through
workshops and trainings on the trade and supply chain management.
37. ILO continued to support the promotion and development of women-only
cooperatives. Over the past two years, ILO has been providing technical suppor t to
the General Directorate of Cooperatives at the Ministry of Labour. More recently,
ILO worked closely with the Directorate in identifying new non-traditional
economic sectors for cooperative development for women and building the capacity
of cooperative counsellors at the Ministry of Labour to provide better advisory
services and counselling to women-only cooperatives.
38. UN-Women continued to strengthen sustainability and financial autonomy of
community-based women centres and secure greater livelihood and economic
security for women in marginalized communities through the Women-run School
Canteen Programme, which is now well-established across all 13 governorates of
the West Bank. As at September 2014, 53 community-based organizations were
involved in the programme, of which 18 centres were making profits and had almost
achieved financial independence. The programme created part -time employment
opportunities and a secure monthly income for around 625 women.
39. FAO, WFP, UNDP and UNRWA continued interventions aimed at improving
food security, with a particular focus on women. FAO aimed to increase income
generation, stabilize agricultural capacities and improve food security for vulnerable
households in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, providing agriculture inputs such
as small animal husbandry to more than 1,160 women. WFP contributed to women’s
empowerment through its nutrition awareness activities in the Gaza Strip. The
trainings, which reached 1,000 women, aim to raise awareness on the nutritional
impacts of food and support women’s key role in guaranteeing food security for the
entire household and their role in the management of food resources and meal
preparation. Strengthened informal women’s networks were created as a by-product
of the trainings supporting women’s resilience by providing a peer support group
beyond close relatives.
40. UNDP contributed to enhancing women’s access to resources and food
security through the development of irrigation systems and water resources in the
West Bank; 2,820 women benefited from upgrades in the land irrigation network,
which effectively resulted in a marked increase of cultivated land of water storage.
UNRWA supported 2,761 refugee households that joined the UNRWA food voucher
programme, of which 8,543 (49 per cent of the total) were female beneficiaries.
UNRWA also supported the Cash-for-Work Programme, with 3,665 (48 per cent of
total) female beneficiaries, and provided cash-for-work opportunities.
41. During the Gaza hostilities, UNRWA and WFP undertook an exceptional food
distribution scheme, providing food assistance to families that usually do not
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receive food assistance from WFP, reaching an estimated 620,000 beneficiaries , of
which 305,014 were female.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
42. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives designed
to improve women’s access to justice and enhance the capacity of institutions and
personnel to prevent and respond to violence against women. Priority for activities
continued to be placed on supporting the implementation of the National Strategy to
Combat Violence against Women (2011-2019).
43. The UNDP Access to Justice and Rule of Law Programme supported the
establishment of gender units across the justice and security sectors and the
promotion of gender-sensitive laws and policies. More specifically, as part of the
National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women, it developed the capacity of
the Gender Legislative Committee to review and improve draft laws , bylaws and
amendments from a gender perspective. Through Birzeit University, an accredited
diploma programme was provided for senior Palestinian Civil Police on public
administration and gender mainstreaming. It also supported the establishment of a
security sector gender taskforce under the auspice of the Ministry of the Interior
comprised of seven Palestinian security agencies, which adopted recommendations
to institutionalize and mainstream a gender perspective into all policies, plans and
programmes. The Security Sector Gender Task Force fed into the development of
the Security Sector Strategic Plan (2014-2016), which presents concrete steps to
strengthen and develop tools and policies to incorporate gender into the security
establishment.
44. Through this programme, UNDP provided legal aid services, including legal
representation, counselling and information, to almost 22,000 women in 2013, in
particular with regard to family breakdown issues and disputes frequently linked to
family violence, including applications by women for divorce, separation, custody,
maintenance and, alimony and inheritance issues. UNDP also supported a study on
public perceptions of family law reform in collaboration with the Birzeit University
Institute of Women’s Studies, to help inform future family law reform efforts. In
Gaza, the Awn Network of civil society legal aid providers established a gender
justice council to provide legal aid services to female inmates and to campaign on
legal policy issues in support of women’s human rights. One such successful
campaign resulted in a decision of the de facto authorities to remove the stigmatized
labelling of women as “divorcees” from identification cards. In the West Bank,
support provided to the Palestinian Maintenance Fund to develop institutional
relations with other government bodies enabled the Fund to increase its retrieval
rate and provide reliable monthly alimony payments to more of the most
marginalized women and children in the West Bank.
45. A number of United Nations entities supported activities aimed at raising the
awareness of violence against women, as well as expanding support services.
During the reporting period, 311 UNRWA staff members and nearly 1,000
community group members were trained on gender-based violence, women’s rights
and sexual and reproductive health and rights in the West Bank. From October 2013
to June 2014, 166 (87 per cent women and girls) gender-based violence survivors
were identified and accessed services, including counselling. In response to the
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Gaza crisis, UNRWA focused its attention on the protection of women and girls in
the context of the unprecedented number of internally displaced persons in its
temporary shelters. This included providing 24-hour services for victims of any
forms of violence, sensitizing shelter staff and organizing awareness-raising
campaigns for men and women about the risks of sexual and gender -based violence,
in addition to establishing multipurpose rooms designated for women and adolescent
girls in shelters. In 2014, OHCHR carried out three seminars with local leaders
focusing on women’s human rights in three different locations of the Gaza Strip and
urged them to uphold the rights of women in their communities. In May and
June 2014 OHCHR, in collaboration with the Gaza Bar Association and the NGO
partners, organized full-day workshops for Gaza lawyers on human rights principles,
including sessions on gender-based violence.
46. Based on the results of the 2012 Gender Based Violence Survey,17 ILO has
partnered with Birzeit University in the West Bank to promote a more gendersensitive
university environment. In June 2014, ILO conducted a training-of-trainers
for the staff of the Institute of Women’s Studies at Birzeit University on the
participatory gender audit methodology with the aim of increasing the role of the
Institute in advocating for equal opportunities and treatment of women in the
university while also developing capacities to identify and intervene on issues
related to gender-based unfair treatment in the workplace.
47. UNFPA is currently supporting the establishment of a mechanism to collect
data on gender-based violence, and the development of a national referral system to
strengthen multisectoral services and support to gender-based violence survivors in
cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the
Palestinian Civil Police and the Ministry of Justice.
48. Through its Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice Programme, UN-Women
built the capacity of a core group of lawyers in the area of prosecution on violence
against women. The Palestinian Attorney-General appointed 15 specialized lawyers
(9 men and 6 women) to provide legal aid and representation to women victims of
violence, in addition to the development of standard operating procedures for the
prosecution of cases involving violence against women. UN-Women continued to
provide technical support to the Palestinian Bar Association, where a specialized
training on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women and international standards of handling and litigating violence
against women was organized for about 20 lawyers. The lawyers, through the
Palestinian Bar Association, continued to legally support cases of violence against
women for female inmates inside the correction and rehabilitation centres and
sheltered women. Furthermore, UN-Women provided training for Palestinian Civil
Police officers within the Family Protection Unit to build their capacity on standard
operating procedures for responding to violence against women with a view to
safeguarding rights and due process.
49. UNODC continued to support and strengthen the capacity of the Palestinian
Ministries of Justice and the Interior and the Palestinian Civilian Police to manage,
administer, deliver and expand forensic services in accordance with international
standards, including with regard to the investigation of gender -based violence cases.
__________________
17 International Labour Organization, Gender-based Violence in the Workplace: An overview from
the occupied Palestinian territory-Policy Brief (2012).
E/CN.6/2015/5
14/17 14-67639
Seven Palestinian doctors, undergoing a four-year specialized training programme in
forensic medicine in Amman, completed their first year of training. A “best practice”
manual on sexual and gender-based violence examination for forensic practitioners
and criminal justice system stakeholders was developed, together with a training
programme in forensic nursing, and a forensic laboratory facility was established.
50. In the second half of 2014, UNDP and UN-Women commenced
implementation of a new comprehensive joint rule of law, justice and security
programme in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip seeking to systemize gender
interventions across all rule of law components and develop dedicated and
specialized gender capacities to deal with cases of violence against women.
E. Power and decision-making
51. During the reporting period, UN-Women supported the creation of a national
women’s political participation caucus, which functions as an advocacy and
lobbying body to support women’s political participation and access to decisionmaking
spheres. The caucus group is comprised of 100 PLO political party
representatives, women’s advocates, youth advocates and civil society organizations
representatives in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The caucus members received
trainings on gender concepts, the Palestinian women’s bill of rights, the personal
status law, the Penal Code, the Labour Law, the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women and Security Council resolution 1325
(2000). Since its establishment,18 the caucus has conducted a review of political
parties’ bylaws from a gender perspective. At the local level, UN-Women supported
the creation of 10 committees in rural areas of the West Bank to advocate for the
participation of women in political and public life. UN-Women also supported the
establishment of the Constitution Shadow Committee, comprised of 24 young
women and five young men seeking to influence the ongoing Palestinian
constitution-making process in favour of a gender-sensitive Constitution.
52. UNDP continued to support the Palestinian Initiative for Promotion of Global
Dialogue and Democracy, which is designed to enhance the capacities of 50 young
Palestinian female leaders across the occupied Palestinian territory, including
strengthening their networks and lobbying skills for formulation of gender -
responsive policies and regulations to increase women’s political participation and
representation.
F. Institutional development
53. UN-Women continued to provide technical assistance and institutional support
to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, including in the follow-up to the Cross Sectoral
National Gender Strategy (2014-2016), which was endorsed by the Cabinet in April
2014, and in the review of the Palestinian National Development Plan 2014 -2016
and related sectoral strategies, including the labour sector strategy the local
governance sector strategy, and the education sector strategy (2014-2016), from a
gender perspective. In partnership with ILO, UN-Women supported the National
Committee for Women’s Employment in developing its 2015-2017 Action Plan,
__________________
18 Established in the last quarter of 2013.
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14-67639 15/17
which focuses on increasing women’s participation in the labour force and
protecting their rights, with a special focus on the agriculture and the information
technology sectors. As part of its Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment programme, UN-Women laid the ground for developing the capacity
of national stakeholders in gender responsive budgeting and gender responsive
planning. Technical support to line ministries continued on gender responsive
planning, with more than 91 Government officials members trained during the latest
government planning cycle for 2014-2016. UN-Women also supported the
development of the Gender Charter for the Local Aid Coordination Structure, with
the aim of developing a common vision and values with respect to dealing with
gender issues within the aid coordination structure. ESCWA, in collaboration with
the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, carried out a set of workshops to enhance the
skills of relevant national staff on gender-related issues.
54. Following a series of consultations with its tripartite constituents in 2013, ILO
developed a Decent Work Programme for the period 2013-2016 that addresses key
deficits in the labour market and promotes workers’ rights. The Programme supports
entrepreneurship and skills development for male and female youth, as well as
cooperatives’ development. ILO also conducted a labour review that draws on the
earlier gender legal review undertaken by the National Committee for Women ’s
Employment, and a rapid assessment of the labour inspection system carried out
previously by ILO. The findings of the review, including on barriers to women’s
participation in the labour market, were incorporated into a policy paper with clear
recommendations including a maternity benefit in the social security law curre ntly
being developed and a provision in the Palestinian Labour Law for defining and
preventing harassment in the workplace.
55. UNDP supported the Ministry of Social Affairs to integrate women’s economic
empowerment into the National Social Protection Strategy. The Palestine Trade
Center, through UNDP support, integrated gender perspectives into its results -based
management system, administrative and personnel manual, the financial manual and
the newly developed Code of Ethics and launched a database on women-owned
businesses.
56. During the reporting period, WHO conducted five capacity development
workshops in the area of social determinants of health for 100 Ministry of Health
mid-level managers from various regions in the West Bank, introducing concepts
and methods for analysing and addressing social determinants of women’s and
men’s health.
57. United Nations entities undertook various initiatives to assess and ensure that
the different needs of women and girls are taken into account in humanitarian
action. UN-Women and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
organized workshops with women’s organizations in Gaza to identify avenues and
opportunities for their participation in humanitarian coordination mechanisms. The
workshops brought the knowledge and experiences of women’s organizations to
address gaps in the humanitarian response in the 2015 cycle and beyond, notably,
validating the analysis carried out by a Humanitarian Gender Adviser on genderspecific
priorities to be reflected in the 2015 humanitarian appeals process. To
inform the humanitarian response, UN-Women completed field research on the
situation of women and girls in the Access Restricted Area in the Gaza Strip,
analysing the impact of border conflict on women’s and girls’ protection, livelihood
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16/17 14-67639
and access to services within the framework of Security Council resolution 1325
(2000).
58. UNESCO, through the Palestinian Women’s Research and Documentation
Centre, supported the strengthening of capacities related to policy-oriented research
on gender equality: 48 professionals (40 female and 8 male) from governmental,
semi-governmental and non-governmental research and gender departments have
completed a 96-hour capacity development programme. UNESCO also organized
additional training sessions on gender-sensitive planning for 22 members of the
Gender Advisory Committee of the Palestinian Authority’s Security Sector.
59. ESCWA is supporting the development of a national Gender Statistics
Framework for Palestine with gender-sensitive and sex-disaggregated indicators that
will constitute a tool for policymakers to monitor progress against global and
national commitments on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
60. The reporting period was marked by a series of alarming developments,
including a steep escalation of tension and violence between Gaza and Israel
and a suspension of the direct final status negotiations. The large military
operation launched by the Israeli army from 8 July to 26 August 2014 in the
Gaza Strip resulted in a humanitarian emergency with an unprecedented scale
of destruction, devastation and displacement, which further heightened
vulnerability and instability. Women, girls, boys and men are affected
differently by the crisis and greater involvement of all groups in the design and
planning of humanitarian recovery and relief programmes needs to be
undertaken. It is essential to ensure women’s participation across all
programming. In addition, male and female youth, who constitute the majority
of the Gaza population, need to be given a voice in identifying their particular
needs and priorities within relief and recovery planning and implementation.
61. Many observations from previous reports still stand. Restrictions on
movement and access, increased settlement expansion and settler violence,
demolitions of Palestinian infrastructure and displacement, the fragmentation
of the territory and the closure of the occupied Palestinian territory,
particularly the Gaza Strip, continue to have a negative gender differentiated
impact on the lives of Palestinian women and their families. The volatility of the
context poses formidable obstacles to development in the State of Palestine. As
the report shows, progress on development indicators remains fragile and
prone to regression, including as it relates to women’s rights. The significant
operational challenges on the work on the United Nations and its partners pose
serious barriers to addressing both immediate and longer-term needs.
62. High levels of unemployment and poverty persist, and many Palestinian
women and girls still face significant obstacles in accessing basic services,
health care, psychosocial support, water and sanitation, justice institutions and
economic opportunities. Signs of increased food insecurity levels, compromised
quality of educational environments and services and the growing challenges
faced by women in the labour market are all issues demanding greater
attention and a more gender-sensitive response in the coming year. The critical
situations with regard to water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as energy, in
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14-67639 17/17
particular in Gaza following the recent conflict, are other major concerns that
must be addressed with urgency by all relevant stakeholders.
63. Despite stronger normative frameworks in place, violence against women
remains a serious concern. Sustained efforts and investments are needed to
improve and expand services and access to justice for victims. As noted in
previous reports and as was evident during the reporting period, insecurity and
poverty can exacerbate gender-based discrimination and abuse, including in
the workplace, and lead to elevated levels of violence against women in both the
public and private spheres. The prevention of all forms of violence and
discrimination against women and girls must be at the forefront of efforts in
the coming year.
64. Efforts made by the State of Palestine with the support of the United
Nations to strengthen policy and implementation frameworks and build
institutional capacity to address violence against women and promote gender
equality and women’s empowerment over the past two years are laudable.
These include the development and endorsement of the National Strategy to
Combat Violence against Women (2011-2019) and the Cross Sectoral National
Gender Strategy (2014-2016), as well as the inclusion of commitments to gender
equality in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for
Palestine and the new Palestinian National Development Plan. Strong political
commitment at the highest levels and across line ministries, in addition to
technical and financial support to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and
women’s civil society organizations, will be required for their effective
implementation. The accession to international treaties and conventions,
including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women, brings new obligations requiring effective accountability and
monitoring systems. The United Nations stands ready to assist in the
implementation and monitoring of these obligations.
65. Progress has been made in improving systems for gender-sensitive data
collection and analysis. Still, continued support is needed to further build
capacity to collect and analyse sex- and age-disaggregated data on the full
range of issues that have an impact on the lives of Palestinians. As stressed in
previous reports, such analysis and data must form an integral part of all
policymaking, planning and programming initiatives and inform reporting and
briefings by the United Nations system to relevant intergovernmental bodies.
66. The United Nations will continue working towards the realization of a
just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The engagement of
Palestinian and Israeli women in the peace process and talks must be supported
in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 2122 (2013) on
women, peace and security. Building on promising initiatives under way that
are supported by UN-Women, UNDP and others, stronger action is needed by
all actors to increase women’s participation and leadership at all levels of
decision-making and to support women in elected and appointed posts. The
good practice of direct dialogue between women’s civil society organizations
and senior representatives of the United Nations entities should be maintained.
United Nations E/CN.6/2016/6
Economic and Social Council
Distr.: General
22 December 2015
Original: English
15-22727 (E) 130116
*1522727*
Commission on the Status of Women
Sixtieth session
14-24 March 2016
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled
“Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming, situations and
programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2015/13, highlights the situation of Palestinian women for the period from
1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015 and provides an overview of the assistance
provided by the entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and
training; health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of law and
violence against women; power and decision -making; and institutional development.
The report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on
the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2016/1.
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2/18 15-22727
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2015/13 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed grave concern about the
increased difficulties being faced by Palestinian women and girls living under
Israeli occupation and about the critical socioeconomic and humanitarian situation
in the Gaza Strip. The Council requested the Secretary -General to continue to
review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including
those laid out by the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and
assistance to Palestinian women ( E/CN.6/2015/5), and to submit to the Commission
on the Status of Women at its sixtieth session a report, including information
provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), on
the progress made in the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 October 2014 to 30 September
2015 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women based on information from the
United Nations entities and individual experts that monitor the situation of
Palestinians in the State of Palestine.1
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and information
submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide assistance to
Palestinian women. The present report includes contributions from the following
United Nations entities: ESCWA, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Trade
Centre (ITC), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the
Secretariat, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its Programme of
Assistance to the Palestinian People, the United Nations Educ ational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Office of the United Nations Special
Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the World Food Programme
(WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It complements other reports on
the living and socioeconomic conditions of the Palestinian people (see A/70/76-
E/2015/57, A/70/354-S/2015/677, A/70/82-E/2015/13 and A/70/13), as well as the
report of the independent commission of inquiry established pursuant to Hu man
Rights Council resolution S-21/1 (A/HRC/29/52).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
4. The reporting period began shortly after an open -ended ceasefire was agreed
on 26 August 2014 between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, ending the
51-day conflict in Gaza, which had left an unprecedented level of destruction and
__________________
1 In accordance with the report of the Secretary -General on the status of Palestine in the United
Nations dated 8 March 2013 (A/67/738), the designation “State of Palestine” is now used in all
documents of the United Nations, notwithstanding the use in parallel of the term used in previous
reports, “Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
E/CN.6/2016/6
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despair in the Gaza Strip and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation. At
the donor conference held on 12 October 2014, in Cairo, the international
community pledged $3.5 billio n for the reconstruction needs of Gaza. As at
31 August 2015, only 35 per cent of pledges targeting the reconstruction needs of
Gaza had been fulfilled.2
5. The United Nations brokered an agreement between the Government of Israel
and the Government of Palestine to facilitate the entry of dual-use material, such as
aggregate, steel bar and cement, into Gaza for the reconstruction of housing, water
networks and schools, among other major infrastructure projects. The temporary
Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism has, to date, enabled over 96,000 families to
procure construction materials for repairing their homes. In addition, almost 2,300
families of the 19,000 whose homes had been severely or completely destroyed have
been cleared to purchase material through the mechanism.3 However, the scale of
reconstruction remains far short of satisfying the tremendous need in Gaza.
6. Challenges remain with respect to the two -State solution and meaningful
negotiations. Nevertheless, over the last three months of the reporting period, the
Middle East Quartet envoys (representing the European Union, the United Nations,
the Russian Federation and the United States of America) have held active and
direct consultations with Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the League of Arab States,
the Gulf Cooperation Council and key international partners on how to preserve the
two-State solution and whether conditions can be established for the parties to
return to meaningful negotiations.
7. The eight-year long closure of the Gaza Strip has had a devastating effect on
Palestinians living in Gaza. Challenges affecting women, in particular, include the
prevalence of gender-based violence and limited access to water, housing, land and
property, employment opportunities, higher education and health c are, including
prenatal and neonatal health care.4 Psychosocial distress levels, which were already
high among the Gaza population, have worsened significantly as a result of the
conflict and will require specialized support, specifically for children, ado lescent
girls and women.
8. Refugee camps in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are among the most
densely populated urban environments in the world and the conditions in these
camps have deteriorated over decades, in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank .
Specifically for women and girls, this overcrowding limits their mobility, privacy
and access to recreational spaces. Overcrowded living conditions and a lack of
privacy cause psychological distress among camp residents and strain family and
social relations. Residents frequently note that gender-based violence, including
domestic violence, is a manifestation of such stress, combined with the strain caused
by the unstable political and security situation and discriminator y gender
stereotypes and norms.4
9. The Israeli Government has come under increasing pressure from settler
groups to resume the planning and tendering of settlements, which have been in a
__________________
2 World Bank, “Reconstructing Gaza: Donor Pledges” (September 2015), available at:
www.worldbank.org/en/programs/rebuilding -gaza-donor-pledges#1.
3 Data available at: http://grm.report/#/.
4 UNFPA and The Culture and Free Thought Association, “Protection in the Windward: Conditions
and Rights of Internally Displaced Girls and Women during the Latest Israeli Military Operation
on the Gaza Strip” (October 2014).
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lull since the fall of 2014. In July 2015, following the demolition of two buildings
in the settlement of Beit El, the Government announced the construction of 300 new
residential units there, as well as around 500 more in East Jerusalem settlements. In
addition, a spike in demolitions of Palestinian villages in Area C of the West Bank 5
was recorded in August. The Israeli authorities continued to promote plans for the
relocation of Palestinian Bedouin communities in Area C, which if implemented,
may result in their forcible transfer.
10. The reporting period was marked by lower levels of violence than the previous
period, resulting in fewer civilian deaths and injuries, although there was an
increase in casualties among Israeli civilians. According to the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in the West Bank, between October 2014 and
September 2015, 31 Palestinians (23 men, 1 woman and 7 boys) were killed and
3,248 Palestinians (2,544 men, 64 women, 621 boys and 19 girls) were injured by
the Israel Defense Forces, while four Palestinians (two men, one woman and one
child) were killed and 98 Palestinians (65 men, 9 women, 17 boys and 7 girls) were
injured by Israeli settlers. Eight Israelis (four men, two women, one boy and one
girl), mostly settlers, were killed by Palestinians, and another 127 Israelis (97 men,
17 women, 8 boys and 5 girls) were injured in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem. Another five Israeli men and two Palestinian men were also killed in one
incident in West Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, four Palestinians were killed (three
men and one boy), and 96 Palestinians were injured (80 men and 16 boys).6
11. During the reporting period, there was a decline in the total registered number
of search operations, fatalities, injuries and arrests and detentions in the refugee
camps in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Boys and young men are more
likely than women and girls to be subject to violence during operations of the Israeli
security forces, as well as during arrest and detention. 7 However, women in
detention face gender-specific challenges, including inadequate access to medical
care, risks associated with pregnancy and giving birth in prison, and sexual
harassment. After their release from detention, women are particularly vulnerable to
stigma and marginalization from their communities.8
12. Between October 2014 and July 2015, UNRWA provided emergency support
to 766 families in the West Bank whose homes had been demolished or damaged by
the Israeli security forces in the context of law enforcement and search operations. 9
Of the families affected, 214 (34 per cent) wer e female-headed households. With
regard to the demolition of homes, of the 41 families that had their homes
__________________
5 Following the 1993 Oslo Accords and the 1995 interim Agreements betw een Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank was divided into three zones, Areas A, B and
C. Extensive responsibility was delegated by Israel to the Palestinian Authority in Areas A and B.
Area C remained under full authority of Isra el.
6 According to the Protection of Civilians database of the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs.
7 There were 499 search operations during the reporting period, compared to 680 search operations
in the previous reporting period; 7 fa talities in the reporting period compared to 15 fatalities in
the previous; 288 injuries in the reporting period compared to 716 in the previous; and
479 detentions in the reporting period compared to 560 in the previous. Input from the West
Bank Field Office of UNRWA to the present report.
8 UN-Women, “Access Denied: Palestinian Women’s Access to Justice in the West Bank of the
Occupied Palestinian Territory: Where are women? Where is women ’s accessibility to “justice”?
Are there possibilities for justic e in the context of military occupation?” (UN -Women office in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2014).
9 Input from the West Bank Field Office of UNRWA to the present report.
E/CN.6/2016/6
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demolished, 13 were female-headed households. Of those 41 affected families,
12 women were referred to the women’s programme run by UNRWA and 23 women
were referred to the mental health support programme.
13. Several factors continue to present significant barriers to freedom of
movement and access to livelihoods for Palestinians, with differing impacts on
women and men: the ongoing Israeli occupatio n of the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, the closure of the Gaza Strip and the differential status that applies to
Palestinian women and men in different areas. The population of 1.8 million
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip remains effectively isolated from the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, by the continuing closure of Gaza by Israel. In addition,
access to East Jerusalem remains limited for Palestinian residents from the
remainder of the West Bank. Physical and administrative restrictions continu e to
impede humanitarian access to some of the most vulnerable communities in Area C,
particularly those in the firing zones and those located behind the separation barrier.
However, regulations for the movement of Palestinians from the West Bank to Israel
were relaxed during the reporting period, and the number of permits issued for
Palestinians employed in Israel reached 60,150 .10
14. According to data collected by UN-Women and the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it is estimated that a round 700 women were
widowed as a result of the conflict in Gaza in 2014. Female -headed households in
Gaza face particular challenges in accessing humanitarian assistance and inherited
assets, owing to social restrictions. As primary caregivers, they also
disproportionately experience the long -term impact of damaged infrastructure and
reduced services, including on health -care, education and social protection services.
The traditional division of roles between women and men in Gaza renders many
newly widowed women unprepared to deal with challenges outside the home. Due
to the lack of economic opportunities for women, few widows are able to provide
for their families when the male head -of-household dies. Widowed women are
frequently incorporated, along with their children, into the households of their
parents or in-laws. In both cases, male kin and in -laws can block their direct access
to benefits or entitlements, and women have no guarantees for control over any
benefits or entitlements they receive.
15. The Palestinian labour force grew by 8.6 per cent in 2014, to reach over
1.25 million.11 Although the female labour force participation rate grew from
17.3 per cent in 2013 to 19.4 per cent in 2014, it remains extremely low by both
global and regional standards. The gender gap in labour force participation is
significant, at 71.5 per cent for men, compared to 19.4 per cent for women. The
most common areas for women’s employment are the services sector (where 57 per
cent of working women are employed) and “uns killed” agriculture work (20 per
cent of working women),12 both of which are highly susceptible to outside economic
pressures. In addition, there is a gender gap in the median daily wage in the West
__________________
10 Information provided by the Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, 2015.
11 International Labour Organization, “The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories”,
appendix, para. 33 (2014).
12 Ibid., para. 35. The remainder of women are employed in commerce, restaurants and hotels
(10.3 per cent of women); manufacturing, mining and quarrying (9.8 per cent of women);
transport, storage and communication (1.3 per cent of women); and construction (0.7 per cent
of women).
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Bank and Gaza Strip; in 2014, women ’s median daily wage was only 76 per cent
that of men.13
16. Access to essential health care remains limited, and shortages of drugs and
medical disposables are frequent in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The recent
conflict in and continued closure of Gaza has left health -care centres damaged,
without adequate medical equipment and stock. In particular, the conflict in Gaza in
2014 resulted in a serious deterioration of family planning services, which has
affected the health-care system’s capacity to provide women with safe a nd reliable
reproductive health services.14 According to UNFPA, the maternal mortality ratio
for 2014 for the State of Palestine was 30.97 per 100,000 live births, but
UN-Women and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have
warned that this ratio is now at risk of increase owing to the inaccessibility of
reproductive health care in Gaza. 14
17. Access to safe, sufficient and affordable water also continues to pose a
challenge for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, which affects women an d
girls in particular. In Gaza, the damage to water and wastewater networks caused by
the conflict in 2014 has further exacerbated the situation. The unreliability and
shortage of electricity and fuel further hamper the pumping and distribution of water
to the population, as electricity is essential for the functioning of water pumps that
extract and distribute water to households. Over 70 per cent of households in Gaza
receive between 6 and 8 hours of piped water once every 2 to 4 days, and large
areas of Gaza experience 12 to 16 hours of electricity blackouts every day. 14 In the
West Bank, even though 96 per cent of the total Palestinian population is connected
to water networks, reliability and quality remain serious issues of concern. 15
According to UNICEF, Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank are the
worst affected by water scarcity, where roughly half the population is estimated to
be without a water network connection, and the Palestinian Government has limited
ability to provide access to water.
18. Limited household access to water and electricity has significant implications
for women’s and girls’ burden of care, health, time spent collecting resources and
ability to generate income in Gaza and the West Bank, given the strict division of
labour between women and men within households. Water and sanitation issues also
affect girls’ enrolment and protection needs in schools. Prior to the 2014 conflict, a
total of 300,000 students throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory had poor
water, sanitation and hygiene facilities at school. Assessments conducted after the
conflict indicated that at least 189 public schools were damaged, 26 of which were
seriously damaged, and 83 out of 155 UNRWA school buildings incurred damage,
although 90 per cent of those schools were repaired by the end of the reporting
period.
19. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary education in the State of Palestine in
2013 was 40.6, with a gender parity index of 0.99. The adjusted net enrolment rate
for primary education in the same year was 92.36, with a gender parity index
of 1.01. In secondary education, the net enrolment rate was 80.35, with a gender
__________________
13 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, press release dated 5 March 2015, available fr om
http://pcbs.gov.ps/portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/WomenDy2015E.pdf.
14 UN-Women and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Needs of women and
girls in humanitarian action in Gaza — Gender alert for the 2016 response plan” (August 2015).
15 Palestinian Water Authority, “Annual Water Status Report” (2014).
E/CN.6/2016/6
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parity index of 1.09.16 High rates of educational enrolment do not necessarily mean
high completion rates, nor do they capture concerns about the quality of education.
Boys are more likely to drop out at both the s econdary and tertiary levels;
nevertheless, girls’ higher educational achievements have not translated into
improved employment experience.
20. While women have continued to participate in a range of roles in the political
realm, they remain underrepresented in formal decision-making bodies and
processes. As of September 2015, women held 3 of 17 ministerial level posts
(16.6 per cent) in the new Palestinian Government of national consensus, the same
number and percentage as in the previous reporting period . During the reporting
period, the Palestinian Central Council of the Palestinian Liberation Organization
announced that it would adopt a 30 per cent quota for women ’s representation in
State of Palestine institutions, in response to advocacy and lobbying by the General
Union of Palestinian Women.
21. In June 2015, the Ministry of Women ’s Affairs produced a national strategy on
the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace
and security, with support from UNFPA and UN -Women. The strategy has a
particular focus on preventing and protecting women from violations of their human
rights in relation to domestic, workplace and community -based violence, and
improving gender equality and women ’s participation in education, the labour
market and decision-making.
22. The rule of law remains a significant issue across the State of Palestine.
Palestinian women face specific challenges in accessing justice as a result of laws
that discriminate on the basis of sex (notably in respect to inheri tance and other
personal status issues); women’s limited knowledge of their rights and procedures;
economic dependency; and social pressures and stigma. 8 Even in cases where
women manage to access justice services, they often face service providers who
lack professional knowledge in dealing specifically with women and girl victims of
violence, and who continue to interpret outdated laws pertaining to the Penal Code
and personal status law in ways that infringe on women ’s human rights. The result is
a high level of underreporting of gender-based violence and attrition of those cases
that are brought forward. Further, when women access the justice system and obtain
judgements in their favour, a lack of enforcement means that justice remains out of
reach.
23. Gender-based violence continues to be a key protection concern for women in
the State of Palestine, and the situation is particularly acute in the Gaza Strip. A
2011 survey showed that 51 per cent of women in Gaza had been victims of gender -
based violence.17 A rapid assessment by UNFPA conducted after the 2014 conflict
revealed that the protracted crisis and related displacement, lack of privacy and lack
of basic services had exacerbated people ’s sense of vulnerability, leading to violence
against women.18 Case studies as part of a 2015 situation analysis by UNFPA
__________________
16 Data available from http://data.uis.unesco.org/#.
17 For the State of Palestine, 37 per cent of women had been victims of gender -based violence.
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , survey on violence in Palestinian society (2011).
18 UNFPA, WHO and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, “Victims in the shadows: Gaza post -crisis
reproductive health assessment” (October 2014); UNFPA and The Culture and Free Thought
Association, “Protection in the Windward: Conditions and Rights of Internally Displaced Girls
and Women during the Latest Israeli Military Operation on the Gaza Strip” (October 2014), p. 9.
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indicate that economic hardship, following the 2014 conflict in Gaza, has driven
families to marry off their daughters early in order to improve the economic
situation of the family. The rate of child marriage is higher in Gaza than in the West
Bank; 28.6 per cent of women in the Gaza Strip aged 20 -49 were married before the
age of 18, compared to 21.4 per cent in the West Bank. 19
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
24. An update on assistance provided by the United Nations system, coordinated
by the United Nations country team, in cooperation with the State of Palestine,
donors and civil society, to address the specific needs and priorities of women and
girls in the following areas: education and training; health; economic empowerment
and livelihoods; the rule of law and violence against women; power and decision -
making; and institutional development, is given in paragraphs 29 -65 below. United
Nations support to the Palestinian people is guided by key documents, including the
United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the State of Palestine 2014 -
2016 (aligned with the Palestinian National Development Plan 2014 -2016), and the
2015 strategic response plan for humanitarian programming. The information
presented below is based on the contributions from United Nations entities to the
present report, compiled by the United Nations country team.
A. Education and training
25. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to
promote women’s and girls’ access to education and training and improve learning
environments. During the academic year 2014 -2015, UNRWA ran 252 schools in
Gaza and 97 in the West Bank, with 290,977 pupils enrolled as at October 2014, of
whom 53.4 per cent were girls. Gender equality and a quality education for boys
and girls are at the centre of education reform by UNRWA, and special attention has
been given, at UNRWA schools, to increasing awareness of gender -based violence.
In addition to basic education, UNRWA provides technical and vocational education
training. During the reporting period, 1,695 students, of whom 35.3 per cent were
female, participated in such trainings. The Ramallah Women ’s Training Centre, with
support from UNRWA, offers a co-educational technical vocational programme and
female-only trade courses.
26. In order to ensure safer commutes to and from school, UNICEF and civil
society partners provided protective accompaniment to schoolchildren at 14 military
checkpoints and gates in the West Bank. This benefited 1,461 girls and 2,873 boys,
as well as 333 teachers, 80 per cent of whom were women, throughout the 2014 -
2015 school year.
27. UNESCO continued to support the training of 265 young women journalists
on gender-sensitive reporting, as well as with psychosocial counselling workshops
and specialized training on social media.
28. Through the use of the participatory gender audit methodology developed by
ILO, the Women’s Studies Institute at Birzeit University has carried out a serie s of
__________________
19 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, UNICEF and UNFPA, “Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey 2014: Key Findings” (December 2014).
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assessments, followed by awareness-raising initiatives among university students
and staff, with the aim of introducing more gender -sensitive policies and procedures
and creating an educational environment free from gender -based violence. In order
to further promote gender equality, ILO provided technical support to the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for conducting a survey on pay equity that
focuses on discrimination patterns in the education sector in the West Bank and
Gaza.
B. Health
29. The United Nations continued its efforts to build on good practice and results
reported in the previous reporting period so as to improve the access to and quality
of health-care services, including maternal and reproductive health care. UNRWA
remained the major provider of basic health-care services for Palestinian refugees in
the West Bank and Gaza, operating a range of care facilities and mobile clinic
teams. The total number of medical consultations between October 2014 and
September 2015 stood at 4,055,248 in Gaza, where 60 per cent of the patients were
female, and 1,304,219 in the West Bank, where 59 per cent were female. Maternal
and child health continues to be an essential element of UNRWA assistance. As part
of that effort, there is a need to r aise awareness of the importance of engaging men
in the family planning process.
30. UNICEF has also continued to support the Ministry of Health and partners to
provide lifesaving postnatal care. A total of 32 per cent of women with high -risk
pregnancies in Gaza (5,500 women) benefited from postnatal home visits by skilled
midwives and nurses in the first half of 2015. In addition, 26,000 women were
counselled on nutrition and breastfeeding practices, and four hospitals and one
maternity home in the West Bank were certified as “baby friendly”. With more than
100,000 people still displaced in Gaza, UNFPA supported mobile clinic services,
reaching 7,000 displaced women with reproductive health -care services and
education. Similar outreach activities provide fo r isolated West Bank communities
in locations affected by the separation barrier and settler violence. UNFPA has also
partnered with the Ministry of Health to empower midwives through specialized
courses on delivery and neonatal care. In addition, WHO, thr ough the Palestinian
National Institute of Public Health, developed a mammogram registry information
system and a harmonized reproductive health registry to improve data quality and to
reduce maternal and infant mortality by facilitating the introduction o f reproductive
health registries for better governance, targeting, health surveillance and
accountability of public health initiatives in reproductive health.
31. The community mental health programme run by UNRWA pays particular
attention to the needs of refugee children and women in the provision of counselling
and psychosocial support, and works through a number of channels, including
health centres, community-based organizations and schools. During the reporting
period, the community mental health progr amme provided counselling for 2,247
women in Gaza through UNRWA health centres. WHO also worked with primary
and secondary health-care workers to provide mental health services of higher
quality. A total of 117 mental health professionals (68 men and 49 wo men) received
specialized training in child and adolescent mental health; family therapy, which
addresses gender-based violence; and cognitive behavioural therapy. Training was
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delivered in 19 community mental health centres, 13 in the West Bank and 6 in
Gaza, and in two psychiatric hospitals, one in the West Bank and one in Gaza.
32. WFP supported interactive training sessions for women in Gaza, on diet,
hygiene, cooking, purchasing healthy food on a budget and caring for infants.
Starting in November 2014, the husbands of women who had attended the training
were also targeted through selected sessions, combining nutrition elements and
psychosocial support. The training programme aimed to increase mutual
understanding of women’s empowerment and gender equality issues. The sessions,
requested by women trainees, encouraged dialogue within communities and
households, and promoted women’s roles as agents of change. These interactive
trainings also strengthened informal women ’s networks, facilitating their intera ction
outside the home and providing a peer support group beyond close relatives.
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
33. Within their development programming, United Nations entities continued to
prioritize initiatives to promote women ’s economic empowerment and improve food
security and livelihoods.
34. Women’s access to housing is key to their enjoyment of other human rights.
During the reporting period, UNRWA introduced a policy in Gaza that requires both
the head of household and their spouse( s) to sign a joint undertaking, indicating a
joint right to benefit. Prior to this practice, the head of household was the only
required signatory for the housing units.
35. During the reporting period, 872,199 people benefited from food assistance
under the emergency and social safety net assistance programmes run by UNRWA.
Women represent 49.9 per cent of the cases, and around 22,715 of the families
assisted were female-headed households. UNRWA recently reformed its poverty
assessment system, as applied in Gaza, to include new categories, for women who
are particularly vulnerable and who were not previously eligible for assistance
owing to a requirement that they be registered under a husband ’s or father ’s name.
The new categories include women in polygamo us marriages, widows, divorced
women and abandoned women, who can now apply for independent assessment and
to receive food assistance from UNRWA directly. Similarly, in its social safety net
assistance programme, WFP uses assessment criteria that include f emale-headed
households as a vulnerable category. A gender perspective is mainstreamed through
WFP activities by placing food distribution centres in areas close to households
headed by women and issuing vouchers and food ration cards in women ’s names,
when possible.
36. The job creation programme run by UNRWA in Gaza employed 23,490
persons, of whom 26 per cent female, for between 3 and 12 months each. The bulk
of jobs offered by the programme were for unskilled labour (66.6 per cent).
However, the programme faces challenges in finding culturally acceptable jobs for
women as a result of social and cultural barriers. Currently, the majority of unskilled
jobs for women are found in the agriculture sector (60 per cent of all beneficiaries in
this sector are female).
37. As part of efforts to harness the economic potential of Palestinian women,
UNDP provided support to women entrepreneurs in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Through the provision of business development services, assets and access to
solidarity and risk-sharing finance, 215 women entrepreneurs were able to start their
own businesses, creating employment for at least 400 people. In addition, through
its economic empowerment programme for deprived families, UNDP supported the
creation of 1,420 micro-businesses, run by vulnerable households, 35 per cent of
which are female-headed households. Families who were previously dependent on
cash assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs have begun a journey out of
poverty through running their own microprojects.
38. UNCTAD worked with the Palestinian Shippers Council to forge partnerships
with the Palestinian Business Women Forum, provide its members with training and
promote their active participation in the Shippers Council. Approximately 70
women members of the Forum were trained on the trade facilitation supply chain
and participated in study tours to Europe and in the region to gain a better technical
understanding of trade. The International Trade Centre provided training to
Palestinian women-owned small and medium enterprises on the development of
business plans and marketing.
39. FAO established two retail shops in the northern and southern West Bank to
market agricultural products from more than 15 women’s cooperatives. More than
half of those received tools and equipment to enhance their production quality and
capacity. More than 100 female farmers were supported through the construction of
infrastructure for water collection or land rehabilitation. In Gaza, FAO supported
93 female-headed households with a package of agricultural tools, equipment and
livestock. During the reporting period, FAO conducted several business trainings for
90 women members of six women’s cooperatives, two of which are in the Gaza
Strip. Each cooperative was also supported in es tablishing an effective finance and
credit management system and links with reliable loan service providers, which
enhanced women’s capacity to manage loans.
40. UN-Women continued its implementation of the school canteen project, run by
women. During the reporting period, nine additional community-based
organizations were supported in managing and running sustainable businesses and
providing work opportunities for women, bringing the total number of partner
organizations in the project to 62. Of the 62, 36 have now reached financial
independence and 18 are generating profit. A total of 72 additional women were
employed during the reporting period, increasing the total number of women
employees, through the different phases of the project, to 761. The women involved
with the community-based organizations benefit from school canteen management
training, financial management training, communication skills training and food
processing training. The additional organizations were also provided with financial
support to enable them to run and manage 28 new school canteens, bringing the
total number of school canteens managed by women’s community -based
organizations to 337, in schools throughout the West Bank.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
41. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives designed
to improve women’s access to justice and enhance the capacity of institutions and
personnel to prevent and respond to violence against women. The priority continued
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to be supporting the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Violence
against Women (2011-2019).
42. Under their joint programme on the theme of “Strengthening the rule of law:
justice and security for the Palestinian people”, UNDP and UN -Women provided
support to justice and security institutions in mainstreaming a gender perspective in
policies and procedures, including in the area of law -making. The Ministry of
Justice and the High Judicial Council were supported in the development of gender -
sensitive planning, monitoring and evaluation systems. The Gender Legislative
Committee of the Ministry of Justice reviewed the Family Protection Law and
provided recommendations to the Council of Ministers. As part of the programme’s
efforts to develop specialized justice and security services for women and girls,
16 specialized prosecutors received follow-up coaching on investigating violence
against women. Moreover, 19 senior officers from the Palestinian Civil Police
concluded an accredited professional diploma cour se in public administration and
gender, delivered by Birzeit University in partnership with the programme.
43. Women and girls continue to be the largest beneficiary group of legal aid
services provided through the rule of law programme run by UNDP and
UN-Women. Between January and June 2015, 3,657 women and girls, representing
55 per cent of all beneficiaries, benefited from legal advice, mediation and legal
representation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Gaza, women continue to
constitute the vast majority of beneficiaries of legal services (75 per cent). As a
result of the support provided through the programme, at least 20 legal verdicts
were issued in early 2015 in favour of women receiving representation in sharia
courts.
44. In Gaza, UNDP and UN-Women continued to support the work of the Awn
Access to Justice Network, a network of civil society legal aid providers hosted by
the Palestinian Bar Association. Eighteen mobile and fixed legal aid clinics
provided legal assistance in cases related to land and property rights, as well as on a
range of issues relating to family and personal status. Through community legal
information sessions, more than 13,801 beneficiaries, 81 per cent of them female,
were made aware of the rights and the services availa ble to assist them.
45. In December 2014, UN-Women launched an in-depth research study on
Palestinian women’s access to justice in the occupied West Bank. 20 The study
discusses the ordeals faced by women victims of violence living in Area C, which
comprises roughly 60 per cent of the West Bank and remains under the full civil and
security control of Israel and the Israeli army. Without a formal justice system to
turn to for the protection of their rights, these women are denied redress for
discriminatory and patriarchal practices within their own communities. During the
reporting period, ESCWA produced a study on access to justice for women and girls
in the Arab region, covering aspects from the ratification to the implementation of
international instruments, which focuses on access to justice, including for
Palestinian women and girls under occupation.
46. A number of United Nations entities conducted awareness -raising activities
regarding gender-based violence, with different target populations. ESCWA
developed a toolkit to combat gender-based violence in the Arab region, which aims
__________________
20 UN-Women, “Access Denied: Palestinian Women’s Access to Justice in the West Bank of the
Occupied Palestinian Territory” (UN-Women office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2014).
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to ensure that service providers in Palestine have the necessary tools and
methodological guidelines to protect victims of violence and ensure their physical
and mental well-being. UNRWA, through its gender initiative, worked with
community-based organizations in Gaza to hold trainings and seminars on ending
violence against women. UNESCO partnered with Theatre Day Productions in Gaza
to support women community leaders in raising p ublic awareness against violence
through storytelling of women’s experiences of gender -based violence in the
community. UNPFA trained men and boys, as well as religious leaders, on issues
relating to reproductive health and gender -based violence. UNFPA also increased
media attention surrounding the issue by supporting the development of a
documentary film about gender-based violence and violations of inheritance law, as
well as a documentary telling women’s stories after the Gaza conflict.
47. A number of entities also supported services for women victims of violence.
UN-Women has provided support to shelters for victims in the West Bank to begin
the process of standardizing their procedures. WFP has also supported shelters by
providing them with food assistance, reaching more than 80 women in four shelters.
UNFPA trained 3,000 health-care providers in hospitals and primary health -care
clinics to detect and respond to cases of gender -based violence. During the reporting
period, UNFPA distributed 2,300 hygiene kits, which address a critical protection
concern and core aspect of preserving dignity. The hygiene kits also included solar
panels and flashlights, which may help mitigate the risk of gender -based violence
for displaced women and adolescent girls in th e caravans and shelters in the Gaza
Strip.
48. UNODC continued to strengthen the capacity of the Palestinian ministries of
justice and the interior and the Palestinian Civil Police to manage, administer,
deliver and expand forensic services in accordance with international standards,
including with regard to the investigation of cases of gender -based violence. Seven
Palestinian doctors have received specialized training in collecting forensic
evidence of sexual and gender-based violence. UNODC also launched two manuals
for Palestinian forensic practitioners on specialized forensic medicine topics,
including sexual and gender-based violence, which will help enable survivors to
access high-quality health and forensic interventions, and will assist the
Government of Palestine in the investigation and prosecution of such offences.
49. UN-Women and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
collaborated closely to ensure that a gender perspective was mainstreamed in
humanitarian coordination and respo nse. Through the technical expertise of a
humanitarian gender adviser, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs and UN-Women, in coordination with UNFPA, developed a joint action plan
to ensure accountability for gender equality and gender -based violence in
humanitarian programming. The plan seeks to improve the availability and quality
of data and analysis on gender-specific humanitarian needs, to develop the capacity
of humanitarian actors for gender-responsive programming and to support wo men’s
organizations participating in humanitarian processes and responses.
E. Power and decision-making
50. During the reporting period, UN-Women continued to support the newly
established women’s political participation caucus group, which reviewed the
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by-laws and internal policies of nine political parties and presented conclusions to
leaders of political parties, at a conference organized in December 2014. The result
of the conference was a commitment by those leaders to follow up on the findings
and recommendations of the group.
51. UN-Women continued to develop the capacity of media professionals to
advocate and lobby for women’s participation in politics and the decision -making
process. Ten media professionals (four men and six women) in the We st Bank and
12 media professionals (seven women and five men) in Gaza were trained on
gender-sensitive media coverage and delivering key messages on women’s issues.
52. Civil society involvement is critical for effective implementation of and
reporting under the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. UN-Women supported a coalition of
non-governmental organizations from Gaza and the West Bank to prepare the first
shadow report from the State of Palestine to the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women, which complements the official government report,
before the Committee’s deliberations. UN -Women also trained 35 women’s rights
activists from a number of civil society organizations on international human rights
frameworks and the shadow report drafting process.
53. Additionally, UN-Women continued its support to the newly established local
committees in Gaza, which are made up of representatives from civil society and are
responsible for monitoring local governance, by providing them with training on the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and tools for advocacy. Similar local
committees were also established, in 10 local councils, in three governorates of the
West Bank. UN-Women continued its support to the shadow constitutional
committee, comprised of young women and men, who drafted a gender -sensitive
shadow constitution presented to national decision mak ers in December 2014, and
also promoted a public advocacy campaign.
54. Through its national unity and social cohesion programme, UNDP supported a
conference in June 2015 that gathered women’s organizations and female
politicians. The conference, which took place simultaneously in Ramallah and Gaza,
with over 1,600 participants, was a forum for women of different political
affiliations, religious and regional groupings to discuss joint strategies, speak out
for peace and reconciliation, and review the fact ors that prevent women from
engaging actively in the reconciliation processes.
55. UNICEF supported over 27,000 adolescents, of whom 54 per cent were girls,
in receiving structured training, including leadership skills for girls to promote their
participation in decision-making and community life. WFP also worked to empower
women in decision-making processes by promoting a principle of 50 per cent
representation of women on food management committees. In 2014 -2015, up to
30 per cent of the members of local food management committees were women.
Through its young women leaders programme, the gender initiative of UNRWA
engaged recent female graduates in leadership training, to increase their readiness
for active participation in their communities and the labour market.
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56. UNESCO developed an online library and database to collect research and
data on gender in Palestine.21 The website includes an online calendar, which aims
to coordinate and manage the different gender -related activities of national and
international stakeholders. The website also functions as a research network for
academic and civil society organizations to promote innovative research topics and
circulate new publications on gender equality in Palestine. UNESCO also supported
an in-depth study, following the 2014 conflict in Gaza, entitled “Women’s and
men’s voices”, which is currently being finalized and will examine the impact of the
conflict on gender relations.
F. Institutional development
57. During the reporting period, OHCHR supported the State of Palestine in
building capacity to implement and follow up on it s human rights treaty
commitments utilizing a multisectoral, harmonized human rights reporting and
implementation approach, which seeks to ensure that a focus on gender -based
discrimination is integrated into the processes of the seven human rights treatie s to
which the State of Palestine has acceded. OHCHR mobilized the United Nations
country team to engage and coordinate treaty-reporting efforts, jointly conducting a
number of workshops for government representatives on specific human rights.
OHCHR also organized three trainings for Palestinian women’s organizations,
presenting methods for monitoring and documenting women’s human rights
violations, and facilitated one workshop for women’s human rights defenders on the
compatibility of Palestinian laws with provisions of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In Gaza, OHCHR
implemented four trainings on human rights and gender -based violence and one
workshop on women’s right to life, for female lawyers and women’s org anizations.
58. ESCWA provided technical assistance and advisory services to the State of
Palestine, including through the organization of two workshops on gender, change
management and local development to strengthen the capacity of local government
officials to mainstream gender equality principles at the community level. ESCWA
also provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, in reviewing
and developing the existing organizational structure, mandate and resources to
advance the achievement of gender equality.
59. Through the multiple indicator cluster survey, UNICEF continued to
strengthen the capacity of the Government to manage, monitor and conduct research
and analysis on issues relating to children’s rights, gender equality, soc ial protection
and inclusion. The 2014 survey results provide a wealth of disaggregated data on
the situation of women and children in the State of Palestine.
60. UN-Women continued its support to the Ministry of Finance on gender -
responsive budgeting by providing an analysis of the public management financial
system from a gender perspective and presenting recommendations for improving
the effectiveness of the system. UN-Women also provided technical training on
gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation to 30 staff members from gender units
in different line ministries. Those staff members now have the skills to integrate a
gender perspective into the sectoral strategies of line ministries and ensure planning
__________________
21 Database available from www.pwrdc.ps and www.unesco.org/ramallah.
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processes at the national level are responsive to the needs of Palestinian women.
The training was followed by a meeting of ministers and deputy ministers to discuss
the roles and responsibilities of the gender units in line ministries and how to
effectively mainstream a gender perspective in national plans, policies and budgets.
As a result, some of the gender units’ focal points have been included in the
planning and budgeting teams in line ministries, while other ministries have
established gender units or institutionalized the current gender units i n the formal
organizational structure.
61. UN-Women supported the establishment of the gender marker reporting tool to
track the extent of gender mainstreaming in the financial support provided by
international donors to the Palestinian Authority. The gend er marker was launched
jointly by UN-Women and the Ministry of Planning and Administrative
Development, and has been integrated into project tracking since July 2015. It will
enable the Government to track financial allocations to priority areas and identi fy
gaps. In turn, this will support an evidence -based dialogue with donors on the
importance of financial allocations to gender equality issues.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
62. The reporting period was marked by the intensification of the
humanitarian impact of the 2014 conflict and the slow pace of the recovery
effort in Gaza. Women and girls in Gaza continued to experience displacement,
loss of livelihood, limited access to basic services, restrictions on the movement
of people and goods in and out of Gaza, and the continuous threat of violence,
including gender-based violence. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,
settlement expansion and settler violence, the demolition of homes and
livelihood structures, and restrictions on the freedom of movement persisted.
Those violations have high costs for all Palestinian women, and in particular,
for women in Bedouin communities faced with demolition orders, women
working in agriculture, women living in communities targeted by settler
violence, and girls whose access to education is impeded by violence. Efforts
should be intensified to protect women from all forms of violence and
reconstruction efforts in Gaza should be expedited. A gender perspective should
be central to the relief and recovery work of the United Nations system and
gender equality programming should be adequately financed.
63. Insecurity and poverty have continued to exacerbate gender -based
discrimination and gender inequality in the State of Palestine, leading to
elevated levels of violence against women and girls. In support of the
Government of Palestine’s efforts to combat gender-based violence, the United
Nations has worked to improve women’s access to justice in relation to gender -
based violence, through initiatives for strengthening the rule of law. United
Nations entities should further deepen their efforts to support survivors of
gender-based violence, developing a comprehensive approach that ensures
access to the full range of quality essential multisectoral services. Taking into
account the comparative advantages and expertise of individual entities across
the United Nations system, such a holistic approach should include ensuring
access to quality health care, psychosocial counselling, legal services and
material and financial assistance. Further, United Nations entities should
continue to work with all key actors and groups to prevent gender -based
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violence, including with men and boys, to address the root causes, risk factors
and structural issues that lead to violence. The Government of Palestine should
also be supported in developing normative frameworks in line with
international standards and defining national standards on ending violence
against women.
64. Limited economic opportunities exist for Palestinian women and a major
gender gap persists in labour market participation. High unemployment rates,
especially among young women, are particularly worrisome. The existing
vulnerability in the two main sectors where women find employment, the
services sector and agriculture, compounded by increased care burdens owing
to a lack of access to water, energy and markets, all contribute to women’s
deteriorating economic situation. Assistance should aim to increase women’s
access to decent work, including in non-traditional sectors, and address
women’s economic vulnerability resulting from the concentration of their
employment in informal and unpaid work.
65. The lack of access to justice for Palestinian women and girls remains a
grave concern, with outdated and discriminat ory laws, social restrictions, a
lack of physical access to judicial institutions and the fragmentation of
territory all posing challenges. United Nations entities should provide
assistance to governance mechanisms that seek to modernize and harmonize
legislation on gender equality and women’s human rights. Assistance to
transitional security and justice sectors, as well as informal justice
mechanisms, should build the capacity of those sectors to apply women’s
human rights standards throughout the justice system, on the basis of the State
of Palestine’s accession to seven core human rights treaties.
66. Many of the recommendations put forward in previous reports regarding
improvements in the areas of education, health and political participation for
Palestinian women and girls have not yet been fully implemented and continue
to require sustained effort. In particular, renewed efforts should be made to
ensure that Palestinian women play a leading role in reconciliation efforts. All
relevant actors must insist on women’s participation in negotiations and
contribute to providing an enabling environment for Palestinian women to
express their views and form coalitions across political factions. Support to
Palestinian women’s non-governmental organizations should be a central
aspect of the United Nations system’s gender equality and women’s
empowerment agenda.
67. Data disaggregated by sex and age and gender-sensitive analysis are
essential to all efforts to advance the situation of women and girls in Palestine.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and a number of United Nations
entities have made improvements to systems for gender-sensitive collection and
analysis of data and are able to collect disaggregated data of quality on a range
of issues. However, data gaps remain as regards women’s economic roles, their
access to property rights and gender-based violence. The Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics will conduct a census in 2017, which provides an important
opportunity to address some of those gaps. Additional specialized surveys,
including on sexual violence, employment and time-use, and enhanced
registration and reporting mechanisms are necessary to improve the quality
and availability of data and its analysis.
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68. The United Nations will continue working towards the realization of a
just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Improving the
situation of Palestinian women remains inextricably linked to such efforts. The
development by the Government of Palestine of a national strategy on the
implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) makes an important
contribution in this regard, highlighting a national commitment to women’s
empowerment and the protection of women’s human rights. The adoption of
Security Council resolution 2242 (2015) on women, peace and security
reiterates the importance of such national plans and calls for adequate
resourcing for their implementation. In this regard, United Nations system
entities should continue to support national efforts to deliver o n the Palestinian
national strategy on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325
(2000), and all other efforts to achieve commitments to women, peace and
security in the State of Palestine.
United Nations E/CN.6/2017/6
Economic and Social Council
Distr.: General
19 December 2016
Original: English
16-22458 (E) 090117
*1622458*
Commission on the Status of Women
Sixty-first session
13-24 March 2017
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2016/4, highlights the situation of Palestinian women for the period from
1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, and provides an overview of the assistance
provided by the entities of the United Natio ns system with regard to education and
training; health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of law and
violence against women; power and decision -making; and institutional development.
The report concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on
the Status of Women.
* E/CN.6/2017/1.
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2/17 16-22458
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2016/4 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian
women, the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave
situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, resulting from
the severe impact of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations. The Council requested the Secretary -General to continue to review
the situation, to assist Palestinian women b y all available means, including those
laid out by the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and
assistance to Palestinian women ( E/CN.6/2016/6), and to submit to the Commission
on the Status of Women at its sixty-first session a report, on the progress made in
the implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 October 2015 to 30 September
2016 and reviews the situation of Palestinian women on the basis of information
from the United Nations entities in the State of Palestine.
3. Unless indicated otherwise, the report is based on contributions and
information submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide
assistance to Palestinian women. It includes contributions from the following
United Nations entities: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretaria t, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and its Programme of Assistance to the
Palestinian People, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA), the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for
the Middle East Peace Process, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and
the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the World Food Programme (WFP) and
the World Health Organization (WHO). It also includes inf ormation provided by the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
4. The present report complements other reports on the living and socioeconomic
conditions of the Palestinian people (see A/71/87-E/2016/67, A/71/359-S/2016/732,
A/71/86-E/2016/13 and A/71/13).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
5. The reporting period witnessed substantial efforts by the international
community to advance peace and to preserve the two -State solution. The Middle
East Quartet Principals met on 23 October 2015 in Vienna and called for significant
steps to be taken by the parties, consistent with the transition contemplated by prior
agreements, in order to restore confidence and hope in the viability of a negotiated
two-State solution that resolves the final status issues, including that of Jerusalem,
and ends the occupation that began in 1967. In accordance with its decision on
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16-22458 3/17
12 February 2016, the Quartet issued a report in July1 outlining three negative
trends imperilling the viability of the two -State solution: violence against civilians
and the incitement that fuels it; the Israeli policy of expanding settlements, the
taking of land for exclusive Israeli use and denying Palestinian development; and
the situation in Gaza, marked by the lack of Palestinian unity, continued militant
activity and a dire humanitarian cris is, augmented by a restrictive closure regime. It
offered recommendations for creating the conditions for an eventual return to
meaningful negotiations, and called on the parties to take action independently, in
line with their commitments under previous a greements, that can realistically
contribute to progress towards establishing a two -State reality on the ground.
6. Meanwhile, on 17 May 2016, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al -Sisi,
called on Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders to take historic st eps for peace,
expressing the readiness of Egypt to contribute to these endeavours and to help
facilitate intra-Palestinian reconciliation. On 3 June, France hosted a Ministerial
meeting at which participants from 28 delegations reaffirmed support for a tw o-
State solution and discussed ways in which the international community could
contribute to this goal, including by providing incentives. In follow -up, France
expressed its intention of convening an international conference, now planned for
early 2017. The possibility of a direct meeting between the parties has also been
advanced by other key international stakeholders.
7. The rates of settlement planning and construction rose during the reporting
period. The first three quarters of 2016 saw a 25 per cent increase in construction
starts over the equivalent period in 2015, owing to a spike during the second quarter
of 2016 registering the highest quarterly rate in three years. The classification of
new “state land” in the Jordan Valley, the approval of seve ral plans in settlements
and a surge in demolitions of Palestinian structures in Area C of the West Bank
during the first quarter also appear to reflect a systematic policy to expand Israeli
presence and limit Palestinian development in the West Bank, incl uding in East
Jerusalem. Since 1 April, settlement plans have been advanced for at least 2,400
units in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israel also advanced the so -called
retroactive “legalization” of outposts, and, since July, Members of Knesset have
resumed efforts to promote a bill aimed at legalizing settlement units built on
privately owned Palestinian land.
8. The absence of Palestinian reconciliation impedes efforts to achieve a
negotiated solution. In reconciliation talks between Fatah, Hamas and other
Palestinian factions, which were hosted by Qatar in 2016, as well as efforts by
Egypt and other regional stakeholders, no consensus has been reached on achieving
genuine Palestinian unity on the basis of non-violence, democracy and the Palesti ne
Liberation Organization (PLO) Principles — crucial for reuniting the West Bank
and Gaza under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian authority. The
parties remain divided on two main issues: the formation of a national unity
Government based on PLO principles, and the organization of parliamentary and
presidential elections. Municipal council elections, which were originally set for
8 October 2016, with the participation of nearly all major Palestinian factions, were
to be the first simultaneous elections in Gaza and the West Bank since 2006.
However, on 4 October, the Palestinian Government decided to postpone local
__________________
1 S/2016/595, annex.
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elections until further notice. That decision followed the suspension on 8 September
of election preparations by the High Court in Ramallah.
9. The reporting period saw a sharp increase in violence, in the last quarter of
2015, in East Jerusalem, with protests, clashes and individual attacks by
Palestinians on Israeli civilians and security personnel spreading to the other parts
of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including to the access restricted areas in
Gaza, and Israel. Palestinians continued to be subjected to threats to their lives,
physical safety and liberty from conflict -related violence and from policies and
practices related to the Israeli occupation, including settler violence. In the last
quarter of 2015, the highest number of casualties among West Bank Palestinians and
among Israelis since 2005 was recorded. The violence began to wane in early 2016,
owing in large part to effective efforts by the Palestinian National Security Forces,
who successfully thwarted attacks, seized weapons and arrested suspected
extremists. Continued security coordination between both sides was also key to
reducing violence. There nevertheless remains a growing concern that ongoing
settlement activity, incitement to violence, cases of excessive use of force by Israel
and the absence of genuine Palestinian unity may lead to a renewed escalation.
10. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, from
1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, 235 Palestinians (168 men, 14 women, 48
boys and 5 girls) were killed and over 16,556 (82 per cent men, 1 per cent women,
19 per cent boys and 1 per cent girls) were injured, mainly by the Israel Defense
Forces or by settlers to some extent across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and
Israel. Many of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out, or reportedly
carrying out, knife, gun or car-ramming attacks. A total of 32 Israelis (25 men, 6
women and 1 girl), most of whom were members of the Israel Defense Forces, were
killed by Palestinians, and more than 341 others were injured.
11. Among the main concerns relating to the increase in violence were Palestinian
attacks on Israelis and the response of Israeli security forces, including possible
instances of excessive use of force and extrajudicial killings. These concerns were
compounded by the chronic lack of accountability and effective remedy for the
killing of Palestinians. For example, from October 2015 to June 2016, the Israeli
authorities opened a total of 24 criminal investigations into incidents resulting in the
death or injury of Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, including the highly
controversial apparent extrajudicial killing on 24 March 2016 of a reported assailant
who was incapacitated. Of these investigations, one has led to the indictment and
prosecution of a soldier.
12. The Palestinian Government launched an investigation into the apparent
extrajudicial execution while in police custody by Palestinian security forces on
23 August 2016 of a Nablus man who was suspected of involvement in the previous
killing of two security personnel. Questions remain regarding accountability for
such acts.
13. UNICEF reported a concerning number of incidents of grave violations against
children documented in 2015 and 2016. From October 2015 to September 2016,
3,205 incidents were documented, affecting 61,667 children. This included the
killings of 57 children (56 Palestinian children — 7 girls and 49 boys — and 1
Israeli girl) and injury of 2,384 children (2,271 Palestinian boys and 113 girls, and 7
Israeli boys and 2 girls). In addition, 448 attacks on schools were documented.
E/CN.6/2017/6
16-22458 5/17
14. As at August 2016, an estimated 11,700 Gazan familie s (almost 60,000
people) — of which about 10 per cent are female -headed households — remained
displaced and are living with host families, in rented apartments, in prefabricated
units, or in the rubble of their previous homes. 2 The root causes of the conflict
remained unaddressed as the land, air and sea closures of Gaza entered their
eleventh year. Accountability for victims remains unaddressed and, as local
non-governmental organizations and legal aid providers report, access to justice
mechanisms remains severely limited.3 The Israeli authorities received complaints
relating to approximately 360 incidents, which led to the opening of 31 criminal
investigations and indictments in a single instance of looting.
15. A fragile ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold. The beginning of May saw the
most serious escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas since the 2014
conflict, with the discovery by Israel of two tunnels and, as a response, nine
incursions to destroy them. Militants fired some 45 mortars and rockets at Israel and
the Israel Defense Forces conducted 13 airstrikes: one woman was killed and
several other Palestinians were injured during the exchanges. On 21 August, two
rockets were fired from Gaza, without causing injury or damage. Israeli force s
responded with some 60 missiles and shells to various locations in Gaza, directed at
Hamas bases and those of other militants. Five people were reported injured during
the operation. These incidents highlight the fragility of the security dynamics in
Gaza and the need for all sides to vigorously uphold the ceasefire.
16. The reporting period also saw a massive surge in demolitions by the Israeli
authorities of Palestinian property in the West Bank, primarily in Area C and East
Jerusalem, citing a lack of building permits. Such permits are almost impossible to
obtain owing to the seemingly discriminatory and unlawful planning regime applied
in those areas. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, the authorities demolished or
confiscated 971 Palestinian-owned structures, displacing over 1,500 people and
affecting the livelihoods of more than 6,500 people.
17. Several factors continue to present significant barriers to freedom of
movement and access to livelihoods for Palestinians, with differing impacts on
women and men. The population of 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza remains
effectively isolated from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, by the continued
closure of Gaza by Israel and the highly infrequent opening of the Rafah crossing
between Egypt and Gaza. Access to East Jerusalem remains limited for Palestinian
residents from the remainder of the West Bank. Physical and administrative
restrictions continue to impede humanitarian access to some of the most vulnerable
communities in Area C, particularly those in the firing zones and those located
behind the barrier.
18. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Palestinian
labour force reached 1.3 million in 201 5, 3.5 per cent higher than in 2014. With a
concurrent 3.4 per cent increase in the population aged 15 and above, the labour
__________________
2 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Gaza: two years since the 2014 hostilities
(August 2016).
3 See, for example, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, “Update: no reparations in Israel for
Palestinians: how Israel’s amendment No. 8 leaves no room for room for recourse, Gaza,
December 2015” (24 February 2016), available from http://mezan.org/en/post/20954.
E/CN.6/2017/6
6/17 16-22458
force participation rate remained unchanged at 45.8 per cent (71.9 per cent for men,
19.1 per cent for women). The labour force par ticipation of women remains
extremely low by global as well as by regional standards, despite high levels of
educational attainment on the part of Palestinian women, resulting in a substantial
loss of economic potential. The overall rate of unemployment ea sed slightly, from
27 per cent in 2014 to 25.9 per cent in 2015 (336,300 people), owing to
improvement in male employment. The unemployment rate for women increased
only slightly, to 39.2 per cent (from 38.55 per cent, as recorded in 2014). In Gaza,
women’s unemployment rose to a staggering 60 per cent. A gender wage gap
persisted, with the average daily wage for Palestinian women reaching NIS 81.9,
compared with NIS 108 for men.4 The unemployment rate for youth aged 20 -24
years stood high in 2015, at 36.5 per cent,5 and rose further, to 42.6 per cent, in
2016.6
19. Women’s access to health services was monitored and analysed in 2015 and
2016 through analysis by WHO of permit data disaggregated by sex for patients
seeking access out of Gaza and the West Bank to medical facilities in East
Jerusalem and elsewhere. Health access through the Erez checkpoint declined
sharply in 2016, as the approval rates in the first seven months of the year decreased
to 74.8 per cent for females and to 66.2 per cent for males, t he lowest rates recorded
since 2009. This signified a 12 per cent drop in approval rates for both female and
male patients, as compared with a similar period in 2015 .7 According to data
provided by the Coordination Office of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, in 2015,
25 per cent of patients requested for Israeli security interviews in the context of
permit applications were female. In 2016, the percentage of females rose to 33 per
cent.
20. The adolescent birth rate (the fertility rate for women aged 15 -19) remained
concerning, at 48 per 1,000 (35 per 1,000 in the West Bank and 66 per 1,000 in
Gaza). Among women aged 20-24, 22 per cent had had at least one live birth before
age 18 (25 per cent in Gaza and 20 per cent in the West Bank).
21. Lack of access to safe, sufficient and affordable water remains of critical
concern. In Gaza, only 10 per cent of households have access to clean drinking
water.8 It is estimated that at least 96 per cent of the water from the coastal aquifer
in Gaza is unfit for human consumption.9 In the West Bank, 97 per cent of
households have access to clean drinking water;10 however the quantity of water
__________________
4 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey (2016b) and consumer price index
data (2016e).
5 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Labour Fo rce Survey, press release, 25 February 2016.
6 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force survey, press release, 8 August 2016.
7 See www.emro.who.int/images/stories/palestine/documents/WHO_monthly_Gaza_access_report -
July_2016-_final.pdf?ua=1.
8 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Palestinian multiple indicator cluster survey 2014”
(2015).
9 WHO, “Report of a field assessment of health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory,
22 March to 1 April 2015” (2016).
10 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Palestinian Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014
(2015).
E/CN.6/2017/6
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supply remained insufficient.11 Around 70 per cent of the Palestinian communities
located entirely or mostly in Area C are not connected to a water network and the
Government of Palestine has limited ability to provide access to water. The average
domestic consumption rate among Palestinians is approximately 40 litres per capita
per day in Area C: well below the WHO minimum recommendation of 100 litres per
capita per day.12 Owing to the inadequate quality and quantity of the water
available, these communities are forced to b uy water at unaffordable rates13 and
Palestinians spend an average of 8 per cent of their monthly expenditure on
purchasing water.
22. According to FAO, food insecurity levels among Palestinian households
remained high during the reporting period, at 27 per cent (46 per cent in Gaza and
17 per cent in the West Bank).14 Food insecurity in the Palestinian context is defined
as the lack of economic access to food. In the West Bank, the prevalence of food
insecurity among female-headed households is 10 percentage points higher than
among male-headed households (25 per cent, compared with 15 per cent), while it is
3 percentage points higher for female-headed households in Gaza.15
23. Access to early learning opportunities in Palestine is low, with a 57.3 per cent
enrolment rate in preschool education (57.7 per cent for boys and 56.9 per cent for
girls). Levels of enrolment in basic education are higher: 95 per cent for girls and
93 per cent for boys. However, the net enrolment rate in secondary school is
concerning, especially for boys: 59 per cent for boys and 77 per cent for girls in
2015.16 Anecdotal evidence suggests that girls a nd children with disabilities are
more prone to dropping out of school in areas where they feel unsafe in and on the
way to school, such as in military zones and around checkpoints and settlements.
24. Rule of law remains a significant issue across the Occ upied Palestinian
Territory. Palestinian women face specific challenges in accessing justice as a result
of laws that discriminate on the basis of sex, notably with respect to inheritance,
child custody and other personal status issues; women’s limited kno wledge of their
rights and procedures; economic dependency; and social pressures and stigma. Even
in cases where women manage to access justice services, they often face service
providers who lack professional knowledge in dealing specifically with women a nd
girl victims of violence, and who continue to interpret outdated laws pertaining to
the Penal Code and personal status law in ways that infringe women’s human rights.
The State of Palestine has demonstrated its commitment to address women’s access
to justice through accession to seven human rights treaties, including the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
which was endorsed without reservations.
__________________
11 Consumption per person is 71 litres per day, as compared wit h the WHO recommendation of
100 litres per person per day — source: “WHO, Report of a field assessment of health conditions
in the occupied Palestinian territory, 22 March to 1 April 2015 (2016).
12 EWASH, Thirsting for Justice (January 2016).
13 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview”
(2015) p. 8.
14 FAO, UNRWA, WFP and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Socioeconomic and food
security survey 2014: West Bank and Gaza Strip” (unpublished information).
15 Palestine Food Security Sector and Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics, Socioeconomic and
food security survey 2014 (May 2016).
16 Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Baseline M&E report 2015 (2016).
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25. In the State of Palestine, women and girls continue to experience multiple
types of violence at home and in their communities, including structural violence in
the form of discriminatory laws and traditional practices, and physical, economic
and psychological violence from family members and intimate partners.
Psychosocial violence continues to be the most reported type of violence in Gaza
(55 per cent), while in the West Bank psychosocial violence comprise 30 per cent of
reported cases, and cases of physical violence comprise another 30 per cent of
reported cases. Overall, in 78.5 per cent of cases, the perpetrator was a spouse,
parent or sibling, with spouses alone making up 67 per cent of all cases. In 84.3 per
cent of cases where a woman was killed, the perpetrator was a family member.
While domestic violence constitutes the most prevalent form of violence against
women, it should be noted that merely 1.4 per cent of domestic violence cases reach
the courts, with 57.6 per cent of women stating that social customs preven t them
from filing a complaint.17 There is also a severe lack of shelters and a social support
system, which makes addressing violence against women particularly chal lenging.18
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
26. The United Nations continued its efforts to respond to a range of development
and humanitarian challenges. Priorities for United Nations support to the Palestinian
people are outlined in a set of key documents, including the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework 2014-2016 for the State of Palestine, which is
aligned with the Palestinian National Development Plan 2014 -2016, and the 2016
Humanitarian Response Plan, which outlines the humanitarian programming. An
update on assistance provided by the United Nations system, in cooperation with the
Government of Palestine, donors and civil society, to address the specific needs and
priorities of women and girls in the following areas: education and training; health;
economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of law and violence against
women; power and decision-making; and institutional development, is given in
paragraphs 27-63 below.
A. Education and training
27. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to
promote women’s and girls’ access to education and training and improve learning
environments. During the academic year 2015 -2016, UNRWA operated 349 schools
(252 in Gaza and 96 in the West Bank), serving over 290,400 students. In Gaza,
127,490 girls were enrolled in UNRWA schools (48.5 per cent of the student
population), with an annual student increase of approximately 8,000 students. In the
West Bank, 28,771 girls (58.8 per cent of the total) were enrolled in UNRWA
schools. In addition to basic education, UNRWA c ontinued to offer technical and
vocational education training. During the reporting period, 540 girls (32 per cent of
__________________
17 “UN-Women, Impact stories on ending violence against women — specialized prosecution”,
2016, available from: http://palestine.unwomen.org/en/digital -library/publications/2016/10/
spp#sthash.Fry1yfEu.dpuf.
18 UNRWA GBV referral system — first quarter of 2016.
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all students) in Gaza, and 567 girls (82 per cent of total) in the West Bank
participated in such training.
28. In the West Bank, UNICEF and partners provided protective accompaniment
presence to school children for safer commutes to school in locations with Israeli
military presence and settlers. This benefited 4,667 children (1,670 girls and 2,997
boys) and 333 teachers (180 female and 153 male).
29. UNESCO and partners continued to promote early childhood education by
conducting awareness-raising sessions on inclusive and child -friendly education for
980 mothers and training 120 female teachers. School principals and supervisors
participated in the project training on inclusive education, action research and child -
led activities, benefiting 17,810 female students in 49 schools in the West Bank and
Gaza.
30. In East Jerusalem, UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and
Higher Education (MoEHE) provided quality education and counselling services to
nearly 8,500 female students in private schools.
31. In Gaza, UNDP has responded to the needs of girls in schools that were
damaged during the 2014 conflict. The recovery process has considered and
responded to girls’ needs on the basis of the principles of building back better and
child friendly schools. This includes the adaptation of the school premises,
primarily with regard to water and sanitation facilities, to make them accessib le to
girls with special needs. The rehabilitation and reconstruction of 32 partially
damaged educational institutions (12 public schools, 13 private schools and 7
universities/colleges) benefited 37,222 students (19,445 of whom were female).
32. ILO and partners supported 50 unemployed female university graduates from
low-income households with skill-building training, followed by three-month
temporary job placements in the private sector or community -based organizations.
Around 25-30 per cent of the graduates found paid work and the majority indicated
that their participation in the programme had increased their hope of finding longer -
term employment. In partnership with the Islamic University of Gaza, ILO delivered
furniture design training to 20 young female architects experiencing difficulty in
finding employment in the architecture sector. Some 15 women architects were
trained in basic business concepts, management and entrepreneurship skills and 18
female furniture design trainees received subsidized o n-the-job training in furniture
manufacturing small and medium enterprises in Gaza.
33. In Gaza, UNRWA enhanced the leadership skills of young women by
providing female university graduates with skills that better meet the labour market
needs. During the reporting period, 391 women and 34 men participated in the
programme. Moreover, 724 young female graduates accessed job placement
opportunities in civil society and the private sector.
B. Health
34. The United Nations continued to build upon good practices and results
reported in the previous reporting period to improve the access to and the quality of
health-care services. UNRWA remained the major provider of primary health -care
services for Palestine refugees, operating 21 health centres in Gaza and 42 in the
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West Bank. Palestine refugees, who constitute over 70 per cent of the population in
Gaza, continued to rely on UNRWA for primary health care. In Gaza, the total
number of medical consultations from October 2015 to June 2016 stood at
2,870,183, of which 60 per cent were for women, and 904,058 in the West Bank,
where 59 per cent were for women.
35. Maternal and child health care continues to be an essential component of
assistance. UNRWA provided assistance to 32,625 newly registered pregnant
women, 218,661 women who were receiving antenatal care and 28,303 women who
were receiving postnatal care services. A total of 94.8 per cent of all pregnant
women paid at least four visits to UNRWA health cent res during their pregnancies.
UNICEF supported the Ministry of Health and partner non -governmental
organizations to reach and support a total of 3,532 “high -risk” women and their
newborns under the postnatal home visiting programme in Gaza. Over 30,000
women have been reached with nutrition counselling and health education sessions.
UNDP supported the rehabilitation of Al -Shifa and Al-Tahrir maternity hospitals,
which served 16,000 women in Gaza City and Khan Younis during 2016. UNFPA
supported the operation of mobile clinics in 12 communities in Gaza, with 3,681
women, including 1,654 pregnant women, benefiting from mobile clinic services.
36. UNRWA health clinics provided adolescent and adult women refugees with
preventive and curative services, including screening for breast cancer and
reproductive health-related services. UNDP in partnership with Augusta Victoria
Hospital in East Jerusalem launched a mobile mammography clinic initiative, while
in Gaza, UNRWA launched a project to raise awareness of breast cancer. Through
UNRWA health centres, 68,382 women were screened for breast cancer and 4,438
were referred for mammograms and scans.
37. UNDP upgraded specialized departments in three East Jerusalem hospitals,
thereby allowing more than 6,500 women annua lly to benefit from improved
conditions during the reporting period. It also supported tertiary treatment for
vulnerable cardiac patients, including women in Gaza, through the rehabilitation of
a floor of the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the construc tion of two operation
rooms for cardiac care.
38. In the first half of 2016, 6,166 women and girls benefited from water network
repairs and water tankering supported by UNICEF, while 10,500 women and girls
benefited from improved sanitation services. Some 9,000 households in Gaza
received e-vouchers for hygiene items and another 14,400 households were
provided with sanitation and hygiene items.
39. United Nations entities continued to provide psychosocial support to women
and girls across the Occupied Pale stinian Territory. UN-Women provided group and
individual psychosocial counselling to 1,800 women and girls displaced during the
escalation of hostilities in 2014. Through the psychosocial counselling programme,
56 gender-based violence cases were referred to other service providers for further
follow-up. In the West Bank, in 21 locations, UNRWA engaged family and child
protection committees, which are composed of community -based organization
representatives, UNRWA staff, community leaders and the popular r efugee
committees, to reach more than 6,300 women and girls with support group
discussions and awareness-raising events. With UNICEF support, the Ministry of
Social Development and other partners reached 32,417 children (of whom 49 per
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cent were girls) with psychosocial support services, and 7,987 children (of whom
51 per cent were girls) with community-based child protection services, including in
response to gender-based violence.
40. UN-Women provided physiotherapy, conducted by four women
physiotherapists, to 16 women with disabilities and also provided necessary medical
equipment. Some 30 women with disabilities received psychosocial and legal
counselling in Gaza.
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
41. Within their development programming, United Nations entities continued to
prioritize initiatives to promote women’s economic empowerment and improve food
security and livelihoods.
42. During the reporting period, UN-Women provided technical assistance to 45
women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and 547 beneficiaries to
enhance the competitiveness and marketability of their products locally, regionally
and internationally through a comprehensive capacity -building, on-the-job coaching
programme. Financial assistance was provided for 34 women-led micro, small and
medium-sized enterprises.
43. In a joint initiative by ILO and UN -Women, a participatory gender audit was
conducted for two major Palestinian companies to enhance social responsibility and
encourage a transformational change towards gender-responsive working
environments.
44. FAO conducted several training sessions on marketing and bookkeeping for 90
women members of six women’s cooperatives, to establish an effective finance and
credit management system and links with reliab le loan service providers. The
training and workshops enhanced the women’s capacity to manage loans. A total of
59 women from 10 women’s cooperatives in the West Bank benefited from training
focused on quality control, quality assurance and the application of local and
international standards for food processing products.
45. The UNRWA job creation programme employed 17,063 refugees (of whom
26.4 per cent were female). The bulk of jobs (78.9 per cent) offered by the
programme require unskilled labour; howe ver, owing to social and cultural barriers,
the programme faces challenges in finding culturally acceptable job s for unskilled
women. In the West Bank, the cash-for-work programme employed women as
clerks, cleaners, guards, administrative assistants and tu tors, among other roles.
Over the reporting period, 8,124 labourers participated in the cash -for-work
programme, of whom 41.2 per cent were female.
46. In Gaza, the enhanced UNRWA poverty assessment system makes it possible
for vulnerable categories of women, such as women in polygamous marriages,
widows, divorced women and women living in a state of separation from their
husbands, to apply for an independent poverty assessment and receive food
assistance from UNRWA separately from the male head of househol d. During the
reporting period, 3,324 women applied for an assessment. Of the 2,082 cases
already visited, 68.3 per cent qualified for assistance.
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47. In the West Bank, UNRWA used a poverty-based targeting strategy for its
social safety net programme that ranks households according to a variety of
poverty-related elements. Of 7,613 households, 34 per cent are female -headed
households and 55.3 per cent of beneficiaries are women. Priority interventions
include essential food requirements, emergency cash inte rvention, referrals and
in-house counselling.
48. Through general food distributions and vouchers, WFP ensured increased food
consumption and dietary diversity for 294,818 female beneficiaries, 50 per cent of
all beneficiaries. WFP food vouchers empower b eneficiaries in managing household
needs as they give them the freedom to choose which food commodities they want
to buy. Women make the decisions on the use of the vouchers in 87 per cent of
cases.
49. As part of reconstruction efforts in Gaza, UNDP prov ided transitional shelter
cash assistance for 1,154 non-refugee families whose homes were damaged during
the 2014 escalation of hostilities, with priority given to female -headed households,
which comprise 10.7 per cent of the households in Gaza. In East Je rusalem, 150
Palestinian female-headed households benefited directly from improved living
conditions through the rehabilitation of 250 homes.
50. ILO implemented a response programme in 2015 to train 50 women sheep
breeders on management of sheep farms, l ife skills, financial and marketing literacy,
cooperative work and business group formation. In the West Bank, FAO supported
85 women farmers with the construction of rainwater collection cisterns and
facilitated land rehabilitation for five women farmers. In Gaza, FAO supported 65
female-headed households with vegetable and protein production units and
rehabilitated 48 damaged animal shelters. In response to shocks, including unusual
seasonal weather conditions in the West Bank, 71 women herders received d roughttolerant
seeds to enhance their capacity to produce fodder for their animals. Some
30 animal shelters belonging to women herders were rehabilitated and FAO
supported 240 women herders in the West Bank and Gaza by providing plastic
sheeting for the winterization of animal shelters in preparation for cold weather
conditions.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
51. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives designed
to improve women’s access to justice and enhance the capacity of institutions and
personnel to prevent and respond to violence against women.
52. From January to June 2016, thr ough the joint UNDP and UN-Women Rule of
Law programme, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 5,248 women
received free legal aid and 1,778 received legal rights awareness training. In Gaza,
2,025 women received legal aid and 6,569 received legal rig hts awareness training.
In Gaza, OHCHR conducted training on gender -based violence and the right to life
for women’s organizations and female traditional community leaders. During the
reporting period, and particularly in the context of the aftermath of th e 2014
conflict, 2,749 internally displaced persons, including 123 sexual and gender -based
violence survivors, received legal assistance through 10 legal aid clinics and 3
additional mobile aid clinics.
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53. Through humanitarian response interventions impl emented by United Nations
entities and non-governmental organizations, 2,564 survivors of gender -based
violence (including 107 men) accessed legal services; 2,645 survivors (2,521
women, 124 men) received psychosocial support services; and 19,904 people
(17,094 women, 2,810 men) attended gender -based violence awareness-raising
sessions or received information on related services. UNRWA continued to operate a
gender-based violence referral system in Gaza and the West Bank providing services
for Palestinian refugees. During the reporting period, 2,138 gender -based violence
cases were identified in Gaza, 92.8 per cent of them against women. At total of
7,129 psychosocial counselling sessions were accessed by gender -based violence
survivors and 994 women received legal counselling. In the West Bank, 309 women
and girl survivors received support through the community mental health
programme, through the mother-to-mother groups and through medical and school
counsellors. A total of 11 cases of child marriage were i dentified through the
gender-based violence referral system.
54. During the reporting period, UN-Women worked to improve the quality of
services provided to women victims and survivors of gender -based violence in
Gaza, with a special focus on internally d isplaced women. UN-Women interventions
reached more than 5,736 beneficiaries (5,194 women and 542 men) with awareness -
raising sessions on gender-based violence and related services. UN -Women and
civil society partners, mainly the Al -Hayat Centre, the Arab Women’s Forum and
Wifaq Association, provided more than 131 women victims of gender -based
violence with case management support. The Hayat Centre also supported
vulnerable and at-risk groups such as women in conflict with the law (17 women)
and children of divorced couples (20 children) with case management and
reintegration services. UNFPA provided training for 800 service providers in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip on gender-based violence “detection”, response and
referral, utilizing the guidelines developed and the Palestinian national referral
system. UNFPA supported the establishment of a “one -stop” centre in Jabalia in
Gaza, as a pilot phase to serve as a safe space for gender -based violence survivors.
55. UNICEF and UNFPA further supported the deve lopment of standard operating
procedures for gender-based violence and child protection case management and
referral in Gaza. Some 160 Ministry of Social Development social workers, 61
Ministry of Education and Higher Education school counsellors and 38 Mi nistry of
Health medical staff received orientation on the standard operating procedures,
detection of gender-based violence and referrals.
56. UNODC continued to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Justice, the
Ministry of Interior and the Palesti nian Civil Police to manage, administer, deliver
and expand forensic medicine and forensic science services in accordance with
international standards, including with regard to the investigation of cases of
gender-based violence. Seven Palestinian doctors continued their specialized
training programme in forensic medicine, including the forensic examination of
victims of sexual and gender-based violence. UNODC also conducted awareness
workshops on gender-based violence and child abuse recognition and respon se for
forensic medicine practitioners, the High Judicial Council, UNRWA refugee camp
clinics, local non-governmental organizations and line ministries related to the
national referral system for gender -based violence service providers in the State of
Palestine.
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E. Power and decision-making
57. During the reporting period, UN-Women enhanced women’s political
participation and leadership by providing technical assistance to 20 female local
council members. Of these women, aged 25 -45 years, 15 became active members in
their councils and villages, voicing women’s priorities and needs at local council
meetings. In addition, UNDP established and institutionalized local economic
development units in five medium-sized municipalities in Gaza, in which women
have been assigned as specialists and focal points.
58. In UNRWA schools, 1,964 female students from 132 girls’ elementary and
preparatory schools participated in the school parliament programme. Female
students discussed and engaged peers on a number of issue s relating to gender
equality, such as reproductive health and early marriage. In the West Bank, UNRWA
conducted awareness-raising activities for 435 participants from local communities
on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.
59. In 2016, UNICEF and local partners reached 6,747 disadvantaged adolescents
(48.5 per cent of whom were female) from vulnerable communities with life skills
programmes. Nearly 80 per cent of adolescent girls and boys from UNICEFsupported
life skills projects are involved in and leading community initiatives.
These projects equipped girls with important leadership skills for their participation
in decision-making and community life.
F. Institutional development
60. During the reporting period, OHCHR continued to support the State of
Palestine in strengthening its capacity to implement and report under the seven
human rights treaties to which it has acceded, while addressing gender -based
discrimination as a cross-cutting issue. OHCHR support included technical
assistance through training and bilateral discussions with line ministries on treaty
provisions, general comments and reporting guidelines. UN -Women and OHCHR
supported the State of Palestine and the Independent Commission for Human Rights
with technical assistance and resources to hold a national consultation on the draft
State party report under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. About 140 representatives of civil society
organizations from both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza
Strip attended the consultation. OHCHR and UN -Women also conducted a training
for civil society organizations in Gaza and the West Bank on t heir role in the human
rights treaty reporting and implementation process, which included technical
discussions on using national consultations and shadow reporting to advocate for
and promote women’s human rights.
61. With support from ILO and in consultation with tripartite constituents, the
social security law for private sector workers and their family members was
adopted, and signed by the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, on
7 March 2016. The law includes maternity protection insurance, which will support
increased women’s labour force participation and encourage employers to employ
more women, by transferring the financial burden of covering maternity leave
benefit from the employer to the social security fund.
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62. In August 2016, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs launched the national action
plan on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). Developed
by the High National Committee for the implementation of Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) and supported by UN-Women and ESCWA, among others,
the plan establishes a comprehensive action framework in support of the efforts of
the Palestinian Government, civil society and women’s organizations to make the
participation of women and the inclusion of their perspectives and needs in peace,
security and humanitarian processes a reality.
63. Under the joint rule of law programme, UNDP and UN -Women provided
support to justice and security institutions to mainstream a gender perspective in
policies and procedures, including in the area of legislative drafting. The Palestinian
Civil Police were supported in developing the first police gender strategy in the
Arab region; the Council of Ministers held a series of national consultations for the
finalization of the Family Protection Bill, which addresses domestic violence; and
the Attorney General formalized a unit of Specialized Prosecutors for Protection of
Family from Violence and appointed 19 specialized prosecutors, who receive
continuing support from the joint programme. The joint programme provided
technical support to the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Justice and
Ministry of Interior for the review and development of the social protection, justice
and security sector strategies as well as technical support to the State of Palestine in
the reporting process to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women. It also supported the Palesti nian Civil Police in the refurbishment of one of
its buildings to become a centre for women and girls victims of violence.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
64. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, fragmentation of the territory, lack
of Palestinian unity, restrictions on access and movement, increased settlement
expansion and violence and the closure of Gaza continued to impact negatively
on the situation of Palestinian women. In Gaza, the humanitarian situation
remains dire. The slow pace of recovery from the 2014 conflict is concerning
and has exacerbated many of the protection concerns and challenges faced by
women and girls described in previous reports. These include increased
psychosocial stress, high unemployment rates, lack of livelihood opportunities,
food insecurity, limited access to basic services, poor access to water, sanitation
and energy, high rates of violence against women and lack of access to justice.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the surge in demolitions of
Palestinian homes and livelihood structures during the reporting period and
the associated displacement aggravated existing protection concerns.
Restrictions on the freedom of movement continued to impact negatively on
women’s and girls’ access to basic services, education and livelihood
opportunities.
65. The rule of law remains a significant issue across the State of Palestine,
with women and girls continuing to face significant challenges in accessing
justice, including as a result of laws that discriminate on the basis of sex. More
effort is needed to bring legislative frameworks into alignment with
international human rights instruments such as the Convention on the
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Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The preparation of
the Palestine State Party report to the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women presents an important milestone in support of
increased accountability of national systems with regard to women’s human
rights and gender equality, and in identifying and addressing discrimination
against women, both in law and in practice. Areas where legislative reform
must clearly be undertaken in order to achieve substantive equality include:
adopting the Family Protection Bill, which protects women from domestic
violence; revising the personal status law to align with obligations under the
Convention related to equality in inheritance, divorce and child custody, among
other issues; and revising the penal code to remove all references to mitigating
circumstances in sentencing for family-related killings (so called “honour
killings”) and to introduce sentences for different types of sexual and gender -
based violence.
66. To advance the realization of women’s human rights, continued technical
support should be provided to Palestinian actors to fully engage with human
rights treaty bodies and other relevant processes, including the Committee on
the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Human Rights Council
and its special procedures, the International Court of Jus tice and the
International Criminal Court.19 Technical support should be provided to
women’s organizations to facilitate their participation in human rights
processes and to ensure stronger collaboration between women’s organizations
and mainstream human rights organizations in engaging with the Human
Rights Council.
67. Violence against women remains a serious protection concern in the State
of Palestine and the situation is particularly acute in Gaza. In support of the
implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women,
the United Nations should build on efforts under way and continue to
implement initiatives to improve women’s access to justice and enhance the
capacity of institutions and personnel to prevent and respond to violence
against women. United Nations entities together with all key actors should
support the implementation of a coordinated holistic, multisectoral approach to
respond to violence against women and ensure availability of health care,
psychosocial and legal assistance and counselling and economic empowerment,
in line with the recommendations of the midterm review of the National
Strategy.
68. United Nations system entities should increase prevention efforts,
including initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of the occupation and
conflict on the increasing vulnerability and exposure of women and girls to
violence, including settler violence, displacement, home demolitions and
restrictions on movement.
69. Improving women’s economic security and rights is key to supporting
women’s empowerment and protection at large. Policies aimed at expanding
__________________
19 In the context of the preliminary examination into the situation of Palestine, the Office of the
Prosecutor has called upon interested parties to submit information on violations of women’s
rights in respect of crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
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local production and creating jobs should support women’s local production
quality standards to enhance their potential to compete locally. Exploring
opportunities for women’s engagement in new economic sectors such as the
information technology, manufacturing and tourism sectors would maximize
opportunities for women’s economic participation. As a further means of
guiding young students and graduates away from an overcrowd ed professional
sector, career counselling and technical and vocational education training
services should be provided to enhance the attractiveness of technical careers.
This should be coupled with making labour market information and job search
mechanisms available to disadvantaged and marginalized female youth. In
Gaza, given women’s limited participation and economic opportunities to date,
more attention must be paid to strengthening their participation in and
opportunities generated by post-conflict recovery and reconstruction efforts.
70. Prospects of national and local elections continue to be a great challenge
and women remain underrepresented in decision-making bodies at various
levels of public life, the peace processes and national reconciliation efforts. It is
therefore crucial to support long-term sustainable mechanisms to enhance the
political representation and leadership of Palestinian women in a way that
would set women’s issues high on the national agenda. Consciousness of
political rights and the building of transformative communities are significant
conditions for creating an enabling environment that can influence the
direction of politics and development in favour of women.
71. The United Nations continues to support the realization of a
comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The promotion of women’s human
rights and empowerment remains essential to these efforts. The national action
plan on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on
women, peace and security, launched by the State of Palestine in 2016,
establishes a comprehensive action framework for making the participation of
women and the inclusion of their perspectives and needs in peace, security and
humanitarian processes a reality. The United Nations should support the
implementation and monitoring of the national action plan and, in addition,
utilize the opportunities presented by Security Council resolution 2242 (2015)
for bringing violations of human rights and humanitarian law experienced by
Palestinian women to the attention of the Security Council, including through
the briefings of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process.
72. The overall increase in politically motivated violence during the reporting
period is concerning, further threatening the prospects of peace. Finding a
political solution to the conflict remains essential.
United Nations E/CN.6/2018/6
Economic and Social Council
Distr.: General
5 January 2018
Original: English
18-00217 (E) 180118
*1800217*
Commission on the Status of Women
Sixty-second session
12–23 March 2018
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda *
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General**
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2017/10, highlights the situation of Palestinian women for the period from
1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, and provides an overview of the assistance
provided by the entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and
training; health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of law and violence
against women; power and decision-making; and institutional development. The report
concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status of
Women.
__________________
* E/CN.6/2018/1.
** The submission of the report was delayed in order to complete consultations among all relevant
offices.
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I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2017/10 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women,
the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave situation
of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, resulting from the severe
impact of the ongoing Israeli o ccupation and all of its manifestations. The Council
requested the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, assist Palestinian
women by all available means, including those laid out by the Secretary -General in
his previous report on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
(E/CN.6/2017/6), and submit a report to the Commission on the Status of Women at
its sixty-second session on the progress made in the implementation of the resolut ion.
The present report covers the period from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017 and
reviews the situation of Palestinian women on the basis of information from the
United Nations entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
2. Unless otherwise indicated, the report is based on contributions and information
submitted by entities of the United Nations system that provide assistance to
Palestinian women. It includes contributions from the following United Nations
entities: the Food and Agriculture Organ ization of the United Nations (FAO), the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations De velopment
Programme (UNDP) and its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children ’s Fund
(UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA), the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment
of Women (UN-Women), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health
Organization (WHO). It also reflects information provided by the Economic and
Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The report builds on previous annual
reports on this topic and complements other reports on the living and socioeconomic
conditions of the Palestinian people (see A/72/87-E/2017/67, A/72/368-S/2017/741,
A/72/90-E/2017/71 and A/72/13).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
3. This section highlights political developments during the reporting period. The
volatile political, socioeconomic and humanitarian situation descri bed below has a
profound impact on all Palestinians. Analysis and an understanding of the gender -
specific aspects of the situation are essential for effective responses to security,
development and humanitarian needs. As further detailed in section III bel ow, the
impact of the crisis on the everyday lives and the future of women, young women and
girls is immense and compounded by prevailing discrimination in law and in practice.
4. During the reporting period, the international community continued efforts to
preserve the possibility of a two -State solution and promote an enabling environment
for final status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. On 23 December 2016,
the Security Council adopted its resolution 2334 (2016), in which the Council
reaffirmed that the establishment of settlements by Israel in the Palestinian territory
occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity, constitutes a
flagrant violation under international law and remains a major obstacle to the
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achievement of the two-State solution. The Council reiterated concerns regarding the
continued construction and expansion of settlements, violence against civilians,
including acts of terror, and acts of provocati on and destruction. The Council also
underlined that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including
with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.
5. On 15 January 2017, at a conference hosted by France, participants from
70 countries reaffirmed their commitment to a negotiated two -State solution as the
only way to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the conflict and
enduring peace (see S/2017/50). Participants expressed their readiness to contribute
to arrangements to ensure the sustainability of a negotiated peace agreement. During
the reporting period, and as detailed in the report of the Secretary -General on a
peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine (A/72/368-S/2017/741), the Russian
Federation, Arab leaders under the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the United States
of America undertook efforts to restart negotiations and adva nce peace. For the first
time in 2017, the Middle East Quartet convened in Jerusalem, on 13 July, at the envoy
level to discuss efforts to advance peace in the Middle East as well as the deteriorating
humanitarian situation in Gaza. The parties reached limited agreements and
understandings covering electricity, water, communication and postal services.
6. There was an upward trend in settlement activities, and rates of demolitions of
Palestinian-owned structures remained high during the reporting period. O n
6 February 2017, following the order issued by the Israeli High Court of Justice for
the evacuation and demolition of the illegal settlement outpost of Amona, the Knesset
adopted the “regularization bill”, which effectively authorizes the appropriation o f
privately owned Palestinian land in the West Bank. 1 The law was adopted despite
objections by the Attorney General of Israel that it is unconstitutional and in violation
of international law (see A/72/87-E/2017/67, para. 7). Since the beginning of the
reporting period, plans for more than 12,000 housing units have been advanced,
approved or tendered in Area C and in East Jerusalem, more than double the total for
2016. One such plan is for a new settlement deep in side the West Bank, which would
further obstruct the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian State in any future
peace agreement. Several petitions against the law are currently being considered by
the Israeli High Court of Justice, and its implementatio n has been halted until the
Court rules on its legality.
7. The reporting period was also marked by regular clashes between Israeli
security forces and Palestinian demonstrators in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem. During April and May, protests escalated in support of a hunger strike by
Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and, in July, events in and around the Aqsa Mosque
in the Old City of Jerusalem led to several weeks of widespread unrest in East
Jerusalem and elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinia n Territory. Following a deadly
attack on two Israeli police officers at one of the entrances to the Aqsa Mosque on
14 July, tensions around the holy site and in East Jerusalem quickly escalated as
Palestinians and Muslim religious authorities rejected Isr aeli measures taken in
response to the attack; Palestinian worshippers refused to enter the compound.
Clashes between protesters and police after Friday prayers on 21 July resulted in the
killing of three Palestinians. Later that night, a Palestinian man e ntered a house in the
Israeli settlement of Halamish and stabbed to death three members of an Israeli family
__________________
1 Following the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords and the 1995 interim agreements between Israel
and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank was divided into three zones, Areas A,
B and C. Extensive responsibility was delegated by Israel to the Palestinian Authority in Areas A
and B. Area C remained under full authority of Israel.
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before he was shot and detained. At the height of the unrest, the President of the State
of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, announced a halt to all conta ct with the Israeli
authorities, including for security coordination. Following regional and international
mediation efforts, Israel removed all of the security measures and equipment that it
had installed at the entrances to the Aqsa Mosque, and by 28 Jul y Muslim religious
leaders in East Jerusalem had called on worshippers to resume prayers inside the
compound, thereby reducing tensions. Contact and s ecurity coordination between
Israeli and Palestinian authorities have since been resumed.
8. During the reporting period, the ongoing Palestinian political divide continued
to widen the chasm between Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, impeded efforts
to achieve a negotiated solution to the Israeli -Palestinian conflict and worsened the
already dire humanitarian situation for Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank.
In a manifestation of this political division, Palestinians in Gaza were unable to
participate in municipal elections. The elections, which were held on 13 May 2017,
were limited to the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem). In Gaza, following the
election by Hamas of a new leadership and the formation of an “administrative
committee” in March 2017 to run governmental affairs in Gaza, the Palestinian
Authority took a number of measures to stop subsidizing the de facto authorities in
Gaza. This included making cuts related to salaries and allowances, stipends for
former prisoners and electricity supply, as well as compelling Palestinian Authority
employees in the Gaza Strip to take early retirement. For its part, Hamas arrested
Fatah members, banned Fatah political activities in public and prevented Fatah senior
officials from leaving Gaza. Hamas also appointed local judicial personnel and
executed six alleged collaborators with Israel without seeking approval from
President Abbas, as required under Palestinian law. The Palestinian Authority has
consistently made three demands to Hamas aimed at resolving the current standoff:
to dissolve the Administrative Committee; to allow the Government of national
consensus, led by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, to work in Gaza; and to hold
general elections. On 17 September 2017, as a result of media tion efforts by Egypt,
Hamas agreed to those demands, thereby raising hopes for an end to the Palestinian
divide.
9. During the reporting period, the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsened owing
to several factors, including the ongoing impact of the hos tilities in July and August
2014, the closure of Gaza, the internal Palestinian divide and a long -standing
electricity crisis affecting 2 million people in Gaza. The impact of the hostilities in
2014 continues to shape the current political, social and hum anitarian context and,
three years on, an estimated 25,500 people remain internally displaced. In mid -April
2017, the sole power plant in Gaza, which provided about a third of its electricity,
was forced to shut down following the failure by the Palestinia n Authority and Hamas
to resolve a dispute over the payment of taxes on fuel. In May, the supply was reduced
by 30 per cent after the Palestinian Authority had informed the Israeli Electricity
Company that it would no longer pay in full for the electricity supplied to Gaza
through Israel. As a result, Gaza receives only 4 to 6 hours of electricity a day, down
from 8 to 12 hours before April, which has had a particularly grave impact on the
delivery of essential health, water, and sanitation services. 2 The lack of power has
also had a severe impact on sewage treatment. The raw sewage being poured into the
sea is polluting the coastline and constitutes an unfolding environmental disaster. As
__________________
2 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “2017 Gaza crisis: urgent funding appeal”,
July 2017. Available from https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/2017-gazacrisis-
urgent-funding-appeal.
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women and girls bear the majority of household responsibilities in Pa lestinian society,
they are disproportionally affected by the current impact of the electricity crisis.
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
10. This section further outlines the gender dimensions of the situation of
Palestinian women and details the United Nations efforts to respond to and deliver
assistance amid complex humanitarian challenges. It provides updated information
on the assistance provided by the United Nations system, in cooperation with the
Government of the State of Palestine, donors and civil society, to address the specific
needs and priorities of women, young women and girls in the following areas:
education and training; health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of
law and violence against women; power and decision -making; and institutional
development. The volatile context and the constrained funding environment continue
to pose operational challenges for the deliv ery of assistance and have an impact on
the sustainability of the progress achieved.
11. Current priorities for the provision of United Nations support to the Palestinian
people are outlined in a set of key documents, including the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework 2018–2022 for the State of Palestine, which is
aligned with the Palestinian National Policy Agenda (2017–2022), the Cross-Sectoral
National Gender Strategy 2017–2022 and the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan,
which outlines humanitarian needs and responses. In addition, the humanitarian
community issued an emergency appeal to address the deteriorating humanitarian
situation in Gaza.
A. Education and training
12. Young women, young men, boys and girls continue to face distinct a nd genderspecific
challenges in accessing education throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory. Lack of safe public spaces and routes to school for young women and girls,
the risk for young men and boys of confrontations and involvement in clashes with
security forces or demonstrations, and social and cultural norms within families and
communities continue to have a negative impact and sometimes make safe and
accessible education unavailable for young people and children. Young women and
girls often have limited access to educational opportunities that are available or
provided as a priority to young men and boys. Many young women and girls are often
kept at home owing to a lack of safe public spaces, as well as to sociocultural norms.
13. Grave violations of children’s rights continue at staggering levels. As reported
by UNICEF, from October 2016 to September 2017, 4,107 incidents were
documented, affecting 39,762 children. This included the killing of 19 Palestinian
children (3 girls and 16 boys) and the injury of 570 children (32 Palestinian girls,
530 Palestinian boys, 1 Israeli girl and 7 Israeli boys). In addition, 283 incidents
relating to access to education were documented. According to the latest data received
from the Israel Prison Service on children in military detention, a total of 318 children
(including 10 girls) were being held in detention at the end of June 2017. Children
continue to be detained across the West Bank and East Jerusalem for security -related
offences and through administrative detention (see A/72/361-S/2017/821).
14. United Nations entities continued to implement a range of initiatives to promote
access for women, young women and girls to education and training and to improve
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learning environments. During the academic year 2016/17, UNRWA operated
96 schools in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and 267 in Gaza, serving more
than 310,000 students, of whom half (49.9 per cent) are female. In addition to basic
education, UNRWA continued to offer technical and vocational education and
training. During the reporting period, 578 girls in Gaza (33.6 per cent of all students)
and 587 girls in the West Bank (58 per cent of all students) participated in such
training. UNESCO provided training to 3,646 female students to improve their
management, language, life and research skills across 10 community libraries
established by the agency in the West Bank and Gaza. The Right to Higher Education
Advocacy Campaign was implemented in four of th ose community libraries, which
addressed the right of women to enrol in higher education institutions.
15. UNRWA, through its education and community mental health programmes, also
supported teachers and school counsellors, along with students and their f amilies, to
provide counselling and address gender-based discrimination and the underlying
causes of school drop-out rates. To address the limited access of adolescents and
young people to safe public spaces, UNICEF provided vulnerable adolescents with
capacity-building on core life skills through its entrepreneurial and civic engagement
programmes. Young people have applied the skills gained in those youth -led
initiatives, which has enabled them to voice issues of concern to them and take an
active role within their communities, as agents of positive change. The United Nations
Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and UN-Women also began the
implementation of a joint programme to support women and youth leadership in
post-conflict recovery through the use of digital technologies to establish safe,
accessible and gender-responsive public spaces in Gaza.
16. In the West Bank, UNICEF and partners continued to address the important need
for safety in public spaces by providing schoolchildren with protection to and from
school in locations where the Israeli military and settlers are present. This programme
benefited approximately 8,000 children (43.75 per c ent of whom were girls) and
400 teachers (75 per cent of whom were women). UNDP, through its Programme of
Assistance to the Palestinian People, continued to provide education support to girls
in Area C of the West Bank through mobile science and computer laboratory services
in remote areas, which benefited 400 girls. A total of 220 girls benefited from the
installation of a solar system to generate clean energy for schools and to relieve the
schools of some of their operating costs.
B. Health
17. Women and girls have the right to health and the right to receive
non-discriminatory health-care services that are not only accessible and affordable,
but also of good quality. Significant challenges in the provision and accessibility of
health-care services remain throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, leaving
many Palestinians deprived of those rights. Palestinian women face major and distinct
barriers to access to adequate health care. Accessing care can often result in an
unmanageable financial burden, including travel costs, the direct costs of care,
associated costs of childcare and loss of income, when women need to travel to
facilities far from their homes.
18. The public health system in Gaza remains overstretched as a result of ever -
increasing demand, frequent power cuts and a lack of financial and medical resources
owing to facility closures and the internal Palestinian political divide. Palestine
refugees, who make up some 70 per cent of the population in Gaza, are increasingly
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unable to pay fees at the facilities of the Ministry of Health, and it is even harder to
pay at private clinics. The population relies heavily on UNRWA for primary health -
care services. Demand for UNRWA health-care services has also increased owing to
the decline of the health-care services provided by the Ministry of Health and the
chronic shortage of medicines and medi cal supplies at the Ministry’s central
pharmacy.
19. The maternal mortality ratio in the Occupied Palestinian Territory stands at 25
(20 in the West Bank and 31 in Gaza) per 100,000 live births, according to the
Ministry of Health. 3 Yet, challenges still remain in maintaining the low maternal
mortality rates and preventing avoidable deaths, such as: limited access to basic
health-care services for women and children; limited early detection of developmental
delays and disabilities in children; lack of qual ity of care as a result of overcrowding
in hospitals; lack of adequate equipment and supplies; and the early discharge of
mothers after birth.
20. Lack of mobility, travel restrictions and the denial of travel authorizations also
have an impact on the ability of Palestinians to seek, afford and receive the health
care that they need. During the reporting period, the acceptance rate for patients from
the West Bank who had applied to the Israeli authorities for permits to exit the
Occupied Palestinian Territory remained relatively stable, at 80 per cent. 4 However,
there was a significant overall decline in the acceptance rates for permits to exit Gaza
for health-care purposes. In September 2017, the acceptance rate was 55 per cent. 5
During the reporting period, 12,698 female patients submitted requests for travel
permits to exit the Gaza Strip through the Erez checkpoint for specialized medical
treatment in other Palestinian medical facilities, hospitals in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem and, to a lesser extent, Israeli hospitals. Of these requests, 6,986 (55 per
cent) were approved, 286 (2 per cent) were denied and 5,426 (43 per cent) received
delayed responses after the time of the patients ’ hospital appointments. The approval
rate for applications from female patients was higher than that for male patients: from
January 2017 to August 2017, 57.2 per cent of applications from women were
approved, compared with 49.7 per cent for men. At least 164 female patients were
asked to appear for an Israeli security interrogation as a precondition for consideration
of their application in 2017.
21. While all residents of the Gaza Strip are exempt from health -care service fees
under the presidential decision of 26 June 2007, patients who require a medical
referral outside the Strip have been affected by procedural delays since mid -May
2017, with a decline in the number of referrals and a slowing of the process of issuing
financial coverage documents for Gaza by the relevant authorities in Ramallah. In
August 2017, 1,297 referral documents were issued for Gaza patients. This is
40 per cent lower than the monthly average in the first quarter of 2017 (2,149) and
34 per cent lower than the corresponding month of 2016.
22. In response, the United Nations continued its efforts to improve health -care
services. UNRWA remained a major provider of primary health -care services for
Palestine refugees, operating 22 health centres in Gaza and 42 in the West Bank. In
Gaza, between October 2016 and July 2017, 1,893,030 medical consultations were
conducted for Palestinian refugees, of which 60 per cent were for women. In the West
__________________
3 State of Palestine, Ministry of Health, “National Health Strategy 2014–2016”.
4 During the reporting period, WHO monitored and analysed women ’s access to health-care
services through an examination of permit data, disaggregated by sex, for patients seeking access
to medical facilities outside Gaza and the West Bank, in East Jerusalem and elsewhere.
5 WHO, “Health access for referral patients from the Gaza Strip ”, monthly report, September 2017.
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Bank, including East Jerusalem, 503,545 medical consultations were provided, of
which 61 per cent were for wo men. UNRWA also provided medical services through
its emergency mobile clinics to approximately 26,050 women residing in various
localities in Area C.
23. Maternal and child health care continued to be an essential component of
assistance. In Gaza, UNRWA provided assistance to 36,750 newly registered pregnant
women, antenatal care to 245,436 women and postnatal care to 32,558 women. More
than 98 per cent of all pregnant women paid at least four visits to an UNRWA health
centre during their pregnancy. To reduce neonatal mortality and introduce safe and
evidence-based practices to save lives at birth, WHO supported the introduction of
the early essential newborn care package in Gaza, making the Occupied Palestinian
Territory the first place in the Eastern Med iterranean region to implement the
package. Some 34,100 women and newborns have benefited from these services in
the hospitals of the Ministry of Health. In addition, with support from WHO, the
Palestinian National Institute of Public Health implemented a maternal and child
health electronic registry, a customized interactive checklist that facilitates data
collection and utilization to guide evidence -based interventions to improve the quality
of service. The electronic registry was implemented in 77 primar y health-care clinics
in five districts in the West Bank. To address the limited access to good -quality
newborn care services in Area C of the West Bank, UNICEF provided the Ministry of
Health with three mobile clinics that will serve 10,000 children and t heir caregivers.
A package of essential basic health-care services, including the provision of
medication for acute diseases, and maternal and child health -care services are
provided to these communities on a weekly basis. UN -Women trained approximately
1,108 women from 23 localities near the Bethlehem and Hebron Governorates on
sexual and reproductive health and issues relating to sexual and gender -based
violence.
24. Through its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, UNDP
continued to provide health-care services in East Jerusalem to female -headed
households that lack formal health insurance. Through the Programme, 5,065 female
patients were covered by the three Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem.
UN-Women provided support to community-based organizations and women’s
organizations to strengthen their participation in humanitarian assistance. In Area C,
some 30 women, including women with disabilities, benefited from counselling, legal
and psychosocial services. In Gaza, some 50 women with disabilities received
training to enhance their physical and psychological preparedness for emergencies.
C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
25. Women, including young women, continue to face serious challenges linked to
economic empowerment and insecurity. In Gaza, the electricity crisis and its effects,
described above, significantly disrupt daily life and have a disproportionate impact
on women and girls, who bear most of the household responsibilities in Palestinian
society. The heavy care responsibilities and limited access to water and electricity
reduce women’s ability to engage in income-generating activities or to allocate time
to their own needs.
26. There have been no improvements in the rates of food insecurity among
Palestinian households since the issuance of the previous report. According to FAO,
food insecurity affects 46 per cent of Palestinian households in the Gaza Strip and
17 per cent of Palestinian households in the West Bank. In the West Bank, the
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prevalence of food insecurity among female-headed households is 10 percentage
points higher than among male-headed households, while it is 3 percentage points
higher in the Gaza Strip. When disaggregated by sex, the prevalence of food
insecurity should be considered alongside the i nformation available on the assistance
received by households. The average value of the total support received by female -
headed households is 30 per cent greater than that received by male -headed
households.
27. The rate of labour-force participation for Palestinian women remains among the
lowest in the region, at 19.1 per cent.6 While female participation in the labour market
has increased over the past few years, unemployment rates are higher among women
than men. In the second quarter of 2017, the unemp loyment rate among women rose
to a staggering 71.5 per cent in Gaza and reached 36.2 per cent in the West Bank. 7
The gender wage gap also persisted, with the average daily wage for Palestinian
women reaching 83 new Israeli shekels (NIS), compared with NIS 114 for men.8 The
unemployment rate for youth aged 20–24 years continued to rise, reaching 46.3 per
cent in the second quarter of 2017, with unemployment rates of 38.3 per cent among
young men and 72.7 per cent among young women. 9 While Palestinian female
jobseekers generally have relatively high levels of education in comparison with their
male counterparts and with women in other developing countries, those
qualifications, as previously reported, have not translated into higher levels of
employment. Against this backdrop, United Nations entities continued to prioritize
initiatives promoting women’s economic empowerment, improving food security and
livelihoods in their programming.
28. UN-Women, FAO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) supported the
functioning of a “one-stop shop” in Ramallah as a comprehensive hub of services to
improve access to economic opportunities for micro -, small and medium-sized
enterprises (MSMEs) run by Palestinian women. The one -stop shop provided a range
of services to women entrepreneurs and start-ups, including services linked to
business development, capacity development, trade facilitation, access to capital or
finance and production support. FAO continued to provide training and coaching to
enhance the capacity of its two retail shops in the northern and southern West Bank,
which market agricultural products from more than 15 women ’s cooperatives and two
women’s associations, with a total of almost 700 members. Moreover, FAO provided
direct support to 20 women’s cooperatives in successfully registering the trademarks
of their products, and 15 women’s cooperatives received specialized training on
marketing. UN-Women provided technical assistance to 43 women -led MSMEs in the
West Bank and Gaza and financial assistance to 3 4 women-led MSMEs. Of the
43 targeted MSMEs, 35 reported having increased their sales turnover since the
beginning of the programme in 2015, by an average of 42.8 per cent.
29. Through its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, UNDP
supported the establishment of 174 women-led MSMEs in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory. In addition, 640 women were employed through job placement activities,
225 women received capacity development packages to support their economic
__________________
6 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “International Women’s Day 2017”, press release,
7 March 2017.
7 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Results of the labour force survey second -quarter
(April–June 2017) round”, press release, 7 August 2017.
8 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “International Women’s Day 2017”.
9 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Results of the labour force survey second -quarter
(April–June 2017) round”.
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endeavours and 35 women were supported in accessing external markets related to
food processing, textiles, and light industries. According to a UNDP assessment, more
than 85 per cent of the women interviewed declared that the capacity development
interventions had enhanced their compet encies and the success of their projects.
Approximately 80 per cent of the women reported an improvement in their bargaining
power within the family and improved relationships in their community. Moreover,
women reported positive changes in their mobility, access to the market and ability
to sell products.
30. The Microfinance Department of UNRWA disbursed 1,693 loans, valued at
$1,883,180, to women (44 per cent of the total number of loans), with the Women ’s
Household Credit being the most common loan typ e. Most loans are for livelihood
activities and to support the resilience of these women and their families. The
microfinance programme is aimed at overcoming barriers related to access to
financing by setting lower requirements than the formal banking sys tem and regularly
updating its product portfolio.
31. The UNRWA job creation programme employed 16,323 refugees, of whom
24.4 per cent were women. Most jobs offered by the programme require unskilled
labour; however, owing to social and cultural barriers, the programme continues to
face challenges in finding culturally acceptable jobs for unskilled women. Through a
community outreach programme, which includes training and job placement, the
UNRWA Gender Initiative is aimed at increasing opportunities for y oung women.
During the reporting period, 817 young female graduates of the Young Women
Leaders Programme 10 were provided with professional skills training and
235 benefited from a three-month work placement in the private sector or civil society
organizations. Approximately 25 per cent of graduates were able to secure
employment after completing the training and work placement.
32. United Nations entities continued to provide social safety nets to women in
vulnerable situations. To support women’s livelihoods in sustainable agriculture and
enhance their resilience, FAO supported 16 women farmers in the West Bank through
the establishment of rainwater collection cisterns and 12 women herders through the
rehabilitation of community cisterns for livestock use, and facilitated land
rehabilitation for five women farmers. UNDP provided economic assistance to
22 female-headed households awaiting family reunification in East Jerusalem. The
assistance enables family members, especially women, to acquire income -generating
skills while waiting for reunification. UNRWA continued to implement a social safety
net programme, which benefited 2,558 female -headed households in Gaza (34 per
cent of the total number of households targeted) and 2,558 female -headed households
in the West Bank (34 per cent of the total number of households).
33. Through general food distribution and vouchers, WFP ensured increased food
consumption and dietary diversity for 490,000 beneficiaries, of whom 242,500 were
women. To raise awareness on healthful and appropriate nutritional practices, WFP
conducted 24 sessions on nutrition, with training benefiting 2,953 food -insecure
women and 991 food-insecure men who were beneficiaries of the WFP voucher
programme in Gaza. WFP food vouchers empower benefic iaries and allow them to
manage the needs of their household, as they have the freedom to choose their food
commodities. Based on WFP monitoring, women make 92 per cent of decisions on
the use of the voucher and the types of food commodities to redeem; by comparison,
4 per cent of decisions are made by men only and 4 per cent are joint decisions.
__________________
10 Participants in the Young Women Leaders Programme have completed university degrees.
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34. ILO continued to promote entrepreneurship education in partnership with the
Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, while
mainstreaming a gender perspective and empowering female youth and women. ILO
supported cooperatives by providing training to women ’s business groups, paying
special attention to the integration of women into existing cooperatives and the
creation of new women-only cooperatives and cooperative management. In Gaza, ILO
supported capacity-building and business plan development for existing cooperatives,
including the Gaza Saving and Credit Cooperative, which comprises 1,470 female
members and seeks to empower women through the provision of financial capital.
FAO trained 60 female employees of the Ministries of Agriculture, National Economy
and Health on animal health and food safety to enhance government capacity to
implement sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Wi th the support of FAO, four
women also enrolled in a new programme for a master ’s degree in biotechnology and
rural development.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
35. Structural inequalities, poverty and discrimination have a significant impact on
the access of women and girls to justice and security. Despite the existence of laws
condemning violence against women, the limited jurisdiction of the Palestinian
authorities limits enforcement in some areas. Palestinian women experience high
levels of gender-based violence, are subject, directly and indirectly, to political and
social violence and have limited access to water and electricity, housing, land and
property, employment opportunities, higher education and health care, including
prenatal and neonatal health care.11 Psychosocial distress levels, which were already
high among the Gaza population, have worsened significantly as a result of the
conflict and will continue to require specialized support, specifically for children,
adolescent girls and women.
36. Efforts to meet the obligation to prevent violence against women in Area C and
East Jerusalem are severely constrained by the inability of the Palestinian authorities
to access the populations. The political divide between the de facto authority in Gaza
and the Palestinian Authority also hinders the application of the law. Palestinian
women continue to face specific challenges in accessing justice, including laws that
discriminate on the basis of sex, notably with respect to inheritance , child custody
and other personal status issues; women’s limited knowledge of their human rights
and related procedures; economic dependency; and social pressures and stigma.
37. Gender-based violence in all its forms, including sexual violence, intimate -
partner violence and forced marriage, remains a major protection and health concern.
In Gaza, poverty and the absence of economic opportunities contribute to violence
against women. 12 Pervasive impunity for violence against women means that
perpetrators of violence rarely, if ever, face legal, criminal or social penalties.
Moreover, violence against women in the context of marriage is not considered a
crime in civil law, and salient family law in Gaza and dominant social norms prioritize
the preservation of a marriage over the rights of victims. Survey findings demonstrate
__________________
11 UNFPA and the Culture and Free Thought Ass ociation, “Protection in the windward: conditions
and rights of internally displaced girls and women during the latest Israeli military operation on
the Gaza Strip”, October 2014.
12 UN-Women, “Navigating through shattered paths: NGO service providers an d women survivors
of gender-based violence — an assessment of GBV services in Gaza ”, research paper, September
2017.
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the high value placed on “honour”, with 47 per cent of men and 38 per cent of women
believing that women and girls deserve punishment from their families when
“honour” is perceived to have been breached. Thirty-five per cent of men and 22 per
cent of women also indicated that “honour” killings should not be punished by law. 13
In addition, one third of men and one quarter of women surveyed believed that some
violence against women can be justified, and the majority of men and women believed
that women should tolerate such violence. Owing in part to such beliefs, only 0.7 per
cent of survivors seek help as a result of the lack of confidential and compassionate
services and fear of stigma and re prisal.14 Efforts to address such attitudinal beliefs
are needed, alongside efforts to strengthen the rule of law, legal protection and
women’s access to justice.
38. The joint UNDP and UN-Women programme on the rule of law supported the
Government in strengthening the legal framework by improving the capacity of the
justice and security institutions to mainstream a gender perspective into structures
and services. A one-stop centre for women victims of violence was opened in
Ramallah in 2017. The Civil Police Gender Strategy was launched in February 2017,
which is the first gender strategy developed by a police force in the Arab States
region. In October 2016, the number of specialized prosecutors dealing with family
protection cases increased to 26, compare d with 15 in the first quarter of 2014, when
the first specialized prosecutors were identified. The partnership between UN -Women
and the High Judicial Council was strengthened, and the Chief Justice announced the
intention of the court under the Council ’s jurisdiction to ensure the provision of
specialized expertise relating to violence against women in cases across all levels of
courts. The Chief Justice also announced an increase in the number of judges working
on cases of violence against women from 12 i n October 2016 to 29 in May 2017.
From October 2016 to April 2017, approximately 13,000 women and 1,100 girls in
the West Bank received legal support, including representation, advice, mediation,
awareness-raising and training.
39. During the reporting period, UNFPA and partners identified 12,606 cases of
gender-based violence. Of these, more than 10,000 cases resulted in one or more types
of psychosocial, health and legal assistance. The United Nations and its partners
established three local referral pat hways, which include coalitions of 77 providers of
health, psychosocial, legal and shelter services. In addition, 17,802 women and men
at the community level, in both the West Bank and Gaza, participated in awareness -
raising sessions on gender-based violence.
40. In Gaza, UNICEF, along with the Ministry of Social Development and other
partners, provided psychosocial support services to 4,965 children (52 per cent of
whom were girls) and child protection services to 5,986 children (47 per cent of whom
were girls). In addition, 27 girls and 76 women in need of psychosocial support were
identified through situation monitoring and referred to appropriate services. In Gaza,
82 girls and 62 women with disabilities were identified and referred for support, while
51 older women and 14 women victims of gender-based violence were identified and
referred for support through the disability and gender-based violence working groups.
__________________
13 Shereen El Feki, Gary Barker and Brian Heilman, eds., Understanding Masculinities: Results
from the International Men and Gender Equal ity Survey (IMAGES) — Middle East and North
Africa (Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine) (Cairo and Washington, D.C., UN-Women and
Promundo, 2017).
14 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Violence survey in the Palestinian Territory, 2011”,
March 2012.
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41. UNFPA and its partners established two new safe spaces for women and girls,
in compliance with the National Referral System for Women Victims of Violence, in
Qalqilyah city and in the old city of Hebron in the West Bank, while continuing to
support, operate and develop the active safe space in Jabaliya camp in Gaza. The
implementing partners of UNFPA conducted 365 outreach sessions on protection from
and prevention of gender-based violence, reaching 6,457 community members, and
provided 900 dignity kits for survivors of gender -based violence.
42. UNRWA continued to operate a gender-based violence referral service system
in Gaza and the West Bank, providing services for Palestine refugees. During the
reporting period, 1,404 cases of gender-based violence were identified in Gaza. In the
West Bank, UNRWA identified 284 cases and referred 29 ca ses to other service
providers, including both government institutions — such as the Ministry of Health,
for specialized medical care, and the Ministry of Social Development, for protection
and for financial assistance — and non-governmental organizations.
E. Power-sharing and decision-making
43. While women participate in some areas of political life, they remain
underrepresented in both elected and appointed decision -making positions. Women
account for only 12.8 per cent of members of the Palestin ian Legislative Council.15
During the seventh conference of Fatah (the ruling political party in the West Bank),
of the 19 members elected to the Fatah central council, only one was a woman. In the
current Government, women hold only two ministerial positio ns: the Minister of
Tourism and the Minister of Women’s Affairs. Similarly, the most recent available
data, from 2015, show that women accounted for only 5.8 per cent of Palestinian
ambassadors, 17.2 per cent of judges, 16.7 per cent of prosecutors and 22. 5 per cent
of lawyers. Although women hold approximately 42.6 per cent of public sector
positions, they tend to be towards the lower end of the decision -making hierarchy.
For example, women held only 11.7 per cent of positions at the director general
level.16
44. United Nations entities sought to enhance women ’s political participation and
representation across these positions through several initiatives. UN -Women
continued to provide technical assistance to 20 female local council members in the
West Bank, who, in turn, through their engagement with local communities and
community leaders, supported the development and implementation of nine women -
led community-based initiatives. The initiatives were focused on voicing women ’s
needs within the local community to encourage inclusive and gender-responsive
decision-making in the local council. UNDP supported women in building their own
awareness of rights in the context of the local elections in Tubas and Qalqilyah
Governorates in the West Bank. This initiative reached more than 800 women, who
were encouraged to participate actively in decision -making. As a result, two women’s
forums were established to facilitate increased networking and coordination among
women and to build their capacity to advocate for their rights. WFP continued to
promote and support women’s active participation in the local committees that assist
in the implementation of its assistance programmes. Through the local committees,
__________________
15 Institute of Women’s Studies at Birzeit University, Ministry of Women ’s Affairs of the State of
Palestine and UN-Women, “Building ties: towards integrated strategies and policies for
empowering Palestinian women ”, 2013.
16 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “International Women’s Day 2017”.
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WFP and civil society partners ensured that women took a lead r ole in the
management of food distribution and cross -checking of beneficiaries.
45. On 27 September 2017, UN-Women, in close collaboration with the Office of
the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process, organized an open day on
women and peace and security in the State of Palestine, which included the
participation of the Special Coordinator, senior United Nations and European Union
officials, women’s rights and human rights organizations, political leaders and
international organizations. During t he open day, the participants drew attention to a
range of pressing concerns and priorities, including the rights of women refugees, the
impact of settlements, the socioeconomic situation of women and girls in Gaza and
Jerusalem and the situation and rights of women imprisoned by Israel. Under the
theme of the open day, women’s participation in the reconciliation process was
stressed, as was the commitment of the United Nations to prioritizing the women and
peace and security agenda in the Occupied Palestin ian Territory.
F. Institutional development
46. The promotion of peaceful, just and inclusive societies, as enshrined in
Sustainable Development Goal 16, cannot be achieved without gender -responsive
policies and actions. Inclusive institutional dev elopment is an essential component of
preventing conflict and sustaining peace and should promote women ’s ability to lead
and participate in all aspects of development, humanitarian and peace and security
efforts.
47. United Nations entities implemented a range of initiatives to promote women ’s
meaningful leadership and participation within long -term institutional reform efforts.
For example, UNESCO, together with the Minister of Labour, the Minister of
Education and Higher Education and the European Union , launched the First Skills
Forecasting Model, which provides quantitative projections on the supply of and
demand for skills in the Palestinian labour market with a view to developing curricula,
training programmes and employment policies. The model will offer essential insights
to female students in choosing their educational path.
48. UNICEF and WFP jointly supported the Ministry of Social Development in the
formulation of the Social Development Sector Strategy 2017–2022 to address the
social and economic vulnerabilities of women and other groups. A key element of the
Strategy is the introduction of a case management system in the West Bank that
provides essential referrals based on clients ’ specific needs and vulnerabilities. ILO
supported the establishment and training of 11 technical committees, including a
gender committee, to produce policy papers supporting the adoption of reformed
labour legislation. In July 2017, ILO and the Ministry of Labour signed an
implementation agreement to support the establishment of the Palestinian Social
Security Corporation, an independent institution that will enable the roll-out of the
first social security system to cover private sector workers and their families in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory.
49. UNICEF provided technical and financial support for the development of a child
protection information management system, in cooperation with the Ministry of
Social Development and partners, which was transferred to the Ministry of Social
Development in February 2017 and is used by service providers to document and
follow up on cases. UN-Women supported the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in
reviewing the Cross-Sectoral National Gender Strategy 2014–2016 and in developing
the strategy for 2017–2022. The process was focused on localizing the Sustainable
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Development Goals within the strategy for long -term, transformative reform. In
addition, UN-Women supported the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in incorporating
gender equality priorities into 12 sectoral strategies, namely with respect to education,
health, culture, economic affairs, labour, agriculture, social development, water,
housing, justice, security and local government.
50. OHCHR provided technical assistance to the Palestinian Authority, the
Independent Commission for Human Rights and civil society in the West Bank and
Gaza, including targeted assistance in the implementation of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which the State of
Palestine acceded in 2014. OHCHR, in collaboration with UN -Women, worked
closely with all stakeholders to prepare the initial State party report of the State of
Palestine on the implementation of the Convention. The report was submitted to
OHCHR on 8 March 2017 and will be considered by the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2018.
51. In February 2017, UN-Women held a regional exchange workshop in Amman
to enhance the knowledge and advocacy skills of civil society organizations regarding
the Convention to protect women ’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa region
and to improve the technical capacity of government entities with regard to the rules
of procedure of the Committee. Approximately 50 participants attended the
workshop, representing 20 Palestinian non-governmental organizations from the West
Bank and Gaza, as well as government entiti es. In preparation for the consideration
of the report of the State of Palestine by the Committee, UN -Women, with support
from OHCHR, organized a mock session for government representatives and the
Independent Commission for Human Rights.
52. A number of initiatives supported by UN-Women, ESCWA and others were
aimed at building institutional support and capacity for the implementation of
commitments on women and peace and security, including the national action plan on
women and peace and security for the State of Palestine for the period 2017–2019.
For example, during the reporting period UN-Women organized a regional knowledge
exchange between the State of Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia
on the planning, monitoring and evaluation of na tional action plans on women and
peace and security, which benefited 30 participants. This contributed to enhanced
regional networking and partnerships with respect to data collection and advocacy.
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
53. Palestinian lives and livelihoods and the enjoyment of human rights by
Palestinians continue to be seriously affected by more than 50 years of the military
occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel, including a 10 -year closure of the Gaza
Strip, as well as by the Palestinian political divide. Women and girls continue to be
disproportionately affected by unstable political circumstances that systemically
create gender-based vulnerabilities. They also experience multiple forms of violence,
based on the continuing military occupation, human rights violations and a growing
humanitarian crisis, compounded by conservative traditions and patriarchal norms.
Limited access for women to employment opportunities and sustainable financial
income, an overwhelming share of care responsibilities, and the marginalization
imposed owing to geographical fragmentation and the related restriction of
movement, exacerbate women’s vulnerability to violence and limit their opportunities
to access protection, justice and security services.
E/CN.6/2018/6
16/17 18-00217
54. The accession of the State of Palestine to the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women is an important step towards greater
recognition of the human rights of women. It is commendable that the State of
Palestine submitted its initial report to the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women. The report is scheduled to be considered by the
Committee at its seventieth session, to be held in July 2018. Relevant Palestinian
authorities and the Government o f Israel have a critical role to play in eliminating
discrimination against women and upholding women ’s human rights, ensuring
accountability, respect for the rule of law and women ’s full, equal and meaningful
participation in governance processes. The Sta te of Palestine is encouraged to ratify
the Optional Protocol to the Convention as an accountability tool under international
human rights law. There is an increased need for the availability of both quantitative
and qualitative data and analysis on the si tuation of Palestinian women, 17 the genderspecific
impact of the occupation and the lack of progress in finding just and enduring
peace. However, data disaggregated by sex and age, as well as gender analysis more
broadly, have not yet been sufficiently uti lized to inform related reporting and
briefings on the situation of Palestinian people to other intergovernmental bodies,
including the Security Council. In addition, options for facilitating direct inputs from
women’s civil society organizations to discus sions on related themes should be
considered.
55. Increased efforts are needed to improve women ’s economic empowerment.
There is a need to focus on the interlinkages between the supply and demand sides of
the labour market. This requires the design of pra ctical interventions that promote the
demand for women’s labour while continuing to address the institutional and market
impediments facing women’s participation in the labour market. Women are entering
the labour force in increasing numbers, but face nume rous barriers notwithstanding
their advanced education. An important starting point would be to challenge cultural
stereotypes according to which women work only in certain fields or are better off
working at home, and to identify women’s real needs when they seek to enter the
workforce and find stable employment. Robust social policies that support those
needs, such as childcare, flexible working hours, policies that support work/life
balance, and public awareness campaigns in support of working women, are
essential.18 National institutions should also address the lack of affirmative policies
that promote the hiring of women. Labour laws and regulations should address
existing gaps with respect to women’s right to work and rights at work to promote
gender equality in all sectors of the workforce.
56. National institutions should be supported in adopting holistic approaches to
education, health and social services. Enhancing education quality and relevance can
be achieved through the adoption of a more proactive approach to gender
mainstreaming and inclusive and transformative education. Giving priority to
women’s health can be achieved through a public health perspective that is not limited
to maternal and child health but also addresses Palestinian women ’s health needs
regardless of their age and marital status.
57. Building an accurate understanding of the patterns and drivers of gender -based
violence cannot be isolated from the impact of the overall political, humanitarian and
economic context created by the prolonged occupation and other political realities in
terms of increasing the risk and vulnerability for gender -based violence. While global
__________________
17 These data have been included in the annual reports of the Secretary -General on the situation of
and assistance to Palestinian women since the 1980s.
18 ILO, The Occupied Palestinian Territory: An Employment Diagnostic Study (forthcoming).
E/CN.6/2018/6
18-00217 17/17
standards for addressing gender-based violence emphasize the need for effective
national systems that guarantee security, ju stice and protection for women,
Palestinian women are denied those guarantees in the Gaza Strip and in parts of the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The Israeli occupation has severely limited the
possibility of advancing protection through legal frame works for addressing genderbased
violence. The fragmentation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the
closure imposed on Gaza have caused services, capacity and expertise to be made
available only in certain areas. United Nations entities need to con tinue to work to
strengthen services for survivors of gender-based violence and to address gaps in the
quality, accessibility and sustainability of services. All actors should place greater
focus on income generation for survivors of violence and on the pr ovision of
independent housing in which women survivors and their children may live free of
abuse. The United Nations system should also support the institutionalization of
violence prevention and response, particularly in areas most affected by conflict.
58. The United Nations humanitarian country team should continue to build on the
foundation for a strengthened gender focus (in analytical, programmatic and
institutional terms) in humanitarian action in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and
to ensure the capacity to identify and respond to priority gender needs in the
humanitarian response. Humanitarian actors should continue to ensure a shift in
humanitarian approaches and mechanisms to guarantee effective protection and
access to assistance for women and girls in humanitarian crises, including the full and
meaningful participation and leadership of women in all stages of humanitarian
action, as well as adequate funding for gender-sensitive response.
59. The promotion of gender equality, and the empower ment of women and their
human rights, remain essential to efforts for the realization of just and durable peace
and sustainable development in the Middle East. A strong normative framework is in
place at the global level on women and peace and security, wi th regional and national
policies and action plans providing additional guidance on its operationalization.
Continued efforts should be made by the Palestinian Authority and all other actors to
fulfil commitments relating to women and peace and security an d to achieve the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, leaving no one behind.
United Nations E/CN.6/2019/6
Economic and Social Council
Distr.: General
8 January 2019
Original: English
19-00255 (E) 180119
*1900255*
Commission on the Status of Women
Sixty-third session
11–22 March 2019
Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda*
Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty-first century”: gender mainstreaming,
situations and programmatic matters
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women
Report of the Secretary-General
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Economic and Social Council
resolution 2018/10, highlights the situation of Palestinian women for the period from
1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018 and prov ides an overview of the assistance
provided by the entities of the United Nations system with regard to education and
training; health; economic empowerment and livelihoods; the rule of law and violence
against women; power and decision-making; and institutional development. The report
concludes with recommendations for consideration by the Commission on the Status
of Women.
* E/CN.6/2019/1.
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2/15 19-00255
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 2018/10 on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women,
the Economic and Social Council expressed deep concern about the grave situation
of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
resulting from the severe impact of the ongoing Israeli occupation and all of its
manifestations. The Council requested the Secretary -General to continue to review
the situation, assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid
out by the Secretary-General in his previous report on the situation of and assistance
to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2018/6), and submit to the Commission on the Status
of Women, at its sixty-third session, a report on the progress made in the
implementation of the resolution.
2. The present report covers the period from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018
and provides a review of the situation of Palestinian women on the basis of
information received from the United Nations entities that provide assistance to
Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, unless otherwise indicated.
Those entities include the following: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Of fice for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian
People, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA), the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment
of Women (UN-Women), the United Nations Conference on Trade a nd Development
(UNCTAD), United Nations Volunteers, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the
World Health Organization (WHO). It also reflects information provided by the
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The report builds on
previous annual reports on the topic (see A/73/13, A/73/35, A/73/84-E/2018/72,
A/73/87-E/2018/69 and A/73/346-S/2018/597).
II. Situation of Palestinian women
3. The reporting period was characterized by a rise in political tensions, violence
and a continued deterioration in the humanitarian, socioe conomic and security
situation in and around the Gaza Strip, including in the context of the protests held
under the label “the Great March of Return”. 1 Despite diplomatic efforts for
intra-Palestinian reconciliation, the continued divisions between the Fa tah-controlled
Palestinian Authority and Hamas authorities in Gaza compounded the impact of
closures, deepening the economic hardships in Gaza and obstructing key
infrastructure projects on water and electricity. 2 In parallel, settlement expansion, the
destruction of homes, infrastructure and livelihoods and strict movement and access
restrictions continued in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All of
those developments negatively affected the situation of Palestinian women in terms
__________________
1 Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, “Report to the Ad Hoc
Liaison Committee”, 27 September 2018.
2 Ibid. See also Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process,
Briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, 20 September 2018.
Available from https://unsco.unmissions.org/security-council-briefings-0.
E/CN.6/2019/6
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of their safety and security, livelihood, access to education, health care and other
services, employment and political participation.
4. Since 30 March 2018, Palestinians in Gaza have held weekly mass protests
along the perimeter fence under the label “the Great March of Return”. By the end of
September 2018, 161 Palestinians had been killed along the fence and over
22,409 Palestinians (20,456 men and boys and 1,953 women and girls) had been
injured, including by tear gas inhalation. 3 One Israeli soldier was killed and another
injured, and 37 Israeli civilians were injured by proje ctiles launched from the Strip. 4
Furthermore, tensions remained in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Frequent
clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces resulted in 24 Palestinian
deaths and 8,921 injuries, including by tear gas inh alation, with 274 women and
172 girls among those affected, 5 and acts of violence between and vandalism by
Israeli and Palestinian civilians. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs recorded a total of 236 violent incidents involving Israeli settlers that resulted
in three Palestinian fatalities and 100 Palestinian injuries, with 11 women and 7 girls
among those affected, as well as damage to Palestinian property. Six Israeli c ivilians
and three members of Israeli security forces were killed in shooting or stabbing
attacks by Palestinians.
5. Funding cuts to UNRWA, which affected UNRWA emergency services and
programmes in particular, raised concerns about the ability of the United Nations to
respond effectively to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, including its impacts
on women and girls.6 Some of those cuts were made up in part by other donors. 7
Several political developments also cast a shadow on the financial situation of the
Palestinian Authority, at a time when external budget support has been on the decline.
On 23 March 2018, the President of the United States signed into law the Taylor Force
Act, which prohibits the provision of nearly all economic assistance to the West Bank
and Gaza that would directly benefit the Palestinian Authority. In July 2018, the
Israeli Knesset passed a similar law withholding tax revenues that Israel collects for
the Palestinian Authority, in an amount equivalent to the total sum of those Palestinian
Authority payments. These and other funding cuts constrained the operations of
several organizations, including United Nations agencies and non-governmental
organizations, which had an overall negative impact on Palestinian women and men.
6. In Gaza, the deteriorating humanitarian and socioeconomic situation,
compounded by financial constraints, a worsened e lectricity and fuel crisis and
related power cuts, has further restricted access to basic services, including services
to survivors of gender-based violence. It has also placed higher demands on and
intensified the unpaid care and domestic work carried out by women. Some hospitals
were expected to close in order to preserve energy for the central hospitals, which
would have a particular impact on pregnant women, adolescents, older persons, those
with chronic illnesses and survivors of gender-based violence.8
__________________
3 Data provided by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat.
4 Mladenov, Briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, 20 September
2018.
5 Data provided by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
6 Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Briefing to the
Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, 25 January 2018.
7 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA),
“Ministerial meeting on UNRWA raises remarkable US$122 million ”, press release,
28 September 2018.
8 United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN -Women),
“Gender alert: needs of women and girls in humanitarian action in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory”, 2018.
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7. In the West Bank, ongoing settlement activities, demolitions, strict movement
and access restrictions and limitations on planning and development continue to
prevent entire communities, in particular in Area C, East Jerusalem and the H2 area
of Hebron, from accessing essential services and have led to a heightened risk of
displacement for many Palestinians.9 According to the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs, 376 Palestinian structures in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, were demolished by Israeli authorities, displacing at least 471 people
(90 households). UNRWA records indicate that 78 of the displaced individuals were
Palestine refugee women and girls, including 36 girls under the age of 18, and 4 of
the displaced households were headed by women. The situation of Bedouin
communities such as Khan al-Ahmar is of particular concern, as they face the risk of
impending demolition of structures and relocation. 10 When displaced, Palestinian
women find themselves further constrained in their access to public spaces and
livelihood opportunities, against a backdrop of increasing personal and family food
insecurity and vulnerability. They also suffer an increase in domestic violence and
often resort to negative coping mechanisms suc h as early marriage.
8. Circumstances in Area C are especially hard for women and girls, in the face of
geographic isolation, poverty and conservative traditions and the absence of basic
infrastructure and services. Few economic opportunities exist. 11 Restrictions on
mobility are especially perilous for pregnant women. Women are at a high risk of
suffering from psychosocial disorders such as anxiety and depression, compounded
by a sense of failure to protect their children from violence. They are also at ris k of
violence in their homes or while tending to farmland or collecting water. Girls in the
area have limited access to education and often drop out of school, which can lead to
early marriage, early pregnancy and sexual abuse. In addition, women are often at
risk of gender-based violence, exacerbated by the stresses and frustrations
experienced by men. Few communities in Area C, especially Bedouin communities,
have access to services such as police, health centres or shelters. 12
9. Stereotypical attitudes relating to gender roles remain common in the State of
Palestine. Men are largely viewed as heads of households, main providers and
protectors of their families, while women are seen as responsible for care and
domestic work relating to their often large a nd extended families with high numbers
of children. The constant deterioration of the economic situation, combined with land
confiscations and movement restrictions and exacerbated by intra -Palestinian
political divisions, leaves many men unable to fulfil their traditional roles and women
compensating for the absence of services and income. 13 Despite the increasing
participation of women in higher education and the labour market, the division of
work within the household continues to fall sharply along gende r-specific
expectations. However, there are signs of more equitable views, including in relation
__________________
9 United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “2018–2020 Humanitarian
response strategy: January–December 2018 humanitarian response plan – Occupied Palestinian
Territory”, December 2017.
10 Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Briefing to the
Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, 18 October 2018.
11 UN-Women, “Gender alert”.
12 Nader Said-Foqahaa, Caught Up between a Rock and a Hard Place: Occupation, Patriarchy and
Gender Relations – A Case Study of Palestinian Women in Areas C and H2 (UN-Women and
Arab World for Research and Development, forthcoming).
13 UN-Women, “Gender alert”.
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to the right to work, political participation and the sharing of care and domestic work,
in particular among the younger age groups. 14
10. A thorough analysis and understanding of the gender-specific aspects of the
situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory is essential for establishing
effective responses to the multifaceted security and development challenges and
extensive humanitarian needs. As further detailed below, the impact of the crisis on
the everyday lives and the future of women, young women and girls is immense, and
compounded by prevailing discrimination in law and in practice. The physical and
longer-term emotional and societal impacts of all forms of violence remain of deep
concern.
III. Assistance to Palestinian women
11. This section further outlines the situation of Palestinian women and efforts by
the United Nations to respond to and deliver assistance amid complex humanitarian
challenges. It contains updated information on the assistance provided by the United
Nations system, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, donors and civil
society, to address the specific needs and priorities of women, young women and girls.
The volatile context and the increasingly constrained funding environment continue
to pose operational challenges for the delivery of assistance and have an impact on
the sustainability of the progress achieved.
12. Current priorities for the provision of Unite d Nations support to the Palestinian
people are outlined in a set of key documents, including the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework 2018–2022 for the State of Palestine, which is
aligned with the Palestinian National Policy Agenda (2017–2022), the Cross-Sectoral
National Gender Strategy 2017–2022, the National Strategy to Combat Violence
against Women 2011–2019, the National Action Plan for the Implementation of
Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security (2017–2019)
and the 2018–2020 Humanitarian Response Strategy.
A. Education and training
13. Several challenges to children’s access to education persist in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. These challenges o ften affect girls differently, for both security
and sociocultural reasons. At age 5, about 1 in 10 children are excluded from
education. A higher percentage of 5 -year-old girls (11.9 per cent) are out of school,
as compared with boys (8.8 per cent). Compu lsory education in the State of Palestine
begins the following year, at age 6, but the levels of exclusion from education increase
rapidly as children progress through the compulsory grades. This trend is especially
alarming for boys. For example, the estimated out-of-school rate for boys increases
from 1.4 per cent at age 10 to 5.9 per cent at age 13, then jumps to a staggering
22.0 per cent at age 15. The rates of exclusion for girls start lower and increase less
rapidly, with 0.4 per cent of girls out of school at age 10, 2.9 per cent at age 13 and
5.4 per cent at age 15.15 This challenging situation is exacerbated by the electricity
crisis, which restricts students’ study time both at school and at home and increases
dropout rates. In the West Bank, girls in Area C in particular have limited access to
__________________
14 Shereen El Feki, Gary Barker and Brian Heilman, eds., Understanding Masculinities: Results
from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) – Middle East and North
Africa (Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine) (Cairo and Washington, D.C., UN-Women and
Promundo-US, 2017).
15 United Nations Children’s Fund, State of Palestine: Country Report on Out-of-School Children
(2018).
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education, owing to poor infrastructure, closures, permit restrictions and curfews,
restricted mobility and the fact that they are required to help with household chores.
They also often drop out of school, which can lead to early marriage, early pregnancy
and sexual abuse. In the H2 area of Hebron, the impacts of economic hardship are
especially hard on girls, who are the first to drop out of school. 16 Furthermore, girls
are often pulled out of school as a pro tective measure against harassment, violence
and intimidation on their way to school in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. 17
In a recent study, ESCWA highlights the low levels of educational attainment and
literacy for Palestinian women with disabilit ies.18
14. UNICEF continued to facilitate safe access for 6,600 Palestinian schoolchildren
(3,500 girls) and 400 teachers (300 women) on their way to and from school in high -
risk locations, through protective presence and accompaniment past checkpoints and
near Israeli settlements in the West Bank. UNDP built additional classrooms and
sports facilities for six schools in marginalized communities in the West Bank,
providing 1,075 female students with a better learning environment and creating more
than 22 jobs for teachers in administrative positions. UNDP also supported improved
learning for approximately 12,000 female students in East Jerusalem by enhancing
physical infrastructure and supplying information and communication technology
equipment and tools. In the Gaza Strip, UNDP completed the rehabilitation and
reconstruction of 50 educational institutions, benefiting 50,686 female students and
teachers (99,114 overall) and creating 1,284 job opportunities for women.
15. In the Gaza Strip, UNRWA provided basic educati on for 131,554 first- to ninthgrade
students (48.4 per cent of whom were girls) and access to mental health support
for students and their families to prevent students from dropping out. In the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, UNRWA schools enrolled 4 8,192 students (59 per
cent of whom were girls). UNESCO promoted inclusive and child -friendly education
through training for 33 school principals in the West Bank and 14 school supervisors
and counsellors in Gaza, with a focus on establishing gender sensit ivity in classrooms.
16. At the higher education level, enrolment by young women in colleges and
universities continued to grow. In 2017, 53 per cent of all young women of higher -
education age were enrolled in colleges and universities, compared with 32 p er cent
of young men in the corresponding age group. 19 Under the UNDP-supported
Al Fakhoora Dynamic Futures Programme , 50 out of 100 full four-year scholarships
to enable access to academic programmes were awarded to young women from
underprivileged backgrounds.
17. UNRWA offered technical and vocational training, including to 640 female
refugees in Gaza, where they made up 35 per cent of trainees, and 617 female refugees
in the West Bank, where they made up 84 per cent of trainees. UNDP provided support
to a vocational training centre and a nursing school in the East Jerusalem district to
prepare students to enter the labour ma rket. UNICEF helped over
10,000 disadvantaged adolescent girls to develop critical life skills through civic
engagement and entrepreneurial programmes so they could continue their academic
path, support their communities and enter the labour market.
__________________
16 Nader Said-Foqahaa, Caught Up between a Rock and a Hard Place .
17 United Nations country team, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Common Country Analysis 2016:
Leave No One Behind – A Perspective on Vulnerability and Structural Disadvantage in Palestine
(2016).
18 Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Disability in the Arab Region 2018
(E/ESCWA/SDD/2018/1).
19 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for
Statistics database, available at http://data.uis.unesco.org (accessed in November 2018).
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18. In partnership with Sharek Youth Forum, UN-Women promoted gender equality
through mobile theatre in 10 boys’ schools in Ramallah. Additional interventions
included awareness-raising and social skills training for girls, women, boys and men
in Jerusalem and Nablus and awareness-raising and civic education initiatives in
20 schools in Gaza. UNESCO carried out a radio and video spot campaign to promote
diversity, gender equality, peace and development through sports media coverage. In
addition, a theatre performance and an art exhibition were organized in partnership
with Theatre Day Productions in Gaza in order to celebrate International Women’s
Day 2018 with women and men from rural areas, university students, members of
youth organizations and representatives of women ’s organizations and international
organizations.
B. Health
19. Health services facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory face chronic
shortages of medical supplies, affecting the availability and quality of health services
for Palestinian women. In Gaza, the health system is on the verge of collapse as a
result of the 10-year closures, the deepening intra -Palestinian political divide, the
deteriorating energy supply, the inconsistent payment of public sector medical
personnel and the growing shortage s in medicines and disposables.20 The ongoing
crisis has led to high psychological stress levels. Despite the fact that psychosocial
and mental health service providers are active in Gaza, social norms play a key role
in hindering service uptake, especially for adolescent girls, as service users face a
high degree of stigma and service use is often perceived to constrain m arriageability.
In the West Bank, restrictions on mobility as a result of the restrictive permit regime,
poor infrastructure and threats by soldiers and settlers make the situation especially
perilous for pregnant women who require prenatal, neonatal and o ther maternal care
from hospitals.21 In addition, facilities outside East Jerusalem completely lack certain
treatment and diagnostic options, such as radiotherapy and nuclear imaging
technology. That means, for example, that cancer patients, including women with
breast cancer, are dependent on referrals to East Jerusalem or Israel and therefore
require security permits from Israeli authorities to receive services.
20. United Nations entities continued efforts to improve access to and the quality of
health-care services. UNDP began the second phase of upgrades to the chemotherapy
department at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem, where direct support
is provided to women with cancer. In the West Bank, UNDP provided two hospitals
in the north and south with new structures, facilities and equipment and contributed
to the construction of a new health clinic and medical laboratory that will benefit
more than 1,660 people from the village of Tir ah and the surrounding areas. UNFPA
provided the Ministry of Health clinics in the West Bank with four advanced
electrographic ultrasound machines to enhance breast cancer screening and detection.
UNFPA also supported a mobile clinic for the early detection of breast cancer,
enabling the clinic to provide mammogram screenings to 858 women in the northern
West Bank, and provided subsidies for mammogram services to 180 women in Gaza.
21. In Gaza, UNDP constructed a service building for the visually impaired,
benefiting 400 children (208 of whom were girls). Three hosp itals and one primary
health-care centre received photovoltaic renewable energy systems in order to provide
sustainable operations. WHO procured and delivered equipment to the central stores
__________________
20 United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “2018–2020 Humanitarian
response strategy”; and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Humanitarian
bulletin: Occupied Palestinian Territory”, April 2018.
21 Nader Said-Foqahaa, Caught Up between a Rock and a Hard Place .
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in Gaza, including 20 postnatal beds, 50 delivery kits, 5 ultraso und machines,
20 delivery beds and 50 bag valve masks.
22. During the reporting period, UNRWA provided 3.3 million medical
consultations, 1.94 million (58 per cent) of which were to women and girls in Gaza
and 1 million to women in the West Bank, includin g East Jerusalem. Between
31 March and 8 July 2018, UNRWA health centres received 2,588 requests for
medical treatment (94 per cent involving men and boys and 6 per cent involving
women and girls) resulting from violence associated with the demonstrations held
under the label “the Great March of Return”. The UNRWA Community Mental Health
Programme tended to patients and to family members of those killed and injured who
required psychosocial and mental health support.
23. UNRWA provided substantial reproductive health care during the reporting
period. A total of 31,358 Palestine refugee women were newly enrolled in
preconception care services; 39,596 women in the Gaza Strip received post -partum
care within six weeks of delivery; and 77,809 individuals receiv ed family planning
services. In the West Bank, including East J erusalem, UNRWA enrolled
13,559 women in antenatal care and provided 12,746 women with postnatal care
services and 22,525 women with family planning services.
24. UNICEF provided postnatal home visiting services by skilled midwives or
nurses to mothers and newborns within two days of birth following high -risk
pregnancies, targeting hard-to-reach locations and vulnerable communities. Since
October 2017, some 5,584 high-risk lactating mothers and newborns benefited from
these targeted postnatal home visiting services; 16.9 per cent of those visits involved
mothers under 18 years of age. UNICEF also supported capacity -building for
20 female staff members, community workers and volunteers in assessi ng child
development and providing early intervention services for children with
developmental delays and disabilities.
25. UN-Women supported the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection
Association in providing services relating to sexually transmitted infections and
reproductive tract infections, benefiting 292 people (245 of whom were women). A
four-day training course was conducted to increase the capacities of 20 service
providers with regard to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and gender -based
violence, and a three-day intervention was carried out with a total of 169 women
(28 per cent of whom were under the age of 25) to sensitize women at high risk for
sexually transmitted infections and to increase awareness about voluntary
counselling, voluntary testing and sexual violence in Hebron and Bethlehem.
UN-Women organized a two-day exchange visit between HIV-positive “champions”
from Moldova and Palestinian health sector actors, service providers, youth
volunteers and civil society representativ es.
26. Through the Palestinian National Institute of Public Health, WHO continued the
implementation of a maternal and child health electronic registry and a customized
interactive checklist that facilitates data collection and utilization. By July 2018 ,
182 out of 427 maternal and child health clinics in the West Bank and Gaza had used
the registry, helping to flag high-risk pregnancies and guide care providers in their
clinical management. Through the Institute, WHO helped to improve mammogram
protocols by expanding the risk factors assessed during breast cancer screening and
supported the Ministry of Health in adopting and technically updating its protocols.
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C. Economic empowerment and livelihoods
27. Economic security is a challenge for Palestinia n women. Their limited share of
economic opportunities and agricultural holdings and the restrictions on their
mobility constrain their ability to contribute to household resources and food security.
A gap remains between educational attainment by women 22 and their participation in
the labour force. In 2017, the rate of labour-force participation by women stood at
only 19.0 per cent, compared with 71.2 per cent for men. In a worrying trend, the
unemployment rate for women across the Occupied Palestinian Terr itory hit a record
high of 47.1 per cent in 2017, an increase of 12 per cent over the past five years. By
comparison, the unemployment rate for men was 22.2 per cent. 23 In a recent report on
UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people: developments in the economy of the
Occupied Palestinian Territory (TD/B/65(2)/3), it was indicated that women with
higher education (13 years of schooling or more) accounted for the larges t share of
those unemployed. In 2016, half of women with higher education were unemployed,
compared with 19.1 per cent among their male counterparts. 24 Owing to limited
employment opportunities, women remain overrepresented in unskilled or informal
labour fields, putting them at risk of exploitation and unsafe working conditions.
28. UN-Women and ILO continued to promote equal access to decent work
opportunities and the protection of women ’s labour rights through a “one-stop shop”
programme in Ramallah that provides a comprehensive hub of services aimed at
improving access to economic opportunities for micro-, small and medium-sized
enterprises run by Palestinian women. UN-Women and ILO also worked on enhancing
equitable legislation, gender-sensitive policies and active labour market programmes.
As a result of this cooperation, an awareness-raising campaign was carried out on
women’s right to decent work opportunities, a position paper was published on
reviewing the labour law from a gender perspective and an assessment was conducted
of the existing complaint mechanism of the General Dir ectorate for Labour Inspection
and Administration of the Ministry of Labour, which included recommendations for
strengthening the mechanism with regard to gender-responsive data collection,
analysis and reporting.
29. UNDP supported the economic empowerme nt of women in the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, through vocational training for 69 women, job placements
for 131 women and business development services for 135 women. In Gaza, UNDP
helped 98 young women to become entrepreneurs by facilitating acce ss to financial
and business development services. In the West Ba nk and Gaza, UNDP created
2,576 temporary workdays and 31 permanent jobs for women. It also helped
30 businesswomen and female workers in Gaza to become involved in efforts to
revitalize the industrial sector.
30. The United Nations Volunteers programme secured 39 opportunities for national
Volunteers, which benefited 26 young women and 13 young men. The Volunteers are
assigned to different United Nations agencies and support various function s,
including engineers, education officers and community development officers.
31. Throughout the West Bank, FAO contributed to a variety of livelihood activities,
such as the construction of a livestock market in Hebron, which created a space for
__________________
22 Data from UNESCO show that 39.6 per cent of women aged 25 years or more had completed at
least a secondary-level education in 2016. See UNESCO Institute for Statistics database.
23 Data refer to labour-force participation and unemployment rates for women and men aged
15 years or more. See International Labour Organization (ILO), “Statistics and databases”,
available at www.ilo.org/global/statistics-and-databases (accessed in November 2018).
24 ILO, Regional Office for Arab States, The Occupied Palestinian Territory: An Employment
Diagnostic Study (Beirut, 2018).
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women herders to sell their processed food products and animals. Some 200 women
herders benefited from training on farm management, dairy processing, marketing,
hygiene and safety; 30 women received training on food processing and food safety;
23 women farmers received training on vegetable garden and animal production units;
and 14 women famers benefited from in-kind support to diversify the varieties of the
crops they cultivate. In addition, 24 women farmers benefited from the rehabilitation
and construction of water harvesting cisterns. In the Gaza Strip, FAO provided
11 female beekeepers with treatments for varroosis, which affects honey bees and
honey production, an important supplementary livelihood option for women.
32. In the West Bank, UNRWA provided life skills coaching sessions and business
development services to 508 economically vulnerable women, of which
8 subsequently received grants to develop their own enterprises and 58 took
vocational training courses. A total of 3,929 loans were granted to female clients, and
64 women received microcredit to establish income -generating projects.
Entrepreneurial skills training and microcredit was also provided to women in the
Gaza Strip. The Agency’s social safety net programme assisted 2,510 female -headed
households in the West Bank and 21,341 female-headed households in the Gaza Strip.
33. UN-Habitat, in partnership with civil society, established a safe and inclusive
public space for the Palestinian community in the Wadi al -Jawz neighbourhood in
East Jerusalem, benefiting around 17,000 residents. Safe public spaces meet the needs
and aspirations of women in the neighbourhood and their children.
34. Economic insecurity is directly linked to continued high rates of food insecurity
and malnutrition. As at November 2017, 40 per cent of households in the Gaza Strip
and 13 per cent in the West Bank were estimated to be suffering from moderate to
severe food insecurity. Female-headed households were found to be
disproportionately affected, and pregnant and lactating women were especially
vulnerable.25 In order to increase food consumption and dietary diversity and raise
nutritional awareness, WFP distributed food and vouchers to 354,970 beneficiaries,
half of whom were women, and provided nutritional awareness sessions to foodinsecure
women and men in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the majority of whom
were women.
D. Rule of law and violence against women
35. Discrimination in law and in practice, a high prevalence of gender -based
violence and a lack of access to justice and related services remain the reality for
Palestinian women. High rates of violence against women are of particular concern
among vulnerable communities in the West Bank and Gaza, such as the internally
displaced, women in refugee camps and in Bedouin communities, within certain
groups, such as women with disabilities and adolescents, and among those with
limited access to multisectoral services. 26 As previously reported (E/CN.6/2018/6,
para. 37), social acceptance of violence against women and underreporting due to
stigma continue to be of concern.27 The fragmentation of the legal system and the
existence of laws that continue to allow for violations of women ’s human rights,
including in matters of marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance, remain
barriers to women’s empowerment.
__________________
25 United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2018 Humanitarian Needs
Overview: Occupied Palestinian Territory (2017).
26 UN-Women, “Gender alert”.
27 See also El Feki, Barker and Heilman, eds., Understanding Masculinities.
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36. OHCHR and UN-Women trained members of the legislative harmonization
committee on reviewing Palestinian law for compatibility with international human
rights treaties to which the State of Palestine has acceded. In a positive development,
a decree was issued in March 2018 abolishing the application of some articles of the
Jordanian Penal Code that had provided for mitigating circumstances as exceptions
to the prosecution of and/or judicial sentencing for offenses, including crimes
committed in the name of honour and sexual violence offences when a perpetrator
marries a victim.
37. UNDP, UNICEF and UN-Women supported the Attorney General’s Office and
the High Judicial Council in providing specialized services for cases relating to
violence against women. A baseline study was conducted in partnership with the High
Judicial Council to identify the needs of and gaps in the judiciary system and inform
future interventions. Gender-responsive standard operating procedures were
developed for specialized public prosecutions and endorsed by the Attorney General.
Service providers within the justice and security system, including sharia court
judges, were offered capacity-building training and awareness sessions on women ’s
human rights, gender equality and ways to end gender -based violence. UNODC
continued to provide support to the Palestinian criminal justice system to improve
access to justice for women and girls who are survi vors of violence. Seven forensic
doctors trained by UNODC examined 89 cases involving victims of gender -based
violence and produced forensic reports that constituted substantial evidence for the
investigations by the Attorney General ’s Office into crimes relating to violence
against women and girls. The doctors underwent additional training through
individual work placements at the St. Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in
Manchester, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
38. UNFPA supported the training of 233 health service providers on detection,
documentation, response and referrals for cases involving gender -based violence. The
Gender-Based Violence Sub-Cluster developed a directory mapping all services
provided relating to gender-based violence and trained humanitarian specialists in the
Gaza Strip and Hebron on how to conduct an initial detection and referral for cases
of gender-based violence. In Hebron and East Jerusalem, UNICEF trained 100 school
counsellors on gender-based violence referrals. In Gaza, 293 counsellors and 9,427
teachers were trained on the detection of gender-based violence and the referral of
children with specific protection needs, including needs relating to gender -based
violence.
39. A total of 19,403 survivors of gender-based violence received at least one type
of service supported by UNFPA and its partners, and 457 outreach awareness sessions
on protection from and the prevention of gender-based violence reached 7,995
beneficiaries. The Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund provided
support to 34,178 vulnerable women and 7,025 girls, in particular survivors of gender -
based violence, and helped women with disabilities to gain access to enhanced
support and protection services in the Gaza Strip.
40. Access to quality services, including psychosocial counselling and referrals,
was enhanced through a number of initiatives. UNFPA established two new safe
spaces for women and girls in the Old City of Jerusalem and the Bureij camp in Gaza.
UNFPA also equipped six primary health-care clinics and one hospital in the West
Bank with furniture and medical tools for detecting cases of gender -based violence
and treating survivors and supported the establishment of seven community
protection networks across the Occ upied Palestinian Territory.
41. UN-Women provided multisectoral services to 2,406 women and 474 men in
Gaza. This included case management support for 288 women who are survivors of
gender-based violence, awareness-raising on the incidence of gender-based violence
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and information on associated services to 1,746 women and 474 men, support for
health and reproductive health services to 320 women and referrals for 52 women.
Moreover, 1,480 adolescents (1,050 girls and 430 boys) in Gaza were provided with
psychosocial support, reproductive health services and grants for adolescent -led
initiatives. UN-Women provided legal and psychosocial support to 160 women in
conflict with the law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including at least
90 Bedouin women.
42. UNRWA addressed the risks of gender-based violence through community
outreach interventions to Palestine refugees, awareness -raising activities and
community protection mechanisms. Awareness -raising sessions delivered through the
Agency’s Relief and Social Services Programme reached 7,213 women and 2,796
men in the Gaza Strip.
43. UN-Women implemented the regional “Because I am a Man” campaign, which
challenges gender stereotypes surrounding household roles and responsibilities,
fatherhood and violence against women, among other issues, and raises awareness of
the positive roles men can play in achieving gender equality. As part of the campaign,
UN-Women implemented community events with university students and displayed
billboards in Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem, featuring images of men advocating
gender equality in their daily lives. In addition, UN -Women supported a media and
advocacy campaign on ending violence against women run by Al -Muntada, a
coalition of non-governmental organizations committed to ending violence against
women, which promoted a gender-responsive family protection bill. UNICEF worked
with 1,000 adolescent boys and 1,000 girls in the West Bank to develop their
knowledge on and skills in dealing with gender-based violence and bullying in
schools. In Gaza, 3,256 adolescents (50 per cent of whom were girls) were provided
with training on gender-based violence, the prevention of bullying and life skills to
enable them to combat violence and advocate positive change in their communities .
E. Power and decision-making
44. While the contribution of Palestinian women to political life is widely
acknowledged, women continued to be underrepresented in decision -making bodies
and processes at various levels of public life. According to the Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics, there are significant gender disparities in favour of men in the
public sector. The proportion of women in political leadership and decision -making
positions is only 11.7 per cent, with women representing only 12 per cent of directors
general and 16 percent of deputy ministers. 28 Women have also been largely excluded
from formal dialogue efforts to end the intra -Palestinian political division. For
instance, no women participated in the talks that led to the signi ng of the agreement
between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo in October 2017. No women are represented on
the technical committees that were subsequently established to work out the details
of the reconciliation arrangements. 29 To address some of those challenges, the
Palestinian Authority adopted a national action plan to promote the implementation
of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), in which it recognized the significant role
of women and girls in the peace and security agenda and their agency in responding
to the impacts of the conflict on their lives.
45. To support the empowerment of young Palestine refugee women and their
participation in leadership and decision -making, UNRWA provided 495 women
__________________
28 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “International Women’s Day 2017”, press release,
7 March 2017.
29 Willemijn van Lelyveld and Wafaa Al Kafarna, “Women’s participation in the reconciliation
process: perspectives from Gaza ”, This Week in Palestine, Issue No. 239 (March 2018).
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graduates from different fields with training on leadership and management skills,
project cycle management and business orientation and facilitated work placements
for 274 women graduates in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA also supported training on
advocacy and lobbying skills on gender equality and women’s human rights, targeting
350 women and a number of community-based organizations. Subsequently,
115 women and girls organized advocacy campaigns on combating gender -based
violence in the Gaza Strip. UNESCO provided 40 young Gazan women with an
orientation session on Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) on youth and peace
and security to help to integrate the theme into the plans and programmes of youth -
led organizations.
46. In the West Bank, UNRWA provided 673 Palestine refugee women with training
and activities within the framework of the United Nations women and peace and
security agenda. Training for female employees of women ’s programme centres in
camps were aimed at increasing the number of women engaged in the centres ’
activities and developing mechanisms to ensure the inclusion of women ’s voices in
decision-making forums. UNRWA and local partner organizations conducted a
leadership training programme for 63 you ng women, focused on social innovation,
public speaking and volunteerism. Supported by UNDP, 54 young women attended a
winter leadership camp on civic leadership, which has led to the design and
implementation of 12 community initiatives.
47. WFP set up guidelines to ensure that 50 per cent of its local food committee
participants were women, and UN-Habitat reported that more than one third of the
representatives on community representative committees were women, giving them
an important role in shaping the building of their communities in the coming years.
F. Institutional development
48. At its seventieth session, held in July 2018, the Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women considered the initial report of the State of Palestin e
on its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (see CEDAW/C/PSE/1). This was the first report
presented by the State of Palestine before one of the treaty bodies. UN-Women
provided support to the Non-Governmental Women’s Coalition for the
Implementation of the Convention, led by the General Union of Palestinian Women,
in preparing the first-ever shadow report on the initial report of the State of Pale stine.
In preparation for the constructive dialogue, UN -Women organized a workshop with
four ministries and five civil society organizations, in collaboration with the
organization Musawah, 30 to further strengthen their capacity to implement the
Convention, in particular article 16. OHCHR produced a radio spot that was broadcast
three times a day for five days prior to the meeting, in order to raise awareness and
thereby enable civil society and interested individuals to watch the constructive
dialogue, which was held in Geneva, through a live broadcast.
49. In its concluding observations on the initial report of the State of Palestine
(CEDAW/C/PSE/CO/1), the Committee recommended that the State of Palestin e fully
incorporate the provisions of the Convention into its national law and ensure its
implementation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Committee also
recommended, inter alia, that the Palestinian Authority take concrete steps to accede
to the Optional Protocol to the Convention, publish the Convention in the Official
Gazette and train members of the judiciary, including judges of sharia courts, legal
__________________
30 See www.musawah.org.
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professionals and law enforcement officers, on the Convention, on the Committee ’s
jurisprudence under the Optional Protocol and on its general recommendations.
50. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs, with technical support from UN-Women,
finalized a plan of action to advance the implementation of the Cross -Sectoral
National Gender Strategy 2017–2022. UN-Women supported the Ministry in aligning
and localizing Sustainable Development Goal indicators with the Strategy and the
Palestinian National Policy Agenda (2017–2022). UN-Women also helped to enhance
the capacity of the national gender-responsive budget technical team, through a
workshop for senior staff of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Women ’s
Affairs, providing tools and approaches to promote accountability with regard to
women’s rights and public transparency.
51. UNICEF continued its efforts to increase the capacity of the Ministry of Social
Development, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and other institutions to
undertake quality research and prepare analyses on child rights, gender equality,
evidence-based social policies and social protection reforms. UN-Women initiated a
partnership with the Bureau for the regular generation of data and information on
gender equality for advocacy and policy development, including support for the
publication of a situational analysis of trends and statistics on women and men in the
State of Palestine across different sectors. 31
52. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UN -Women began
the implementation of a new joint action plan for 2018–2020 for gender-responsive
humanitarian action in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Under the framework of
the plan, gender focal points and cluster coordinators were trained on the new Gender
with Age Marker of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.32
IV. Conclusions and recommendations
53. The continued lack of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues
to negatively affect the daily lives of Palestinian women and men. This is
compounded by the continued impact of the military occupation, including more
than 10 years of closures on Gaza, political divisions and repeated cycles of
violence. Recent escalating political tensions and violence have resulted in
increased stress on women and girls, as societal protection mechanisms have
suffered damage and coping mechanisms are being exhausted. Women’s rights
and priorities within the peace and security framework remain unaddressed.
During the reporting period, the United Nations has continued to provide
tailored and holistic assistance to Palestinian women and girls acros s a broad
range of areas, including in bridging the development-humanitarian divide and
in leveraging the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
54. All stakeholders should, however, increase their efforts, in a holistic
manner, to improve the economic empowerment of women and their access to
economic and productive resources. The Palestinian Authority should address
existing gaps in labour laws and regulations with respect to women ’s right to
work and their rights at work and expand decent work opportunities for women.
55. Stakeholders should also expand initiatives to address and transform
discriminatory social norms and gender stereotypes, including through changes
__________________
31 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Women and Men in Palestine: Issues and Statistics, 2017
(Ramallah, State of Palestine, 2017). Available at www.pcbs.gov.ps/Downloads/book2343.pdf.
32 See https://iascgenderwithagemarker.com/en/home .
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to school curricula, education and public media campaigns and alliances with
male gender equality advocates.
56. Governmental and non-governmental actors must expand efforts
throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory to improve women ’s access to
justice and support services. Steps to enhance the capacity of institutions and
personnel to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women and
girls, including by addressing the particular needs of adolescent girls and women
with disabilities, are especially necessary in that regard.
57. Stronger efforts by the Palestinian Authority and other duty-bearers are
also needed to bridge the gap between policy commitments on gender equality,
the empowerment of women and girls and the enjoyment of their human rights
and the translation of those commitments into law and practice. The Pales tinian
Authority should, in particular, make use of the concluding observations of the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women as a road map
for action. Key frameworks, such as the Cross-Sectoral National Gender
Strategy, must be adequately resourced and accompanied by structural and
institutional changes at the social, political and economic levels to ensure their
full implementation. The national action plan on Security Council resolution
1325 (2000) should be fully implemented, including through the allocation of
adequate human, technical and financial resources and enhanced cooperation
with civil society organizations, as well as with the international community and
relevant United Nations agencies.
58. Efforts by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and other actors to
collect and use quantitative and qualitative data and analyses on the situation of
Palestinian women should continue and should inform all policymaking,
planning and programming initiatives in the State of Palestine, including by
guiding the peace process and reconciliation and humanitarian efforts.
59. Efforts by UNRWA to maintain services have been made more difficult in
view of its funding crisis. Enhanced efforts by donors to ensure continued and
sustained support are needed to improve access to maternal and child health
care, safe reproductive health-care services and services for survivors of genderbased
violence.
60. Gender equality and the empowerment of women are essential to the
realization of peace in the Middle East. The United Nations will continue to work
towards the realization of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle
East on the basis of relevant Security Council resolutions, a n end to the
occupation that began in 1967 and the establishment of a sovereign, democratic,
viable and contiguous Palestinian State, existing side by side in peace with a
secure Israel. It is only by realizing the vision of two States living side by side in
peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
and Palestine, and all final status issues resolved permanently through
negotiations, that the legitimate aspirations of both peoples will be achieved.
United Nations A/61/529–S/2006/826
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
26 October 2006
Original: English
06-57795 (E) 151106
*0657795*
General Assembly
Sixty-first session
Agenda item 63 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Sixty-first year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612
(2005), by which the Council requested me to submit a report on the implementation
of that resolution and resolutions 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003) and 1539 (2004),
providing information on compliance in ending the recruitment and use of children
in armed conflict in violation of applicable international law and other violations
being committed against children affected by armed conflict.1 In accordance with
the Council’s request, the report also includes information on progress made in the
implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism; information on
progress made in the development and implementation of action plans (called for in
paragraph 5 (a) of resolution 1539 (2004)); information on the assessment of the
role and activities of child protection advisers; and findings and recommendations
of an independent review on the implementation of the monitoring and reporting
mechanism.
2. Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539
(2004) and 1612 (2005), the report covers compliance in ending the recruitment and
use of children and other grave violations, such as the killing and maiming of
children, rape and other sexual violence, abductions, denial of humanitarian access
to children and attacks against schools and hospitals.
II. Current issues of concern
3. Although progress has been made with respect to the protection of children in
a number of situations of armed conflict covered in my previous report (A/59/695-
S/2005/72), new situations have arisen that are of great concern. The recent
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escalation of violence in the Middle East, in Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, has resulted in thousands of child victims. Concerted efforts
by all parties must be undertaken to mitigate and prevent further violations through
dialogue and active participation of all stakeholders interested in the protection of
children.
4. New evidence suggests that the recruitment and use of child soldiers and other
grave violations are beginning to “migrate” within regions. The movement of rebel
groups across borders to prey upon vulnerable children needs further attention and
adequately developed monitoring expertise to effectively address the problem. Of
particular concern are the Mano River and Great Lakes regions of Africa. Another
preoccupying phenomenon is the use of children by mercenaries and mercenary
groups. Though adequate data has yet to be gathered systematically, reports from the
field indicate that this is a growing concern.
5. Insecurity and a lack of access to affected areas by the United Nations often
preclude access to information, especially when non-State actors operate in isolated
areas. For example, insurgents and rebel groups in Iraq and Afghanistan operate in a
clandestine manner and often in inaccessible areas, posing a challenge in obtaining
evidence on recruitment practices and other grave violations against children.
III. Other challenges
6. In other situations, such as Northern Ireland, there are still concerns about the
existence of youth wings of paramilitary organizations, such as the Ulster Volunteer
Force and the Ulster Defence Association, which continue to engage persons under
18 years of age.
7. In the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, there has been no specific
information on the recruitment and use of children by illegal armed groups.
However, the United Nations has received information from non-governmental
sources that children have been subject to abductions and hostage taking by illegal
armed groups.
8. The widespread availability of illicit small arms and light weapons in conflict
areas continues to be a major factor in enabling the recruitment of child soldiers.
These weapons are simple to operate and carry, therefore easily placed in the hands
of children who can be quickly trained to use them.
9. Recent experience with regard to demobilization, rehabilitation and
reintegration points to the need to recognize the special concerns of girl combatants
and girls associated with armed groups. This should be taken into consideration
when developing and implementing policies, programmes and action plans.
IV. Information on compliance and progress in ending the
recruitment and use of children and other violations being
committed against children
10. The present report provides information on developments covering the period
from November 2005 to September 2006. The preparation of the present report
involved broad consultations within the United Nations, in particular with the Task
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Force on Children and Armed Conflict at Headquarters, country-level monitoring
and reporting task force teams, peacekeeping missions and country teams, as well as
with Member States, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations.
United Nations country-level monitoring and reporting task force teams,
peacekeeping missions and United Nations country teams were the primary sources
of the information contained in the report. Following the adoption of Security
Council resolution 1612 (2005), my Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict initiated the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism,
and facilitated this process in close collaboration with agencies, countries concerned
and with the cooperation of United Nations peacekeeping missions and country
teams. This resulted in the set-up of country-level monitoring and reporting task
force teams, and the establishment of dialogue with a number of parties within the
framework of the resolution towards the preparation and implementation of timebound
action plans to prevent and end the violations for which they are cited.
11. Progress made by the parties listed in annexes I and II to the present report,
and named in the body of my 2005 report, has been assessed with respect to whether
the parties have engaged in dialogue with United Nations country-level task force
teams or other United Nations field representatives as a follow-up to Security
Council resolution 1539 (2004) and whether through this dialogue, or in the context
of other processes, such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
programmes or the signing of peace agreements, they have developed action plans
to end the use of child soldiers. Progress made by the parties is also assessed with
respect to whether they have ceased recruiting and using child soldiers, and whether
they have refrained from committing other grave violations against children.
12. The present report does not seek to make any legal determination as to whether
situations included herein are or are not armed conflicts within the context of the
Geneva Conventions and the additional protocols thereto, nor does it prejudge the
legal status of the non-State parties that might be involved in these situations. In the
performance of her mandate, my Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict has adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach to this issue, focusing
on ensuring broad and effective protection for children exposed to situations of
concern, rather than seeking to define “armed conflict” from a legal perspective.
A. Information on compliance and progress in situations on the
agenda of the Security Council
Developments in Afghanistan
13. There has been a significant increase in violence and attacks by insurgents,
including Taliban militias and other armed groups, Afghan armed forces operations
and international military forces present in the country throughout 2005. There have
been isolated reports, including statements by United States military officials that
Taliban forces have recruited and used children in combat. However, in the
reporting period, the United Nations country teams could not obtain specific and
reliable information on which illegal armed groups may have continued to use
children owing to a lack of access to affected areas. No commitments have yet been
made by any of these illegal armed groups to end this practice. There have also been
no reported cases of recruitment of children into the Afghan national army.
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14. A growing concern is the marked increase of attacks against schools, attributed
mainly to insurgents, including Taliban militias and other armed groups, which has
spread from the south and south-eastern regions to all the provinces. Since late
2005, incidents have included the burning or bombing of schools, the assassination
of principals, teachers and officials and threats to students. These attacks have led to
the closure of all schools in six districts and the closure of a substantive number of
schools in 10 other districts of the southern region. From January to July 2006, over
100 violent incidents against schools, teachers or pupils were recorded, compared
with 60 during the whole of 2005; and 105,000 children in the southern region were
reported to be denied access to education because of insecurity. It is also reported
that ideological opposition to the education of girls appears to motivate some of
these attacks.
15. In the southern region, including Panjwai district and the Hilmand province,
civilians are increasingly falling victim to an upsurge in fighting between Taliban
insurgents and Government and United States-led Combined Forces Command-
Afghanistan. A particularly egregious incident on 11 April 2006 resulted in the death
of six children and the wounding of 14 other people when a rocket fired by Taliban
elements exploded in the Salabagh School in Asadabad, Kunar. On 22 May 2006,
the aerial bombardment by the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan of a
residential area of Taloqan village in Panjwai district, where alleged Taliban were
presumed to be in hiding resulted in the deaths of approximately 35 civilians,
including at least 9 confirmed children. Children have also been injured in incidents
involving suicide bombers targeting foreign military forces.
16. In parallel to the Afghanistan New Beginnings Programme, a United Nationsbacked
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration initiative, a child-specific
demobilization and reintegration programme, is led by the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF). As of July 2006, a total of 7,444 children associated
with armed groups and affected by armed conflict had benefited from various
reintegration support activities in 34 provinces of the country since the start of the
programme in February 2004. Despite this progress, there are still some children
who remain associated with local commanders in rural areas of the north, north-east
and central regions.
Developments in Burundi
17. Progress has been made in the negotiations between the Government of
Burundi and the armed rebel group, Forces nationales pour la libération
(FNL/Agathon Rwasa). On 7 September 2006, a comprehensive ceasefire agreement
was signed by the two parties in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
18. FNL continues to use children as combatants and for various logistical duties.
Currently, hundreds of children are estimated to be active in the ranks of FNL.
Ongoing recruitment of children by FNL continues to be a grave concern. From
January to July 2006, 75 cases of recruitment of children into the two remaining
factions of FNL, FNL/Agathon Rwasa and its splinter group, FNL/Jean Bosco
Singayigaya, were reported in Bujumbura, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Bubanza,
Makamba, Rutana and Gitega Provinces. In the central Burundian town of Gitega,
alleged recruitment by FNL was reported in Mutaho and Bugendana Communes.
This is of particular concern as incidents of recruitment seem not only to have
increased in number in the western part of Burundi, but are spreading to the centre
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of the country. Owing to the sensitive nature of the information, and perceived
danger to the lives of investigators and informers, it has been difficult to verify most
reports of child recruitment. In addition, there are also reports of former FNL child
soldier presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for which further
investigations are in progress.
19. Since November 2005, 55 incidents of killing and 93 incidents of maiming of
children by FNL or State authorities were reported to the United Nations Operation
in Burundi (ONUB). Some of them were killed during fighting between the Parti
nationale pour la libération du peuple hutu (Palipehutu)-FNL and the national
military, Force de la défense nationale (FDN). Other children were accused of
participating in the rebellion and were arrested and tortured during their detention.
In one case, four children were shot dead and two were injured during crossfire
between FDN and FNL. In another case, in Muramvya, Bujumbura Rural, a 17-yearold
student was found dead by the riverside, badly beaten, and his hands manacled.
Two policemen were detained on charges of murder and were awaiting trial at the
time of reporting. Violence between FDN and FNL escalated in June and July 2006,
when at least eight children were killed by grenade explosions during fighting.
20. From November 2005 to July 2006, a total of 381 cases of detained children
were reported to ONUB. Of those cases, 174 were related to the illegal detention of
children by FDN, the Police nationale burundaise, Police de sécurité intérieure or
the Service national de renseignement, including one nine-year-old child, being
detained under suspicion of association with FNL. Some of the children from this
group are used by the police and military as informers on FNL activities. Further, in
mid-April 2006, the Government reopened Randa, a former demobilization centre in
Bubanza Province, to house former FNL combatants who had either been captured
or had surrendered. As of July 2006, there were a total of 454 detainees in Randa, of
whom 25 were children between the ages of 15 and 17, including one girl. Many of
these children remain traumatized from their experiences as FNL combatants. They
have yet to be separated from former FNL adult combatants and officially
recognized as former child soldiers, a prerequisite set by the Government, prior to
receiving demobilization benefits and assistance. The status of these children will
probably remain uncertain in the absence of a political agreement between the
Government and FNL.
21. From November 2003 to July 2006, the demobilization, reintegration and
prevention of recruitment of child soldiers programme supported by UNICEF and
the Multi-country Demobilization and Reintegration Programme led by the World
Bank, demobilized and reintegrated 3,013 former child soldiers (Partis et
mouvements politiques armés, 639; Forces armées burundaises, 885; Gardiens de la
paix, 1,383; and Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie/Forces pour la
défense de la démocratie, 106) to their families and communities. By June 2006,
around 560 former child soldiers were back in school, and 1,800 were undertaking
vocational training. A technical committee was formed in January 2006 to ensure the
smooth handover of the child soldier project to the Government, integrating it with
the Programme national de démobilisation, réinsertion et réintégration, implemented
by the Executive Secretariat of the National Commission for Demobilization,
Reinsertion and Reintegration. The technical committee is currently developing the
procedures and mechanisms to demobilize former child soldiers from FNL. In
addition, the International Labour Organization (ILO), through its International
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Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour, has reintegrated 898 former child
soldiers and has prevented the recruitment of 452 children at risk.
22. A child protection network was set up by UNICEF and its partners in
December 2005. In August 2006, ONUB and UNICEF established a task force on
monitoring and reporting on child’s rights violations within the framework of
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).
Developments in Côte d’Ivoire
23. Children are associated with armed groups both in the Government-held
territories and in areas under the control of the Forces nouvelles. There is currently
no tangible evidence of children in the ranks of Government armed forces, Forces
armées nationales de Côte d’Ivoire (FANCI). Children are however associated with
armed militia groups close to the ruling party, Front populaire ivoirien (FPI). These
militias, which include the Front de libération du Grand Ouest (FLGO), the
Mouvement ivoirien de libération ouest de Côte d’Ivoire (MILOCI), the Alliance
patriotique de l’ethnie Wé (APWé) and the Union patriotique de résistance du Grand
Ouest (UPRGO), are active in Government-controlled areas, notably in the West.
The Forces armées des Forces nouvelles (FAFN) and other associated militia groups
recognize that children are associated with their fighting forces. FAFN committed to
an action plan in November 2005, and has made significant efforts in the
implementation of the action plan. The FAFN efforts are acknowledged and its
removal from the annex List will be considered in the next report, subject to a full
implementation of the action plan.
24. Children are also often used in violent mass demonstrations by the Young
Patriots, a pro-FPI party, in territories under the control of the Government, where
they run the risk of being maimed or injured. For example, in January 2006, a mass
demonstration in Guiglo, during which United Nations peacekeepers were also
attacked, five Ivorians, including two children aged 14 and 16, were killed.
25. Although there are no official figures reflecting the true scale of grave sexual
violence occurring, reliable reports establish that sexual violence is a prevalent
security problem encountered by women and children, particularly in areas under
FAFN control and in the Zone of Confidence. Further, children in detention in areas
controlled by FAFN, where the administration of justice has collapsed, also remain
exposed to grave abuses. FAFN issued a command order on 30 April 2006, triggered
by the report of an alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl by FAFN elements in Bouaké,
instructing an end to the detention of children pending restoration of the
administration of justice.
26. A major cause for concern remains the seizure and forced occupation of
schools by pro-Government militia. From 12 to 17 June 2006, over 100 members of
the pro-Government militia group, the Groupement patriotique pour la paix (GPP),
occupied a children’s centre, the Centre d’ecôte pilot d’adjame in Abidjan. No
children were found on the premises at the time of the seizure, although the incident
had prevented children’s access to the centre during this period.
27. During the reporting period, 327 children associated with fighting forces in
areas under the control of the Forces nouvelles were demobilized, of whom 251
were officially handed over by FAFN. Currently, UNICEF facilitates the
rehabilitation and reintegration of 1,194 former child soldiers and another 600 selfA/
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demobilized children in Danané, who received military training from pro-FAFN
Liberian fighters. Further, FLGO, MILOCI, APWé and UPRGO in West Guiglo
released 400 children who are currently benefiting from rehabilitation programmes
sponsored by UNICEF. However, reflecting a disturbing trend in the region, child
protection partners in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire have reported new and
re-recruitments across the border between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire by armed
groups active in Côte d’Ivoire.
28. On 20 September 2006, a task force on monitoring and reporting on child’s
rights violations within the framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005)
was inaugurated in Côte d’Ivoire.
Developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
29. Reports on the presence of children among Forces armées de la République
démocratique du Congo (FARDC) troops continue, notably in North Kivu. In April
2006, the presence of children among the 84th and the 85th non-integrated Brigades
(former Mai-Mai) was registered (respectively 20 children with Colonel Akilimali
and about 150 children with Colonel Sami). Reports of re-recruitment by FARDC
also continue.
30. From January to June 2006, 22 children were reportedly killed or maimed by
FARDC. For example, in May 2006, three children died as a result of a gunshot
fired at close range by military forces of the 23rd Battalion of FARDC as they
stormed into huts during clashes between FARDC and the Forces démocratiques de
libération du Rwanda (FDLR) in Nyamilima, Ruthsuru Territory, North Kivu. Child
protection actors in North and South Kivu Provinces continue to register a number
of abductions and recruitments of children by FDLR. In the same period, the United
Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
monitored a total of 61 children, allegedly victims of rape by members of FARDC.
For example, on 27 March 2006, when moving to Nindja in South Kivu with his
troops, FARDC Captain Indi-Mulenga allegedly took five girls with him.
31. International warrants for the arrest of Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebutsi
were issued by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on
21 December 2004, in connection with the Bukavu crisis of May/June 2004 that
resulted in dozens of killings, rapes of adults and children, as well as widespread
looting. However, until now, no steps have been taken to execute the warrants. In
North Kivu, elements of the non-integrated 81st and 83rd brigades of FARDC
considered loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda continue to harass, threaten and rerecruit
children formerly associated with the military and now reunified with their
families in parts of Masisi and Rutshuru territories. It is estimated that since
July 2005, 70 children were recruited into Nkunda’s ranks in the Masisi and
Rutshuru territories. In February 2006, there were allegations of recruitment of
about 20 children by Nkunda’s forces in the Masisi area. Abductions and attempted
abductions of 16 children in June and early July 2006 in North Kivu were reported.
Thirteen of the children were abducted on 22 June 2006 near Kitchanga, Masisi
territory, by dissident FARDC elements of the 83rd Battalion. The children, on their
way to being reunified with their families, were recognized for having been
formerly associated with that unit when their vehicle was stopped by military. Some
of them escaped, but others were detained and released only after MONUC
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intervention. Children reported that they had been submitted to severe beatings
while in captivity.
32. In the course of 2005, the Forces armées populaires congolaises (FAPC) was
completely disbanded through the Ituri disarmament and community reinsertion
process and is consequently not openly active in Ituri. Hundreds of children
associated with FAPC, including a relatively high number of girls, joined the Ituri
process. A number of FAPC elements reportedly moved to Uganda in the course of
the first half of 2005 in order to avoid the disarmament and community reinsertion
process. There are no estimates of how many children remained in these groups.
33. Allegations of re-recruitment and use of children by the Front nationaliste et
intégrationaliste (FNI) continued in 2005. On 20 November, MONUC received
allegations that young people, including children, were being recruited by FNI
commander Peter Karim Udaga, to reinforce his militia who were in conflict with
FARDC in Mahagi. On 13 July 2006, following negotiations led by the Government
with the facilitation of MONUC, Mr. Udaga agreed to join the disarmament and
community reinsertion programme in Ituri. As of 25 July 2006, 87 children had been
demobilized from the Udaga troops.
34. The Mai-Mai groups are mostly present in North and South Kivu, Maniema
and Katanga provinces. Most of them have now joined FARDC. In the course of
2005, a large presence of children in former Mai-Mai groups continued to be
observed in North Kivu. In South Kivu the presence of children among former Mai-
Mai groups also continued. At least 78 children (all boys) were demobilized from
armed groups between March and May 2006; of these, 49 children associated with
Major Abdou Panda, a renegade Mai-Mai commander operating in the Ruzizi plain,
and 29 children associated with the 111th brigade of Colonel Nyakabaka. Further,
large parts of Katanga, especially the northern and central areas, are still under the
control of various Mai-Mai groups who remained outside the official disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration programme. On 12 May 2006, however, an
important breakthrough was made when Kyungu Mutanga, a Mai-Mai leader known
as Gédéon, operating in Katanga Province, surrendered in Mitwaba. He was
accompanied by more than 150 combatants, 76 of whom were children. It is
estimated that between 2,000 and 4,000 of his followers still remain at large, a
significant number of them thought to be children.
35. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, the former leader of the political and military
movement, the Union des patriote congolais (UPC), was arrested by the Congolese
authorities in March 2005 in connection with the assassination of nine United
Nations peacekeepers. On 10 February 2006, the International Criminal Court issued
a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Lubanga for the war crime of “conscripting and
enlisting children under the age of 15 years and using them to participate actively in
hostilities”. On 17 March 2006, Mr. Lubanga was transferred to the International
Criminal Court in The Hague. As a result of the disarmament and community
reinsertion process in Ituri, the UPC-Kisembo (UPC-K) wing ceased to exist in the
course of 2005. Further, in March 2006, Jean Pierre Biyoyo of the armed group
known as Mudundu 40, was condemned to five years’ imprisonment for the arbitrary
arrest and illegal detention of children and child recruitment committed in South
Kivu in April 2004. However, he escaped from prison during the Bukavu Central
Prison outbreak in early June 2006 and remains at large.
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36. Reports have shown that Congolese refugee children in Rwanda have time and
again been subjected to “voluntary” and forced recruitment by elements of the
former Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie-Goma (RCD/G), and latterly,
rebel groups loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, and also transferred from
Rwanda to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to engage in active
combat.
37. The current operational framework for children’s disarmament, demobilization
and reintegration was launched by the Commission nationale de désarmement,
démobilisation et réinsertion in cooperation with UNICEF, ILO and nongovernmental
organization partners in July 2004. As at 30 May 2006,
18,524 children had been released from the armed forces and groups through the
official process; of that number, 16 per cent were girls. Thousands more, the
majority of whom are girls, have escaped from fighting forces on their own and are
returning to civilian life.
Developments in Haiti
38. A range of armed groups control territory in Haiti, in particular in the capital,
Port-au-Prince, and other cities such as Gonaïves, and are involved in political as
well as criminal activity. Such groups fall under a number of categories such as:
(a) Popular Organizations, composed primarily of youth and children under
18 years, with strong links to political leaders and parties and used by them to
political ends;
(b) Baz Armes, typically youth groups formed around sports or cultural
activities and used for various purposes by political or criminal elements;
(c) Armed criminal gangs involved in organized crime, often also with links
to political elements;
(d) Front de résistance (paramilitaries) composed of former military known
as “armé cannibal” and civilians who toppled the Government of Jean Bertrand
Aristide in 2004 and contested the February 2006 elections as the Front de
reconstruction nationale;
(e) Random organized criminal and political opposition groups comprised of
excommunicated members of the Haitian police or criminal gangs. For example, on
7 July 2006, the United Nations documented four children killed and two maimed in
Martissant, as a result of violence between the armed groups, Lame ti machet and
Grand ravine.
39. Widespread and systematic rape and other sexual violence against girls are of
particular concern. From interviews and investigations by the United Nations and
non-governmental organizations, it is estimated that up to 50 per cent of girls living
in conflict zones such as Cité Soleil have been victims of rape or sexual violence,
and in areas such as Carrefour, Martissant and Les Cayes the phenomenon of
collective or “gang” rape is widespread. Also of grave concern are reported
violations against children by the National Haitian Police, including the illegal
detention of children and sexual abuse of female children while in custody, as well
as the reports of execution and mutilation of street children during police operations
early in 2006.
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40. The establishment in September 2006 of the National Commission for
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration represents a positive development,
and it will be important to ensure that adequate provision is made for children in
this framework.
Developments in Iraq
41. The current situation in Iraq has not allowed for the systematic collection of
child protection information regarding the effects of violence and insurgency on
children. In the current security context, it is also very difficult to determine the
number of children who have been victims of and/or involved in the violence.
42. Many children have been killed and/or maimed as a result of large-scale
suicide attacks or roadside bombs by various terrorist and criminal groups, or in
military and security operations by the Iraqi police and Special Forces acting alone
or in association with the Multinational Force in Iraq. On 15 March 2006, a raid by
the Multinational Force in the outskirts of Al-Isshaqi District in Balad caused the
death of a family of 11, including 5 children between 7 months and 5 years of age.
In two separate incidents, on 19 March and 2 April 2006, 4 children were reported
killed in fighting between the Multinational Force and the insurgents. In mid-March
2006, five Multinational Force soldiers were charged with the rape and murder of a
14-year-old girl and the murder of her family, including her 5-year-old sister, in
Mahmoudiyah, south of Baghdad.
43. The recent rise in sectarian violence, exacerbated by the bombing of the Al
Askari shrine in Samarra, resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, many of
whom were children. On 29 April 2006, 2 children were wounded when a mortar
round landed on a home in Ta’Afar; on 26 June 2006, 10 children were killed in
targeted explosions on two markets in Hilla and Ba’qubah; and on 2 August 2006, a
bomb buried in the middle of a football pitch exploded, killing at least 12 people,
most of whom were children. According to figures provided by the Ministry of
Health, which include counts from hospitals in all governorates, excluding the three
northern governorates of Kurdistan, from 1 January to 31 August 2006, 139 children
were killed and 395 were wounded.
44. Of particular concern are reports of attacks involving children as combatants.
On 1 November 2005, a boy said to be aged between 10 and 13 years carried out a
suicide bombing targeting the police commander in the city of Kirkuk. Later in the
same month, two boys aged 12 and 13 years, reportedly carried out attacks against
patrols of the Multinational Force in Iraq in Fallujah and Hweejah.
45. Abductions of children by Iraqi armed groups related to the sectarian violence
have increased significantly, in addition to the number of children abducted for
ransom. A survey conducted by several local non-governmental organizations in
Baghdad indicates that approximately 20,000 people have been kidnapped
throughout the country since the beginning of 2006, 50 per cent of whom are
women and children. In one case, the corpse of an abducted and sexually assaulted
12-year-old boy was found by the Iraqi police wrapped in a plastic bag even though
his family had paid ransom. In another case, on 17 May 2006, the entire Iraqi Tae
Kwan Do team composed of 15 children, between the ages of 12 and 15 years, from
Al Sadr City were kidnapped near Ramadi. Recently, increasing concerns have been
expressed by international and national non-governmental organizations that Iraqi
children, both girls and boys, are being abducted and trafficked for purposes of
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sexual exploitation. The rise of armed criminal groups has contributed to this
phenomenon.
46. The ongoing violence and exposure to violence in schools and threats of abuse,
kidnapping and/or injury by armed groups has contributed to non-attendance in
schools. For example, on 26 March 2006, a schoolboy was killed while entering his
school in Al Basrah. There have also been incidences where children have witnessed
the killing of educators. In mid-2006, also in Al Basrah, the dean of the Al Basrah
Abdullah Bin Om Kalthoum School was assassinated inside the school in front of
his students. The targeting of teachers for ransom and violence has also seriously
affected the delivery of education in schools. The national primary school drop-out
rate is 3.6 per cent and the attendance rate is 76 per cent. However, this does not
take into account the special arrangements between schools and parents where
children are only present in school during final examinations.
47. The Government has, through the Commission of Child Care, begun to address
the challenges confronting children in Iraq. The Commission has designated a
committee, which has recommended that the Government sign the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in
armed conflict. The Government of Iraq has repeatedly called upon the international
community and all relevant United Nations agencies to offer their support and
assistance in reinforcing their efforts in securing and protecting the welfare of
children in Iraq.
Developments in Lebanon and Israel
48. The conflict involving Lebanon and Israel which began on 12 July 2006 has
resulted in more than 1,109 Lebanese civilians killed and 4,405 injured, and 43
Israeli civilians killed, including 7 children, and 200 civilians injured. It is estimated
that one third of the dead and wounded in Lebanon are children. For example, on the
second day of hostilities, Israeli forces killed 38 civilians, among them 20 children,
in four different attacks. Further, on 30 July, the Israeli air force bombed the village
of Qana, in southern Lebanon, killing 28 civilians, including 16 children. On several
occasions, Israeli forces attacked individual vehicles and convoys of civilians
fleeing their villages after Israeli warnings that the villages would be bombed. For
example, on 15 July, an Israeli air strike hit a civilian convoy fleeing the village of
Marwahin, killing 21 people, including 14 children.
49. About 975,000 people, constituting approximately one quarter of the Lebanese
population, were displaced during the hostilities. More than a third of these are
reported to be children. As at 30 September 2006, 200,000 people had still not yet
been able to return to their homes, while others had returned to their destroyed
homes and villages. It is estimated that 30,000 homes were destroyed throughout the
country, particularly in southern Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut.
50. During the conflict, indiscriminate Hezbollah rocket attacks in northern Israel
killed seven children. A large number of civilians in northern Israel, including a
significant proportion of children, were also displaced, having sought safety further
south or spent lengthy amounts of time in crowded shelters. Further, the Hezbollah
rocket attacks also damaged and destroyed at least 6,000 homes as well as over 30
schools and day-care centres. Four Israeli hospitals also incurred serious damage.
On 18 July 2006, a rocket hit a hospital in Safed, northern Galilee, wounding eight
people.
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51. The war also caused extensive damage to schools and hospitals in Lebanon. In
Baalbek, the main hospital, with an estimated population of 80,000, was reportedly
severely damaged during ground and air military operations in north-east Lebanon.
In southern Lebanon, Ghandour hospital in Nabatiyeh was also extensively
damaged. All hospitals in the affected areas are also encountering serious shortages
of drugs, fuel, electricity and water supplies. Rapid assessments of the losses in the
education sector indicate that between 40 and 50 schools were totally destroyed,
while around 300 schools need repair. For instance, on 20 July 2006, in Bint Jbeil,
the Vocational School building, used to shelter hundreds of refugee families, was
subjected to Israeli bombardment.
52. Children in Lebanon were also denied access to humanitarian assistance owing
to an Israeli military blockade of Lebanon’s borders, seaports, bombing of roads and
Beirut’s airport. Bombardments of electricity plants and water bores also resulted in
power cuts and water shortages, increasing food and health insecurity of children
particularly. The water systems in both urban and rural areas in southern Lebanon,
Beqaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut were totally destroyed or partially
damaged, with at least 1.7 million people, of whom up to 40 per cent were children,
suffering either temporary breaks or full stoppage of water supply to their
households. Further, in at least two cases, Israeli forces fired on humanitarian
convoys and Red Cross ambulances.
53. Since the cessation of hostilities on 14 August until 28 September 2006, 12
civilians, including 2 children, were killed, as well as 98 civilians, including 39
children, injured by unexploded ordnances. The presence of a large number of
unexploded munitions, including an estimated 1.2 million cluster bombs, 90 per cent
of which were apparently fired in the last three days of the conflict, poses a special
threat to children by heavily contaminating the destroyed infrastructure, school
grounds and agricultural lands.
Developments in Liberia
54. The inauguration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in January 2006 after
winning pivotal elections in November 2005 has ushered in a new era of peace and
justice for Liberia. President Johnson-Sirleaf took a landmark step when she
formally requested Nigeria to surrender former President Charles Taylor to face
trial. Former President Taylor has been transferred to The Hague, where he is
awaiting trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations
of international humanitarian law, including the use of child soldiers, abduction and
forced labour.
55. As of July 2006, there is no known group that uses or recruits child soldiers or
former child soldiers. Although there are allegations of such activities in connection
with the volatile political situation in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea, these
have not been confirmed by United Nations joint monitoring missions, subregional
peacekeeping operations or United Nations operations. The International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC), however, has continued to facilitate the repatriation of
foreign former child combatants. As of June 2006, a total of 55 former child
combatants (11 Ivorians, 29 Guineans and 15 Sierra Leoneans) or children
associated with the fighting forces have returned to their countries of origin. ICRC
has also started to repatriate Liberian children associated with the fighting forces
from countries neighbouring Liberia. The situation in neighbouring countries needs
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particular attention and is subject to ongoing monitoring by the United Nations
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), in close cooperation with the United Nations Office
for West Africa (UNOWA), the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (ONUCI)
and other actors. UNMIL and ONUCI carry out coordinated border patrols to deter
any attempts to recruit Liberians, while UNICEF and other child protection agencies
have responded by putting in place a mechanism for prevention of re-recruitment
through increasing reintegration programmes along the borders.
56. Between 2004 and 2005, UNMIL disarmament and demobilization programme
has been relatively successful, resulting in 10,963 children demobilized. Of these,
77 per cent were boys and 23 per cent girls. On 13 April 2006, President Johnson-
Sirleaf signed executive order No. 4, which extended the mandate of the National
Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration for
another year. UNICEF, UNMIL and other key partners are continuing to conduct
follow-up monitoring of former child combatants through family and communitybased
interaction.
Developments in Myanmar
57. There are reliable reports of continued forcible recruitment and training of
children for the Government armed forces (Tatmadaw Kyi) and non-State armed
groups. However, owing to access limitations, the United Nations country team has
not been able to systematically verify these allegations. Despite the difficulties in
obtaining information, since the beginning of 2005, at least 12 detailed and credible
allegations of forced recruitment of children aged between 12 and 17 into the
national army were received by a United Nations partner. Myanmar’s written law
states that the Government army is all voluntary and the minimum age is 18. In
early October 2004, the Government-established Committee for the Prevention of
Military Recruitment of Under-age Children developed a plan of action, which
included provisions for the discharge of children under 18 years from military
service and their reintegration into their families and communities. The Committee
was reinstituted on 3 February 2006, and has been stepping up efforts to promote
awareness among the military establishments, training institutions and local
communities. On various occasions over the past few months, UNICEF held
discussions with the Government on the need to further develop and operationalize
this national plan of action to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers, including a
high-level meeting between the UNICEF Deputy Executive Director and the
Secretary One of the State Peace and Development Council, who is also the
Chairman of the Committee on the Prevention of Military Recruitment of Under-age
Children. While concrete cooperation on this issue is yet to be fully forthcoming,
the authorities propose to deepen their collaboration with UNICEF to review
progress on the issue. The United Nations country team is aware of some cases of
children being released from army service but is unable to verify the effectiveness
of the Committee’s plan of action or whether all children are being screened out of
the Government armed forces.
58. Reports of abductions of children for forced labour or to serve in the armed
forces by Government forces and non-State armed groups continue. However, the
United Nations country team is hampered from accessing many areas controlled by
both State and non-State actors. The country team has also been hindered from
providing detailed information by a Government decision to prosecute parties who
make false allegations of forced labour against the Government.
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59. Access to communities in conflict zones and the special zones for
humanitarian actors is a fundamental problem in Myanmar. Although assistance
actors can work in many areas of the country, in some critical areas, where children
are believed to be in very vulnerable situations, humanitarian assistance and
protection is denied owing to Government restrictions on movement, allegedly for
“security reasons”. These areas include part of Kayin State and Bago Division, as
well as parts of Shan and Kayah States, where civilians, including children, are
being displaced owing to military activity. Access for humanitarian actors to some
other non-conflict areas and ceasefire areas is also denied by the Government.
60. There are reports that the Karen National Union (KNU) and Karenni National
Progressive Party (KNPP) continue to use and recruit children into the Karen
National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karenni Army (KA), respectively. There
are also allegations of recruitment from the Thai refugee camps. There is a longstanding
practice that children go from the refugee camps across the border to the
KNLA and KA for military training. Some children living in the refugee camps also
provide logistical support to nearby military bases. In June 2006, leaders of KNU
and KNPP assured United Nations representatives in Thailand that both armies had
policies in place prohibiting the recruitment of children under 18 years although
they conceded that those policies were not always followed by the local
commanders. On 31 July 2006, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
for Children and Armed Conflict received a letter from KNU stating that it would no
longer use or recruit children; would monitor its units and take action to ensure that
no children were within its ranks; and would cooperate and allow unhindered United
Nations access to monitor and verify compliance to non-recruitment. Further, given
the KNPP desire to be removed from the list, it has requested United Nations
technical support on monitoring and enforcing the KNPP policy on non-recruitment.
There are also reports of recruitment of child soldiers by the United Wa State Army.
61. Former child soldiers from the Government forces seeking protection in
Thailand as army deserters face the threat of forcible return to Myanmar under a
current practice by Thai authorities. The Thailand Working Group of the Security
Council on Children and Armed Conflict has sought clarifications on this practice
from Thai Government officials who stated they were not aware of the situation.
However, the Thai Government has agreed to cooperate and address the problem of
child soldiers through a common strategy with the Thailand Working Group.
62. There are also challenges in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
process, especially with respect to former child soldiers from the non-State armed
groups who seek refuge in Thailand. No formal demobilization is possible and
former child soldiers must be integrated into Thai refugee camps. Sending children
back to their villages or families would put them and their families at risk of
persecution.
Developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
63. The plight of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, has become more precarious since the previous reporting
period, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensified, with hostilities focusing on the
Gaza Strip in mid-2006. From 1 November 2005 to 30 September 2006, an
estimated 93 children, 83 in Gaza and 10 in the West Bank, were killed by Israeli
forces. Between 28 June and 30 September 2006, since the start of the Israeli
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“Operation Summer Rains”, United Nations agencies working in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory estimate that 289 Palestinians were killed, of whom 65 per cent
were children, and over 1,261 injured in the Gaza Strip, of whom 189 were children,
with 42 children killed in July alone. United Nations agencies have documented
reports of children being killed and injured by Israel Defense Forces gunfire. For
example, on 19 February 2006, a boy was injured by a bullet fired from the Balata
Basic Girls’ School, Nablus, which the Israel Defense Forces had occupied that
morning. On 3 March 2006, during a large-scale Israel Defense Forces incursion
into Camp No. 1 in Nablus, a boy was shot in the face and killed by Israeli sniper
fire. Further, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that
from 28 June to 22 August 2006, at least 4,809 Israeli artillery shells were fired into
the Gaza Strip. Palestinian armed groups also launched a total of 367 rockets into
Israel during the same period.
64. Two Israeli children were reported killed as a result of separate Palestinian
attacks on civilian areas in March 2006. Additionally, communities living close to
the Gaza Strip border, particularly the city of Sderot, endure regular, often daily,
home-made rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. For example, in September 2006
alone, 45 Qassam rockets were launched into Sderot. These rockets damaged homes
and schools, landed in public places frequented by children, such as playgrounds,
and caused high levels of prolonged anxiety among children residing there.
65. As at 30 September 2006, 389 Palestinian children, including two 12-year-old
boys, had been detained by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, often following transport of the children out of the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and into Israel. A field survey of former child
detainees, provided by a United Nations agency, estimated that 60 per cent of the
children interviewed were reported to have been subjected to physical coercion or
inducement to collaborate with Israeli authorities.
66. Recent incursions and shelling as well as direct military attacks have damaged
schools and health facilities. Restricted access to health-care providers has resulted
in the serious deterioration of health and health services and, consequently, the
health status of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
East Jerusalem. For example, on 2 July 2006, in the West Bank, the Israel Defense
Forces forcibly entered four Palestinian hospitals in search and detain operations,
and, during one of the operations, in Nablus City, the hospital premises were used as
cover by the Israel Defense Forces to fire live ammunition; while on 17 July 2006,
Israel Defense Forces bulldozers demolished the boundary walls of the clinic
operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA) in Beit Hanun, Gaza. Direct air attacks on schools caused
extensive damage and injury; shrapnel landed inside schools and school compounds
during operations in the vicinity of schools; and Israel Defense Forces soldiers
forcibly entered schools, causing destruction and detaining students and teachers in
schools. For example, on 5 December 2005, during clashes between the Israel
Defense Forces and Aida camp youths in the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces
used live rounds, tear gas and plastic-coated bullets in the vicinity of the UNRWA
Basic Girls School, which resulted in tear gas inhalation by over 100 pupils in the
first to third grades; while from 19 to 21 February 2006, the Israel Defense Forces
and the Israeli Border Police entered Balata refugee camp’s Basic Girls School and
used it for three days as a detention centre and firing position, causing extensive
damage. In the Gaza Strip, from 19 to 21 July 2006, the military operations of the
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Israel Defense Forces in Maghazi refugee camp left dozens of bullet holes in the
Maghazi Elementary and Preparatory School buildings. Further, the prohibition on
the entry of construction materials into Gaza has prevented repairs to schools
damaged by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Air Force, restricting access of
Palestinian children to education.
67. The Barrier and its associated regime, such as the Seam Zone permit system,
and checkpoints, which restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians, has
deepened concerns about Palestinian access to medical services and schools within
the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and between East Jerusalem and the rest
of the West Bank. For example, the East Jerusalem’s Augusta Victoria Hospital,
which serves West Bank Palestinians, had the number of beds reduced owing to a
decrease in patient numbers by 30 per cent, resulting from the Barrier and associated
restrictions on the movement of people. Similarly, most students and teachers who
are living behind the Barrier face long delays, resulting in regular missed classes
and longer commutes to schools.
68. There is an increased exposure to unexploded ordnance owing to the recent
military operations by the Israel Defense Forces. The number of Palestinians killed
and injured, including children, more than doubled between January and April 2006,
from 15 to 36 people. The most affected districts are Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin in
the West Bank and northern Gaza.
Developments in Somalia
69. The Union of the Islamic Courts (ICU) seized control of Mogadishu on 4 June
2006, after four months of conflict with a coalition of warlords calling themselves
the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter Terrorism (ARPCT). At peace
talks held in Khartoum on 22 June 2006, ICU and the Transitional Federal
Government agreed on a number of principles, including a cessation of media and
military campaigns, and the pursuit of dialogue and talks without preconditions in a
framework of mutual recognition, which were subsequently reaffirmed during
second round of talks, held from 2 to 4 September 2006.
70. Numerous cases of children being recruited by force by elements of ICU and
ARPCT have been reported, both in Mogadishu and the Hiran region. ARPCT was
very active in recruiting street children for its militia. ICU was reported to have
recruited children from madrasas with promises of spiritual rewards for martyrdom,
while there has also been widespread clan-based recruitment with families receiving
financial incentives. As the United Nations country team only has limited presence
in the country given the high level of insecurity, access to precise and updated
information is therefore not readily available. After ICU took control of Mogadishu,
reports continue that suggest that children between 10 and 16 years of age are being
enrolled by force for military training by ICU in Dabble, near Kismayo, in
Mogadishu and the Hiran region.
71. From March to June 2006, the heavy fighting between ICU and ARPCT was
marked by grave human rights violations against children. Thousands of children,
with their families, have been displaced from Mogadishu, and have been victims of
shelling and gunfire in the capital. In May 2006, it was reported that 19 children had
been wounded and 5 killed in the conflict.
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72. In May 2006, armed Somali fighters from ARPCT occupied a major
Mogadishu hospital run by ICRC and the Somali Red Crescent Society, in a clear
violation of international humanitarian law. Humanitarian access in Somalia remains
critical, in particular to the large vulnerable population in the southern and central
region, including Mogadishu, Lower and Middle Shabelle and Hiran, which faces
severe food shortages or are internally displaced. The political tension, which has
escalated since June 2006 after ICU took control of these areas, continues to pose
serious security and access concerns.
Developments in the Sudan
73. The various armed forces and groups that are parties to the conflict in the
Sudan have a long history of using children for military purposes, and their complex
links with the Government make it difficult to determine precisely the
accountability for the violations of children’s rights. In southern Sudan and
Khartoum, responsibility for the recruitment and use of children rests with the
Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA, part of the
Government of Southern Sudan), as well as their Joint Integrated Units, made up of
both legal forces and militias known as other armed groups, such as the White
Army. Additionally, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is also responsible for the
recruitment and use of children. Children were recruited between May and July
2006, in Khartoum, Jonglei and Bahr al-Ghazal by the Sudan Armed Forces and
SPLA. For example, on 16 May 2006, the Sudan Armed Forces, SPLA and the new
Joint Integrated Units were all reported to be involved in recruiting children in
Nasser, Upper Nile State. In the same month, child soldiers were seen in a newly
incorporated Sudan Armed Forces unit near Nasser, and there were reports of
approximately 50 uniformed and armed SPLA soldiers aged between 14 and
16 years in the same area. In the same period, SPLA attacked the White Army in
Motot, Jonglei State, and reportedly killed 113 White Army youth. The White Army,
a livestock defence force linked to the Lou clan of the pastoralist Nuer ethnic group,
is made up largely of males aged between 15 and 20 years, with some much
younger. These forces were sometimes used by larger groups to carry out military
tasks. Further, LRA units present in southern Sudan have recruited and used both
Sudanese and Ugandan children.
74. In Darfur, SAF, Janjaweed militias, the faction of the Sudan Liberation Army
(SLA) led by Minni Minawi that signed the Darfur Peace Agreement, other SLA
factions that refused to sign the agreement, as well as paramilitary forces that are
part of the Government, such as the camel police, are responsible for the recruitment
and use of children. The Chadian opposition forces are also responsible for the
recruitment and use of children. It is estimated that thousands of children are still
associated with armed forces and groups in Darfur and were actively involved in the
conflict between May and July 2006. The security situation, access limitations and
the delayed implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement impede the ability to
monitor the recruitment and use of children. Monitors have confirmed that the SLA
(Minawi) commanders were forcibly recruiting boys in Gereida in May 2006, and
that many child soldiers were also witnessed in Gereida at the end of June 2006.
G19, a breakaway faction of SLA (Minawi), claimed in interviews at the beginning
of June that SLA (Minawi) had abducted 108 children for use as soldiers on 10 May
2006. On 15 May 2006, interviews by United Nations staff of people displaced after
Janjaweed attacks on villages near Kutum, Northern Darfur, confirmed that there
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were many armed child soldiers among the Janjaweed militiamen who attacked
them; and in June 2006, in Western Darfur there were further reports of many boys
less than 18 years of age recruited into the camel police, a group used to mediate
and control disputes between pastoralists and farmers. On 24 May 2006, a 17-yearold
Tama boy was abducted from Geneina, southern Sudan, by Chadian opposition
forces. This is indicative of the ongoing problem of abduction of youth from the
Tama ethnic group for recruitment to the Chadian opposition.
75. In southern Sudan, 38 children were killed from May to July 2006. Some of
them were reportedly participating in hostilities when they were killed. For
example, in the fighting between the White Army and SPLA in Ulang and Akobo,
Jonglei State, from 24 April to 15 May 2006, 33 children were killed. In Darfur,
over 51 children were reported killed in the same period. However, these reports do
not cover all of the areas of fighting in Darfur and many reports of civilian deaths
are not age-disaggregated. On 5 July 2006, a breakaway faction of SLA led by
Abdul Wahid reported that SLA (Minawi) forces had killed 16 children on their way
to school in Dalil, Northern Darfur. There were also killings by Government allied
militia in Darfur. For example, in Gereida, 150 children were missing after attacks
on villages around Gereida in March 2006 by Government-allied militia. By the end
of May 2006, 30 of those children had been found dead in different locations
between Joughana and Gereida.
76. There have been numerous reports of abductions throughout the conflict in
southern Sudan. Between May and July 2006, in Jonglei State, children were
abducted; however it has been difficult to ascertain the exact numbers or responsible
parties owing to access restrictions. In Darfur, there are abductions of children by
Janjaweed militias, SLA (Minawi) and the Sudan Armed Forces. Girls are often
abducted for short periods for sexual purposes. Many abductions are also linked to
recruitment. Between May and July 2006, 18 cases of abduction were reported to
the United Nations. For example, on 26 May 2006, six armed men in Sudan Armed
Forces uniforms reportedly abducted a 13-year-old boy from Wadi Saleh, Western
Darfur, while on 21 June 2006, Janjaweed militia abducted two boys in an attack on
Abuderesa camp, Southern Darfur.
77. In Darfur, the practice of ethnically targeted sexual violence against girls and
women continues, particularly in areas of displaced populations. Some 40 per cent
of the victims have been under 18 years of age. Many of the attacks are carried out
by uniformed men. Girls have been targeted in inter-ethnic conflicts as a deliberate
form of humiliation of a group, and as a means of ethnic cleansing. For example, on
24 May 2006, a group of about 25 armed men in SLA uniforms threatened, beat and
robbed six separate groups of women and girls in Hajar Jalanga, Western Darfur.
One of the victims was a 15-year-old girl, who was sexually assaulted. Further, on
15 May 2006, Janjaweed militia attempted to rape women and girls displaced from
villages near Kutum, Northern Darfur.
78. Humanitarian access worsened between May and July 2006 with the upsurge
in violence that followed the peace agreement. On 6 June 2006, the rebel SLA
(Wahid) faction reported that the Sudan Armed Forces checkpoint at Kass, Southern
Darfur, had denied access to trucks carrying food into areas under their control.
Further, in May 2006, three cases of hijacking of humanitarian convoys by armed
men suspected to be affiliated to Government militias were reported in Western and
Southern Darfur. From March to June 2006, the Government authorities imposed
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access restrictions on United Nations agencies in eastern Sudan. Food assistance for
about 110,000 refugees and internally displaced persons, 50 per cent of whom are
children, was suspended in March but resumed in June 2006. The protection
activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) for the refugee population in Kassala state were also seriously hampered
during that period.
B. Information on compliance and progress in situations not on the
agenda of the Security Council or in other situations of concern
Developments in Chad
79. The overall security situation remains volatile in eastern Chad, especially with
the ongoing fighting between the Government forces and the armed opposition, and
the presence of Sudanese rebels of a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)
and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). There are reports of forced
recruitment by SLA of children from the Breidjing, Treguine, Djabal and Goz Amir
refugee camps in eastern Chad. The children are reportedly taken into the Sudan.
From 17 to 19 March 2006, SLA rebels loyal to Commander Khamis Abdullah
Abaker entered the Breidjing and Treguine camps. According to UNHCR, an
estimated 4,700 refugees, some of them children, were recruited, some forcibly. All
of the 4,700 refugees returned to the camp in weeks subsequent to the recruitment,
except for 104, who as of 31 May 2006, were reported by refugee leaders and their
families not to have returned to Breidjing and Treguine. According to the leaders,
the missing refugees were either with the rebels or in hiding in neighbouring
villages for fear of being targeted again by recruiters. Some children were reported
to have been recruited in Goz Amir and Djabal camps as well, although many
refugee youth interviewed by UNHCR indicated that they had joined SLA
voluntarily. In Djabal and Goz Amir camps, teachers were among the recruiters.
There is compelling evidence that some Chadian authorities were aware but not able
or willing to prevent the recruitment taking place in these refugee camps. UNHCR,
in coordination with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations, is looking into the possibility of
strengthening security arrangements in and around refugee camps in Chad.
80. Although it is difficult to obtain the exact number of victims, hundreds of
Chadian displaced people, including children, have been killed, raped and abducted
in attacks on sites for internally displaced persons throughout eastern Chad since
January 2006. Displaced women and girls are also targeted for sexual violence by
members of armed groups, including the Janjaweed. It was reported to UNICEF that
33 women and girls from the Bildigue and Haraza tribes in the Koubigou internally
displaced person site had been raped during the past four months.
Developments in Colombia
81. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARCEP)
continues to recruit and use children. There is no information of recent child
recruitment by the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), which is presently
involved in talks with the Government. However, from November 2005 to
September 2006, at least 56 children who had been demobilized through the
Government demobilization programme declared that they had been part of ELN.
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The United Nations country team believes that there are still children in ELN. The
United Nations has received information that children also continue to be recruited
by other right wing illegal armed groups outside the demobilization process begun
in late 2004 with the Autodefensa Unidas de Colombia (AUC), such as the
Autodefensas Campesinas del Casanare and the Frente Cacique Pipinta.
82. Although there has been a marked decrease in the number of child abductions
compared with recent years, the practice of abducting children continues among
illegal armed groups. According to reliable sources, 137 children were abducted in
2005 and 2006 by illegal armed groups.
83. FARC-EP, ELN and other illegal armed groups outside the demobilization
process also continue to be responsible for acts of sexual violence, including rape
and torture, against girls. According to a report on Colombia prepared by the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), there has
also been an increase in the number of allegations of acts of sexual violence against
girls, in particular by members of the security forces.
84. The presence of landmines laid by FARC-EP and ELN and unexploded
ordnance on school premises, in local water sources and on rural access roads
represent a grave and growing concern, claiming many child victims. Some 30 per
cent of civilian victims of anti-personnel landmines are children. Although there has
been a reduction in comparison with previous years, forced displacement of
civilians, 40 per cent of them children, has continued as a result of armed
confrontations among parties to the conflict.
85. The Government has been relatively successful in its efforts with regard to the
demobilization process of AUC. Since 12 December 2005, all 11 AUC groups have
been demobilized in 17 collective demobilization sessions. However, there are
concerns about the demobilized groups regrouping into criminal groups, as well as
the emergence of new illegal armed actors or the strengthening of existing groups in
areas already evacuated by demobilized groups. Since 1999, the National Institute
for Family Welfare has undertaken a comprehensive programme to provide proper
care to children and adolescents demobilized from illegal armed groups, which had
involved 2,916 children from all groups up to June 2006 and 440 children from
November 2005 to September 2006. Significant State resources have been applied to
this programme, with progressive improvement in its quality. Child beneficiaries of
this programme have largely been individually demobilized or captured, with the
exception of approximately 300 formally handed over by AUC since the end of 2004
during the formal AUC demobilization process. Concerns in this regard have been
expressed by the Procurador General de la Nación, considering that this illegal
armed group is likely to have only released a portion of the children associated with
its armed group.
Developments in Nepal
86. The change in Government in April 2006 and the subsequent ceasefire
announcements by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) have halted
military actions throughout the country. However, the peace process remains fragile.
Reciprocal ceasefires have been declared without a formal ceasefire agreement
being signed, and the issue of removing children from armed groups and their
reintegration has not been the subject of agreement. Despite the efforts of child
protection stakeholders, the 25-point code of conduct for the ceasefire signed by
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both parties in May 2006 did not include any specific provisions for the protection
of children.
87. There is increasingly strong evidence of the presence of children with the
People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the military wing of CPN-M, and that they are
used as combatants, informants and in various logistical capacities. While CPN-M
repeatedly denies the recruitment and use of children for military purposes,
UNICEF has documented reports confirming the presence of numerous child
soldiers in PLA. Some 295 cases of recruitment, 39 per cent of them girls, have
been documented, out of which 137 are still active since the ceasefire. Prior to the
April 2006 ceasefire, there were special recruitment campaigns, such as the “one
family, one member for the party”, where children were recruited, forcibly or
voluntarily. Some children who have escaped from CPN-M, are afraid to return to
their homes for fear of re-recruitment by CPN-M and of arrest by the State security
forces. There are also reports that clearly suggest that the CPN-M cultural groups
are largely composed of children used as community mobilizers, to attract other
children in the CPN-M affiliated movements. In April 2006, CPN-M released a
statement of commitment to respect the rights of children, stating that CPN-M
would not make use of children below the age of 18 years. However, to date, no
substantial progress has been noted to prevent the use of children or to release
children.
88. There is also cursory evidence of children being used as informants and
messengers by the State security forces, to spy on and identify CPN-M cadres.
However, more information is needed to determine if this is a systematic practice.
89. The State security forces and CPN-M have consistently failed to take all
necessary measures to protect civilians during attacks on military targets. For
example, in January 2006, in Nepalgunj, a 15-year-old girl was killed while she was
inside her home as a result of indiscriminate firing by a police patrol. Further,
investigations conducted by OHCHR into 13 military operations or clashes that took
place between the end of the CPN-M unilateral ceasefire and the beginning of
March 2006 showed that two children had been killed and six others injured as a
result of aerial bombardments by the Royal Nepal Army. Since the ceasefire, there
have been no reports of children killed or injured as a result of military operations
by either party.
90. Mass abductions of thousands of individuals, mostly students and teachers, to
participate in political demonstrations and mass rallies took place throughout the
reporting period. National human rights organizations reported over 8,000
abductions, including 3,000 children between 3 September and 2 December 2005.
Most of the children were released after short periods of political indoctrination.
Since May 2006, there has been a significant decrease in abductions by CPN-M,
although the party and its affiliated bodies continue to take civilians into captivity,
including children, as part of their investigations into alleged offences as part of
their “law enforcement” activities. For example, on 20 June 2006, in Nawalparasi, 6
children between 14 and 16 years of age were among 10 persons abducted and
accused of theft.
91. There is widespread practice of forced closure of private and community
schools by CPN-M and its student wing in all regions of Nepal, with a notable
increase from September to December 2005 in the rural areas of the eastern region.
The use of school buildings as army barracks or temporary shelters by both the
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security forces and CPN-M, the destruction of schools during military operations
and the actual killing of teachers and students impede children’s access to education
in Nepal. Schools were sometimes attacked when students were present, or attacks
were initiated from schools by CPN-M, leading to further retaliation. For example,
in January 2006, members of PLA in Syangja District who were being attacked by
the Royal Nepalese Army took refuge in a school while 130 children and 5 teachers
were present. During an aerial attack in March 2006 in Sindhupalchowk District,
bombs were fired from helicopters by the Royal Nepalese Army in a civilian area
with extensive damage caused to school buildings and classrooms. Since the
ceasefire, military attacks in and around schools have stopped. However, some
schools continue to be occupied by security forces and CPN-M in various parts of
the country such as Khotand, Myagdi, Syangja, Tanahun, Bara, Kathmandu, Rukum,
Banke and Sindhuli districts.
92. The newly established Government has publicly announced that all detainees
held under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment)
Ordinance have been released, including children detained because of their previous
association with CPN-M. However, the United Nations country team believes that
some children still remain in detention, under different charges such as detention for
possession of arms and explosives, and murder.
Developments in the Philippines
93. Children continue to be targeted for recruitment, allegedly by the New
People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines
(CPP), despite the stated policy by CPP prohibiting the recruitment of anyone under
18 years of age into NPA. NPA claims that it assigns children to self-defence and
non-combatant duties. From January 2005 to June 2006, the United Nations country
team, in collaboration with child protection actors on the ground, documented 22
cases of children affiliated with NPA. During the last quarter of 2005, NPA allegedly
stepped up recruitment in the Visayas provinces, including Negros Occidental.
There have also been reports that children from indigenous communities in Northern
Luzon and many parts of north-eastern and southern Mindanao have been joining
NPA. In all these areas the actual number of children being recruited is difficult to
determine.
94. The Abu Sayyaf Group still recruits children to fight, although the number of
fighting forces is reported to have greatly diminished after the joint Philippine-
United States military exercises in Basilan. There are also known cases of
recruitment by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the rebel group in
Mindanao, with whom peace talks are presently under way. It is estimated that
13 per cent of the 10,000 elements of MILF are children. The increased numbers of
children joining MILF in Maguindanao Province is based on the assumption by
MILF that the children would benefit from the socio-economic package offered in
the event of the conclusion of the peace agreement. Despite sporadic fighting in
Mindanao, the Government of the Philippines and MILF remain committed to
continuing their talks with the hope of achieving sustainable peace in southern
Philippines within a year. The positive state of the peace talks has also encouraged
MILF to cooperate with civil society groups. Members of MILF have participated in
two training programmes on child protection, international human rights and
humanitarian law.
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95. In some provinces such as Bohol and Negros Occidental, child recruitment is
also reportedly being conducted by Government paramilitary forces such as the
Citizen’s Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU), although current reports do
not indicate that recruitment is systematic in nature. In 2005, the Commission on
Human Rights Region VI Office learned that two children had been recruited into
the CAFGU in Murcia, Negros Occidental. It immediately called the attention of the
commander of the 12th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
and the company commander sent the two under-aged recruits home. Such isolated
reports of recruitment into CAFGU continue, despite a directive from AFP strictly
setting the age of recruits at 18 years and above. The Armed Forces of the
Philippines, however, continues to be vigilant in ensuring that no children are
involved in CAFGU. The presence of independent authorities such as the Human
Rights Council appears to provide protection against these isolated violations.
96. From November 2005 to May 2006, the Joint Secretariat of the Government of
the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (Joint
Monitoring Committee) and United Nations partners received reports and affidavits
that documented 5 children killed and 45 children maimed in incidents related to
armed conflict, and 9 children abducted, with some allegations against members of
the Philippine Army and Scout Rangers. For example, on 25 November 2005, during
a clash between the Philippine military and rebel forces in Sariaya, Quezon, a 15-
year-old boy was injured, and on 31 January 2006, two 17-year-old boys were
reported to have been taken by members of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Armed
Forces of the Philippine in Sta. Ines West, Tarlac Province, and were later found
dead.
97. In response to the protection needs of children affected by armed conflict, the
Government of the Philippines continues to implement a presidential order
establishing a comprehensive programme for children involved in armed conflict, a
framework that tasks relevant agencies of the Government, including the
Department of National Defence and the Philippine National Police, on specific
protection mandates for affected children.
Developments in Sri Lanka
98. The ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been seriously hampered by
heightened levels of violence. Since early December 2005, violence has escalated
dramatically, including military confrontations in the north and east; suicide
bombings and claymore mine attacks in all parts of the country; and increased death
and injury of civilians. On 29 May 2006, the Council of the European Union added
LTTE to the Union’s list of terrorist organizations.
99. From 1 November 2005 to 30 September 2006, UNICEF received reports of
513 children recruited or re-recruited by LTTE. These figures only represent the
number of cases reported to UNICEF, and there were indications that the prevailing
security situation might be deterring families from reporting cases. The overlap
between children recorded on the UNICEF database and children who left LTTE
(released, ran away or returned home) is approximately 36 per cent, suggesting that
UNICEF figures reflect approximately one third of total cases of recruitment. On
the basis of cases reported to UNICEF, the average age of child recruits during this
period was 16 years. Some 68 per cent of recruits were boys and 32 per cent were
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girls. From 1 November 2005 to 30 September 2006, most cases were reported from
Kilinochchi district, with 26 per cent of the total number of children recruited or
re-recruited occurring in the district; Batticaloa reported the second highest number
of cases, with 23 per cent. During the same period, LTTE officially released 91
children and another 25 children are known to have escaped or run away. In most
cases, LTTE did not follow the agreed release procedures as children were often
transferred to a residential vocational training facility in Kilinochchi, or to the
human rights body of LTTE, the Northeast Secretariat for Human Rights. UNICEF
expressed concerns at this practice as children were placed in the institutions
without parental consent, and there were verification difficulties owing to
limitations in accessing the institutions.
100. Concerns have also been expressed regarding the civil defence training
provided by LTTE to civilian communities throughout the north and east. UNICEF
received reports of children as young as 16 years being included in the training
programmes. School principals and teachers were also required to attend, affecting
children’s schooling. Reports were received from Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee
and Kilinochchi districts of children not returning after attending the training
programmes and it is suspected that they have been recruited.
101. As at 30 September 2006, UNICEF had received 128 reports of children being
recruited by the Karuna faction. In the space of one week in mid-June, UNICEF
received 30 reports alleging that children had been abducted by the Karuna faction
in the areas of Santhiveli, Kiran, Mankerni, Valachchenai and Iruthayapuram
(Manmunai North). Only boys were taken. All of the cases involved forced
recruitment and abduction, in some cases by armed men who openly identified
themselves as members of the Karuna faction.
102. During the period from 1 November 2005 to 30 September 2006, the Sri
Lankan Monitoring Mission received 195 complaints of child abductions, including
110 complaints against LTTE, 79 complaints against a non-ceasefire agreement
entity (the Karuna faction) and 6 complaints against the Government of Sri Lanka.
103. Bombing raids were conducted by the Sri Lankan air force against LTTE
positions as part of retaliatory actions of a limited duration, causing death and injury
to children. On 25 April 2006, following a suicide bomb attack on the army chief,
General Sarath Fonseka, at army headquarters in Colombo, the Sri Lankan armed
forces launched retaliatory strikes on LTTE positions around Sampur and Mutur in
Trincomalee District. In this bombing raid, 4 children aged 4, 14, 15 and 16 years
were killed and 14 children, ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years, were injured.
On 14 August 2006, a bombing raid on a compound, which LTTE claimed was an
orphanage and the Government claimed was a military training ground, killed a
number of schoolgirls and injured many others.
104. In Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara
districts, school attendance rates have decreased in many places because of fear of
recruitment and the general security situation. Schools are also being occupied by
internally displaced persons and damaged by air and artillery attacks by fighting
forces. On 25 April 2006, a pre-school and the science laboratory of Chenaiyoor
Central College were damaged by Government air and artillery strikes around Mutur
in Trincomalee district. In Batticaloa, the Karuna faction opened a political office of
the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) next door to St. Cecilia’s Girls High
School, exposing children to the danger of attack.
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105. The escalation in violence since July 2006 has curtailed access to civilians
affected by the conflict in the north and east of Sri Lanka, restricting the delivery of
humanitarian assistance and raising concerns about the security of humanitarian
personnel, especially after the killing of 17 aid workers from the French nongovernmental
organization, Action Against Hunger, on 5 August 2006 in
Trincomalee. Further, as at 30 September 2006, according to UNHCR, 209,672
people (56,739 families) had been displaced since 7 April 2006 owing to the rapid
escalation of the conflict. The vast majority of the displacement has occurred since
August 2006 in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts, affecting
thousands of children.
106. A task force on monitoring and reporting on child’s rights violations within the
framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) has been established in Sri
Lanka. The inaugural meeting of the task force was held on 26 July 2006.
Developments in Uganda
107. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continued to abduct children for use as
combatants and as sexual slaves in northern Uganda, although the total number of
abductions has significantly reduced over time. The total number of abductions
since January 2005 is estimated to have been approximately 1,500, significantly
reducing to 222 over the first six months of 2006. For example, in May 2006, all 17
children reported to the United Nations country team to have been abducted were
released within 48 hours. On 13 October 2005, the International Criminal Court
issued arrest warrants for LRA leader Joseph Kony and four others. The five are
accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, abduction,
sexual enslavement, mutilation and forced recruitment of children. In May, June and
July 2006, Mr. Kony met with southern Sudanese mediators attempting to broker an
end to the hostilities between LRA and the Ugandan Government. The LRA leader
reportedly said that he was committed to the peace process. Although President
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had given LRA leaders until 31 July 2006 to surrender and
receive amnesty, on 15 July, Uganda’s representatives agreed to send a delegation to
meet with the LRA delegation in Juba, southern Sudan, and began negotiations. On
29 August 2006, a ceasefire between the Government of Uganda and LRA came into
force. LRA has since begun to assemble in the Ri-Kwangba and Owiny Ki-Bul
camps at the border with southern Sudan, and has agreed to release all women and
children present in the group.
108. Although the Government of Uganda does not have an official policy to recruit
children, children are present among the local defence units and the Uganda
People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). There are also no signs of the release of the 1,128
children reported to have been mobilized into local defence units in late 2004 in
Kitgum, Pader and parts of Teso. During the recent visit of the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict to Uganda,
the Government agreed to enter into an action plan and to strengthen the
implementation of existing legal and policy frameworks on the recruitment and use
of children.
109. Children were among the 131 civilians reported to the United Nations country
team as having been killed by LRA between August 2005 and June 2006 in
ambushes on roads and attacks on persons found outside internally displaced person
camps. For example, in January 2006, a boy was killed by LRA after he was
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captured close to Amida camp in Kitgum district. Children have also been killed by
UPDF soldiers and local defence units. For example, in February 2006, an 8-yearold
girl was killed by soldiers in Ngomoromo in Kitgum district, and 4 children
were among 10 civilians killed by local defence units at Ogwete camp in Lira
district in May 2006.
110. There are also many reported cases of sexual exploitation and sexual violence
against girls by Government military personnel in internally displaced person camp
settings. For example, in January 2006, a UPDF soldier was reported to have been
responsible for the rape of a 17-year-old girl outside Pagal camp in Gulu district and
in February 2006 a 17-year-old soldier was arrested and charged with rape in Lira
Palwo in Pader. The Government has made a commitment to putting in place
enforceable guidelines and training of military personnel to prevent such cases from
recurring.
111. In June 2006, a monitoring and reporting task force on child’s rights violations
within the framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) was inaugurated
in Uganda, co-chaired by UNICEF and OHCHR.
C. Sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeeping
personnel
112. Building on the work of my Adviser on sexual exploitation and abuse,
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Permanent Representative of Jordan to the
United Nations, efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping
personnel continue. The Secretariat, with the support of Member States, has
developed a comprehensive strategy to address sexual exploitation and abuse.
Mandatory training for personnel and awareness-raising for the local population on
sexual exploitation and abuse are key aspects of the prevention strategy. United
Nations peacekeeping operations are reporting a high coverage of personnel trained
with over 90 per cent of all personnel having received mandatory training in some
missions.
113. To strengthen the Organization’s ability to respond effectively to allegations of
abuse, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations established a conduct and
discipline team at its headquarters and in eight peace operations in November 2005.
The headquarters team provides oversight on the state of conduct and discipline for
all categories of United Nations personnel in all peace operations led by the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Conduct and discipline teams in peace
operations provide advice to the head of mission on preventing and responding to all
conduct and discipline issues involving all categories of personnel in the mission.
Mission conduct and discipline teams play a key role in receiving allegations of
misconduct, tracking misconduct cases and assisting the mission to develop and
implement measures to prevent misconduct, enforce United Nations standards of
conduct and provide remedial action to victims. For instance, child protection
advisers assist the work of the mission team by incorporating messages on sexual
exploitation and abuse in training tools on the rights of the child for contingent
personnel, directing allegations of sexual misconduct from child rights and human
rights organizations to the mission team and helping disseminate information on
United Nations standards of conduct through their civil society contacts. Further, to
provide support and assistance to victims of abuse by United Nations personnel, I
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issued a draft policy statement and comprehensive strategy on assistance and
support to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations staff. This
policy provides for victim advocacy, referral systems and funding. It should be
highlighted that the responsibility of troop-contributing countries to discipline their
peacekeeping personnel is critical in this regard.
114. It is unfortunate that despite these efforts abuses continue. From 1 January
2004 to 18 August 2006, investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation and
abuse involving 313 United Nations peacekeeping personnel resulted in 17 civilians
being dismissed or their contracts not renewed and 17 police and 141 military
peacekeeping personnel being repatriated on disciplinary grounds. As of 18 August
2006, 85 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving civilian (29), police
(8) and military peacekeeping personnel (48) were reported to the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations during 2006, and these cases are pending investigation.
115. Further, on 18 August 2006, the international media reported on allegations of
a prostitution ring run by soldiers, and involving young girls, some as young as 15-
years old, in the South Kivu area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is
believed that some of these soldiers are United Nations peacekeepers. Investigations
into these allegations are currently being conducted and disciplinary action will be
taken against any United Nations personnel implicated.
V. Information on progress made in the implementation of the
monitoring and reporting mechanism
116. In its resolution 1612 (2005), the Security Council called for the
implementation, within existing resources, of the monitoring and reporting
mechanism outlined in my report (S/2005/72). It also requested an independent
review of the mechanism to be reported to the Security Council by 31 July 2006. I
have requested the Office of Internal Oversight Services to carry out this
independent review. The review is ongoing and key partners are fully cooperating
with the exercise. I will present the results of this review to the Security Council in
November 2006.
117. In the year since the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005), steady progress has
been made in establishing the monitoring and reporting mechanism in the seven
situations that were designated as priorities for the first phase of implementation,
namely, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia,
the Sudan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The country-level task forces received significant
guidance from United Nations Headquarters to facilitate implementation, including
reporting templates, definitions of grave violations and other relevant technical
materials. In addition, several country visits have been undertaken to brief and
facilitate the start up of the work of these task forces. I have sent information from
the monitoring and reporting mechanism through reports to the Security Council on
the situation of children affected by armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo and the Sudan; and through the United Nations Secretariat “horizontal”
reports on situations of concern to the Working Group of the Security Council on
Children and Armed Conflict.
118. The Working Group has been established and has held five formal meetings.
The terms of reference of the Working Group and its workplan for 2006 were
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adopted in May 2006. To date, the Working Group has considered reports on
situations of concern in relation to children and armed conflict in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Sudan, and has issued recommendations with
respect to the report of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Council and
other bodies within the United Nations system.
119. There have been significant challenges in undertaking such a complex multistakeholder
initiative. These include serious difficulties of safe and unhindered
access of United Nations and other humanitarian personnel for monitoring and
reporting; ensuring buy-in and clarity on division of labour and complementarity of
roles of partners within and outside the United Nations system; adequate levels of
child protection expertise within United Nations entities and other partners; and
adequate level of resources for sustainable long-term response and intervention
programmes for children affected by armed conflict. Although country specificities,
capacities and expectations of major stakeholders vary at country level, all possible
efforts have been made to ensure provision of reliable, accurate and objective
monitoring reports.
VI. Information on progress made in the development and
implementation of the action plans
120. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1539 (2004), calling for parties to
prepare concrete time-bound action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children
in violation of international obligations applicable to them, and reaffirmed by the
Council in resolution 1612 (2005) calling for the parties concerned to develop and
implement action plans without delay in close collaboration with United Nations
peacekeeping missions and United Nations country teams, action plans and/or
advocacy efforts have been made with the parties in the following situations of
armed conflict.
121. In Burundi, there have been no official negotiations with FNL to halt the use
and recruitment of children. However, the ONUB presented a document to FNL
during the ceasefire negotiations in June 2006, requesting FNL to prioritize the
demobilization of children. FNL has not signed the document. Further, in a note
verbale dated 9 August 2006, ONUB requested the Government to release former
FNL child combatants from the Randa detention centre, for immediate
demobilization. As of the beginning of September 2006, the child combatants were
still being held in Randa. Discussions with the Government continue on the need to
release these children into the reintegration programme.
122. In Côte d’Ivoire, on 26 November 2005, FAFN committed to an action plan to
handover all demobilized children to UNICEF and to prevent the recruitment and
association of children with its forces. FAFN also agreed to designate focal points
for the identification and demobilization of children in the camps as well as approve
unimpeded access to camps, checkpoints and military barracks to verify the
presence of children. FAFN has agreed with UNICEF to establish an independent
verification commission to ensure compliance with the action plan. The work of the
verification commission will be complemented by the regular monitoring activities
of United Nations peacekeeping personnel. So far, FAFN has made all efforts to
comply. Additional resources are required for the rehabilitation and reintegration
programme for demobilized children. The other militia groups, FLGO, MILOCI,
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APWé and UPRGO, with the exception of the armed civil defence groups in the
west and GPP in Abidjan, have also engaged in dialogue with the United Nations,
for the establishment of an action plan to end the use of child soldiers in
government-controlled territories. On 14 September 2006, all four militia groups
signed a regional action plan to end the use and recruitment of children. They have
agreed to release all children within their ranks; cooperate with the national
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme on children’s issues; take
specific measures to prevent recruitment of children, define time-bound benchmarks
for measuring progress and compliance, and to allow unhindered access for
monitoring and verification of the action plan.
123. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNICEF and MONUC met with
FARDC in March 2005 in order to raise issues of the recruitment and use of
children. Following this meeting, all regional commanders of FARDC were given
instructions prohibiting the recruitment and use of children, stating that perpetrators
would be prosecuted. FARDC military tribunals have also begun prosecuting cases
of child recruitment by FARDC officers. Further, dialogue with militia leaders
aimed at completing the withdrawal of all children present in military groups
continue in the context of the national disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration plan.
124. The submission of my country report on children and armed conflict in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Security Council and its Working Group
on Children and Armed Conflict on 13 June 2006 (S/2006/389) was received
positively by the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Working
Group made recommendations to the Security Council to consider targeted sanctions
on the leaders of the Mouvement Révoluntionaire du Congo (MRC) for repeated
violations of Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict; and have
referred rebel leader Laurent Nkunda to the Security Council Committee established
pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the support
of the United Nations country task force, is currently engaged with its national
institutions in implementing the recommendations outlined in the country report, a
progress to be commended.
125. In Nepal, in June 2006, the United Nations country team met with the
Government and CPN-M and requested the parties to nominate focal points to
discuss monitoring and reporting on grave violations affecting children within the
framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005). The nomination of focal
points is still pending. To date, CPN-M has yet to engage in substantive dialogue on
the release of children associated with their forces.
126. In Sri Lanka, in June 2003, the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE endorsed
an agreement committing to an action plan for children affected by war in the north
east of Sri Lanka. Under the action plan, LTTE committed to ceasing all recruitment
of children and to releasing all children already in its ranks. In a meeting between
UNICEF and LTTE in January 2006, it was agreed that both parties would meet
regularly to discuss technical issues about the release of children and measures to
stop recruitment. Dialogue continues to take place between UNICEF and LTTE
through this forum. LTTE also announced the formation of a child protection unit.
However, a residual caseload of 1,464 children remain unaddressed as at 30 June
2006. In June 2006, following reports of recruitment by the Karuna group, UNICEF
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met with the political wing of the Karuna faction, TMVP, to remind it of its
obligations not to recruit children and to seek the release of underage recruits. This
dialogue is ongoing, but the Karuna faction has yet to provide concrete
commitments.
127. In Somalia, as a follow-up to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the
United Nations country team met with ICU, and will include the issues of child
recruitment in its further dialogues with both sides to the conflict. UNICEF and its
partners have just finalized a five-year strategy for advocacy and intervention for
children associated with armed groups, which will guide future interaction with
those responsible for involving children in armed conflict. To date, no concrete
interventions on this issue have been made with the existing political entities.
128. In southern Sudan, the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) child
protection advisers have been using the Ceasefire Joint Military Committee and its
seven subsidiary area joint military committees to engage the Sudan Armed Forces
and SPLA in dialogue on abuses against children and difficulties in releasing
children from military units, in particular those newly incorporated from other
armed groups. In Darfur, since the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement, UNICEF
and UNMIS have been in dialogue with SLA (Minawi) and SLA (Wahid) regarding
the need to end recruitment of children and to release children who are associated
with those armed groups. SLA (Minawi) committed itself to facilitate the work of
UNICEF and provide its full support in releasing and reintegrating children
associated with its forces. However, recent internal fighting within the SLA
(Minawi) faction has hindered follow-up action. It is important to note that the
ability of the United Nations to initiate and engage in dialogue with armed groups
on grave child rights violations is often hindered by access restrictions and fluid
chains of command in some groups.
129. In Uganda, the recent mission of my Special Representative for Children and
Armed Conflict resulted in: (a) the Government agreeing to work with UNICEF and
OHCHR to set up an action plan for the prevention of recruitment; (b) the removal
of child combatants in local defence units and UPDF; (c) the strengthening of
measures by the Government with regard to taking disciplinary action against armed
forces personnel who knowingly recruit children in the local defence units and
UPDF, as well as strengthening existing procedures for access of designated
personnel from UNICEF, OHCHR and the Uganda Human Rights Commission to
enter military installations for the purposes of verifying presence of children in the
armed forces; and (d) the Government undertaking to seriously consider enacting
criminal legislation to prevent and punish civilian abettors of child recruitment.
VII. Information on the assessment of the role and activities of
child protection advisers
130. The Security Council has repeatedly called upon me to ensure that the need for
and the number and roles of child protection advisers are systematically assessed
during the preparation of each peacekeeping operation. In this regard, in resolution
1612 (2005), paragraph 20 (d), the Council requested me to include information on
the assessment of the role and activities of child protection advisers in my report on
the implementation of the resolution. Pursuant to that request, the Peacekeeping
Best Practices Section of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is undertaking
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a study of the child protection experience in peace operations. This study seeks to
address the following specific questions: (a) are child protection advisers effective?;
(b) in what ways have they made an impact?; and (c) how can the overall impact of
child protection advisers be strengthened?
131. Preliminary findings from the study indicate that child protection advisers are
effective in two major areas: in gathering information for monitoring and reporting
purposes; and in mainstreaming child protection within missions and through
mission training programmes. Mainstreaming child protection within the mission
reinforces the monitoring and reporting aspect by creating a knowledge base and
expertise on child protection. Serving and former child protection advisers who
participated in the study, as well as child protection partners, highlighted monitoring
and reporting as an area where child protection advisers have been effective and
have made a positive impact. The increased awareness of children and armed
conflict issues among United Nations civilian police, military observers and the
military, all of whom operate on a regular basis in front-line areas, where children
are found in harm’s way, greatly enhances the work of child protection advisers by
providing an extended network of available resources to monitor violations.
132. The findings also indicate that there is room for improvement in a number of
areas. First is the overall understanding of the child protection adviser function
within missions, especially among senior mission leadership. There is also a
tendency for other civilian personnel to see child protection advisers as providers of
humanitarian assistance rather than advocates for improved policy and approaches
towards children and armed conflict. Second is the placement of the child protection
function within the “pillars” of the mission structure, concluding that the child
protection function is often not optimally located within that structure; the actual
location of the child protection function tends to vary across missions, with child
protection advisers sometimes subsumed within other sections, pointing to a lack of
a clear Department of Peacekeeping Operations policy consensus about where child
protection advisers should be located. Individual child protection advisers have on
certain occasions interpreted their mandate broadly, sometimes leading to a lack of
common understanding with key partners. This should be addressed in a structured
way with all major stakeholders as a priority. Third is the need for stronger child
protection policy support within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the
headquarters level.
133. The study on child protection experience in peace operations is expected to be
completed within the next two months, and will provide a comprehensive
assessment of the impact and effectiveness of child protection advisers as well as a
number of specific recommendations.
VIII. Recommendations
134. I recommend that the Security Council consider expanding its focus and
give equal care and attention to children affected by armed conflict in all
situations of concern; and to give equal weight to all categories of grave
violations beyond the recruitment and use of child soldiers to include the killing
and maiming of children, rape and other grave sexual violence, abductions,
attacks against schools or hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access for
children.
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135. I encourage the Security Council to continue to call upon parties to
prepare concrete time-bound action plans to halt the recruitment and use of
children in violation of international obligations applicable to them, and to
expand the call for action plans to all situations of concern.
136. I call upon donors to ensure that adequate resources and funding are
available to national Governments, the United Nations and partners, for the
rehabilitation and reintegration of all children who have been associated with
armed forces, and to develop relevant and effective programmatic action that
reinforces the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for children, ensuring
long-term sustainability and success of such interventions.
137. I welcome the Security Council’s continuing consideration of effective
targeted measures against parties to armed conflict who continue to
systematically commit grave violations against children in armed conflict in
defiance of Council resolutions.
138. I encourage State parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to
take measures to support the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights
of the Child, to strengthen national and international measures for the
prevention of recruitment of children for armed forces or armed groups and
their use in hostilities, in particular by signing and ratifying the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict; enacting legislation that explicitly prohibits by law
the recruitment of children under the age of 15 years into armed forces/groups
and their direct participation in hostilities.
IX. Annexed lists
139. The present report contains two annexes.2 Annex I lists parties that recruit or
use children in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council,
bearing in mind other grave violations and abuses committed against children.
Annex II lists parties that recruit or use children either in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council or in other situations of concern,
also bearing in mind other grave violations and abuses committed against children.
140. It should be noted that the annexes do not list countries as such. The purpose
of the annexed lists is to identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible
for specific grave violations against children. In this respect, the names of countries
are referred to only in order to indicate the locations or situations where offending
parties are committing the violations in question.
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Notes
1 Applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict
include, in particular, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and obligations applicable under the
Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the
Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and the amended Protocol II to the Convention on
Prohibitions or Restriction on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed
to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, the International Labour
Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition
of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction.
2 The parties are listed in alphabetical order in the annexes.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children in situations of
armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council,
bearing in mind other violations and abuses committed
against children
Parties in Burundi
Parti de libération du Peuple hutu (Palipehutu)-Forces Nationales pour la
Libération (FNL) — Agathon Rwasa
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children in
the reporting period.
Parties in Côte d’Ivoire
1. Armed militia groups affiliated with the Presidential camp
(a) Front de libération du Grand Ouest (FLGO)
(b) Mouvement ivoirien de libération ouest de Côte d’Ivoire (MILOCI)
(c) Alliance patriotique de l’ethnie Wé (APWé)
(d) Union patriotique de résistance du Grand Ouest (UPRGO)
2. Forces armées des Forces nouvelles (FAFN)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence in the reporting period.
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)
This party has also been responsible for the abductions of children in the
reporting period.
3. Front nationaliste et integrationaliste (FNI)
4. Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, Maniema and Katanga who have
not integrated into FARDC
5. Non-integrated FARDC elements loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda
This party has also been responsible for the abductions of children in the
reporting period.
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Parties in Myanmar
1. Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)
2. Karenni Army (KA)
3. Tatmadaw Kyi
4. United Wa State Army
Parties in Somalia
1. Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter Terrorism (ARPCT)
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children
and attacks against hospitals in the reporting period.
2. Union of the Islamic Courts (ICU)
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children in
the reporting period.
Parties in the Sudan
1. Parties under the control of the Government of the Sudan
(a) Darfur Government supporting militias, also called Janjaweed
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
(b) Police forces (camel police)
(c) Sudan Armed Forces
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions of
children and the denial of humanitarian access in the reporting period.
2. Former rebel parties who have accepted the Darfur Peace Agreement
Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) (Minawi)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
3. Parties under the control of the Government of Southern Sudan
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children in
the reporting period.
4. Parties under the control of both the Government of the Sudan and the
Government of Southern Sudan
Joint Integrated Units of the Sudan Armed Forces and SPLA
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36 06-57795
5. Groups of tribally linked armed civilians involved in inter-communal fighting
or confrontations with parties
The White Army (Lou Nuer)
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children in
the reporting period
6. Other groups active in Sudanese territory
(a) Chadian opposition forces
(b) Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
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06-57795 37
Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children in situations of
armed conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council,
or in other situations of concern, bearing in mind other
violations and abuses committed against children
Parties in Chad
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)
This party has also been responsible for abductions and committing rape and
other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP)
This party has also been responsible for abductions and committing rape and
other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
3. Illegal armed groups not participating in the demobilization process
(a) Autodefensas Campesinas del Casanare
(b) Frente Cacique Pipinta
These parties have also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions
and committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the
reporting period.
Parties in Nepal
Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M)
This party has also been responsible for killing, maiming, and abducting
children and attacks against schools and hospitals in the reporting period.
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
3. New People’s Army (NPA)
Parties in Sri Lanka
1. Karuna faction
This party has also been responsible for abducting children in the reporting
period.
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38 06-57795
2. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
This party has also been responsible for abducting children in the reporting
period.
Parties in Uganda
1. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
2. Government armed forces and defence units
(a) Local defence units
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming children in the
reporting period.
(b) Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)
This party has also been responsible for the killing, maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
United Nations A/62/609–S/2007/757
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
21 December 2007
Original: English
07-65604 (E) 250108
*0765604*
General Assembly
Sixty-second session
Agenda item 66 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights
of children
Security Council
Sixty-second year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council presidential
statement (S/PRST/2006/48), by which the Council requested me to submit a report
on the further progress in the implementation of resolutions 1612 (2005),
1379 (2001), 1460 (2003) and 1539 (2004). In accordance with the Council’s
request, the report includes information on compliance in ending the recruitment
and use of children in armed conflict in violation of applicable international law and
other grave violations being committed against children affected by armed conflict.1
The report also includes information on progress made in the implementation of the
monitoring and reporting mechanism; information on progress made in the
development and implementation of action plans (called for in para. 7 of resolution
1612 (2005)); and information on the mainstreaming of child protection in United
Nations peacekeeping operations.
2. Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003),
1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), the report covers compliance in ending the
recruitment and use of children and other grave violations, including the killing and
maiming of children, rape and other sexual violence, abductions, denial of
__________________
1 Applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict
include, in particular, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and obligations applicable under the
Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the
Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and the amended Protocol II to the Convention on
Prohibitions or Restriction on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed
to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, International Labour
Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition
of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction.
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humanitarian access to children and attacks against schools and hospitals by parties
to armed conflict.
3. The preparation of the present report involved broad consultations within the
United Nations, in particular with the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict at
Headquarters, country-level task forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping
and political missions and United Nations country teams, as well as with concerned
Member States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Country-level task
forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping and political missions, and United
Nations country teams are the primary sources of information for the report.
4. References to reports, cases, incidents, and so on in the present report refer to
information that is gathered, vetted and verified for accuracy. In situations where
access to, obtaining or independently verifying information received is hampered by
factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such.
5. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in identifying the
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
children and armed conflict was guided by the criteria for determining the existence
of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and international
jurisprudence.2 In the performance of her mandate, my Special Representative has
adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach to this issue, with a humanitarian
emphasis, focusing on ensuring broad and effective protection for children exposed
and affected by conflict in situations of concern. Reference to a situation of concern
is not a legal determination and reference to a non-State party does not affect its
legal status.
II. Cross-cutting issues of concern
6. Recruitment of children and internal displacement are closely linked, such as
in Colombia, as too often displacement becomes the only avenue left for families in
certain areas to avoid their children’s recruitment by armed groups. On the other
hand, evidence suggests that refugee and internally displaced person camps are
often prime recruiting grounds for child soldiers owing to the convenient
concentration of vulnerable children. The lack of security around these camps is
said to be an important factor that increases the likelihood of child recruitment.
During the reporting period, there have been reports that the Karuna faction have
abducted and recruited children from internally displaced person camps in
Sri Lanka. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children have been recruited
from internally displaced person camps in North Kivu Province by forces loyal to
rebel leader Laurent Nkunda during the recent upsurge in violence.
7. The movement of armed groups across borders to recruit children from refugee
camps continues to be alarming. Along the Sudan-Chad border, both Sudanese and
Chadian armed groups are recruiting children from Sudanese refugee camps in
eastern Chad, while Chadian refugee children are being recruited by Sudanese rebel
groups in Darfur. Since January 2007, there has also been a surge in the recruitment
and use of Congolese and Rwandan children in North Kivu from refugee camps and
communities in Rwanda by forces loyal to Laurent Nkunda, as well as Ugandan
__________________
2 See, for example, common article 2 to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, article 1 of
Additional Protocol II of 1977 thereto; J. Pictet, editor, Commentary to the IV Geneva
Convention (1958), p. 20; and Tadíc, IT-94, International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Appeals Chamber, 2 October 1995.
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children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo-Uganda border areas. The
transportation of vulnerable children by both the Government and rebel groups
across borders during armed conflict constitutes one of the worst forms of child
trafficking.
8. Girls, and sometimes boys, are targeted with various forms of sexual and
gender-based violence, including rape, during armed conflicts. The perpetration of
sexual violence against children by State and non-State parties to conflict is
prohibited by international humanitarian law and is a violation of human rights. In
Darfur, rape is a method of warfare used by armed groups to deliberately humiliate
and to force displacement of girls and their families. In the Great Lakes region,
especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated appalling levels of sexual
and gender-based violence. For example, 60 per cent of the cases recorded in
Kisangani, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, involved victims between
the ages of 11 and 17. It is imperative that perpetrators of acts of rape and other
sexual violence which leave a long-term, devastating impact on the victims are
prosecuted in accordance with the gravity of such crimes. The recent decision of the
International Criminal Court to open an investigation in the Central African
Republic on allegations of rape and other sexual crimes committed in the context of
armed conflict between the Government and rebel forces is an important step
towards that end.
9. Increasingly, we are also encountering cases of children being detained for
alleged association with armed groups in violation of international standards, for
example in Burundi, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Israel
and the Philippines. Many of the detained children are subjected to ill treatment,
torture, forceful interrogation and deprivation of food and education. The children
also lack recourse to prompt and appropriate legal assistance, and usually are not
separated from adults. In certain situations, some of these children have been used
as guides and informers for Government military operations, usually under coercion.
During the reporting period, some children have been released owing to United
Nations advocacy efforts, such as in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo; however, many children remain in detention centres, local prisons,
interrogation centres and holding camps.
10. Systematic and deliberate attacks on schoolchildren, teachers and school
buildings have, since the last reporting period, escalated in certain conflict
situations, warranting the increased attention of, and action by, the international
community. In Afghanistan, insurgents continue to burn down schools, especially
girls’ schools, in an effort to intimidate and prevent girls from accessing education.
In Iraq, students are also targets of violent crimes and sectarian killings, especially
in Baghdad and Mosul. Killings of teachers, closures of schools and children’s fear
of being abducted have contributed to a dramatic decrease in school attendance
rates.
11. Despite the continuing commitment of the Government of Thailand to ensuring
children’s access to education, of increasing concern are the disruptions in schools
experienced in the south of the country owing to violent attacks on schools, children
and teachers by armed elements. In March 2007, three students were killed and
seven injured in an attack at a boarding school in Songkhla, and five primary school
students were injured when their bus was fired at in Narathiwat. So far, 73 teachers
have been killed and more than 100 schools have been burned down, including
11 schools in June 2007 alone, in Raman district, Yala Province. Efforts by the
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Government to keep educational facilities available for all children in the region are
commendable.
12. Since the last reporting period, important precedents have been set to end
impunity for crimes against children, particularly the recruitment and use of
children by Government forces or armed groups. These include the confirmation of
charges by the International Criminal Court against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, founder
and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots in the Ituri region of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, for the conscription and enlistment of children under the age
of 15 and the use of children for active participation in hostilities and the arrest
warrants issued by the Court for five senior members of the Lord’s Resistance Army
(LRA), including its leader, Joseph Kony, who is charged with 33 counts of war
crimes and crimes against humanity, including the forcible enlistment and use of
children in hostilities. Furthermore, for the first time, a former head of State,
Charles Taylor of Liberia, is undergoing trial in The Hague before the Special Court
for Sierra Leone for 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including
conscripting or enlisting children into armed forces or groups and using them to
participate actively in hostilities. Sentencing by the Special Court for Sierra Leone
of Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu of the
Armed Force Revolutionary Council and the conviction of Allieu Kondewa of the
Civil Defence Forces militia for the recruitment and use of child soldiers send an
important message that such crimes against children will not be tolerated and that
those who engage in the practice will be brought to justice. Notwithstanding
international efforts, national authorities must also promptly commence appropriate
national prosecutions for grave crimes against children.
13. The use of indiscriminate weapons, such as cluster munitions during attacks in
areas of civilian concentration, has a severe impact on civilians, particularly
children, even long after the conflicts have ended. In southern Lebanon, for
example, children continue to be injured and killed by the large number of
unexploded submunitions remaining from the 2006 conflict. It is imperative that a
legally binding international instrument be developed to prohibit the use of cluster
munitions which cause harm to civilians.
14. There has been less focus on the reintegration of children associated with
armed groups than on disarmament and demobilization in post-conflict situations.
As the prospects for recovery in most countries also depend on the successful
reintegration of these children, peacebuilding efforts should address children’s
protection and reintegration needs in the initial planning and implementation of
peacebuilding operations. Long-term recovery and development programmes, linked
to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, should be community based, in
order to provide sustainable and successful reintegration for these children.
III. Information on compliance and progress in ending the
recruitment and use of children and other violations
against children
15. The present report provides information on developments covering the period
from October 2006 to August 2007. Reports on children and armed conflict in
Burundi, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda were also submitted to the Security
Council and its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in the reporting
period.
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16. Progress made by the parties listed in annexes I and II to the present report,
and named in the body of my 2006 report (A/61/529-S/2006/826), has been assessed
with respect to whether they have ceased recruiting and using child soldiers and
whether they have refrained from committing other grave violations against
children. Progress made by the parties is also assessed with respect to whether they
have engaged in dialogue with the country-level task force on monitoring and
reporting or United Nations country teams (as called for in Security Council
resolution 1539 (2004)), and whether through that dialogue, or in the context of
other processes, such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes
or the signing of peace agreements, they have developed and implemented action
plans to end the use of child soldiers and released all children from their ranks.
17. Parties who fully comply with terms set forth in action plans and undertake
verified measures to address all the other grave violations for which they have been
cited, to the satisfaction of the country-level task forces on monitoring and reporting
or United Nations country teams and the Task Force on Children and Armed
Conflict, will be considered for de-listing from the annexes. De-listing does not in
any way negate the requirement for continued monitoring of formerly listed parties
by the country-level task force on monitoring and reporting or the United Nations
country team. Should it be determined that de-listed parties recruit and use children
at a later point in time or fail to allow continuous and unhindered access to the
United Nations for verification, they will be re-listed onto the annexes and the
Security Council alerted to non-compliance.
18. A noteworthy achievement has been realized with the parties to conflict in
Côte d’Ivoire, where no new cases of recruitment of children have been recorded
since the last reporting period. The Forces armées des Forces nouvelles (now Forces
de défense et de sécurité des Forces nouvelles, FDS-FN) and the four armed
militias, namely, the Front pour la libération du Grand Ouest (FLGO), the
Mouvement ivoirien de libération de L’Ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire (MILOCI), the
Alliance patriotique de l’ethnie Wé (APWé) and the Union patriotique de resistance
du Grand Ouest (UPRGO) in Côte d’Ivoire have ceased recruitment and taken
concerted measures to identify and release children associated with their forces for
rehabilitation since signing action plans in October 2005 and September 2006,
respectively.
A. Information on compliance and progress in situations on the
agenda of the Security Council
Developments in Afghanistan
19. The security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated during the reporting
period, with children continuing to be the victims of the conflict between
anti-Government elements, including the Taliban, and national and international
security forces, namely, the United States-led Coalition as well as the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF). Weak
governance and judicial system, as well as the inadequate coverage by the Afghan
security forces in insurgency-affected areas, have contributed to the lack of
protection afforded to children affected by the conflict. Indiscriminate attacks and
disproportionate use of force by the Taliban and other armed elements, including the
use of car bombs, suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices, directed at
national and international forces have caused a high number of child deaths and
injuries. Many of these attacks have taken place in densely populated areas or in the
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vicinity of popular gatherings. From January to July 2007, there were at least
950 civilian deaths as a result of insurgency-related violence, out of which the
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has documented at least
49 deaths and 19 injuries to children. On 15 June 2007, a suicide attack against an
ISAF convoy in Uruzgan Province that was distributing sweets and water to local
children resulted in the deaths of four girls and seven boys, aged between 8 and
15 years.
20. Children have also become casualties in military operations against the
insurgency, including air strikes by international military forces. Air strikes have in
some cases missed their targets and fallen on civilian areas, killing children. On
9 March 2007, nine civilians in Kapisa Province, including four children, were
killed in a Coalition military air strike. On 8 May 2007, 21 civilians, including
women and children, were reportedly killed in Helmand Province as a result of air
strikes that supported ISAF operations. ISAF acknowledged, at the Protection of
Civilians Workshop in Kabul in August 2007, that mistakes had been made during
operations and informed the United Nations that it continued to adjust operations to
minimize civilian casualties.
21. Unexploded ordnance has also caused deaths of and injuries to children during
the reporting period. Between August 2006 and July 2007, 295 mine and
unexploded ordnance accidents involving children, which account for over 60 per
cent of the total number of accidents, resulted in at least 59 deaths.
22. The United Nations remains disturbed by reports of children being used to
perpetrate attacks and, in some cases, as human shields by the Taliban and other
insurgents. There have been reports that the Taliban have recruited and used
children in their activities, such as suicide attacks. This is a relatively new
phenomenon, and the United Nations has documented several high-profile cases of
children involved in attacks. In February 2007, a boy estimated to be between
12 and 15 years old killed himself and a guard and injured four civilians as he
attempted to gain entry to a police station in Khost city, Khost Province.
Additionally, a 14-year-old boy was caught wearing a suicide vest on his way to
assassinate the Khost provincial governor. No commitments have yet been made by
any of these groups to end this practice.
23. Attacks against schools by the Taliban and other anti-Government elements
continued, and security incidents affecting schools and threats against students and
teachers documented by the United Nations remain a serious concern. Between
August 2006 and July 2007, there were at least 133 documented incidents of school
attacks. These caused at least 10 reported deaths among students, mainly in the
southern provinces. At least 100 attacks in the south were reported in the first six
months of 2007. There have been deliberate attacks on female students and women
teachers, and girls’ schools are particularly targeted. On 12 June 2007, two gunmen
killed two schoolgirls and injured six others as they left the Qalay Meadan Girls’
School, in Qala-e Saeed Habib area, Logar Province. According to the Ministry of
Education, 384 of the total 721 schools in the southern provinces of Helmand,
Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul are currently closed.
Developments in Burundi
24. The reporting period was characterized by political instability and persistent
tensions between the Government and political opposition parties following the
President’s unilateral Cabinet reshuffle on 13 July 2007. It was equally
characterized by the impasse in the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire
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Agreement signed by the Government and the armed rebel group Forces nationales
de libération (FNL)-Agathon Rwasa on 7 September 2006. Children continue to be
associated with FNL. The ongoing recruitment of children by the two factions of
FNL-Agathon Rwasa and the smaller break away Jean Bosco (Gateyeri) was of
serious concern. However, the FNL-Jean Bosco (Gateyeri) faction is now defunct.
From October 2006 to July 2007, 85 cases of recruitment of children were reported
throughout the country, with 60 cases occurring in the months following the signing
of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement. The upsurge in recruitment by FNL was
allegedly aimed at enhancing their bargaining power should further peace
negotiations take place, and enabling them to claim increased financial benefits
during the demobilization and reintegration phases. Some 48 of the 60 children were
students from Gashasa, Rumonge, Marangara and Gashikanwa, in the Bururi and
Ngozi Provinces. Most of those children have been released or have defected from
FNL ranks owing to the stalled implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire
Agreement and resulting delays in the distribution of demobilization benefits. On a
positive note, 26 children, aged 14 to 18 years, who were previously detained in the
former demobilization camp in Randa were released in March 2007 and reintegrated
with their families and communities prior to the visit of my Special Representative.
25. The detention of children remains a concern. Progress has nevertheless been
achieved during the reporting period, with the release of some children arrested for
association with FNL. From October 2006 to July 2007, 49 cases of detention of
children accused of participation in armed groups have been reported, notably in the
provinces of Bujumbura Mairie and Bujumbura Rural. That represents a 35 per cent
increase in such cases since the last reporting period. Many of them had been
incarcerated for several months without trial or legal assistance. More than 65
children, held in the Mpimba prison in Bujumbura owing to their former association
with FNL, were released in March 2007.
26. As a result of the ceasefire, the number of children killed and maimed in
armed clashes between members of the armed forces (Forces de défense nationale
(FDN)) and FNL from September 2006 to August 2007 decreased by 30 per cent in
comparison with the last reporting period. A total of 40 cases of children killed and
maimed by FDN and FNL was reported, with 80 per cent of the victims killed by
grenade explosions during looting operations. On 11 December 2006, five children
were killed in Taba, Gitega district, when three FDN soldiers threw a grenade into
their residence.
27. Rape and other sexual violence against children by members of FNL and some
members of the Security Services is also of great concern. More than 30 such cases
were reported during the period, 80 per cent of which involved girls. On 6 January
2007, a 4-year-old girl was raped by an FDN soldier in Mugongomana, Bujumbura
district. On 19 February, a 16-year-old girl was raped by FNL elements in Nyanza-
Lac, Mkamba district.
Developments in the Central African Republic
28. There have been numerous reported cases of recruitment of children by the
Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR) rebel group, which
controls parts of north-eastern Central African Republic. During UFDR attacks on
the positions of the Government Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA) and French
Army in Birao on 3 and 4 March, some of the rebels were identified as former
students of the Birao governmental secondary school. Many of the children,
between the ages of 12 and 17 years, who participated in these attacks, were killed.
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Further, two out of three schools were partially destroyed by FACA and UFDR
following the attack.
29. On 16 June, a tripartite action plan between UFDR, the Government of the
Central African Republic and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the
reduction and elimination of the recruitment and utilization of child soldiers and
their demobilization and reintegration was signed, following which the first group of
approximately 200 children were symbolically released. Earlier, in April and May,
over 450 children associated with UFDR, 75 per cent of whom were boys aged 13 to
17 years, were demobilized. All these children have since been reintegrated into
their families and communities. Approximately 75 per cent of the children had
participated in military operations and combat for a sustained period, averaging
from nine months to a year, while some had been with armed groups, later
associated with UFDR for three years. Ten per cent of the children are as young as
10 years old and were used mainly for logistical support during UFDR operations in
2006 and 2007. It is claimed that the last remaining group of 450 to 500 children
had been released to their communities as at September 2007, although this had not
yet been verified by the joint Government-UNICEF-UFDR monitoring structure
established under the tripartite action plan.
30. A UNICEF mission in June 2007 also confirmed that there were approximately
400 to 500 children, including girls, associated with the rebel groups, the Armée
populaire pour la restauration de la démocratie (APRD) and Front démocratique
pour le peuple centrafricain (FDPC), both active in the north-western region. APRD
and FDPC are increasingly resorting to forced recruitment of children in their areas
of influence. In March and again in June 2007, APRD requested for assistance from
the United Nations country team to demobilize child soldiers in its ranks. Although
informal dialogue with APRD to prevent recruitment and to demobilize and
reintegrate children associated with its ranks is under way, formal negotiations are
hampered by insecurity in the north-western region.
31. Reprisals by FACA IN villages suspected of assisting rebels in areas such as
Bemal-Boguila, Kabo, Batangafo and Kaga-Bandoro have resulted in massive
displacement, death and injury among the civilian population, particularly children.
During the reporting period, UNICEF and United Nations partners recorded
approximately 1,389 houses, 7 schools and 3 health centres partially or completely
destroyed, torched or looted in the areas of Kaga-Bandoro and Ouandago and
203 houses, 2 schools and 1 health centre destroyed in the areas of Kaga-Bandoro
and Dekoa.
32. Owing to the heavy presence of rebel groups in the areas of the Batangafo-
Kabo-Ouandago “triangle”, there has been a 75 per cent increase in sexual and
gender-based violence reported, compared with the number of cases reported in
2006. According to UNICEF, 15 per cent of women and girls in the northern region
of the country have been raped. United Nations partners also report that between
Batangafo and Bokamgaye, many young girls are forcibly taken as wives for rebels
and forced to perform sexual favours in exchange for movement across the
numerous checkpoints set up by these rebel groups.
Developments in Côte d’Ivoire
33. Following the signing of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement on 4 March
2007 between President Laurent Gbagbo and Secretary-General of the Forces
nouvelles, Guillaume Soro, the “zone of confidence” separating the rebel-held North
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and the Government-controlled South was dismantled, creating a new momentum
for the peace process.
34. During the reporting period, there was no substantiated evidence of active
recruitment and use of children by armed groups. The United Nations has been able
to regularly monitor the association of children with fighting forces as part of the
implementation of action plans agreed with FDS-FN and four armed militias,
namely, FLGO, MILOCI, APWé and UPRGO. FDS-FN renewed its commitment to
the action plan to put an end to such association of children with their forces. On
26 January 2007, FDS-FN submitted a letter to UNICEF requesting support to
complete the implementation of the action plan, followed by the immediate action
by FDS-FN to complete the identification of remaining children associated with
their forces. On 14 August 2007, FDS-FN submitted a report to my Special
Representative for Côte d’Ivoire detailing action taken to finalize the
implementation of the action plan, where 85 children, including 27 girls, were
identified.
35. Similarly, the four militia groups have worked closely with the United Nations
Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, UNICEF, the newly integrated command centre, which
is responsible under the Ouagadougou Agreement for the disarmament and
demobilization phases of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process
and the Programme national de réinsertion et de réhabilitation communautaire
(PNRRC), which oversees the reintegration programmes, to implement their
commitments under the action plan, which included the designation of focal points
by the militias. In April 2007, the focal points began the process of identifying
children associated with their forces in Guiglo, Toulépleu, Bloléquin, Tai, Zagné,
Duékoué and Bangolo. This resulted in the identification and registration of
204 children, including 84 girls, all of whom are now being assisted through
UNICEF programmes.
36. As it has been determined that the FDS-FN and the four militia groups have
implemented the action plans and continue to allow unhindered access to the United
Nations to monitor compliance, they shall be removed from the lists annexed to my
report this year. However, the country-level task forces on monitoring and reporting,
supported by a verification commission, will continue to monitor the groups’
compliance with the action plans, to ensure that continuous efforts are made to
prevent the recruitment and use of children and greater emphasis is accorded to the
rehabilitation and reintegration of children who have been released.
37. While there has been a decline in reported cases of killings, children continue
to lose their lives as a direct result of the conflict environment. Many of the killings
are not investigated, and the perpetrators, who may be private members of the
community or uncontrolled elements of the various armed groups, are rarely
identified. Incidents of rape and other grave sexual violence against children also
remain alarmingly high, particularly owing to the prevailing culture of impunity.
The Government and FDS-FN have been slow to undertake any rigorous and timely
investigations to prosecute the perpetrators.
Developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
38. There has been a decrease in the number of cases of recruitment of children in
the reporting period, which can be attributed to several factors, including the
progress made in the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration programme for children, the army integration process, the decrease in
the number of active fighting zones and persistent lobbying by child protection
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networks against the recruitment of children. Despite this overall trend, all the
parties to conflict listed in my 2006 report (A/61/529-S/2006/826) continue to
recruit, use and abduct children. The presence of children in the Forces armées de la
République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) integrated and non-integrated
brigades remains high, particularly in the Ituri district and the two Kivu Provinces.
In South Kivu, the presence of at least 25 children, including girls, among the ranks
of FARDC integrated 3rd and 8th brigades has been documented. On 4 January
2007, following the fighting in North Kivu in November 2006, the Government
reached an agreement with rebel commander Laurent Nkunda, allowing for the
mixage (integration) of Nkunda’s troops with FARDC units. The mixage resulted in
the de facto presence of many children among the ranks of the new FARDC mixed
brigades and their use for active combat against the Forces démocratiques de
libération du Rwanda (FDLR). Despite the agreement, Nkunda and troops loyal to
him rebelled at the end of August 2007, and fighting with FARDC troops resumed.
An increase in child recruitment by Nkunda and forces aligned with him has been
reported since. Several schools in the area have also been closed owing to attempts
by Nkunda elements to forcibly recruit students.
39. Reports also indicate that increased recruitment activities were carried out in
North Kivu, as well as in Rwanda and Uganda, prior to and throughout the mixage
process. This surge appears to be linked to the strategy of commanders loyal to
Laurent Nkunda to increase the number of troops to be mixed and the strength of
forces prior to engaging in combat operations against FDLR and the Mai-Mai in
North Kivu. Children who escaped or were separated indicated that recruitment was
ongoing in the returnee settlements of Buhambwe, Masisi territory, the Kiziba and
Byumba refugee camps in Rwanda, in the towns of Byumba and Mutura in Rwanda
and in the town of Bunagana on the border between the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Uganda. On 29 January 2007, a 16-year-old boy from Uganda stated that
he had been forcibly recruited along with five other Ugandan children in Bunagana
by Adjudant chief “Eric” and Major Janvier, who operate under the command of
Colonel Saddam of the 836th battalion, loyal to Laurent Nkunda. Following his
recruitment, the boy, together with other newly recruited children, was taken to
Mushake for the mixage of the FARDC Charlie Brigade. As at 30 August 2007,
13 Congolese children recruited in the refugee camps in Rwanda and 17 Rwandan
children, 11 recruited in Rwanda and 6 recruited in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, had been separated from the FARDC mixed brigades. In addition, a group
known as the Association des jeunes refugiés congolais, reportedly linked to Laurent
Nkunda, had been actively recruiting Congolese ethnic Tutsi children and young
people in the Kibuye camp since July 2006.
40. In May 2007 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) undertook a joint assessment visit with the Rwandan authorities
to the refugee camps in Rwanda to verify reports of child recruitment and devise
protective and responsive mechanisms, such as enhancing sensitization of the
refugee community with more involvement by the local authorities, improving the
control of exit of children from the camps and ensuring that those accused of
recruiting children were charged and brought to justice. The Rwandan Government
has undertaken an investigation following the recruitment of eight children from the
Kiziba refugee camp on 24 July 2007, allegedly for deployment to South Kivu. The
outcome of the investigation is pending.
41. In Ituri, although numbers are lower than in the previous reporting period,
child recruitment by the Front des nationalistes et intégrationnistes (FNI) and the
Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI) continues. In particular, during the
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third phase of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process in lturi,
which began on 4 August 2007, more than 40 children were reportedly re-enrolled
by forces loyal to Peter Karim Udaga. Although 2,900 ex-combatants had been
demobilized as at 16 August 2007, it is estimated that FNI, FRPI and the
Mouvement révolutionnaire congolais (MRC) still have 1,500 elements, including
children, that did not surrender. FNI has also been responsible for actively
obstructing the separation of children during the disarmament process.
42. Mai-Mai groups still active in North and South Kivu continue to use children.
There are reports of child recruitment by Colonel Abdou Panda, former commander
of the 121st Mai-Mai brigade based in Lubarika, Ruzizi Plain, South Kivu. In
December 2006, 107 children were released from his group at the brassage centre of
Luberizi. In May 2007, the presence of 30 children, including girls, among the Mai-
Mai group Baleine, under the command of Colonel Jackson, was reported in Bingi,
North Kivu. Further, owing to the recent phase of conflict in North Kivu,
recruitment of children by Mai-Mai groups has also escalated. In August 2007, more
than 50 children have been recruited by Mai-Mai groups in Nyamilima, Rutshuru
territory, North Kivu. There are also reports of children being held by Mai-Mai
groups in Katanga and Maniema Provinces.
43. A decrease in the number of incidents involving the killing and maiming of
children was recorded during the reporting period, in comparison with the preceding
year. However, children continue to be victims of attacks and clashes between
FARDC integrated and non-integrated units, armed groups in Ituri and FDLR in
North and South Kivu. In an incident on 26 and 27 May 2007, the killing of
17 people, including 8 children, and the wounding of at least 28 people, including
21 children, was reportedly committed by FDLR/Rasta in the villages of Nyalbuze,
Muhungu and Chihamba in South Kivu.
44. Despite all the initiatives undertaken by the Government to counter sexual
violence, including the adoption of two national laws on 20 July 2006, the number
of incidents of rape and other sexual violence against children remains extremely
high. From October 2006 to July 2007, 10,381 survivors of sexual violence, 37 per
cent of whom are children, were identified by United Nations partners in the eastern
region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; a 4 per cent increase since the
previous reporting period. In a one-year period until June 2007, at least 1,400 child
victims of rape and other sexual violence were registered and received assistance
from the United Nations and its partners in South Kivu alone, where the main
perpetrators include elements of FARDC, the police and armed elements of FDLR.
45. A total of 4,182 children, including 629 girls, were separated from armed
forces and groups in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in
the reporting period. In Ituri, 2,472 children, including 564 girls, were separated
from MRC, FRPI and FNI militia forces and 10 boys were separated from Mai-Mai
forces in the remote area of Opienga, Oriental Province; in North Kivu,
1,374 children, including 52 girls, were separated primarily from mixed brigades
loyal to Laurent Nkunda and FARDC and Mai-Mai militia forces; and in South
Kivu, 336 children, including 13 girls, were separated primarily from Mai-Mai
militia forces and troops associated with Laurent Nkunda.
Developments in Haiti
46. It should be noted that, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1780 (2007),
the Council recognizes the grave violations committed against children affected by
the armed violence in Haiti and requests their continued protection, as set out in
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resolution 1612 (2005). Following military operations by the Haitian National
Police (HNP) and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
since December 2006, as well as the arrest of several gang leaders and the
dismantling of armed entities, security conditions have improved, especially in areas
affected by armed violence, such as Cité Soleil and Martissant in Port-au-Prince.
These armed entities vary in organizational structure, activities, motivation and
degree of political affiliation. According to MINUSTAH, although these groups are
currently essentially criminal in nature, their character and motivations may shift
between criminal and political depending on the specific time and circumstances
and may pose a threat to peace and security.
47. The situation of children in areas under the influence of armed entities is
critical. However, it has been challenging to ascribe definite responsibility for
violations to specific parties owing to a large number of actors involved,
fragmentation of groups and the difficulty of distinguishing the identity of one
group from another. However, the United Nations at the country level has reliable
information that the parties named below have been involved in the recruitment and
use of children.
48. During the reporting period, there were confirmed reports that children have
been used as messengers, spotters, attackers and porters to transfer and hide
weapons, as well as for kidnappings. Moreover, children have been directly targeted
as a group. In February 2007, Base de Bois-Neuf, controlled by Belony Pierre in
Cité Soleil, used two boys, aged between 8 and 10 years, to ignite gas tanks near the
“Blue House” occupied by MINUSTAH troops. Also in Cité Soleil, United Nations
sources observed that Base de Boston, controlled by Evens Jeune, used children in
various capacities as outlined above. On 11 July 2007, a 17-year-old boy, suspected
of being a group member, was arrested by HNP in Grand Ravine, Martissant, an area
under the control of Base Galil, headed by Wilkens Pierre, and Armée Ti-Machèt. In
Gonaïves, a 16-year-old boy associated with the group Raboteau, controlled by
Winter Étienne and Ferdinand Wilfort, was arrested by HNP and his weapon
confiscated.
49. In the reporting period, 12 children, including a girl, were killed and
8 children, including 4 boys and 4 girls, were injured in Cité Soleil and Martissant.
In Gonaïves, four children were killed and five injured in deliberate attacks by
armed entities. In December 2006, three girls, aged 13, 14 and 16, were shot in
Raboteau. In the same month in Raboteau, a 13-year-old girl was injured by a
gunshot and then burned alive; and on 19 July and 5 August 2007, two boys,
including one 10-year-old, were decapitated in Ouanaminthe and Mirebalais areas,
respectively. Armed entities in Cité Soleil have also used schools as bases during the
armed confrontations with MINUSTAH forces at the end of January and the
beginning of February 2007.
50. There were approximately 119 cases of child abductions in the reporting
period. Although the majority of these cases occurred in Port-au-Prince in 2006, an
increasing number of cases were reported from the regions in 2007. In the autumn of
2006, some students were specifically targeted by kidnappers. The situation
deteriorated on 13 and 14 December 2006, when 30 students between the ages of 13
and 15 years, were abducted while travelling on school buses near Cité Soleil.
51. Gang rape and other sexual violence against girls and women are still
extensively perpetrated by groups in Cité Soleil, Martissant and Carrefour Feuilles.
Owing to the lack of official and aggregated data, the number of cases reported is
indicative of a larger phenomenon of sexual violence against girls in Haiti.
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According to a United Nations partner, approximately 100 cases of child rape were
registered from October 2006 to January 2007. Among these, a 3-year-old girl was
raped by armed men from Cité Soleil on 9 November, and two cases of rape
allegedly perpetrated by members of Evens’s group were registered in January 2007.
From January to June 2007, it was reported that 54 children, 10 of whom were
victims of gang rapes, were raped by members of armed and criminal entities. On
7 May 2007, a 15-year-old girl was raped by six armed men of Bois Neuf, and on
10 May 2007, a 17-year-old girl was raped by six armed men in Grand Ravine,
controlled by Base Galil.
Developments in Iraq
52. The prevailing security situation makes obtaining information on violations
against children increasingly difficult. Most of the available information is extracted
from a wide range of different sources but can rarely be sufficiently verified. It
remains clear, however, that Iraqi children suffer most in the ongoing violence.
Statistics from United Nations partners and Iraqi authorities suggest that
approximately half of all Iraqi refugees are children, as are as many as 38 to 40 per
cent of internally displaced persons.
53. There are some indications of children being recruited as combatants by
non-State armed groups, such as insurgency organizations. A recent concern is the
reported new tactic by insurgent group militias, Al-Qaida and Al-Qaida-affiliated
groups, of using children as decoys in suicide car bombings. On 21 March 2007,
reports described an incident in which two children were used to facilitate the
passing of a car with explosive materials through a Multinational Forces in Iraq
(MNF-I) checkpoint in the al-Shaab neighbourhood of Adhamiya district in northeastern
Baghdad. The car was then blown up with the children inside, killing five
people, including the two children, and injuring seven others. A MNF-I
spokesperson confirmed the incident. MNF-I has publicly reported that insurgents in
Anbar Province have been using children to plant roadside bombs and act as spotters
for detonation teams. On 21 March 2007, a 14-year-old boy on a bicycle reportedly
detonated his suicide vest on an Iraqi police patrol in central Haditha, killing three
policemen. Owing to ongoing security operations under the “Baghdad Security
Plan” as well as the increasing use of children by insurgents, the number of children,
aged between 12 and 17 years, in MNF-I detention has significantly increased, from
less than 300 in December 2006 to almost 800 in August 2007, with some
30 children alleged to be active insurgents. These children are provided with
education programmes and vocational training.
54. Sectarian violence, fuelled by insurgent and militia action and various criminal
gangs throughout the reporting period, has claimed large numbers of civilian lives,
including children. There are as of yet no reliable figures on the number of child
casualties, although reports of killing and maiming of children are received almost
daily. Victims of indiscriminate mortar shelling of residential areas or of bomb
attacks, the latter often in the form of devastating suicide car bombs, include many
children. As a result of insurgent mortar attacks, five children died in their school in
Adil, western Baghdad, on 28 January 2007; three children in Khan Bani Saad on
23 May 2007; and two children in Samarra on 7 August 2007. On 22 May 2007,
insurgent gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms killed a family of six, including four
children, at a fake checkpoint. On 6 August 2007, a truck bomb in Al-Qebbek, north
of Tal Afar, killed 28 persons, including 12 children.
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55. Reports of civilians being killed or injured during MNF-I military operations
such as house searches or air strikes are becoming more frequent. On 22 February
2007, at least 12 civilians, including 2 to 4 children, were allegedly killed in a gun
battle between insurgents and MNF-I forces followed by MNF-I air strikes in
Ramadi. Three children in Fallujah were killed on 2 June 2007, when MNF-I
allegedly opened fire on a group of individuals believed to be planting a bomb.
Many more civilian casualties of military operations were reported, but the age of
the victims was rarely confirmed.
56. The education system in Iraq has been adversely affected since the sectarian
violence began following the attack on the al-Askari shrine in Samarra on
22 February 2006. Since that attack last year, more frequent attacks on schools,
children and teachers have been recorded. UNICEF estimates that at least 30 per
cent of Iraqi children are not currently attending school. A particularly disconcerting
incident was the deliberate targeting by armed insurgents of the al-Khulud
Secondary Girls School in western Baghdad on 28 January 2007, resulting in the
deaths of 5 students and 21 injured. In another targeted attack against a school, on
18 June 2007, insurgent gunmen entered a secondary school in Saydiyah, where
boys were taking their exams. Approximately 30 students, aged between 17 and 19
years, were abducted. Furthermore, in developments that mirror incidents in
Afghanistan, extremists, mainly in Diyala Province, have repeatedly burned or
destroyed school buildings: on 15 May 2007 in Abu Ghraib, Baghdad; and on
6 June, 20 June and 21 June 2007, in or near Baqubah, possibly meant as an attack
against secular education or schooling for girls.
57. Schools have also become “collateral damage” during fighting between
insurgents and MNF-I forces. On 8 May 2007, an attack by an MNF-I helicopter
against suspected insurgents in the village of Al-Nedawat, Dujala Province,
reportedly killed and injured six children. Local police reported that the helicopter
was shot at from the ground and when it fired back, hit the school.
58. The Government has, through the Commission of Child Care, begun to address
the challenges confronting children in Iraq. The Commission has designated a
committee, which has recommended that the Government sign the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in
armed conflict. The Government has repeatedly called upon the international
community and all relevant United Nations system agencies to offer their support
and assistance in reinforcing their efforts in securing and protecting the welfare of
children in Iraq.
Developments in Lebanon
59. There are no reports of recruitment of children by the regular armed forces.
Both Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, on behalf of the Government of Lebanon, and
Parliamentary Deputy Mohamed Raad, on behalf of Hizbullah, informed my Special
Representative during her mission to Beirut on 12 April 2007 that Lebanon would
ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the
involvement of children in armed conflict, and not use children for armed violence
or political mobilization.
60. Civilians, including several thousand children and family members, were
caught in the fighting in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared, northern
Lebanon, which lasted from 20 May to 2 September 2007. It is estimated that the
fighting between the Lebanese Army and the armed extremist group of Fatah
al-Islam resulted in 40 Palestinian civilians killed and over 200 injured, including
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children. There are reports of use of Palestinian children by Palestinian armed
factions and groups in the Palestinian refugee camps.
61. The extensive and unprecedented use by Israel of cluster bombs during the
2006 conflict left southern Lebanon severely contaminated with approximately
1 million unexploded submunitions and general unexploded ordnance. This
continues to pose one of the most serious threats to children in southern Lebanon.
From the cessation of hostilities on 14 August 2006 until 31 August 2007, 4 children
have been killed and 66 injured as a result of unexploded munitions. On 24 and
25 December 2006, five children, aged 13 to 15 years, from Hanaway and
Kaakaeyet al-Jiser, were injured by unexploded cluster bombs while playing. Israel
has yet to provide the much-needed strike data on the quantity, types and location of
the cluster bombs that were dropped.
Developments in Myanmar
62. The Government, through its Committee for the Prevention of Military
Recruitment of Underage Children, has undertaken some efforts to address the issue
of the recruitment and use of children, including the recent inclusion of preventing
the recruitment of child soldiers in their national plan of action against trafficking.
Furthermore, written law states that participation in the Government armed forces
(Tatmadaw Kyi) is entirely voluntary and that the minimum age for recruitment is
18 years. However, reliable reports from United Nations partners indicate that
forcible attempts to recruit children for Tatmadaw Kyi are still taking place. It is
difficult to systematically verify the extent of recruitment or the number of children
in military camps owing to access limitations. Lack of proper birth certification and
local-level connivance in falsifying existing registration information also perpetuate
the difficulty of verifying child recruitment.
63. Since 2005, the United Nations country team has received periodic updates
from the Government on the activities of the Committee, including information on
children being discharged from army service and, most recently, on disciplinary
measures taken by the Government against recruiters who have violated
Government recruitment policies with regard to minors. The United Nations country
team, however, cannot verify the written information provided by the Government
concerning disciplinary action taken against perpetrators, even though it has sought
working-level interface on numerous occasions.
64. During the recent mission of my Special Representative, who met with acting
Prime Minister and Secretary One of the State Peace and Development Council, the
Government agreed to cooperate in the establishment of a monitoring and reporting
mechanism on child rights violations within the framework of Security Council
resolution 1612 (2005) by appointing the Director-General of the Ministry of Social
Welfare, Relief and Resettlement as the Government focal point on issues relating to
the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005). The Government also agreed to
provide the details of actions taken against army recruiters who recruited children
and the list of children discharged for follow-up verification by the United Nations
country team. At the time of writing, the United Nations country team had just
received from the Government a list of children discharged.
65. The Government also agreed in principle to engage in an action plan with the
United Nations country team and UNICEF that meets international standards. This
would include the establishment of a subcommittee for the reintegration of former
child soldiers; a transparent complaints procedure for incidents of recruitment of
children, including instituting disciplinary measures against parties responsible for
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aiding and abetting recruitment of children; access to recruitment centres by the
United Nations country team and UNICEF on a regular basis to verify whether or
not children are present; regular child protection training for Tatmadaw Kyi
officials; and a public campaign, including at the village level, to create awareness
of the rules, regulations and modalities of a complaints procedure to prevent
recruitment. It is noted that in parallel with the above, a supplementary
understanding was agreed between the Government and the International Labour
Organization (ILO) in February 2007 providing a complaints mechanism in respect
of allegations of forced labour, under ILO Convention 29, which encompasses
forced recruitment and underage recruitment.
66. The United Nations has not received any reports of new recruitment and use of
children by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and Karenni Army (KA),
the armed wings of Karen National Union (KNU) and Karenni National Progressive
Party (KNPP) respectively, during the reporting period. However, the Government’s
limitations on United Nations access to areas of operations and on dialogue with
KNLA and KA hamper efforts to verify whether those groups have ceased the
recruitment and use of children. As a follow-up to letters received by my Special
Representative in the last reporting period from KNU and KNPP, dialogues with
both parties were initiated by the United Nations, which resulted in KNU and KNPP
signing deeds of commitment to halt and prevent the recruitment and use of children
on 6 April and 13 April 2007, respectively. Under the deeds, the parties also commit
to allow the independent monitoring of violations, demobilize and release children
in their ranks and facilitate the provision of appropriate physical and psychological
recovery and social reintegration assistance by United Nations system agencies and
NGOs for the released children. However, owing to the concerns of the
Government, further discussions to finalize arrangements on the implementation of
these action plans are ongoing.
67. There are reports indicating that a breakaway faction of KNU, the KNUKNLA
Peace Council, has recruited children from the Mae La refugee camp, as well
as from villages in the border areas. Sources suggest that several boys were
deceived into crossing the border by promises of pay and participation in
celebrations but were subsequently coerced into joining the armed group. While
most of the children have returned, four boys are reportedly still missing. It is not
known whether the KNU-KNLA Peace Council continues recruitment, and the
United Nations has not been able to verify the reports of recruitment. Furthermore,
there are reports of a “one child per family” recruitment policy by the Kachin
Independence Army (KIA). In early 2007, the United Nations verified a report of a
15-year-old girl recruited by KIA when she returned to her home village from
school in Myitkyina, Kachin State. To date, the girl remains with KIA.
68. There are also eyewitness accounts of children present within the ranks of the
United Wa State Army (UWSA) in northern Shan State, despite their recent
statement to my Special Representative that children are no longer recruited since
the ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar Government. UWSA, however, agreed to
further discussions to engage in an action plan to separate and reintegrate children
associated with their forces.
69. There are reports of the Shan State Army-South recruiting children as part of a
new mandatory recruitment policy. Children are also recruited and used by the
Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (Kokang) in northern Shan State.
There is also information that children are present in the ranks of the Karenni
National People’s Liberation Front (KNPLF) and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
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(DKBA). However, in-depth monitoring is hampered by access limitations to areas
of operations of these groups.
70. Government restrictions on humanitarian access to communities in conflictaffected
areas continue to seriously hamper the delivery of aid to those affected,
particularly children. Civilians in these areas, including children, are allegedly
subjected to systematic human rights abuses by members of the armed forces.
Ongoing Government offensives in these areas against ethnic armed opposition
groups, such as KNLA and KA, have resulted in many deaths, the destruction and
looting of villages and schools, the mining of trails and the displacement of
thousands of people. The Minister for National Planning and Economic
Development, U Soe Tha, had committed to my Special Representative during her
recent mission that the Government would facilitate humanitarian access and
operations in those affected areas, within the monitoring and reporting framework of
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).
71. United Nations partners have highlighted the issue of former child soldiers
imprisoned by the Myanmar authorities for deserting the Tatmadaw Kyi. The United
Nations is also aware of cases involving former child soldiers in the refugee camps
in the region for whom some services and case management have been provided on
an ad hoc basis. However, proper and systematic mechanisms to identify former
child soldiers in the refugee camps in the region do not exist and thus it is not
possible to conclusively state the number of cases.
Developments in Nepal
72. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the Seven Party
Alliance (SPA) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) in November
2006, as well as the separate Agreement on Monitoring and Management of Arms
and Armies signed in December 2006, prohibit both parties from recruiting or using
persons under age 18. They also set out phased plans for the registration of Maoist
combatants and the discharge of persons born after 25 May 1988 from the Maoist
Army. By January 2007, more than 31,000 Maoist personnel were cantoned and
enumerated in 28 sites across the country. In July 2007, the second stage registration
of Maoist combatants began and is still under way. The registration should lead to
the automatic discharge of all those aged under 18 years at the time of the May 2006
ceasefire. The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), with the participation of
UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has finalized
the verification at three cantonment sites in cooperation with CPN-M. Verification at
other cantonment sites continues. No official release of children has taken place to
date. The Government is making the necessary preparations to release and
rehabilitate combatants who are under age 18, as provided for in the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement.
73. With the end of active conflict, there has been a significant decrease in reports
of grave violations of children’s rights. Reports of violations by the Government’s
security forces have seen a particularly marked decrease, and large recruitment
drives by CPN-M have come to an end. The Nepal country-level task force on
monitoring and reporting documented over a thousand cases of children recruited by
CPN-M and its affiliates between October and December 2006. Many of those
children ended up in Maoist Army cantonments, and over 300 were released without
follow-up or official documentation after spending a few days at these sites. Since
January 2007, four cases of recruitment by the Maoist Army have been documented.
Two of the children involved have since left the Maoist Army. There were also no
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new cases of arrest under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Control and
Punishment) Ordinance (TADO) reported. TADO expired at the end of September
2006 and was not renewed. Most children arrested under TADO during the conflict
were released.
74. Militias linked to the CPN-M and the Nepal Army are no longer operational,
but many personnel from the CPN-M, the Maoist Army and the militia have joined
the Maoist Young Communist League (YCL), which was re-established in
December 2006. Some of those joining YCL are under age 18. YCL carries out
social programmes, as well as activities that parallel those of the security forces,
aimed at enforcing laws or punishing social crimes. The presence of children in
YCL and youth wings of other political parties is a cause for concern because of the
deep politicization of children and youth during the conflict. The exposure or
involvement of these children and youth in the violent demonstrations that are a
feature of political action in Nepal is also disconcerting.
75. The period of unrest in the Terai region of southern Nepal has also resulted in
the deaths of seven children during the reporting period. Four children were killed
by the police force and one by CPN-M during demonstrations. In January 2007, a
15-year-old boy was killed by CPN-M at a roadblock established by the Madhesi
People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) in Siraha district, eastern region. In a separate case,
a 17-year-old girl associated with a CPN-M cultural group was one of 27 people
killed in March 2007 during a confrontation between CPN-M and MPRF in Gaur
and surrounding villages, Rautahat district. YCL claimed that the girl was a member
of their organization. Many more children were injured during public rallies
between December 2006 and February 2007.
76. Although the use of schools for military purposes has decreased with the end
of the conflict, 40 incidents of inappropriate use of schools were reported between
October 2006 and June 2007, with 25 of the 40 occurring in the mid-western region.
In 13 incidents, CPN-M used school grounds to train their cadres; in 22 incidents,
schools were forced to accommodate political or cultural programmes by the
CPN-M party and sister organizations such as YCL and the All Nepal National
Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary; and in at least six incidents, affecting
over 200 schools, students were forced to participate in gatherings of CPN-M and its
sister organizations. Schoolteachers have been abducted and assaulted, mostly in the
Siraha and Saptari districts. Two such incidents were committed by CPN-M and
YCL, and approximately six incidents were allegedly committed by two factions of
Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), namely, JTMM-Goit and JTMM-Jwala
Singh.
77. There are also serious concerns regarding the Government’s commitment to
ending impunity and ensuring accountability for serious human rights violations. An
increasing number of reports indicate that the Nepal Police refuse to register or
investigate serious crimes committed during and after the conflict. The Government
believes that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as referred to in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement, will address the issues of ending impunity, if and
when established.
Developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
78. The situation of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, remains grave, with continued Israeli military operations,
incursions and raids throughout the territory, in addition to an escalation in internal
hostilities resulting in intense fighting between rival Palestinian factions. During the
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reporting period, a total of 106 Palestinian children were killed in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory; 58 per cent of whom were killed by the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF). Seventy-four per cent of child deaths caused by IDF occurred in the Gaza
Strip, mostly during military operations and artillery shelling. From 1 to
7 November 2006 alone, eight children were killed during the Israeli incursion,
code-named “Operation autumn Clouds”, into Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza
Strip.
79. A total of 24 per cent of the 106 Palestinian children were killed as a result of
factional violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Armed clashes between the
Palestinian Executive Security Forces (ESF) and Al-Aqsa Brigades in Khan Younis
on 26 January 2007 killed a 5-year-old Palestinian child. On 7 February 2007, an
8-year-old Palestinian boy died of wounds sustained when he was caught in armed
clashes between ESF and the Presidential Guards of the Palestinian Authority in
Bureij refugee camp.
80. A total of 323 Palestinian children were injured during the same period, 64 per
cent of whom were injured by IDF in the West Bank, 10 per cent by IDF in the Gaza
Strip, 7 per cent by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, 3 per cent in factional violence
and 3 per cent owing to the reckless handling of explosives.
81. Five Israeli children, four living in Sderot and one in Kibbutz Karmiya near
Ashkelon, were injured by Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian
militants in the reporting period. Furthermore, two schools and one kindergarten in
Sderot were damaged by home-made Palestinian rockets in May, July and August
2007.
82. Documenting the recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups remains
a challenge, and the extent of the phenomenon is not well known. Although there is
no evidence of systematic attempts to recruit children for training or operations,
militiamen from at least one Palestinian armed group have approached boys outside
their school in Gaza requesting them to join paramilitary training. On 2 August
2007, the case of a 13-year-old boy recruited by Hamas militants in Gaza was
reported. The boy had been asked by Hamas to monitor the streets and gather
information on drug dealers and collaborators with Israel. On 30 August 2007, IDF
soldiers on an anti-terror patrol in the northern Gaza Strip spotted a 16-year-old boy
who was carrying two explosive devices intended to be detonated in a suicide
bombing attack against them. In April 2007, during the mission of my Special
Representative to the Middle East, Palestinian President Abbas and then Foreign
Minister Abu Amr agreed to revive the code of conduct among Palestinian groups
not to involve children in political violence, and to engage with UNICEF to devise a
plan of action to prevent the use of children in such violence.
83. Reports also suggest that Shabak, Israel’s security agency, continues to seek to
recruit Palestinian children to be used as collaborators inside prisons or upon their
release. Data are extremely difficult to gather owing to the reluctance of child
detainees to talk about these issues, especially while still in detention, and the lack
of systematic monitoring. However, at least one case involving a 16-year-old boy
was reported in 2007. Furthermore, IDF continues to force civilians, often minors,
to enter potential zones of conflict before the soldiers in order to clear the area or
limit casualties, although the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that practice to be
illegal. Four cases of Palestinian children used by Israeli soldiers have been
documented in 2007. In two separate incidents on 25 February 2007, during military
operation “Hot Winter” in Nablus, an 11-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were
forced at gunpoint to walk in front of Israeli soldiers into houses which were
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thought to shelter militants. The children were physically coerced into carrying out
searches for the soldiers. In another incident, during a military incursion into the
Balata refugee camp on 11 April 2007, two boys aged 14 and 15 were assaulted and
forced to sit on the bonnet of an Israeli jeep while youths were throwing stones at
the jeep. These incidents are currently being investigated by IDF.
84. There were five cases of abduction, involving 10 children, registered by the
United Nations during the reporting period. Four cases occurred in the Gaza Strip,
one attributed to Palestinian armed groups and three to IDF. Another case was
carried out by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. On 17 June in the Tal al-Hawa area
of Gaza, three children aged 11 to 16 were abducted by masked militants of the
Preventive Security Forces, who accused them of collaboration with Hamas. The
children were held at gunpoint and interrogated. They were released after a few
hours.
85. Schools and hospitals continue to be attacked or occupied by both IDF and
Palestinian armed groups, in some instances resulting in the killing or injury of
children. There were at least 10 incidents where IDF soldiers attacked schools (both
Palestinian Authority and UNRWA schools). In five of those attacks, Israeli soldiers
used tear gas and sound bombs or stun grenades inside the schools. On
18 November 2006 in an UNRWA-run school in Beit Lahia, two students, aged 7
and 12, were shot and injured inside the school by IDF. In a separate incident in the
West Bank, on 5 March 2007, IDF soldiers stormed the UNRWA-run Al-Jalazoun
Basic Boys’ School and Basic Girls’ School and opened fire at students, injuring two
in the head. In Gaza, Palestinian militants stormed several schools, and in three of
those attacks, hand grenades were used. Damage to at least three schools or school
property during fighting were reported.
86. At any given point during the reporting period, between 361 and 416
Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons and detention centres,
including children as young as 12 years. Between 10 and 22 of those children were
being held in administrative detention without charge or trial. The majority of
prisoners were boys, while approximately 11 girls had been detained or were
serving terms of imprisonment during this period. Over 90 per cent of children
arrested, interrogated and charged before the military courts were convicted and
sentenced to a term of imprisonment. There are reports that some children held in
detention undergo physical beatings and psychological torture, including threats of
sexual violence. The systematic transfer of Palestinian child prisoners outside the
Occupied Palestinian Territory into Israel is in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva
Convention.
87. An expert paper commissioned by a United Nations body found that the most
serious consequence of the barrier and its associated regime, and its damaging
humanitarian ripple effect, is an increasing occurrence of forced internal
displacement, violations of associated rights and induced poverty. A total of 390
civilian structures were demolished during the reporting period, 117 in Gaza and
273 in the West Bank, leaving at least 1,842 people displaced, 717 in Gaza and
1,125 in the West Bank. The majority of affected persons are children. The denial of
passage or delays at checkpoints has significantly affected the access of civilians,
particularly children, to medical care and services, causing serious threat to their
physical health. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that
from October 2006 to August 2007, there were a total of 442 incidents of
ambulances reporting delays or denied access at Israeli checkpoints in the West
Bank. In addition to home evictions and house demolitions, other causes of forced
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displacement are settlement expansion, restrictions on water and land use and
restrictions on movement.
Developments in Somalia
88. Reports indicate that both the Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC) and the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) recruited and used children during intense
fighting for control of Mogadishu in November and December 2006. UIC publicly
declared its intention to recruit from schools, and appointed Sheikh Fu’aad
Mohamed Khalaf to be in charge of training the students. An intensive recruitment
campaign of boys and girls under age 18 by UIC and its allied militias took place
from schools in Mogadishu in that period. TFG militias as well as some clan militias
have been widely reported to be using children to carry arms. In January 2007, a
senior United Nations official visited Mogadishu and was an eyewitness to children
training at Belidogle airport, where TFG has a military base. Since June 2007,
however, the TFG administration in Jowhar has begun to release children from its
ranks, and activities are being planned to reintegrate these children into their
communities, with support from UNICEF. In August 2007, the Minister for
Women’s Development and Family Affairs agreed to play a role in an advocacy
campaign to release children from TFG armed forces and prevent future child
recruitment.
89. During the reporting period, violence between the TFG and Ethiopian forces
on the one hand and insurgent groups, including the Al-Shaabab, remnants of the
former UIC elements and Hawiye clan militia on the other, has resulted in high
civilian casualties in Mogadishu. Precise numbers of casualties among children are
difficult to verify owing to insecurity and the lack of access, but estimates from
United Nations partners indicate that in Mogadishu alone, there have been over
1,200 deaths and several thousand civilians injured since October 2006, of which
approximately 35 per cent are children. In April 2007, the security situation in
Mogadishu deteriorated, as anti-Government factions began staging hit-and-run
attacks and using improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings against the
TFG and Ethiopian forces. Those forces retaliated with indiscriminate exchange of
fire and shelling, sometimes using untargeted rocket launchers. Many of these
attacks occurred in residential areas of the city, resulting in disproportionate
numbers of children killed or injured. On 1 February 2007, mortars launched into a
settlement for internally displaced persons in Talex village killed seven people,
including three children; on 29 July 2007 three teenage boys were injured by a
roadside bomb in Towfiq district; and on 26 August 2007, a roadside explosion
killed two children on their way to school in Gupta district.
90. Rape and other sexual violence committed by the parties to the conflict have
not occurred systematically. However, between January and June 2007, the
heightened violence has rendered women and girls, particularly among the internally
displaced, more vulnerable to sexual violence and attacks. There have been several
cases of girls raped while fleeing Mogadishu, mostly along the road to Afgoye and
Baidoa. In four of those cases, verified reports identified the perpetrators as men
dressed in the uniforms of the TFG militia. Another incident in May 2007 involved
TFG militias stopping a minibus at a checkpoint and raping eight women and five
girls. These violations have gone unpunished to date.
91. In July and August 2007, reports indicated a wave of raids on schools by TFG
forces in Mogadishu, allegedly in search of extremist elements. On 26 July, TFG
forces stormed into a school near KM 4 Junction and abducted 4 teachers and
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20 students. Several hospitals, including the Al-Hayat and Al-Arafat hospitals, were
also raided or attacked with mortar rockets in April and May 2007, disrupting
medical services and forcing patient evacuations. More recently, on 18 August,
mortar shells from fighting between the TFG and Ethiopian forces and insurgents hit
the SOS Hospital in Mogadishu. Furthermore, it has been reported that Ethiopian
forces occupied the Mohamoud Ahmed Ali secondary school for military purposes
between April and July.
92. Incidents of mine and unexploded ordnance accidents resulting in deaths and
injuries among children increased in 2007. Between January and June in southern
Somalia, there were more than 28 landmine accidents, killing 8 children and
wounding 10; and 33 incidents involving bombs or unexploded ordnance, killing 25
children and wounding 46. A particularly serious incident occurred on 6 July 2007
in central Mogadishu, where a piece of unexploded ordnance exploded, killing eight
people, including five children.
93. The insecurity and the multiple checkpoints along main roads have affected
humanitarian organizations in and around Mogadishu and, more generally, in
south-central Somalia, leaving staff unable to access communities in urgent need of
assistance or protection. Humanitarian workers, human rights defenders and media
have also been targeted in various security incidents and killings throughout the
country, and offices and assets have been destroyed. On 15 May 2007, gunmen
attacked the office of the World Health Organization, wounding a guard in the
process; and on 27 June, two staff members of the International Medical Corps were
killed by gunmen in El-Berde town. On 4 August, staff from an international NGO
on an assessment mission in Dhobley, Lower Juba, were ambushed by unknown
men, resulting in one person killed and two others injured.
Developments in the Sudan
94. The overall situation in Southern Sudan has improved slightly since the last
reporting period. The Government of National Unity and the Government of
Southern Sudan made the following commitments during the visit of my Special
Representative to the Sudan in January 2007: to allow UNICEF and the United
Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) access to the military barracks of the Sudan
Armed Forces (SAF), Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and allied armed
forces and groups to monitor and verify compliance; to adopt and implement
national legislation to criminalize the recruitment of child soldiers in a timely
manner; to allocate adequate resources for the reintegration of children associated
with the armed forces; to establish jointly with the United Nations a task force on
sexual violence and abuse against children; and to ensure the safety and protection
of humanitarian personnel.
95. As a follow-up to those commitments, some important measures have been
undertaken by the Government of Southern Sudan to address the situation of
children, including progressive legislative reform, structures to address sexual
exploitation and abuse and other child protection concerns and a serious
commitment to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of children.
96. UNMIS has engaged in dialogue with SPLA and SAF to end violations against
children and release children from their military units, particularly those newly
incorporated from other armed groups. On 7 June 2007, 60 SAF and SPLA
commanders committed to end child recruitment and developed an Area Joint
Military Committee action plan to address abductions, rape and other sexual
violence against children in Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity States. However, SAF
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and SPLA have not allowed the United Nations unhindered access to military
barracks for verification purposes. Progress has also been limited with regard to the
timely release and reintegration of children.
97. During the reporting period, hundreds of children were released from SPLA
and several from other armed groups aligned with SAF, through the coordination of
the Southern and Northern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
Commissions. In May 2007, 25 children were released from SPLA in Bentiu,
Southern Sudan, and reunited with their families in the North. A separate
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme for approximately 600
children from SPLA ranks in Southern Sudan is currently being organized. Despite
this progress, thousands of children are still held in military barracks, and some
demobilized children return to the army owing to an inefficient reintegration
mechanism.
98. Children continue to be recruited and used by armed groups aligned with SAF
and SPLA forces that fall under their respective commands. In late November 2006,
confirmed reports indicate that SAF-aligned forces of Major General Gabriel Tang
Ginye recruited approximately 70 children, including street children, during
hostilities in Malakal Province. Furthermore, at least another 300 children are
confirmed to be present in the Pibor Defence Forces, also previously an
SAF-aligned armed group. The Mundari militia, which operates in Terrekeka,
Central Equatoria, is also reported to have 40 children in its ranks.
99. During the reporting period, many children were killed during gunfights
between SPLA and SAF. There are also persistent reports of SPLA forces attacking
or occupying schools in various locations of Southern Sudan. On 24 October 2006,
SPLA forces raided a school in Nassir, Upper Nile, for the purposes of recruiting the
children. A total of 32 boys and 24 teachers were abducted, although all but 2 boys
were released. Further, SAF and SPLA continue to deny child protection personnel
access to areas north and south of Abyei Province, Southern Sudan.
100. There were seven confirmed cases of child abduction in Southern Sudan,
several of which were attributed to LRA. On 28 March 2007, a village near Maridi,
Western Equatoria, was attacked by armed men, suspected to be from LRA. Six
girls, aged between 12 and 17 years, were abducted and their whereabouts remain
unknown.
101. There are some promising signs in the current phase of the Darfur peace
process and agreement on a hybrid African Union-United Nations mission.
However, the day-to-day situation for children on the ground remains grave. There
are credible reports indicating that SAF, the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM-Peace Wing), the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawi (SLA/MM),
SLA/Gasim (SLA/AG), SLA/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW), SLA/Shafi (SLA/S), the
Popular Defence Forces (PDF), Chadian rebel forces, Government of the Sudan
allied militias, known as the Janjaweed, and the Central Reserve Police (CRP)
continue to recruit and use children. However, in many instances owing to
insecurity, access limitations and a multiplicity of armed actors, it has been difficult
to identify the perpetrators or verify the allegations. During the reporting period,
some children interviewed by the United Nations reported that they had been
fighting in East Jebel Mara, Southern Darfur, for at least three years. Those children
are allegedly associated with SLA/AS, SLA/AG or SLA/AW. In April 2007, armed
children, aged 12 years, were identified with SLA/MM at Khazan Tunjur, South-
West El-Fasher, Northern Darfur. In April 2007, United Nations and African Union
Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) monitors identified many armed children believed to
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be associated with SAF-allied militia in the Kutum area. In May 2007, 13 boys were
identified with JEM-Peace Wing. AMIS also confirmed the presence of children as
young as 15 years recruited and used by PDF in Mukjar, Western Darfur.
102. In Darfur, there were 46 verified child deaths perpetrated by the Janjaweed and
SAF. On 22 November 2006, bombardments from an SAF Antonov plane and two
helicopter gunships killed two children in Kishi village, near Bir Maza; and in May
2007, two children aged 4 and 5 were killed as a result of the Government of the
Sudan aerial bombardments of villages in Northern Darfur.
103. Rape continues to be widespread in Darfur, and is used as a method of warfare,
with an increasing trend to specifically target younger girls. During the reporting
period, there have been 23 confirmed reports of rape, with two of the victims being
boys. The perpetrators include elements of SAF, CRP, Janjaweed and SLA/MM.
Although the prosecution of perpetrators of rape is rare in Darfur, during the
reporting period two CRP officers and one SAF soldier were prosecuted for the rape
of children as young as 13 years old.
104. In Darfur, frequent hijackings of humanitarian agencies’ vehicles impede the
delivery of aid and services to the most vulnerable, particularly children. Abductions
and the use of physical and psychological violence against aid workers during
attacks on humanitarian compounds are also increasing. The Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that between January and August
2007, five aid workers have been killed, 11 injured and 53 physically assaulted.
105. On 11 June 2007, SLA/MM signed an action plan to end the recruitment and
use of children. It agreed to release and hand over all children associated with their
forces or any other forces aligned with them; develop and implement an agedetermination
process; and provide special protection for girls and women. The
action plan will benefit 1,800 children associated with SLA/MM. UNICEF and
UNMIS have also been in dialogue with representatives of SLA/AW, SLA/AS and
SLA (Free Will), who indicated their willingness to collaborate towards the release
of children from their ranks. However, as at 30 June 2007, no concrete commitments
to release children had been made.
106. Some progress has also been made in Eastern Sudan. As part of the Eastern
Sudan Peace Agreement signed on 14 October 2006 between the Eastern Front
armed group and the Government of National Unity, 3,700 ex-combatants are being
demobilized, 250 of whom are children.
B. Information on compliance and progress in situations not on the
agenda of the Security Council or in other situations of concern
Developments in Chad
107. With the talks between the Government and the armed opposition in Tripoli,
and the rainy season, fighting in eastern Chad has significantly decreased. The
security situation, however, remains extremely volatile and tense owing to the
unsuccessful integration of the United Front for Change (FUC) fighters in the
national army following the peace agreement signed in December 2006 by the FUC
leader, Mahamat Nour, and President Deby, and the build-up of Government forces.
The prevailing insecurity in eastern Chad is also exacerbated by sporadic
cross-border raids by Janjaweed militias from the Sudan and inter-communal
violence. The decrease in clashes has not reduced the phenomenon of forced
recruitment of children by both the State and non-State parties to the conflict.
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Reports indicate that children have been recruited into the Chadian National Army.
Although the actual figures are unknown, approximately 400 child soldiers, 100 of
whom are between the ages of 8 and 12, were found stationed at a Government
training centre in central Mongo. On 9 May 2007, the Government of Chad and
UNICEF signed an agreement for the demobilization of child soldiers throughout
the country. As at 30 July, 425 children, all boys, had been released from Mongo and
Moussoro military instruction centres and the N’Djamena main military camp, and
transferred to five transit care centres in Abeche and N’Djamena. However,
thousands of children in various locations in eastern Chad have yet to be released
from armed forces and groups.
108. United Nations monitors have reported that the recruitment and use of children
by Chadian armed groups is widespread, although difficulties in identifying leaders,
the constant shifting of alliances and groupings and the vast number of groups make
it difficult to establish the chain of responsibility for recruitment. UNHCR is
currently seeking to increase its child protection staff in eastern Chad. It is
estimated that hundreds of children are within the ranks of the Union of Forces for
Democracy and Development (Union des Forces pour la Démocratie et le
Développement (UFDD)). In November 2006, during clashes between the Chadian
National Army and UFDD in Abeche, 60 per cent of UFDD members captured were
children. Furthermore, although the recruitment and use of girls by armed forces and
groups is not widespread, 50 girls were allegedly associated with FUC in the area of
Guereda, Dar Tama Department.
109. Thousands of children have also been recruited and used by Sudanese armed
groups backed by the Chadian Government, including JEM and the SLA/G-19
breakaway faction from refugee camps located close to the Sudan-eastern Chad
border. In January 2007, 39 children from the Breidjing refugee camp were recruited
by Sudanese rebels, and their whereabouts remains unknown. Furthermore, there
have been reports of Chadian children being forcibly recruited by the Janjaweed,
coming from areas across the border in Darfur.
110. Systematic use of child soldiers by Chadian self-defence groups has been
reported in Ade, Mogororo and Dogdore of the Dar Sila Department. In January
2007, nine children between the ages of 13 and 17 were recruited in the surrounding
perimeters of the Djabal refugee camp in Goz Beida.
111. Many children are killed and maimed by unexploded ordnance and landmines,
which are a result of military engagements in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, 107 child
victims of landmines and unexploded ordnances were documented, of whom 22
were killed and 85 injured. In May 2007, four children were playing with a piece of
unexploded ordnance in Zaigueye when it exploded, killing two of the children and
maiming the others.
112. There have been a large number of incidents of sexual and gender-based
violence targeted at women and girls by members of armed groups, particularly
within the refugee populations. During the first three months of 2007, 139 cases of
sexual and gender-based violence were reported in the 12 refugee camps in the
eastern region. However, as it remains a taboo subject, comprehensive information
on the number of victims and survivors of sexual violence and the proportion of
such incidents perpetrated by members of armed forces and groups is difficult to
obtain.
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Developments in Colombia
113. The Government of Colombia, through the Colombian Family Welfare
Institute, has carried out programmatic efforts to prevent the recruitment of children
and reintegrate children into their communities. To date, the Government’s efforts
have benefited 3,326 children previously associated with illegal armed groups.
114. The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP) continues to recruit and use children. Cases have been reported in the
Departments of Cauca, Antioquia, Sucre, Bolivar, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Meta
and Nariño. In Corinto, Cauca Department, members of FARC frequently visit
schools to persuade children to join their ranks. Furthermore, despite current talks
between the Government and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) and
demands by the National Council for Peace that ELN cease recruitment and release
all children from its ranks immediately, this group also continues to recruit children.
In December 2006, two girls aged 14 and 15 were forcibly recruited by ELN in
Nariño, municipality of Guachavez-Santa Cruz.
115. Children have been used by Government armed forces for intelligence
purposes despite official Government policy to the contrary. On 6 March 2007, the
Colombian Ministry of Defence issued directive 30743, prohibiting all members of
the armed forces from utilizing children for intelligence activities, especially
children recovered from illegal armed groups. However, the Defensoría del Pueblo
reported that in Cauca, a child demobilized from FARC was used by the XXIX
Brigade as an informant for the armed forces in an operation and was later killed at
the age of 19 years while in combat with FARC, in contravention of the Paris
Principles and Guidelines on children associated with armed forces or armed
groups. In April 2007, two children aged 8 and 11 in Urrau, Chocó Department,
were forced by the national army to carry materials for them. In Bebedo, Chocó
Department, reports received by the United Nations in June 2007 confirm that the
armed forces operating in that area provided children with food in exchange for
cleaning and maintaining their weapons. The Defensoría del Pueblo continues to
report children being kept for unauthorized periods in police stations, army
battalions or judicial police premises.
116. There are increasing concerns about reported violations and abuses committed
against children by new organized illegal armed groups. These groups, such as the
Aguilas Negras, Manos Negras, Organización Nueva Generación or the Rastrojos
are largely involved in criminal activities related especially to drug trafficking. The
Government considers these groups as criminal gangs. In June 2007, Aguilas Negras
was reported to have coerced children to join their ranks in Cartagena, Bolivar
Department. Reports on the recruitment and use by the other three groups mentioned
above have also been received in the reporting period from Valle de Cauca, Bolivar
in Cartagena city and Antioquia in Medellin city. Furthermore, the two illegal armed
groups outside the demobilization process listed in my 2006 report, Autodefensas
Campesinas del Casanare and Frente Cacique Pipinta, have been only partially
demobilized, and it is believed that children are still present in those groups. The
gravity of the reported violations by those groups is very real and calls for serious
efforts to enhance the protection of children.
117. Positive efforts have been made by the Government in the demobilization of
combatants from the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC). According to
official figures, 63 children were demobilized from AUC in 2006, compared with
17,581 adults. Those children, however, were not formally handed over as per the
requirements of the collective demobilization process, and there are concerns that a
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number of children have been missed out in that process. The Colombian Family
Welfare Institute reports that an additional 32 children were demobilized on an
individual basis during the same period.
118. The national Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses certified that in
the reporting period 37 children, including 13 girls and 24 boys, were killed and 34
children, including 4 girls, were injured allegedly by Government security forces, of
which, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), nine cases have been filed by the Judicial Police.
Extrajudicial executions by some Government security forces have also been
reported. In March 2007, two people, including one 16-year-old boy, were killed by
forces from the XVI Brigade of the National Army. According to eyewitness
accounts, those killed were subsequently presented as guerrilla members. Children
have also been abducted, killed and injured by illegal armed groups. From October
2006 to May 2007, approximately 43 children were reported to have been held as
hostages. In October 2006, a 17-year-old girl was abducted in Toribio, Cauca, and
later killed, allegedly by FARC, and on 9 April 2007, in Buenaventura, Valle del
Cauca, a girl was abducted and killed by members of FARC. On 9 January 2007, a
child was abducted and killed by members of Aguilas Negras.
119. There are reports that rape and other sexual violence and exploitation continue
to be perpetrated by illegal armed groups and some members of the State forces.
OHCHR reported that FARC-EP had committed forced abortions and other
degrading treatment against young girls in their ranks. A report was also received by
OHCHR that two girls, aged 7 and 11 years from Florida, Department of Valle del
Cauca, were sexually abused by a soldier from the San Mateo Battalion on
19 November 2006.
120. There have been some reports of schools being occupied by illegal armed
groups. Landmines and abandoned explosive ordnance are often left behind once the
illegal armed groups retreat from their occupation of these facilities. A school in
Guacamayal, Caldas Department, is still surrounded by landmines. On the other
hand, in Puerto Caicedo, Putumayo Department, a school was occupied by members
of the National Army. In La Joya, also in Putumayo Department, tanks were placed
at the entrance of a school as part of a military checkpoint from July to September
2007.
Developments in the Philippines
121. Armed clashes in the Philippines intensified during the reporting period as the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stepped up its military campaigns against
non-State armed groups, particularly in Mindanao. Government forces have
reiterated their declaration of an all-out war and engaged the rebel New People’s
Army (NPA) in skirmishes. Although the Moro National Liberation Front signed a
final peace agreement with the Government in 1996, some of its factions based in
the Province of Sulu, southern Philippines, have fought AFP in several large-scale
confrontations. AFP and its paramilitary allies have also battled elements of the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Provinces of Basilan, Shariff
Kabunsuan and Maguindanao despite an existing agreement on cessation of
hostilities. Military campaigns against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Basilan and
Sulu also continue. Despite these conflicts, the ability to document child rights
violations remains weak.
122. During the reporting period, the Government recorded the recruitment of 11
children, allegedly by NPA: 1 from Leyte, 7 from Samar and 3 from Agusan del Sur.
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Three of the children are girls and remain in the custody of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development awaiting reintegration. The remaining children have been
released to their families. The children were allegedly captured by Government
forces in the course of their military operations. However, United Nations partners
claim that the children were innocent civilians who happened to be in the areas
where the military conducted their patrols or armed encounters took place. The
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) reiterates its policy not to recruit children
under age 18 as armed combatants, although it does not deny using children for noncombatant
functions in violation of international legal standards. CPP claims
disciplinary action is taken against violators of this policy, although monitoring of
such compliance remains limited.
123. There are indications that children may be present in the ranks of MILF and
ASG, however, owing to access limitations, no new reports of the recruitment and
use of children were obtained in the reporting period.
124. United Nations partners reported that four children were killed, three in
Mindanao and one in the Bicol region, and seven children were maimed in the
Provinces of Cagayan, Davao del Norte and Sulu. Three of the children were girls
between the ages of 9 and 14 years. Those incidents occurred during military
operations or armed encounters against insurgents, and the victims and survivors
have been branded as “rebels” or collateral damage. The most notable case was that
of a 9-year-old girl who was killed when Government soldiers opened fire near her
home in the Province of Compostela Valley on 31 March 2007, allegedly in pursuit
of NPA guerrillas. The military had initially declared her an NPA child soldier but
later recanted its accusation, and the Philippine Commission on Human Rights
officially declared that she was “caught in the crossfire”. In another incident on
23 January 2007, in Baggao, Cagayan Valley, two girls aged 14 and 15 years were
seriously injured by the 17th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army when they
opened fire without warning in the area.
125. The Philippine country-level task force on monitoring and reporting was
convened on 26 March 2007, comprising of United Nations system agencies and
local human rights organizations. On 19 July 2007, the Government of the
Philippines, through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations, has affirmed its
concurrence with the implementation of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005). In
addition, the Government is carefully studying the Paris Principles, which could
pave the way towards improving programme interventions for children and armed
conflict by the Government.
Developments in Sri Lanka
126. From 1 October 2006 to 31 August 2007, UNICEF received confirmed reports
of 339 children being recruited or re-recruited by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), of which 41 per cent were from Batticaloa, compared with 679
children recruited in the preceding 11 months. In the same period, LTTE released
226 children, compared with 171 children released in the preceding 11 months,
predominantly from Kilinochchi. Of the children recruited, 78 per cent were boys
and 22 per cent girls. The average age of the children recruited during the reporting
period was 16 years. Among the 6,221 children registered on the UNICEF database
as having been recruited since 2001, 1,469 cases remain outstanding, including 335
children currently under 18 years of age as at 31 August 2007. The reported cases
may only be indicative of the actual number of children recruited given access
limitations in LTTE-controlled areas. LTTE has designated its so-called Child
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Protection Authority as the interlocutor on child recruitment issues and Security
Council resolution 1612 (2005), and weekly dialogue between UNICEF and the
so-called Child Protection Authority continues. As at 22 August 2007, eight children
continued to reside in the Educational Skills Development Centre, in violation of the
recommendations of the Working Group of the Security Council. At the time of
reporting, UNICEF was in the process of arranging the return of those eight children
to their families.
127. UNICEF received confirmed reports that 246 children had been recruited or
re-recruited by the Karuna faction during the reporting period, compared with 154
children recruited in the previous 11-month period. Most of the children were
recruited from Batticaloa. The Karuna faction released 80 children in the same
period, compared with 14 children released in the previous 11-month period. The
average age of the children being recruited by the Karuna faction was 16 years. All
of the children recruited were boys, with the exception of one girl. From the 385
children registered on the UNICEF database as having been recruited, 214 cases
remained outstanding as at 31 August 2007, including 160 children currently under
18 years old.
128. The majority of reported child abduction cases occurred in Jaffna, Batticaloa
and Vavuniya. Abductions are carried out mainly in the context of recruitment, and
are attributed to LTTE and Karuna faction. In some instances, children who were
abducted were later found to have been killed. On 14 November 2006, four boys
were abducted in Batticaloa. That case is part of several group abductions of
children in the area which remain unresolved. On 18 December 2006, 22 students
were abducted by LTTE for recruitment purposes while attending a tutoring class in
Ampara. All of the children were released within two days as a result of UNICEF
advocacy with LTTE. On 22 December 2006 and 18 March 2007, two boys were
reportedly detained by the Government of Sri Lanka security forces in Jaffna and
have subsequently been reported missing.
129. Since 1 October 2006, according to verified reports, 46 children were killed
and 79 maimed owing to the conflict. This includes the deaths of 11 recruited
children, 9 of whom were recruited by LTTE and 2 by the Karuna faction. More
than half of the killings and maimings occurred in Batticaloa district. On 2 January
2007, a Sri Lankan Air Force aerial bombardment killed seven children and injured
eight in Padahuthurai, an internally displaced persons village near Mannar. All but
one of the children was under the age of 10 years. On 2 April 2007, three children
were killed and four maimed in a bus explosion at a military checkpoint in Ampara
attributed to LTTE.
130. Aerial strikes and shelling by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and attacks by
LTTE have resulted in the destruction of schools and the death and injury of
students and teachers. On 8 November 2006, an SLA artillery bombardment hit an
internally displaced persons camp located in a school in Vaharai, Batticaloa. At least
26 civilians died, including at least 2 children, and at least 69 civilians were injured,
including 21 children under the age of 15 years. On 7 December 2006, LTTE
shelling hit a school in Trincomalee which resulted in the death of a teacher and
injury of 15 people, including 5 children.
131. Hospitals have also been damaged during SLA operations in the reporting
period. On 18 October 2006, the Gramodaya Health Centre in Vaharai was damaged
by SLA shelling, and the Centre was used by SLA from January to the end of July
2007. The Special Task Forces of the Government of Sri Lanka have also been
utilizing a maternity ward and on-call duty room at a hospital in Batticaloa since
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July 2007. On 14 July 2007, SLA shelling damaged the maternity section and
outpatient department of a hospital in north Vavuniya.
132. LTTE submitted a draft action plan on 28 March 2007 and a revised version on
19 July 2007, following dialogue with the country-level task force on monitoring
and reporting. However, those drafts committed LTTE to a minimum age of
recruitment of 17 years until 1 January 2008, at which point the minimum age of
recruitment would be raised to 18 years. The delay in raising the minimum age of
recruitment to 18 years is contradictory to their previous commitments and
international standards. At the time of reporting, LTTE had indicated that the
minimum age of recruitment would be raised to 18 years. However, this has not
translated into a commitment to release those between 17 and 18 years old at the
present time. On the other hand, despite continued advocacy, there has been less
progress with the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal, the political wing of the
Karuna faction. Following the commitment made to the Working Group of the
Security Council, a committee comprising senior officials of the Government of Sri
Lanka was established to carry out an independent and credible investigation into
the allegations that certain elements of the Government security forces are
supporting and sometimes participating in the abduction and forced recruitment of
children by the Karuna faction. While the appointment of the committee is
welcomed, there is an urgent need for the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate
the allegations and take active measures to prevent grave violations against children,
including the abduction and recruitment of children by the Karuna faction,
especially in Government-controlled areas. Action is also still required by the
Government of Sri Lanka to address the situation of children who sought special
protection and surrendered to Government forces and who are currently in Pallekele
and Jaffna Prisons, including the need for appropriate rehabilitative measures.
Developments in Uganda
133. Although the Government of Uganda has no deliberate or systematic policy to
recruit children, the lack of effective monitoring at the local level leads to children
continuing to join some elements of the armed forces. During the reporting period
there were 16 cases of recruitment and use of children aged 14 to 17 years by the
Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). Three cases were reported in Pader
district in which children who had escaped from LRA were used for gathering
intelligence before being released in February 2007. In that regard, UPDF did not
make use of the agreed civilian reintegration structures in place. Three other cases
were reported in the Teso subregion in May 2007, but with the full cooperation of
UPDF, the children were later released to OHCHR. The other 10 cases concern the
use of children within auxiliary forces of the UPDF, in particular the local defence
units. Young boys continue to serve in the local defence units in Anaka and Alero
sub-counties, Amuru district, Acholiland. To date, there are still no signs of the
release of 1,128 children reported to have been mobilized into the local defence
units in late 2004 in Kitgum, Pader and parts of Teso region. The Government has
claimed that the local defence units have been disbanded and some of its members
integrated into UPDF and Uganda Police Force. During this process, the opportunity
to utilize the agreed civilian reintegration structure in place was also missed. The
country-level task force on monitoring and reporting noted that comprehensive
planning for the demobilization and disarmament of children associated with the
local defence units was an essential element for sustainable peace in northern
Uganda. In early August 2007, the task force team met with the Minister for Foreign
Affairs to finalize an action plan to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers
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within the framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005). A workshop was
held in Kampala on 24 August 2007 with key stakeholders from the Government
and the task force team, culminating in a draft action plan to be adopted by the
Government shortly.
134. Since December 2006, 48 cases of rape and other sexual violence against girls
perpetrated by UPDF or local defence unit elements were reported, of which 37
cases were recorded from March to August 2007 in Kitgum, Gulu, Lira and Amuru
districts. Thirty-four of the latter offences were committed by UPDF forces, and
three were perpetrated by members of the local defence units. Most of those cases
occurred in internally displaced camp settings and return areas. In February 2007,
four girls were abducted by a UPDF soldier in Gulu district, resulting in the rape of
two of the girls, aged 12 and 14. In the same month, another 14-year-old girl was
raped and strangled to death by a local defence unit soldier in Amuru district.
Although these cases have been reported to the police, no arrests have been made
either owing to difficulties in identifying the perpetrator or because the suspects
have disappeared.
135. Two primary schools in Aswa county, Gulu district of Acholiland, were
occupied by military forces and used for military training purposes. Through
OHCHR intervention, the army vacated the schools on 23 August 2007. In Lira
district, the Baralegi primary school in Okwang sub-county is still occupied by
military forces. Owing to severe damage to the school structure, the Government
plans to build new schools.
136. Owing to the absence of LRA in Ugandan territory during the reporting period,
no cases attributable to it have been recorded by the country-level task force on
monitoring and reporting. LRA has not released any children from the
Ri-Kwangba assembly point in Southern Sudan. However, since the signing of the
Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in August 2006, approximately 70 children,
15 per cent of whom are girls, have returned from Southern Sudan to reception
centres in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader and Lira. The majority of the children had either
escaped or were captured by UPDF or SPLA forces, while six children were
transferred from the Toto Chan reception centre in Juba, Southern Sudan. Those
children have been successfully reintegrated into their communities through
UNICEF-supported child protection programmes. A mechanism is currently in place
to receive the remaining children still held by LRA. The country-level task force
continues to advocate for the release of all children and women remaining in LRA
captivity.
C. Sexual exploitation and abuse of children by United Nations
peacekeeping and other United Nations personnel
137. During the reporting period, the United Nations continued to seek ways in
which to strengthen the institutional framework to prevent and address sexual
exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers and other United Nations personnel, with
some initiatives directed specifically at preventing the abuse of children.
138. The ability of the United Nations to cover field locations grew considerably,
and as at 31 July 2007, the Department of Field Support has established Conduct
and Discipline Units to cover 18 peace operations.3 Those units are responsible for
receiving, monitoring and tracking complaints of sexual exploitation and abuse
__________________
3 A list of peace operations is available at http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/CDT/about.html.
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against peacekeepers, developing and implementing prevention initiatives and
enforcing standards of conduct.
139. In 2006, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) reported the receipt
of 371 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. Some 357 of these were from
United Nations peace operations, which represents a 5 per cent increase in reported
allegations from the previous year. During the first half of 2007, OIOS reported the
receipt of 72 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse from United Nations peace
operations. This downward trend in reported allegations is attributable to the impact
of prevention and enforcement initiatives which the United Nations put in place
over the course of 2005 and 2006. Of the allegations reported for peacekeeping
operations during 2006, 82 investigations have been completed as of June 2007. Of
those, five involved acts of sexual exploitation and abuse against minors. The
completed investigations resulted in the dismissal or non-renewal of contracts of 1
civilian staff member and the repatriation of 1 police and 13 military personnel.
140. In June 2007, allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by a contingent of
United Nations peacekeepers were reported in the United Nations peace operations
in Côte d’Ivoire. Those allegations involved acts of abuse of young women and
girls. OIOS was immediately informed and the investigation process was initiated.
Owing to the seriousness of the allegations, the contingent concerned was cantoned.
The Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support, together with the
concerned Member State, remain actively seized of the matter.
141. Recognizing the importance of a strategy for victim assistance as a part of the
comprehensive response to sexual exploitation and abuse, the General Assembly, in
its resolution 61/291, established an ad hoc open-ended Working Group to consider
a draft policy statement and comprehensive strategy on assistance and support to
victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations staff and related
personnel (see A/60/877, annex). That Working Group commenced its deliberations
during the sixty-second session of the General Assembly. It is anticipated that, when
endorsed by the Assembly, the strategy will provide an institutional framework that
will give much-needed support to children who are victims of abuse or are born as a
result of cases of abuse by United Nations staff and related personnel. In the
interim, victims of abuse may receive emergency medical and psychosocial support
facilitated by United Nations operations on the ground in conjunction with local
service providers. In some peace operations, such as in Liberia, the United Nations
peace operation has established a Rape and Sexual Assault Rapid Response Team to
ensure that swift action is taken to aid women and children who are victims of
abuse. That team, which embraces local partners, has helped some minors to receive
safe housing and medical attention. This initiative was intended to minimize the risk
of losing or damaging critical evidence and to reduce the exposure of survivors of
abuse to further trauma. The challenge now is to create sustainable initiatives for
victims’ support. Implementing this strategy is of critical importance.
142. A high-level conference on sexual exploitation and abuse, held on 4 December
2006, jointly hosted by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNDP and UNICEF, resulted in the
issuance of a Statement of Commitment on Eliminating Sexual Exploitation and
Abuse by United Nations and Non-United Nations Personnel, which contained 10
principles to facilitate rapid implementation of standards relating to the prevention
and elimination of sexual exploitation and abuse. As at 31 July 2007, 40
United Nations and 31 non-United Nations entities had endorsed the Statement and
committed to combating sexual exploitation and abuse.
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143. Significant progress was made during the reporting period with the
establishment of an effective legislative framework which members of national
contingents are required to comply with. It is encouraging to note that in July 2007,
the General Assembly unanimously endorsed recommendations to incorporate
revisions on standards of conduct into the draft model memorandum of
understanding between troop-contributing countries and the United Nations (see
A/61/19 (Part III)). In addition to strengthening the accountability of uniformed
contingent personnel, the revisions to the memorandum of understanding also
emphasize the need to immediately collect forensic evidence in sexual exploitation
and abuse cases in a manner which will be sufficient to prosecute perpetrators in
their home country.
IV. Information on progress made in the implementation of the
monitoring and reporting mechanism and mainstreaming of
child protection in United Nations peacekeeping operations
144. As called for in paragraph 3 of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), a
monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave child rights violations has been
established in situations of armed conflict, listed in annex I of the Secretary-
General’s 2006 report, that are on the agenda of the Security Council, namely
Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and the
Sudan; and in other situations of armed conflict, listed in annex II of the Secretary-
General’s 2006 report, that have voluntarily implemented the monitoring and
reporting mechanism, namely, Chad, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda. The
Government of Myanmar has also agreed to cooperate in establishing a monitoring
and reporting mechanism within the framework of resolution 1612 (2005).
145. Since its inception, monitoring and reporting has moved from a concept to a
concrete United Nations system response. The establishment of the monitoring and
reporting mechanism has allowed for systematic, reliable, timely and objective
information to be gathered on the six grave violations against children in armed
conflict, including the identification of offending parties, which feeds into my
country-specific reports examined by the Working Group of the Security Council on
Children and Armed Conflict. The designation of these offending parties on the
annexed lists of my annual reports has proven to have a deterrent effect and has
allowed the relevant “destinations for action”, such as the Working Group, to
maintain political pressure and take action on parties to conflict who are found to be
persistent violators of child rights. Reports generated through the monitoring and
reporting mechanism process have also contributed significantly to increased
international awareness on the issue of Children and Armed Conflict, particularly
though their inclusion in Security Council resolutions and debates that have been
generated in other United Nations forums.
146. There have been positive developments as a result of the recommendations and
actions taken by the Working Group, including drawing the attention of the Security
Council as well as its sanctions committees, where applicable, to the need to follow
up on the recommendations addressed to them. In the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, after an initial delay, the Government brought to trial former Mai-Mai
Commander Kyungu Mutanga, alias “Gedeon”, for war crimes and crimes against
humanity, including the recruitment of 300 children in Katanga Province from 2003
to 2006. This action follows strong recommendations by the Working Group to take
appropriate legal measures against members of armed groups accused of grave
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crimes against children. In Côte d’Ivoire, the Working Group requested that Forces
de Défense et de Sécurité des Forces nouvelles continue its dissemination of the
command order to end the detention of children. Since then, that command order has
been successfully implemented, and regular monitoring of prisons and detention
facilities in areas under the control of FDS-FN is carried out by the United Nations
to ensure that no children are incarcerated.
147. Direct contact and dialogue by the Working Group with all the Government
representatives of countries whose situation had been considered by the Working
Group has also played a role in encouraging their active participation in its
meetings, and in obtaining their positive commitments to protect children affected
by armed conflict. The Government of Sri Lanka reaffirmed its zero-tolerance
policy for the recruitment and use of children and reiterated its commitment to the
Working Group by establishing a committee comprising high-level Government
officials to conduct an independent and credible investigation into allegations that
some security forces are abetting the Karuna faction in the recruitment and use of
children. The Government of Uganda also reiterated its commitment to finalize its
action plan pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) in order that the
Uganda People’s Defence Forces and local defence units be removed from the
annexes of my annual reports.
148. Similarly, cooperative and constructive engagement by the Working Group
with parties in situations of conflict not on the agenda of the Council, such as the
Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uganda, has resulted in their acceptance of the
implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism pursuant to resolution
1612 (2005).
149. However, in certain situations, increased pressure is required against persistent
and recalcitrant violators of child rights, such as dissident General Laurent Nkunda
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Janjaweed in the Sudan, and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, by further considering the need to
impose targeted measures against those parties.
150. In my 2006 report to the Security Council, I recommended that the monitoring
and reporting mechanism be expanded to give equal care and attention to children
affected by armed conflict in all situations of concern, thereby encouraging the
establishment of the mechanism in all situations on the annexed lists. In April 2007,
the Working Group placed the situation of children affected by armed conflict in
Myanmar on its agenda. Despite the agreement achieved with the Government of
Myanmar on monitoring and reporting mechanism implementation, the issue of
access in a timely manner to conflict-affected areas, as well as other Government
restrictions, are factors that need to be overcome to enable the effective and
independent functioning of the mechanism. In situations not on the agenda of the
Council, such as Chad, Colombia and the Philippines, overriding factors such as
insecurity, restriction or denial of access to certain areas of the country and
insufficient resources pose a significant challenge to the establishment of a rigorous
monitoring and reporting mechanism. For example, precarious and unpredictable
security situations in eastern Chad or in certain areas of operation of illegal armed
groups in the Philippines and Colombia make it difficult to obtain accurate and upto-
date information on child rights violations.
151. My Special Representative has undertaken several country missions to carry
out high-level advocacy on issues of children and armed conflict and to assist the
authorities, United Nations and civil society partners in improving the situation of
children in armed conflict. Several of these country missions have been mandated
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by the Working Group. Cooperation from Governments in extending their invitation
to my Special Representative has been instrumental in achieving those objectives. In
the reporting period, missions to Sri Lanka (November 2006); the Sudan (January
2007); the Democratic Republic of the Congo (March 2007); Lebanon, Occupied
Palestinian Territory and Israel (April 2007); and Myanmar (June 2007) were
carried out by my Special Representative or, in the case of Sri Lanka, by the Special
Adviser to the Special Representative. Specific outcomes of those missions have
been described under the relevant country situations in section III of the present
report.
152. My 2006 report highlighted the findings from the study of child protection
experience in peace operations4 commissioned by the Peacekeeping Best Practices
Section, as called for in paragraph 20(d) of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).
The study recognized the crucial need of child protection advisers, and the
significant impact they achieve through their monitoring and reporting capacity in
increasing the attention to the rights of war-affected children on the United Nations
peace and security agenda. The study, however, also brought attention to the need
for a clear inter-agency decision-making process to ensure that all child protection
actors are playing a role in such a way that takes advantage of their comparative
strengths.
153. Five main lessons emerged from the study, namely: (a) the concept of child
protection advisers and their current terms of reference should be jointly reviewed
and clarified by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
and UNICEF; (b) there is a need for a specialized capacity at the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations headquarters to provide guidance, training and daily
operational support to the child protection advisers in the field; (c) best practices
need to be captured from child protection advisers and fed into policy and guidance
development by the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Special
Representative, UNICEF and other partners; (d) the location of child protection
units or advisers within the mission structure needs to be reviewed and possibly
standardized; and (e) the profile and selection process for child protection advisers
should be reviewed by the Department, in consultation with the Office of the
Special Representative and UNICEF. The Peacekeeping Best Practices Section is
currently in the process of recruiting a senior-level child protection focal point, who
will be responsible for following up on the above-mentioned lessons and
recommendations.
154. The child protection advisers should also be placed in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territory to augment the human rights
monitoring expertise in the respective missions. There should also be the placement
of child protection advisers within the African Union-United Nations Hybrid
Operation in Darfur and United Nations-European Union multidimensional presence
in Chad and the Central African Republic. This would strengthen the task of
monitoring and reporting, as well as help to provide timely and accurate information
for prompt advocacy and response to the issue of children affected by armed conflict
in those conflict situations.
155. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has recently adopted new reporting
guidelines under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
__________________
4 United Nations, “The Impact of Child Protection Advisers in United Nations Peacekeeping
Operations” (May 2007).
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on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which encourage States parties to
cooperate with my Special Representative and the monitoring and reporting
mechanism as per the framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in the
implementation of the Optional Protocol.
V. Information on progress made in the development and
implementation of action plans
156. Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), parties
are called upon to develop and implement concrete time-bound action plans, in close
collaboration with United Nations peacekeeping missions and/or United Nations
country teams. During the reporting period, progress on action plans has been made
with armed forces and groups in four country situations on the agenda of the
Security Council, namely, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Myanmar
and the Sudan; and two parties in country situations not on the Council’s agenda,
namely Sri Lanka and Uganda. In Chad, although an action plan has not been
developed, the Government signed an agreement with UNICEF to demobilize child
soldiers from the armed forces.
157. In the reporting period, several factors have contributed to the compliance by
parties, including their engagement in action plans to halt and prevent the
recruitment and use of children in armed conflict:
(a) There has been sustained engagement and pressure on parties by the
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, including the possibility of
targeted measures;
(b) Trust and confidence-building measures carried out by the country-level
task force on monitoring and reporting and United Nations country teams with
parties have resulted in significant achievements with respect to the demobilization
and release of children associated with armed forces and groups;
(c) The visits of my Special Representative have provided the opportunity
for high-level advocacy and opened doors for follow-up dialogues with military and
political authorities by the task force and United Nations country teams;
(d) The continued mainstreaming of issues on children and armed conflict in
the peacekeeping missions through child protection advisers, and enhanced
cooperation with UNICEF and OHCHR are resulting in greater efforts for the
protection of children.
158. While progress has been made with certain parties to conflict, progress with
others has been slower. In Sri Lanka, the draft action plan submitted by LTTE
commits the group to not recruit children under 17 years of age, which is
inconsistent with international standards. In Myanmar, although KNU and KNPP
had engaged with the United Nations on deeds of commitment following their
listing on the annexes of my annual report to the Security Council in 2006, the
Government of Myanmar had been reticent to allow for further dialogue owing to
various concerns relating to their status as non-State actors. Similar sensitivities
apply to the conflict in Colombia. In Uganda, an action plan which meets
international standards has yet to be finalized.
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VI. Recommendations
159. It is recommended that the Security Council consider giving equal care
and attention to children affected by armed conflict in all situations of concern
listed in the annexes to my report.
160. It is further recommended that the Security Council give equal weight to
all categories of grave violations, including not only the recruitment and use of
children, but also the killing and maiming of children, rape and other grave
sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals and denial of
humanitarian access to children.
161. While recognizing the efforts and cooperation by some countries, the
implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism within the
framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) should be supported in
all situations of concern.
162. The Security Council is encouraged to continue to call upon parties in
situations of armed conflict listed in the annexes to my report to prepare
concrete time-bound action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children
and other violations and abuses committed against children for which they are
cited, including the killing and maiming of children, rape and other grave
sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools and hospitals and denial of
humanitarian access to children, in violation of international obligations
applicable to them, and to expand the call for action plans to all situations of
concern.
163. I welcome the Security Council’s continuing consideration of effective
targeted measures against parties to armed conflict who continue to
systematically commit grave violations against children in armed conflict in
defiance of recommendations by the Working Group on Children and Armed
Conflict and of Council resolutions. The Security Council should consider a
range of measures, including a ban on the export or supply of arms, a ban on
military assistance, the imposition of travel restrictions on leaders, their
exclusion from any governance structures and amnesty provisions, and
restriction of the flow of financial resources to the parties concerned.
164. The Security Council is encouraged to empower its Working Group on
Children and Armed Conflict to recommend to the Council the imposition of
targeted measures, and to monitor the implementation of such measures, on
parties to armed conflict who commit grave violations against children in all
situations of concern listed in the annexes to my report.
165. It is recommended that all future peacekeeping missions and relevant
political missions include within their mandates child protection advisers, as
appropriate, to strengthen monitoring and reporting and provide timely and
accurate information for prompt advocacy and response for the protection of
children affected by armed conflict in those situations.
166. Member States concerned should take effective action to bring to justice
individuals responsible for the recruitment and use of children and other grave
violations against children through national justice systems. The Security
Council is encouraged to refer to the International Criminal Court, for
investigation and prosecution, violations against children in armed conflict that
fall within its jurisdiction.
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167. Member States concerned should coordinate with my Special
Representative on her engagement with non-State parties to ensure the broad
and effective protection of children exposed to situations of concern.
168. States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child are encouraged
to take measures to support the recommendations of the Committee on the
Rights of the Child; to strengthen national and international measures for the
prevention of recruitment of children into armed forces or armed groups and
their use in hostilities, in particular by signing and ratifying the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict and enacting legislation that explicitly prohibits the
recruitment of children into armed forces/groups and their use in hostilities; to
submit reports under the Optional Protocol to the Committee on the Rights of
the Child; and to exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction in order to strengthen
the international protection of children against recruitment.
169. Member States are urged to work towards the implementation of a
comprehensive strategy on assistance and support to victims of sexual
exploitation and abuse by United Nations staff and related personnel, thereby
enabling children who are victims of or born as a result of such abuse to receive
much-needed support.
170. Adequate resources and funding need to be made available by donors to
national Governments, the United Nations and partners to support the
rehabilitation and reintegration of all children who have been associated with
armed forces or armed groups, including relevant and effective programmatic
action that reinforces such efforts, while ensuring their long-term sustainability
and viability.
171. Member States are urged to address immediately the grave humanitarian,
human rights and development consequences of cluster munitions. To that end,
Member States are encouraged to conclude a binding instrument that prohibits
the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions
that cause unacceptable harm to civilians; requires the destruction of current
stockpiles of those munitions; and provides for clearance, risk education and
other risk-mitigation activities, victim support, assistance and cooperation, and
compliance and transparency measures.
VII. Annexed lists5
172. The present report contains two annexes.6 Annex I lists parties that recruit or
use children in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council,
bearing in mind other grave violations and abuses committed against children.
Annex II lists parties that recruit or use children either in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council or in other situations of concern,
also bearing in mind other grave violations and abuses committed against children.
173. It should be noted that the annexes do not list countries as such. The purpose
of the annexed lists is to identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible
__________________
5 Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the present report is guided by criteria for
determining the existence of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and
international jurisprudence. Reference to a situation of concern is not a legal determination, and
reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal status.
6 The parties are listed in alphabetical order in the annexes.
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for specific grave violations against children. In this respect, the names of countries
are referred to only in order to indicate the locations or situations where offending
parties are committing the violations in question.
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40 07-65604
Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children in situations of
armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council,
bearing in mind other violations and abuses committed
against children
Parties in Afghanistan
Taliban Forces
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children
and attacks against schools in the reporting period.
Parties in Burundi
Parti de libération du peuple hutu (Palipehutu)-Forces nationales pour la
libération (FNL) — Agathon Rwasa
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Armée populaire pour la restauration de la Republique et de la démocratie
(APRD)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
2. Forces démocratiques pour la rassemblement (UFDR)
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children
and attacks against schools in the reporting period.
3. Forces démocratiques populaire de Centrafrique (FDPC)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
3. Front des nationalistes et integrationalistes (FNI)
This party has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the
reporting period.
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07-65604 41
4. Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI)
This party has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the
reporting period.
5. Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, Maniema and Katanga who have
not integrated into FARDC
This party has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the
reporting period.
6. Mouvement révolutionnaire congolais (MRC)
This party has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the
reporting period.
7. Non-integrated FARDC brigades loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions and
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)
2. Karen National Union-Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council
3. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)
4. Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)
5. Karenni Army (KA)
6. Karenni National People’s Liberation Front (KNPLF)
7. Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
8. Shan State Army-South (SSA-S)
9. Tatmadaw Kyi
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming and denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
10. United Wa State Army (UWSA)
Parties in Nepal
Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M)
This party has also been responsible for abducting children in the reporting
period.
Parties in Somalia
1. Remnants of the former Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC)
This party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children in
the reporting period.
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42 07-65604
2. Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, committing rape
and other grave sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals and denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
Parties in Southern Sudan
1. Parties under the control of the Government of the Sudan
(a) South Sudan Defence Forces, including the forces of Major-General
Gabriel Tang Ginyi
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(b) Sudan. Armed Forces (SAF)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
2. Parties under the control of the Government of Southern Sudan
(a) Pibor Defence Forces
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(b) Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
Parties in Darfur
1. Parties under the control of the Government of the Sudan
(a) Chadian opposition groups
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(b) Darfur Government supporting militias called the Janjaweed
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, committing rape
and other grave sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals and denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
(c) Police Forces, including the Central Reserve Police
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(d) Popular Defence Forces
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(e) Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, committing rape
and other grave sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals and denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
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07-65604 43
2. Former rebel parties who have accepted the Darfur Peace Agreement
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (Peace Wing)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(b) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abu Gasim
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Free Will
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(d) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Minni Minnawi
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
3. Rebel parties who have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement
(a) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul Wahid
This party has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the
reporting period.
(b) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Shafi
This party has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the
reporting period.
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children in situations of
armed conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council,
or in other situations of concern, bearing in mind other
violations and abuses committed against children
Parties in Chad
1. Chadian National Army
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
2. Chadian self-defence groups operating in Ade, Dogdore and Mogororo
3. Government of the Sudan-backed militias, known as the Janjaweed
4. Sudanese armed groups backed by the Government of Chad
(a) Justice and Equality Movement
(b) Sudan Liberation Army — G19 faction
5. Union des forces pour la démocratie et le développement (UFDD)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children.
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions,
committing rape and other grave sexual violence and the denial of humanitarian
access to children in the reporting period.
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions,
committing rape and other grave sexual violence and the denial of humanitarian
access to children in the reporting period.
3. Illegal armed groups not participating in the demobilization process
(a) Autodefensas Campesinas del Casanare
(b) Frente Cacique Pipinta
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
3. New People’s Army (NPA)
A/62/609
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Parties in Sri Lanka
1. Karuna faction
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and abductions
of children in the reporting period.
2. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
This party has also been responsible for killing and maiming and abductions
of children in the reporting period.
Parties in Uganda
1. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
2. Government armed forces and defence units
(a) Local defence units
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
(b) Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)
This party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
United Nations A/63/785–S/2009/158
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
26 March 2009
Original: English
09-28244 (E) 200409
*0928244*
General Assembly
Sixty-third session
Agenda item 60 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Sixty-third year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council presidential
statement (S/PRST/2008/6), by which the Council requested me to submit a report
on the implementation of its resolutions 1612 (2005), 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000),
1379 (2001), 1460 (2003) and 1539 (2004) on children and armed conflict. The
report includes information on compliance with applicable international law to end
the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and other grave violations
being committed against children affected by armed conflict;1 information on
progress made in the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism
and action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children, as well as progress
made in mainstreaming children and armed conflict issues in United Nations
peacekeeping and political missions; and a brief summary of the conclusions of the
Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, and of its
progress.
2. The report includes a proposal to strengthen the monitoring and reporting on
rape and other grave sexual violence against children. The Office of my Special
Representative has also identified the following emerging concerns in relation to the
children and armed conflict agenda as key priority areas for action and continued
__________________
1 Applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict
include, in particular, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and obligations applicable under the
Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the
Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and the amended Protocol II to the Convention on
Prohibitions or Restriction on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed
to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, International Labour
Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the
Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,
and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
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2 09-28244
advocacy. These concerns include internally displaced children and their particular
risks for recruitment; terrorism and counter-terrorism measures and its impact on
children; the accountability of child soldiers for acts committed during armed
conflict, and special protections accorded to them; control on the transfer and use of
arms and ammunitions, particularly to countries where children are known to be, or
may potentially be, recruited or used in hostilities; and measures to achieve
sustainable reintegration of children affected by conflict.
3. The report covers compliance and progress in ending the recruitment and use
of children and other grave violations, including the killing and maiming of
children, rape and other grave sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and
hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access to children by parties to armed
conflict.
4. The preparation of the present report involved broad consultations within the
United Nations, in particular with the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict at
Headquarters, country-level task forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping
and political missions and United Nations country teams, as well as with concerned
Member States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Country-level task
forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping and political missions and United
Nations country teams are the primary sources of information for the report.
5. References to reports, cases and incidents in the present report refer to
information that is gathered, vetted and verified for accuracy. In situations where
access to obtaining or independently verifying information received is hampered by
factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such.
6. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in identifying the
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict is guided by the criteria for determining the existence
of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and international
jurisprudence.2 In the performance of her mandate, my Special Representative has
adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach to this issue, with a humanitarian
emphasis, focusing on ensuring broad and effective protection for children exposed
and affected by conflict in situations of concern. Reference to a situation of concern
is not a legal determination and reference to a non-State party does not affect its
legal status.
II. Information on compliance and progress in ending the
recruitment and use of children and other violations being
committed against children
7. The present report provides information on developments covering the period
from September 2007 to December 2008, as well as some developments that have
extended beyond the reporting period. Reports of the Secretary-General on children
and armed conflict in Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the
__________________
2 See, for example, common article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, article 1 of Additional
Protocol II of 1977 thereto; International Committee of the Red Cross, J. PICTET (ed.),
Commentary on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (1958); and Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case
No. IT-94, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Appeals Chamber
(2 October 1995).
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Congo, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Uganda were also
submitted to the Security Council and its Working Group on Children and Armed
Conflict during the reporting period.
8. Progress made by the parties listed in annexes I and II to the present report,
and named in the body of my 2007 report (A/62/609-S/2007/757), have been
assessed with respect to whether they have ceased recruiting and using children, and
whether they have refrained from committing other grave violations against
children. Progress made by the parties is also assessed with respect to whether they
have engaged in dialogue with country-level task forces on monitoring and
reporting, as called for in Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005), and whether through that dialogue, or in the context of other processes, such
as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes or the signing of
peace agreements, they have developed and implemented action plans to end the use
of children and released all children from their ranks, and made specific
commitments to address other grave violations against children for which they have
been cited.
9. Parties who fully comply with terms set forth in action plans and undertake
verified measures to address other grave violations for which they have been cited,
to the satisfaction of the country-level task force on monitoring and reporting and
the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict, will be considered for de-listing
from the annexes. Ongoing monitoring by the country-level task force on
monitoring and reporting is required to ensure the protection of children and
compliance with the undertakings given by parties that have been de-listed. Should
it be determined that de-listed parties recruit and use children at a later point in
time, or fail to allow continuous and unhindered access to the United Nations for
verification, they will be re-listed onto the annexes, and the Security Council will be
alerted to the non-compliance.
A. Information on compliance and progress in situations on the
agenda of the Security Council
Developments in Afghanistan3
10. Allegations of recruitment of children by armed groups, including those
associated with the Taliban, have been received from all regions, particularly from
the south, south-east and east. Recruitment is also reported to be prevalent in areas
with high concentrations of returnees or internally displaced persons, particularly in
the south and south-eastern provinces. Recently, allegations were received of
children living in the southern border areas who were being approached and offered
money to carry out activities on behalf of armed groups. A study conducted by the
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also documented
cases of children being used by the Taliban to carry out suicide attacks.
11. There are also concerns that due to inadequate age-verification procedures in
its recruitment processes, children have been found in ranks of the Afghan National
Police.
__________________
3 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in
Afghanistan, see S/2008/695.
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4 09-28244
12. Children have been captured, arrested and detained by Afghan law
enforcement agencies and international military forces because of their alleged
association with armed groups. There is evidence of children being ill-treated,
detained for long periods of time by the National Directorate of Security and
prevented access to legal assistance, in contravention of the provisions of the
Afghan Juvenile Code and international standards on juvenile justice. In November
2007, a 17-year-old boy arrested by the National Directorate of Security in relation
to the murder of the head of the Department of Women’s Affairs by the Taliban in
Kandahar was detained with no charge until August 2008 and was allegedly severely
beaten and deprived of food and sleep. He was later transferred to National
Directorate of Security detention in Kabul, tried and sentenced to 15 years of
imprisonment in Pul-i-Charki adult prison.
13. Reports of child casualties due to the conflict have been received from all
across Afghanistan. Children are caught between opposing sides in the ongoing
conflict in the southern and eastern regions. Between January and December 2008,
73 children were killed and 91 injured in the eastern region; and 100 children were
killed and 116 injured in the southern region. Children have also been victims of
asymmetric attacks, which have included suicide bombings, vehicle-borne
improvised explosive devices, body-borne improvised explosive devices, and
attacks by anti-government elements including the Taliban, in the north-east, west
and central regions, which primarily target national and international security
forces, governmental infrastructure and personnel. For example, on 20 October 2008
in Kunduz Province, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the vicinity of an
international forces checkpoint, killing five children and seriously injuring two
more. Furthermore, a total of 106 children (94 boys and 12 girls) were killed and
409 children (354 boys and 55 girls) injured from landmines and unexploded
ordnance in the reporting period, mainly in the Baghlan, Kabul and Kandahar
provinces.
14. Since my last annual report, there has been an escalation of incidents affecting
the education sector, including attacks on schools, students and teachers. From
September 2007 to September 2008, 321 cases were recorded, compared to 133
cases reported over the same period last year. As of September, the Ministry of
Education reported that 99 schools had been attacked, burned or destroyed by antigovernment
elements, including the Taliban, and 600 schools were closed since the
start of the year, with 80 per cent of the closures being in the southern provinces of
Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul and Urozgan. Students, teachers and other education
personnel have been threatened or killed. During the reporting period,
approximately 20 children were killed and 27 seriously injured, mainly in the central
and south-eastern regions. These incidents were perpetrated by anti-government
elements, including the Taliban. A particularly disturbing incident occurred on
12 November 2008, when Taliban militants attacked a group of girls en route to
school by throwing acid on their faces. They were reportedly paid 100,000 Pakistani
rupees for each girl they were able to burn. Schools have also been unintentionally
damaged in artillery exchanges with anti-government elements and international
military forces.
15. The conflict has negatively affected access to basic health services in almost
half of the country, with the southern region being the most affected. Medical
personnel have been targeted by anti-government elements, including the Taliban.
On 14 September 2008, two World Health Organization (WHO) doctors and their
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driver were killed by the Taliban during a targeted suicide attack in Spin Boldak.
The impact of the violence is further exacerbated by the dissemination of night
letters throughout the country by anti-government elements, including the Taliban,
instructing civil servants to stop working for government and international
organizations. This is instilling fear and panic, and particularly affecting female
health service workers.
16. Humanitarian access is increasingly restricted in conflict-affected areas,
aggravated by recurrent threats, beatings, abductions and killings of humanitarian
workers, attacks and looting of aid convoys. Anti-government elements, including
the Taliban, were responsible for more than 144 attacks on humanitarian personnel
in 2008, in which 38 humanitarian workers were killed. These groups have
expanded their presence turning many areas of the country into “no-go” zones,
particularly in the south, south-east and east. As of December 2008, 79 out of 398
districts were inaccessible to United Nations agencies for the delivery of
humanitarian assistance to millions of Afghans, including children.
17. Reports of children being sexually abused and exploited by members of armed
forces and groups were documented. Although some incidents were investigated and
perpetrators sentenced to imprisonment, in most incidents they are not officially
reported for fear of retaliation, and only a few reach the prosecution stage.
Nevertheless, a few cases of influential leaders of armed groups using young boys
for sexual purposes were prosecuted.
Developments in Burundi
18. The Parti pour la libération du peuple Hutu-Forces nationales de libération
(Palipehutu-FNL) led by Agathon Rwasa continues to recruit and use children. From
January to December 2008, 152 children between the ages of 9 and 17 were
confirmed to have been recruited by FNL. An increase in the incidence of
recruitment coincided with the 26 May 2008 Government/FNL joint declaration on
the cessation of hostilities and the gathering of FNL in pre-assembly and assembly
areas where the recruitment of hundreds of students along with or by their teachers
was reported. The children were promised demobilization benefits by FNL, which
was probably seeking to inflate its numbers. During the initial verification of FNL
combatants assembled in Rugazi in June 2008, approximately 150 children were
present. In August 2008, following the sensitization on children in the disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration process, FNL submitted a list acknowledging the
presence of 30 children in Rugazi, although their separation was blocked on two
occasions by the FNL leadership. This issue has still not been resolved.
19. Children were also found associated with the alleged FNL dissidents at the
Randa and Buramata assembly areas. The alleged dissidents agreed to the release of
all children in exchange for their inclusion in the formal demobilization,
reintegration and rehabilitation process. In April, the separation and demobilization
of 220 children was completed, and all the children were reunited with their families
by July 2008. An additional 69 children associated with the alleged dissidents were
identified in September 2008, and their separation by the national authorities is
pending the establishment of the new government disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration structure.
20. The Group of Special Envoys for Burundi met in Bujumbura on 16 and
17 January 2009. Following the meeting, they issued the Bujumbura Declaration,
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which set out deadlines on critical aspects of the peace process, including the
unconditional separation of all children associated with FNL by 30 January 2009.
FNL failed to meet that deadline. It subsequently assured the Government and the
international community of its willingness to release the children associated with the
movement, but again made the release conditional on the start of the disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration process for all its combatants and the integration of
its members into security institutions. Despite repeated pledges and agreements,
FNL has failed to cooperate on this issue.
21. In October 2008, allegations were received of child recruitment by forces of
General Laurent Nkunda’s Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP).
According to the Burundi National Police, investigations on possible recruitments
were being carried out in Cibitoke and Bujumbura Marie provinces. The country
task force is closely monitoring the situation.
22. Sexual violence against children continues to be a serious concern, with a vast
majority of the reported victims being girls. From January to December 2008, the
United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi registered 476 cases of rape and sexual
violence against children between the ages of 1 and 17 years, of which 449 were
girls and 27 boys. The perpetrators included members of the Burundi National
Police, the Burundi National Defence Forces, FNL and alleged FNL dissidents,
although a majority of the cases were perpetrated by civilians in an environment of
insecurity and impunity. The recent adoption of the revised Penal Code by the
National Assembly and by the Senate with amendments that strengthen the
sentencing of perpetrators of sexual violence against children is welcomed.
Developments in the Central African Republic4
23. Reports indicate that Armeé populaire pour la restauration de la République et
de la démocratie (APRD), Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement
(UFDR), Forces démocratiques populaires de Centrafrique (FDPC), and Mouvement
des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ) recruit and use children. Selfdefence
militias are also found to be recruiting children into their ranks, particularly
in the Ouham-Pénde region. There are concerns that these militias have in some
cases been supported by the Government of the Central African Republic and that
they have been used as auxiliaries by the Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA). An
increasing presence of armed children recruited by these militia groups has been
sighted along main roads from Bossangoa to Bouar to Bocaranga. Although not a
systematic practice, there are also reports of some elements of FACA and the
Presidential Guard committing other grave violations against children, including
killing, maiming, and attacks on schools.
24. In February and March 2008, attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on
villages in the Obo area, in south-eastern Central African Republic, led to the
abduction of approximately 55 children (40 boys and 15 girls). The majority of the
children abducted were under 15 years of age. According to the testimonies of some
children who were abducted and later released by LRA, the children were being
used as soldiers and for auxiliary tasks, and some of the girls were used as sexual
__________________
4 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in the
Central African Republic, see S/2009/66.
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slaves. Two girls under the age of 18 testified that they were repeatedly gang-raped
by LRA elements.
25. Incidence of rape and sexual violence against children by armed elements is of
grave concern. In March 2008, 5 of the 15 girls released by UFDR were found to
have been regularly sexually violated by members of the group. Three girls reported
that they were either raped or gang raped. All the girls were between the ages of 11
and 17 at the time of release. Cases of rape and sexual violence and of abduction,
killing and maiming of children have also been attributed to the zaraguinas, who are
from the Central African Republic, the Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Mali and Uganda,
and on occasion are made up of elements from the Central African Republic rebel
groups or from the Chadian and the Central African Republic armed forces.
26. Patterns of displacement are unique in the Central African Republic, and can
be distinguished in two categories. In the first case, persons leave their villages in
an organized manner and stay in the bush for a few days. Such “preventive”
displacement or coping strategy is usually provoked by rumours of movements of
armed forces and groups or zaraguinas. In the second case, displacement is a
reaction to unexpected attacks on villages by armed forces and groups or
zaraguinas, and populations typically have no time to organize their escape and
leave without any basic necessities. They may hide in the bush, move from one
village to the other, or end up in the internally displaced persons camp of Kabo
(central north). In this unpredictable context, children are particularly vulnerable,
given the possibility of being left behind or suffering grave violations such as
abduction and recruitment, killing, maiming, or sexual violence.
Developments in Chad5
27. Information gathered by the United Nations confirms that there is a consistent
pattern of recruitment of children by both Government forces and rebel groups,
including in refugee camps and internally displaced persons sites, particularly in
eastern Chad. Between March and August 2008, there were reports of missing
children recruited in all camps visited. All indications show that those children have
joined the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group. In most camps, some
refugee leaders act as focal points to facilitate the recruitment of children, in
particular for JEM. These leaders reportedly take advantage of social gatherings in
the camps, such as religious celebrations or wedding parties, to incite children into
joining the rebellion. The Government of Chad is reported to be aware of this fact,
and, according to consistent information received, some local officials have been
assisting in the recruitment.
28. The presence of military elements in the camps has been reported. According
to information received, JEM has opened offices in some camps, including in Oure
Cassoni (Bahai), the second largest refugee camp in the country, and the closest to
the Sudanese border. It has also opened offices in the city of Iriba, broadcasting and
distributing public appeals, calling for people, including children, to support and
join them.
29. The recruitment and use of children is also perpetrated by other Sudanese
armed groups generally referred to as Toroboros. The Toroboros are reported to have
__________________
5 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in Chad,
see S/2008/532.
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recruited children in the Breidjine and Treguine refugee camps between July and
August 2008.
30. Thousands of children remain associated with armed groups belonging to
different rebel factions such as the Convention révolutionnaire démocratique du
Tchad (CRDT), Concorde nationale tchadienne (CNT), Front uni pour le
changement (FUC) and Union des forces pour la démocratie et le développement
(UFDD).
31. Government officials deny that Armée Nationale Tchadienne (ANT) recruits
children. However, it should be noted that 13 per cent of the 555 children released
from the armed forces and groups in 2007 and 2008 originated from ANT,
particularly from the Centres d’Instruction Militaire of Lumia and Moussoro, and
from the Gendarmerie Nationale, including the Legion de Abeche and École de la
Gendarmerie de N’Djamena. Further, most Chadian self-defence groups operating in
Ade, Dogdore and Mogororo, listed in my last annual report, have been integrated
into the Chadian national army. These elements received formal training at the
Moussoro Military Instruction Centre. There are no more children present in their
ranks.
32. In addition, at the end of 2007 and throughout 2008, children were reportedly
recruited by the Direction Générale de Sécurisation des Services et Institutions de
l’Etat (DGSSIE), which is directly in charge of special military operations. Those
children were recruited south and east of N’Djamena for the sum of 333,000 FCFA
each (US$ 600), or in exchange for a motorcycle. Many of them were sent to
DGSSIE training centres in Amtinene and Moussoro. Information corroborated from
various sources confirmed that approximately 100 children from a DGSSIE
contingent left the Moussoro training centre in July 2008, and were deployed in
different units of the DGSSIE in the Gassi and Amtinene camps and Camp des
Martyrs in N’Djamena. They are frequently spotted in the streets of N’Djamena and
in the operational units in Tine, Adre, Am Zoer, Goz Beida and Abeche in the east.
33. Women and girls in refugee camps and internally displaced persons sites, as
well as in the surrounding towns and villages, have been subject to sexual assaults.
Rape and physical assaults directed at girls are mainly attributed to unidentified
uniformed armed men but also to ANT soldiers from units operating in the hills of
Goz Beida and Modeina area. Cases of sexual and gender-based violence show an
increasing trend of abuse towards refugee and internally displaced females, in
particular girls under the age of 10.
34. The reporting period was characterized by a number of attacks targeting
humanitarian personnel and assets. In most cases, the attackers seized material
assets, while in others the attackers were more violent, killing humanitarian staff.
Perpetrators are believed to be mainly armed elements and members of rebel groups
who use extorted property for their military campaigns. There were also reports that,
in some instances, members of ANT were implicated in incidents against
humanitarian personnel. The consequences of these attacks for civilians and children
in particular have been severe. Humanitarian programmes were disrupted in Iridimi,
Touloum, Ade, Adre and Dogdore. It is important to note that in many incidents of
carjacking of humanitarian vehicles, the attackers drove into the Sudan,
emphasizing the cross-border nature of this problem.
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Developments in Côte d’Ivoire
35. There was no substantiated evidence of use of child soldiers by armed forces
or groups in the reporting period. In February 2008, the United Nations Operations
in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) received a small number of allegations against militia
groups in the west, which were investigated through the established United Nations
verification modality and disproved. The leadership of the groups allowed full and
unhindered access by the United Nations for verification. Following that, the militia
groups issued a communiqué on 17 February 2008 condemning the use of child
soldiers and reiterating their full commitment to their action plan and to Security
Council resolutions. Similar cooperation is also extended by Forces de défence et de
sécurité des Forces nouvelles (FDS-FN).
36. Rape and other sexual violence, as well as other grave violations against
children, are prevalent throughout Côte d’Ivoire and are perpetrated with impunity
by individuals and groups, often unidentified, who take advantage of the current
deficit in the rule of law and administration of justice. The situation is more serious
in areas under the control of FDS-FN in the north of Côte d’Ivoire. Some progress
has been noted in Government-controlled areas, although many reported cases
remain uninvestigated or unprosecuted.
37. In follow-up to the conclusions of the Security Council Working Group on
Children and Armed Conflict, the Ministry of Family, Women and Social Welfare
requested UNOCI to submit a draft proposal to the Government on the creation of a
national commission for children affected by armed conflict, in accordance with
international law and taking into account the principles relating to the status of
national institutions. A separate proposal on the establishment of a national action
plan to combat sexual violence was also submitted at the request of the Government
in September 2008. These proposals are under review by the Government.
38. The leadership of FDS-FN also developed and signed a programme of action
against sexual violence on 19 January 2009, in response to the request of the
Working Group. The programme of action includes elements of prevention,
addressing impunity and providing witness protection and assistance to victims of
sexual violence, and will constitute a stopgap measure pending the establishment of
a national action plan to combat sexual violence by the Government. In a letter
addressed to my Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire dated 17 April 2008, the
militia groups in the west also expressed their willingness to join efforts to address
sexual violence.
Developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo6
39. During the reporting period, the United Nations Organization Mission in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) documented a total of 554 children
(including 26 girls), who were newly recruited. Of those documented cases, 86 per
cent occurred in North Kivu, 12 per cent in South Kivu, 1 per cent in Oriental
province and 1 per cent in Rwanda. New cases of recruitment of children have been
attributed to Coalition des patriotes résistants congolais (PARECO) (29 per cent), all
Mai-Mai factions (32 per cent), CNDP (24 per cent) and Forces démocratiques de
__________________
6 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, see S/2008/693.
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libération du Rwanda (FDLR) (13 per cent). A total of 1,098 children, including 48
girls, were documented to have separated from or escaped from armed groups.
40. Although systematic recruitment of children by the Forces armées de la
République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) have ceased in accordance with their
military policy and applicable international laws, children continue to be integrated
into the force through the brassage process, owing to lack of proper screening. The
release of children present within FARDC has been frequently obstructed, and child
protection partners have been denied access to brassage centres by some FARDC
commanders in order to identify and separate children. The presence of some
children continues to be reported in remaining non-integrated FARDC brigades,
particularly in the Kivus.
41. The recruitment of children and their use in active combat by CNDP increased
because of the resumption of fighting with FARDC in late 2007 and since
September 2008. In November 2008, CNDP recruited children from schools in
Masisi and Rutshuru territories. CNDP also detained children captured from various
armed groups during the fighting.
42. FDLR and its sub-groups FDLR-Forces combattantes abacunguzi (FOCA),
FDLR-Rally for Unity and Democracy and FDLR-Soki continue to recruit children,
including many children from Rwanda. Between June 2007 and September 2008, a
total of 84 Rwandan children separated from armed groups were repatriated by
MONUC. Out of that total, 48 were recruited by FDLR, 25 by CNDP, 7 by FARDC
and 4 by Mai-Mai groups.
43. In Ituri, following the surrender of the main militia leaders, no new
recruitments were reported from Mouvement révolutionnaire congolais (MRC) and
Forces de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI). Only a few cases of recruitment
were documented and attributed to Front nationaliste et intégrationaliste (FNI).
44. Widespread sexual violence remains a grave concern, with a majority of the
perpetrators being elements of armed groups in the regions of active conflict, but
also including FARDC soldiers and national police officers. In 2008, children
constituted 2,727 cases of sexual violence in Oriental province; among them 2,204
cases in Ituri, 528 cases in South Kivu, and 1,196 cases in North Kivu.
45. Since September 2008, reports of abduction of large numbers of children by
LRA were received. As of November 2008, MONUC documented 154 cases
following the LRA attacks in and around Dungu, Haut Uélé district, Oriental
province. At the end of December 2008, further cases of abduction, killing and
sexual violence against children were reported after attacks on Faradje and Doruma.
Between September and December, 104 children escaped LRA and received
reintegration support by child protection partners. In December 2008, FARDC, the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Uganda People’s Defence Force
(UPDF) launched a joint military attack on LRA rebels in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, provoking the dispersion of LRA towards the Sudanese border and
south of Congolese territory.
46. During the periods of renewed fighting in North Kivu, there was an increase in
reports of attacks on schools and health facilities by CNDP and Mai-Mai. As
FARDC reinforced their positions, cases of lootings and occupation of schools and
health facilities attributed to FARDC elements in Ituri and the Kivus were reported.
From July 2008, at least 10 violent attacks on humanitarian convoys, institutions
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and individuals attributed to the Mai-Mai and 5 cases attributed to FARDC soldiers
were received.
47. Recent significant events such as the splitting of CNDP, the detention of
Laurent Nkunda by the Rwandan Government and the joint military operations by
FARDC and Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) against FDLR may also carry
significant implications for children, in terms of the increased risk of children being
used in military operations, or killed or injured in hostilities, as well as the
demobilization of children within CNDP and other armed groups.
Developments in Georgia
48. The dramatic escalation of hostilities in South Ossetia, Georgia, on 7 and
8 August 2008, and the subsequent conflict significantly affected the situation in and
around the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. According to the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the fighting has led to
the displacement of approximately 158,700 persons, with 120,700 displaced within
Georgia and 38,000 South Ossetians having sought refuge in the Republic of North
Ossetia of the Russian Federation. UNICEF has estimated that, as of 1 January
2009, there remain 12,000 children internally displaced and 400 children displaced
in the Republic of North Ossetia of the Russian Federation.
49. According to the Georgian Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, a
total of 228 persons, including two children, were killed during and immediately
after the hostilities. Reports indicate that some of the casualties were due to action
by regular troops that fought during the August conflict, as well as by South
Ossetian militias. According to the de facto authorities in South Ossetia, there were
approximately 1,692 civilian casualties, including children. However, the United
Nations indicated 391 civilians were killed and 2,234 injured. Mines and other
unexploded remnants of war continue to pose a threat to a returning population in
the areas adjacent to the South Ossetia administrative boundary line. Seven people,
including three children, have been injured by unexploded remnants of war in
various villages in Shida Kartli region. As of the end of September 2008,
approximately 26,500 unexploded remnants of war were cleared from the adjacent
areas and 98,240 from the South Ossetian zone of conflict.
50. Approximately 99 schools suffered damage from the conflict to varying
degrees, including from rocket attacks. Loss of school equipment and furniture was
also reported both as a result of military action and subsequent looting. In
Tskhinvali, 6 schools and kindergartens were destroyed, and 22 others were
damaged, according to the de facto authorities in South Ossetia.
51. As of the beginning of September 2008, 13 clinics in Gori and in the adjacent
areas were not functioning owing to infrastructure damage and/or the displacement
of health-care workers, having serious consequences for the provision of health
services to children. Doctors and nurses were also killed or seriously injured from
sniper shooting or bombardments of medical infrastructure during the conflict.
Clinics in Karaleti and Dvani were severely damaged; Tkviavi hospital and three
clinics in Mereti, Nikozi and Berbuki were damaged; and several primary healthcare
facilities in Dzevera, Mereti and Nikozi were completely looted. Almost all
health-care facilities in South Ossetian villages, including in Sarabuk, Pris, Tbet,
Khetagurovo and Satikar, were totally destroyed. The main hospital in Tskhinvali
was hit by rockets reportedly launched by Georgian forces.
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52. There has been no humanitarian access to South Ossetia from the south since
the August conflict, although the United Nations has been allowed full access to
Abkhazia, Georgia. This has limited the ability of the United Nations to obtain
information on the situation of children and their needs and to investigate child
protection concerns. Humanitarian access to South Ossetia is currently provided
through the Republic of North Ossetia of the Russian Federation. The International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) gained access to its office in Tskhinvali on
20 August 2008, and provides humanitarian assistance to the four districts
comprising South Ossetia, including Tskhinvali.
Developments in Haiti
53. Since my last annual report, armed elements in Haiti have been dismantled
through military and police operations by the United Nations Stabilization Mission
in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the Haitian National Police. However, children were
used in violent political demonstrations throughout the country, roadblocks and
lootings, as well as in the attempt to enter the Presidential Palace compound in April
2008. MINUSTAH military battalions reported that approximately 30 per cent of the
protestors were children. MINUSTAH confirmed that 45 children were arrested
under charges of criminal conspiracy and detained in the Delmas-33 detention
centre, in Port-au-Prince, for their participation in the violent demonstrations.
Children also continue to be used by armed elements to carry out abductions and
weapons smuggling.
54. In the last quarter of 2007, MINUSTAH reported an alarming phenomenon
among some armed elements in the area of Jamaica Base, Cité Soleil. These groups
were equipping children with toy guns that looked realistic, and the children had
approached MINUSTAH military checkpoints brandishing these weapons.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the armed elements acting as political
spoilers were using the children in an attempt to instigate public disorder.
55. The abduction of children remains a serious concern, particularly in Port-au-
Prince and Cap-Haitien. A total of 126 children, including 60 girls, were abducted
by armed elements in the reporting period. The majority of girls abducted were also
raped or sexually abused. Students on their way to or from schools have been
particularly targeted by abductors.
56. Despite an overall improvement in security, 52 children were killed in the
reporting period, mainly caught in cross-fire between Haitian National Police and
armed elements.
57. Sexual violence, including gang rapes, against children perpetrated by armed
elements in the context of insecurity and impunity continues to be reported. The
report on sexual violence against girls and women in Haiti by the National Forum
against Violence against Women (Concertation Nationale contre les violences faites
aux femmes) estimated that from cases documented between January and June 2008,
50 per cent of the rape victims were girl children. The report highlights that the
number of reported cases has increased, as a result of the improved security
situation allowing girls to seek support without fear of retaliation and sensitization
activities encouraging girl victims to obtain follow-up assistance.
58. MINUSTAH confirmed that 297 children, including 30 girls, are being
detained in detention centres throughout the country as at the end of December
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2008; 60 per cent of them are being detained for their alleged association with
armed groups and 87 per cent are held in prolonged pre-trial detention, some of
them since 2004.
Developments in Iraq
59. While the human rights situation in Iraq remained serious in 2008, the country
has witnessed gradual stabilization and security improvements, with a lower number
of violent, high-visibility, high-casualty attacks by non-State armed groups and
criminal gangs. The capabilities of groups such as Al-Qaida in Iraq have diminished
considerably over the past several months. However, Al-Qaida in Iraq is now
suspected of training children to become fighters or insurgents, after video footage
of such training sessions was discovered during a raid by United States soldiers on a
hideout in Khan Bani Saad, north-east of Baghdad, in February 2008. In another
reported case, on 26 May, in Sumer (Mosul), Iraqi troops arrested six boys between
the ages of 15 and 18, who were suspected of being trained by a Saudi Al-Qaida
member to carry out suicide bombings.
60. There are particular concerns about non-State armed groups allegedly using
children to support operations such as transporting improvised explosive devices,
acting as lookouts for other armed actors and as suicide bombers. On 15 May 2008,
insurgents strapped explosives to a young girl and remotely detonated her as she
approached an Iraqi Army command post in Yousifiyah; on 2 September, a 15-yearold
boy blew himself up among pro-government militia members in al-Tarmiyah
(northern Baghdad); and on 10 November, a 13-year-old girl blew herself up at a
checkpoint in Ba’qubah.
61. The case of a 15-year-old girl, would-be suicide bomber, made international
headlines when she was arrested by Ba’qubah police on 24 August 2008, still
wearing an explosive vest. She was married to an alleged Al-Qaida militant at the
age of 14, after leaving school at the age of 11. Both her father and brother had
allegedly been suicide bombers.
62. While there are no reports of children in the new Iraqi Army, there are
disturbing reports of children being recruited into the ranks of the Awakening
Councils. The recent decision by the Iraqi Government to integrate the Awakening
Councils into the Iraqi Army may alleviate these concerns. United Nations partners
have documented 472 children who have been recruited and used by local militias in
disputed areas.
63. Killing and maiming due to armed violence remained a continuing occurrence
although at decreased levels in Iraq, and children were among the victims. On
31 December 2007, five children were victims of a suicide car bomb in al-Tarmiyah;
on 16 July 2008, a car bomb explosion in a market in Tal Afar (Ninewa governorate)
killed nine children; and on 22 September, a bomb blast in Hammam al-Ali (south
of Mosul) killed five children who were playing near their homes. There were some
cases of attackers directly targeting children. These include an incident that occurred
on 18 November 2007 in Ba’qubah, when a suicide bomber detonated his vest
containing explosives while United States soldiers were handing out toys to children
in a playground, killing three children. On 22 January 2008, a suicide bomber blew
himself up at the entrance to al-Mutwra school in Ba’qubah, injuring 17 students
and 4 teachers.
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64. Civilians, including children, were unintentionally injured or killed by
multinational force (MNF-I) air strikes, military ground operations or during
checkpoint confrontations. The most notable campaign was the MNF-I joint action
with Iraqi security forces on militias in Baghdad’s Sadr City in April and May 2008.
Although militias were successfully driven out, the use of air strikes and other highcalibre
weaponry in the densely populated area led to a considerable number of
civilian casualties. The spokesman of the Baghdad Security Plan reported that, as of
30 April, 925 people had been killed due to many causes, including insurgent
killings. Many of those killed were non-combatants, but no precise gender or age
disaggregation of victims was carried out.
65. There have been incidents of children being killed by employees of private
military and security companies. On 16 September 2007, at least one child was
among the 17 persons killed by Blackwater guards in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square,
when they fired into a crowd of civilians following an alleged security threat. Five
indictments were handed down against Blackwater team members in the United
States District Court for the District of Columbia for manslaughter. A sixth
Blackwater member has already pleaded guilty to one count each of manslaughter,
attempted manslaughter and aiding and abetting.
66. As of December 2008, there were 838 children in conflict with the law under
custody of the Government of Iraq. Some children have been detained or imprisoned
for conflict-related reasons such as alleged participation in insurgent activities or
other forms of association with armed groups. During a United Nations Assistance
Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) visit to the central prison of Fallujah, it was revealed that
in one cell (of 25 square metres) reserved for juveniles, 29 inmates as young as
14 years old were being confined. Eight of the children have been in pre-trial
detention for more than one year. Children continue to face the threat of sexual and
physical abuse by Iraqi police and prison guards, particularly upon arrest and during
the early stages of investigations. Detained children have also been allegedly
subjected to threats and ill-treatment by investigators with the aim of obtaining a
confession. The Government of Iraq has made serious commitments to improve the
conditions of children in detention. UNICEF and UNAMI human rights advocacy to
apply the Amnesty Law of February 2008 contributed to the release of 750 children
detained in Iraqi facilities without trial or formal charges.
67. The administrative detention of children allegedly associated with armed
groups by MNF-I had been a major concern in the recent past. The situation is no
longer at a crisis level, with a decrease in detainee figures from 874 as of
8 December 2007 to approximately 500 as of mid-May 2008, and to 58 as of
17 December 2008. The children are being treated well, but the vague basis for their
internment “required for imperative reasons of security” remains troubling. The
United States-Iraq security agreement that came into force on 1 January 2009 no
longer authorizes MNF-I to detain individuals for reasons of imperative security.
68. Children’s access to education has been compromised by insecurity and
population movement due to insecurity in 2007 and 2008. The UNESCO National
Education Support Strategy from Iraq released in April 2008 estimates that 2 million
children of primary school age do not attend school largely because of the security
situation. UNICEF received reports that schools have also been threatened by
groups promoting religious extremism, particularly against girl schools in south and
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central Iraq. On 27 March 2008, armed elements blew up a school building in
Saydiyah.
69. In Diyala governorate, efforts were under way to have MNF-I, the Iraqi Army
and Iraqi police units vacate more than 70 school buildings they had occupied and
used for military purposes. The use of public buildings for military purposes may
continue to decrease given the end of the “surge”, improving conditions on the
ground, and articles within the United States-Iraq security agreement that require
United States forces to vacate all Iraqi cities and villages by the end of June 2009.
Developments in Lebanon
70. As a result of the use of cluster munitions by Israel during the 2006 conflict,
the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre has investigated and recorded
seven child casualties (one killed and six injured) in the reporting period. These
incidents occurred in Nabatieh and Bint-Jbeil. Children will continue to be exposed
to the threat of explosive remnants of war in all affected regions because of the
unprecedented usage of cluster munitions in residential areas, villages, schools and
agricultural lands, and as long as there is lack of information on the cluster bomb
strike data and the clearance of the munitions. During her mission to Lebanon in
April 2007, my Special Representative requested the Government of Israel to hand
over the strike data to the Government of Lebanon or the United Nations Mine
Action Coordination Centre in south Lebanon; however, there has been no response
from the Government of Israel to date.
71. Although Lebanon has signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, it has not yet
ratified it. Although the ratification instrument was submitted to Parliament on
11 February 2002, ratification continues to be delayed.
Developments in Myanmar
72. According to official reports shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
Government of Myanmar continues to screen and release underage children found in
its armed forces during the training process. The Government informed that 68
children were detected in various military training schools and were released to their
parents and guardians during the reporting period. The 68 cases included 12 children
who were released through the International Labour Organization (ILO) mechanism,
1 released and reported to ICRC, and 2 released and reported to ILO and ICRC.
ILO, through its mechanism to eliminate the use of forced labour, has verified the
release of 23 children, mostly from involuntary military enrolment, based on
complaints filed by parents and relatives. An additional 14 cases either await
Government response or remain open while the process continues. The complaints
lodged have been dealt with expeditiously by the Government Working Group for
the elimination of forced labour, although they are assumed to represent only a
portion of the actual cases.
73. The Government further informed that it has discharged nine military
recruitment officers from service for violating the national military recruitment law.
The United Nations has not been able to verify that. However, on underage
recruitment cases received by ILO, no action against perpetrators has been taken
under either the Penal Code or military regulations which results in imprisonment.
ILO has noted that three military personnel received administrative penalties, such
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as a demotion or loss of salary, for the illegal recruitment of children. Minor
progress has also been made with the recent release and quashing of cases involving
two underage recruits who were imprisoned for desertion.
74. The Government also informed the United Nations country task force that it
has put procedures in place for the rehabilitation and reintegration of underage
recruits. UNICEF has not been permitted access to children who were released
through the Government’s mechanisms for follow-up purposes. Discussions with the
Government have been initiated by the United Nations to address methods for
accessing released children, as well as to undertake inspections of recruitment
centres, training schools and camps, with a view to identifying children, gaining
their release and subsequently supporting their reintegration and rehabilitation.
75. Details on children released and verified by ILO as already being in the care of
their families have been shared with UNICEF. UNICEF is working towards offering
them rehabilitation support as appropriate under their existing child protection
programme, subject to its gaining Government approval. No broader programme
initiative is available at the present time.
76. UNICEF met Wa authorities in early 2008, which included a visit to two
military camps, where the Wa State Army was managing and running four primary
schools. This is worrisome, given the allegations of their recruitment and use of
child soldiers. The Wa reported that the students are not given military training and
that they are attired in military uniform because these are affordable. The children
are orphans, street children or children from poor families. No further assessment
was carried out and there has been no further contact with the Wa authorities.
77. Reports from camps along the border areas found one case of a child recruited
by the Karen National Union (KNU) and three cases of children associated with the
Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP). A 14-year-old boy escaped from KNU
in January 2008, after being forced to join in September 2006. In June 2008, a
16-year-old boy travelled to a KNPP base to become a soldier. His parents visited
the base and requested his release, which was refused by KNPP. The parents sighted
approximately 20 children at the base. The monitoring and reporting mechanism has
been established in all nine camps along the border in order to improve the
verification of cases and raise awareness on the issue of child soldiers among camp
residents.
78. Although there have been reports of the presence of children among other
groups listed in my 2007 report (i.e., the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
(DKBA), Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council,
Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Karenni National People’s Liberation Front
(KNPLF), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (Kokang) in northern Shan
State, and the Shan State Army-South), the United Nations had not been able to
establish contact with any of these groups as of end December 2008.
Developments in Nepal7
79. As of 25 May 2006 2,973 Maoist army personnel were assessed to be under
the age of 18, and, at the time of reporting, were still being held in Maoist army
__________________
7 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in
Nepal, see S/2008/259.
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cantonments. Following the commitment made by the Prime Minister of Nepal to
my Special Representative on 5 February 2009, the Army Integration Special
Committee decided to request the Government to immediately release the children
from the cantonments. Prior to the formal verification procedures called for in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement of November 2006, many children informally
self-released, and in some cases, escaped or went absent after official leave. In other
cases, children were released after negotiations by their families or members of the
country monitoring and reporting task force. There are 10 documented cases of selfreleased
children being pressured or forced to return to cantonment sites by the
Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (UCPN-M), the Maoist army or the
Young Communist League (YCL), the youth wing of UCPN-M. Since July 2007,
approximately 7,500 children and young people formerly associated with armed
forces and groups, and 3,000 children affected by the conflict, have benefited from
community-based reintegration programmes in 58 districts.
80. During campaigning for the Constituent Assembly election held on 10 April
2008, all major political parties either used children or did not prevent children from
participating in the electoral campaign. In some cases, YCL used children in acts of
intimidation. On election day many children between the ages of 7 and 15 years
were observed participating in political party activities, some violent, breaching the
election code of conduct which restricts the use of children. The participation of
children in demonstrations raised protection concerns when violence by some
demonstrators and excessive use of force by security forces caused injury to some
children. Children were sometimes given risky roles in these demonstrations, such
as carrying flaming torches, burning tires and throwing stones at the police, and
there were instances where homeless children were paid to undertake these roles.
The creation of militant youth wings with self-declared policing roles, including
YCL, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) Youth Force,
the Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum and the Nepali Congress, are also raising
protection concerns.
81. As an update on the previously reported case of Maina Sunuwar, a 15-year-old
girl who died while in custody of the then Royal Nepal Army in 2004, a case was
filed and the district court issued a summons for the four army officers accused of
intentional homicide to appear before the court. The four officers were all still at
large at the time of reporting.
82. Abductions, killings, explosions of improvised explosive devices and attacks
on schools and teachers by armed groups in the Tarai (southern plains) region
continued, with children making up a disproportionate number of the victims. Three
cases of abduction and killings of teachers and principals were attributed to the
Tarai armed group Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha led by Jwala Singh, and one case
of abduction of a 6-year-old child was attributed to the Tarai Mukti Tigers. Some
Tarai armed groups are alleged to have been recruiting and using children, and the
United Nations is seeking to verify these allegations.
Developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
83. A total of 112 Palestinian children were killed in the reporting period up to
26 December 2008 in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and a further 431 children
were killed during the hostilities from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009. Of the
total 543 children killed, 96 per cent of deaths were as a result of Israeli Defense
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Forces (IDF) operations and 4 per cent were because of factional violence. The
majority of deaths occurred in Gaza. The main causes for the killings included
shootings during IDF raids, Israeli search and arrest campaigns, IDF launched
ground-to-ground and Israeli Air Force missile strikes, tank shells fired in the course
of IDF ground operations, aerial bombardments and a few cases of shootings at
crossings as children approached IDF checkpoints. Children were also killed during
armed clashes resulting from Palestinian factional violence.
84. A total of 581 Palestinian children were injured in the reporting period up to
26 December 2008 in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with 71 per cent of the
injuries occurring in the West Bank. From 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009,
an additional 1,871 children were injured in Gaza. The main causes of injuries
included shelling and aerial bombardment by IDF, rubber-coated metal bullets fired
by IDF at protestors during demonstrations, IDF military operations, including
search and arrest campaigns, military incursions, and assaults by Israeli settlers.
During her visit to Israel in April 2007, my Special Representative raised with the
Israeli authorities the issue of the frequency of settler attacks on Palestinian children
in Hebron and al-Tuwani village and the need for effective law enforcement and
accountability. The Government committed to fully investigate the cases; however,
the outcome of these investigations is pending. Approximately 35 children have also
been injured during armed clashes as the result of Palestinian factional violence.
85. Four Israeli children were killed by a Palestinian gunman in an attack on a
Jewish seminary in West Jerusalem. In addition, 15 Israeli children were injured,
mainly as a result of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel and stone
throwing.
86. While there have been reported incidents of children being trained and/or used
by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, community members are reluctant to provide
information on cases of children used by armed forces or armed groups for fear of
reprisals. Significant progress has been made towards the implementation of an
informal monitoring system on child rights violations.
87. There are concerns that Hamas reportedly used children as shields and may
have used schools and hospitals or areas in their proximity to launch rockets into
Israel during the December 2008 and January 2009 hostilities. These concerns must
be further investigated.
88. On 15 January, in Tal al-Hawa, south-west of Gaza City, an 11-year-old boy
was made to accompany IDF for a number of hours during a period of intense
operations. As the soldiers entered the Palestinian Red Crescent Society building,
the boy was made to enter first, in front of the soldiers. While moving through the
town the boy was made to walk in front of the group, even when the IDF soldiers
met with resistance and were fired upon. On arrival at Al-Quds Hospital, the boy
remained in front of the soldiers, but then was subsequently released. This appears
to be in direct contravention of a 2005 Israeli High Court ruling on the illegality of
the use of human shields.
89. Continued raids and use of schools by IDF and Israeli settlers have resulted in
damage to property, but, more significantly, they have resulted in the injury and
death of students and teachers. A total of 27 incidents of raids by IDF soldiers and
Israeli settlers attacking both governmental and United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools and students
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have been reported. During the hostilities in December 2008 and January 2009,
7 schools were destroyed and 157 government schools were damaged in Gaza. A
total of 36 UNRWA schools were lightly damaged. Further, 14 hospitals and
38 clinics were damaged or destroyed. A total of eight UNRWA health facilities
were lightly damaged.
90. A total of nine schools and kindergartens in Sderot, Be’er Sheva, Ashdod,
Ashkelon and Kiryat HaHinoch were hit and damaged by Qassam and Grad rockets
launched by Hamas during the December 2008 and January 2009 hostilities.
91. Humanitarian access to Gaza was severely strained through much of the
reporting period, but deteriorated further with the onset of the December 2008 and
January 2009 hostilities. While Israel kept one crossing open at partial capacity
during that period of hostilities, key crossings remained closed and movement
within the Gaza Strip was severely restricted. In both the West Bank and Gaza, the
lives of children continue to be put at risk because of difficulties in accessing
specialized medical services in East Jerusalem as a result of border restrictions and
applications for permits to cross checkpoints. While children often receive permits,
their parents frequently do not and as a result they are unable to access medical
treatment. A total of 13 children are known to have died in Gaza in the reporting
period after Israeli authorities denied access to specialized medical services in
Israel.
92. The arrest of children by Israeli military authorities and their detention
continue to be significant concerns. Children are arrested and sentenced on a range
of charges, including throwing stones at the barrier or at Israeli security forces,
demonstrations against the occupation, and violence against security forces. At any
given point during the reporting period, between 281 and 337 Palestinian children
were being held in Israeli prisons and detention centres, including children as young
as 12 years, in violation of international humanitarian law. Approximately eight girls
were detained and serving terms of imprisonment. Reports indicate that due process
was systematically violated throughout the stages that led children into detention,
including arrest, interrogation, trial and sentencing. Statements taken from
21 children who had been arrested and detained indicate that children continued to
be subjected to abuse, including beatings, blindfolding, solitary confinement, forced
confessions in a language they do not read or write, food being withheld, yelling and
insults, and exposure to loud noises. Upon release, a number of children reported
that they had been approached to provide information on behalf of the Israeli
intelligence service.
93. Further, between 8 and 15 children were being held in administrative detention
at any given point during the reporting period. Children can be detained in
administrative detention for up to six months without charge or trial on the basis of
information of which neither the detainees nor their legal representatives are
advised. The administrative detention of two girls aged 16 years, with no charges
made against them, was reported. That was the first reported incident of girls in
administrative detention recorded by the United Nations. The girls have since been
released.
94. Approximately 1,369 Palestinians were forcibly displaced or affected as a
result of home demolitions of 192 Palestinian-occupied residential structures in
Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, by Israeli forces. A confirmed
440 children and an additional estimated 194 children were impacted. The
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December 2008 and January 2009 hostilities resulted in a dramatic increase in home
demolitions, with at least 112 demolished homes, affecting hundreds of children.
Developments in Somalia8
95. A situation analysis on children and armed conflict administered by UNICEF
and partners, with the participation of community leaders in central and southern
Somalia, indicated that approximately 1,300 children have been recruited into the
Transitional Federal Government forces, the remnants of the former Islamic Courts
Union (ICU), Al-Shabaab and clan-based armed groups throughout central and
southern Somalia, particularly in and around Mogadishu. The community leaders
informed that boys in Al-Shabaab were used as frontline combatants, and girls were
recruited into cooking and cleaning roles. Most of the recruitment takes place from
schools. In the clashes in Guriel and Dhusamareb in December 2008, eyewitness
accounts indicated that between 30 and 45 per cent of Al-Shabaab combatants were
children. Seven of these children were killed and three were injured in these clashes.
96. Violence escalated between armed forces and groups, mostly between the
Transitional Federal Government security forces, the Ethiopian National Defence
Force (ENDF) and African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) forces against
opposition groups, including the remnants of the former ICU, Al-Shabaab and other
clan-based armed groups, and children are often killed or injured in the crossfire.
Children have been killed and maimed as a result of indiscriminate attacks that have
included the use of artillery, mortar, rocket fire, gunfire and improvised explosive
devices in areas with high civilian concentration, including busy market places and
residential areas. Reports indicate that anti-government armed groups, including
Al-Shabaab and clan-based armed groups, used strategies that reduced their
visibility in civilian areas, placing civilians at risk, and used children to detonate
improvised explosive devices against the Transitional Federal Government and
ENDF soldiers. In October 2008 alone, 19 children were killed and 10 injured in
Mogadishu. In one case, two children demonstrating against Ethiopian presence in
Somalia were shot and killed by ENDF soldiers following the detonation of an
improvised explosive device during the demonstration. According to community
leaders, approximately 100 children have been killed or injured by landmines and
unexploded ordnances in central and southern Somalia in the reporting period.
97. Rape and other sexual violence were committed by both members of armed
forces and groups, as well as civilians, in the context of breakdown in law and order.
Children and women living in internally displaced persons settlements in Bossaso,
Galkayo, Hargeisa and along the Afgoye corridor reported a large number of rapes.
Between July and September 2008, 303 cases (292 girls and 11 boys) were reported
in the north-west zone of Somalia. Perpetrators are rarely brought to justice and in
some cases victims are forced to marry the perpetrators or be killed under traditional
law. In October 2008, a 13-year-old girl was stoned to death for adultery by local
authorities after being raped by three men in Kismayo. Cases of rape by ENDF
soldiers have also been reported.
98. Since mid-2007, 144 schools in five districts of Mogadishu were closed at
various times, as they were attacked or risked being attacked because the
__________________
8 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in
Somalia, see S/2008/352.
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surrounding areas became scenes of conflict between ENDF, the Transitional
Federal Government, AMISOM and anti-government armed groups, including
Al-Shabaab and clan-based armed groups. These included targeted attacks by the
Transitional Federal Government on students and teachers of Koranic schools in
Mogadishu, owing to the perception that children in these schools are being
mobilized to join the insurgency and are therefore considered legitimate military
targets. A total of 34 schools were temporarily occupied by armed groups or used as
military bases by armed forces at various times throughout the reporting period. On
22 October 2008, the President of the Somalia National Union of Teachers reported
that the 34 schools and universities that remained open in Mogadishu had to be
closed because of the general insecurity, the presence of Government forces in close
proximity and an increasing number of deaths of students and teachers.
99. An escalation in the number of humanitarian aid workers who have been
targeted has resulted in reduced access to the 3.2 million Somalis, including
approximately 1.6 million children, requiring emergency assistance. During the
reporting period, 34 humanitarian workers were killed, 26 were abducted and many
others were harassed, received death threats or were detained for questioning.
Developments in the Sudan9
100. In southern Sudan, the United Nations confirmed the recruitment and use of
101 children by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). More children are
present in SPLA, although the exact numbers cannot be determined prior to the
completion of the registration exercise currently under way. The United Nations
Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) child protection officers have been able to regularly
access SPLA military barracks to register children. As of 31 December 2008, 68
children were registered for demobilization, although their release and reunification
have met with serious delays. Government authorities have also reported on the
spontaneous demobilization of some children associated with SPLA. These children
are unaccounted for to date. In some states, SPLA has been reported to be including
previously registered children in troop movements prior to the children being
officially released. Children were also witnessed among the Sudanese Armed Forces
(SAF) in the Abyei area.
101. The United Nations reported the recruitment and use of 487 children by
various armed forces and groups operating in all three Darfur states, with a majority
taking place in the state of Western Darfur. The fragmentation and proliferation of
opposition armed groups have created fertile ground for recruitment, with over
14 Sudanese and foreign armed forces and groups identified in Darfur for recruiting
and using children. These include the groups identified in my 2007 report, which are
Justice and Equality Movement (JEM (Peace Wing)), Sudan Liberation Army
(SLA)/Free Will, SLA/Abu Gasim/Mother Wing, SLA/Minni Minnawi, SLA/Abdul
Wahid; Government forces including SAF, Central Reserve Police and militias
supported by the Government; as well as Chadian opposition groups. New groups
identified include Justice and Equality Movement, Movement of Popular Forces for
Rights and Democracy, SLA/Peace Wing, SLA/Unity and various tribal groups in
the north. There is no evidence of recruitment by the Popular Defence Forces and
SLA/Shafi.
__________________
9 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in the
Sudan, see S/2009/84.
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102. The increasing activities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, including the
recruitment of children, in Western Equatoria state were also reported.
103. On 10 May 2008, approximately 110 children, between the ages of 11 and 17,
were among the JEM forces who attacked Omdurman, Khartoum, who were
captured by SAF. A presidential decree pardoned 99 children, all of whom have been
reunified with their families in the three Darfur states, Khartoum, South Kordofan,
El Gedarif and While Nile states, as well as some in Chad. Four children were
released at a later date, while the whereabouts of 5 others remain unknown. One
16-year-old received the death penalty.
104. Sexual violence continues to be a major concern in Darfur, where the United
Nations verified cases of 53 children, the youngest being 6 years old, who were
raped by armed elements. One third of the cases occurred within the vicinity of
internally displaced persons camps. Perpetrators were identified by witnesses or
victims as Government forces, including the Border Intelligence Force, the Central
Reserve Police, SAF, police forces and militias supported by the Government.
105. United Nations monitors reported the killings of 42 children and injuries to
20 children across Darfur, mainly during attacks on villages, market places and
internally displaced persons camps, or during clashes between different armed
groups. The perpetrators include SAF, the Central Reserve Police and police forces,
as well as armed groups such as JEM, SLA/Unity, SLA/Minnawi, militias supported
by the Government, Chadian opposition groups and tribal groups. Children were
also killed or injured in continuous aerial bombardments by SAF, primarily in
Northern Darfur state. Between March and May 2008, 12 children were killed and
7 injured during six such aerial bombings.
106. All attacks on schools or hospitals in Darfur occurred during ground attacks or
clashes between different armed groups. In September 2007, five schools and a
clinic were burned in connection with an attack on Haskanita. An investigation by
the United Nations has noted that the whole town had been burned in what seemed
to be a systematic and intentional operation committed by splinter groups from both
SLA/Unity and JEM. However, most lootings of schools and hospitals occurred in
Western Darfur, including by SAF and militias supported by the Government.
107. The reporting period was marked by a substantial increase in attacks against
humanitarian workers and premises in Darfur. As of October 2008, a total of
19 humanitarian workers were killed and 38 injured in Darfur; 227 humanitarian
workers were abducted; and 293 vehicles were stolen, which seriously affected food
deliveries to Darfur. Despite the extension of the moratorium on restrictions, the
humanitarian community continues to face Government restrictions, such as delays
and denials of work permits for international NGO staff, as well as access
impediments for humanitarian missions in the field. For instance, in early 2008, the
Government denied access for 40 days to humanitarian agencies assisting some
160,000 conflict-affected people, including an estimated 80,000 children in the
northern part of Western Darfur.
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B. Information on compliance and progress in situations not on the
agenda of the Security Council or in other situations of concern
Developments in Colombia
108. The Government of Colombia adopted a comprehensive policy to prevent the
recruitment and use of children by illegal armed groups, including the creation of a
high-level intersectorial commission in December 2007, aimed at reducing the risks
of recruitment of and violence against children. The Government also continues to
carry out programmatic efforts to reintegrate children separated from illegal armed
groups into their communities.
109. Information has been received on the recruitment and use of children by the
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) in
the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Caqueta, Cauca, Choco, Guaviare, Nariño,
Putumayo, Santander, Sucre, Valle del Cauca and Vaupés, as well as by the Ejército
de Liberación Nacional (ELN) in the departments of Arauca, Cauca, Nariño and
Norte de Santander. Both FARC-EP and ELN are reported to be recruiting from
schools. In addition, in September, FARC-EP abducted three girls, aged 12, 14 and
16, in Arauca department; and in May 2008, FARC-EP recruited five indigenous
children, between the ages of 12 and 16 years, from the Waunaan community, in
Choco department. Children are used by these groups to take part directly in
hostilities, to provide logistical support and for intelligence services. In Ituango,
Antioquia department, a child was used by FARC-EP to transport weapons and
explosives. In several cases, children have been tortured or killed by these groups
for resisting recruitment or when they intended to escape.
110. Recruitment frequently leads to the displacement of affected populations in
order to avoid the recruitment of their children. The Constitutional Court, in its
order No. 251 of October 2008, confirmed that child recruitment is one of the main
causes of displacement in the country. In March 2008, 18 children from a rural
community in Putumayo department were forced to leave their homes to avoid
recruitment by FARC-EP.
111. Recruitment is also a common practice of armed groups that emerged after
demobilization. In March 2008, the recruitment of children by Autodefensas
Campesinas Nueva Generación (AC-NG) was confirmed in the Nariño department.
The United Nations has collected several testimonies from children and adolescents
separated from the former Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, in which they report
having been contacted to join these armed groups.
112. According to information from the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare
(ICBF), a total of 402 children separated from FARC-EP, 86 from ELN and 1 from
the Ejército Popular Revolucionario (EPR) during the reporting period. ICBF also
reported that a total of 44 children separated from armed groups such as AC-NG and
Ejército Revolucionario Popular Antiterrorista de Colombia (ERPAC), and other
armed elements such as the Aguilas Negras, Rastrojos and the Cooperativa de
Seguridad de Meta y Vichada. The Government considers these groups as criminal
gangs largely involved in criminal activities related especially to drug trafficking.
Children are still assumed to be present in these groups. In August 2008, following
the demobilization of the Ejército Revolucionario Guevarista (ERG) in Choco,
7 children, including 3 girls, were released.
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113. According to the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace, 391 children were
released by AUC within the demobilization framework under the Justice and Peace
Law from 2002 to 2006. Approximately 432 children separated individually, outside
the negotiations with AUC, although credible information indicates many more
children associated with AUC did not undergo the formal demobilization process.
The Attorney General’s office met with the former commanders of the Elmer
Cardenas Block, the Central Bolivar Block and the Autodefensas del Magdalena
Medio to exclusively address the issue of recruitment of children in order to
establish accountability for former recruitment cases within the framework of the
Justice and Peace Law. More than 1,000 cases of illicit recruitment by such groups
have been denounced under the Justice and Peace Law as of December 2008.
Further, the Attorney General is currently investigating 141 cases of child
recruitment under the Penal Code, and there were three convictions for this crime
during 2008.
114. The United Nations received credible information regarding the use of children
by some members of the security forces for intelligence purposes despite
Government policy to the contrary. Three directives have been issued by the
Ministry of Defence prohibiting this practice, in accordance with the national law on
childhood and adolescence. It was reported in February 2008 that a 12-year-old boy
was used by the police as an informant in Valle del Cauca department. As a
consequence, the boy received death threats by FARC-EP and was later killed in
December 2008. Also in February, it was reported that members of the army and
national police solicited information from children in rural communities in Carmen
de Atrato and Quibdo, in Choco department, on the locations of guerrilla groups and
the identities of their members.
115. Children are victims of indiscriminate attacks by illegal armed groups or are
often caught in crossfire in clashes between illegal armed groups and national armed
forces. A total of 15 children have also been killed and 29 injured by anti-personnel
mines and unexploded ordnance laid by FARC-EP and ELN between September
2007 and October 2008.
116. Credible information on cases of extrajudicial executions of children was
gathered by the United Nations. In January 2008, a 17-year-old boy disappeared
from Soacha municipality near Bogotá, and was presented as “killed in combat” a
day later by the Armed Forces in Norte de Santander, a department on the border
with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. A similar case involved a child from
Gamarra municipality, Cesar department, in August 2008. The Ministry of Defence
has issued three specific directives and established a transitory commission in
October, to investigate cases of extrajudicial executions, which has resulted in the
dismissal of 37 military officers as of January 2009.
117. According to Constitutional Court order No. 092 of April 2008, the impact of
sexual violence against girls has increased. Perpetrators include illegal armed
groups and members of the Armed Forces. The Attorney General’s office has
initiated investigations, and there have been a number of convictions as of
December 2008.
118. During the reporting period illegal armed groups continued to attack or occupy
schools for military purposes and target teachers. Schools are also often damaged as
a result of military clashes between illegal armed groups and the Armed Forces. In
May 2008, two schools in Dagua municipality, Valle del Cauca department, were
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seriously damaged as a consequence of separate armed clashes between FARC-EP
and the national police and national army, respectively. In June 2008, four teachers
in Nariño department were abducted and killed by FARC-EP, as they were allegedly
believed to be army informants. The United Nations has verified information on the
occupation of schools by the Armed Forces. In June 2008, a school in Montana
municipality, Caqueta department, was occupied by members of the army. The
school was subsequently attacked and seriously damaged as a result of an armed
confrontation with FARC-EP on 13 June. The authorities have ordered an
investigation into this case.
Developments in the Philippines10
119. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) acknowledged the presence of
children in their ranks in a meeting with my Special Representative in December
2008, and agreed to enter into negotiations with the United Nations for an action
plan.
120. The New People’s Army (NPA) remains adamant that it does not recruit or use
children, and reiterated its policy of non-recruitment in communications to the
United Nations. However, in March 2008, three children were reported to have
admitted their association with NPA upon their surrender to Government authorities
in Catanduanes province.
121. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has long been known to have children in its
ranks. This was confirmed by a local news correspondent who was held captive by
the group in Sulu province in June 2008. After her release, she revealed that boys in
their teens were among her armed captors.
122. There were reports of the attempted recruitment of indigenous children in
Quezon province for the paramilitary Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit
(CAFGU).
123. A total of 48 children, including 27 girls, were killed or injured in the
reporting period, 81 per cent as a result of armed clashes between the Armed Forces
of the Philippines (AFP) and MILF that erupted pursuant to the aborted signing of
the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain in August 2008. The United
Nations confirmed that AFP and CAFGU were also responsible for the deaths of
11 children and injury to 20 children, all of whom were casualties of either military
aerial or artillery bombardment against renegade MILF forces in Maguindanao
province or military operations against ASG and NPA.
124. More than 100 residents of Kolambugan town, including 28 children, were
temporarily held hostage and used as human shields by elements of the 102nd Base
Command of MILF during attacks on civilian communities in Lanao del Norte
province on 18 August 2008. MILF also razed five classrooms during the incident.
125. There were four cases of military occupation and use of schools as temporary
camps. Soldiers from the 50th and 503rd Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army
set up camps in a primary school in Tubo town in Abra and conducted aerial
operations from the location in March 2008. Other cases were documented in
__________________
10 For more information on and examples of incidents of grave violations against children in the
Philippines, see S/2008/272.
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Lianga municipality, Surigao del Sur province and in Barangay Ngan, Compostela
Valley province, Southern Mindanao.
126. United Nations partners reported one case of sexual assault perpetrated against
a 14-year-old girl by a member of the 30th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army
stationed in Butuan City. The victim filed a complaint against the suspect, and the
trial is currently in progress, although cooperation from the 30th Infantry Battalion
has been difficult. During her mission in December 2008, my Special
Representative raised the case with the Undersecretary for Defence Affairs of the
Department of National Defence, Antonio C. Santos.
127. Former child soldiers are being rehabilitated and reintegrated into society
through the implementation of Government social integration programmes, which
include financial and legal support, and access to education, health services and
psychosocial services for these children. However, mechanisms for release and
reintegration of children need to be further brought in line with good practices.
Developments in southern border provinces of Thailand
128. There has been significant improvement in the security situation in the
southern border provinces of Thailand owing to the continuing efforts of the Royal
Thai Government to protect the safety and enhance the development of children in
cooperation with the local communities. However, the impact of violence on
children is still a concern. There have been several reports of child casualties as a
result of bombings by militants in public spaces and of being caught in the crossfire
between militants and security forces.
129. The number of attacks on schools has decreased significantly. According to the
Ministry of Education, during the reporting period from September 2007 to
December 2008, 34 State-run education facilities were damaged or destroyed
(compared to 164 for the whole of 2007), 7 schoolchildren were killed and 30 were
injured.
130. The current Government has announced that it will take serious measures to
ensure that security operations conducted in the southern border provinces are in
accordance with international standards and respect for human rights, and that any
alleged abuse by state authorities, such as the irregular detention of children, is fully
investigated. The Government is also undertaking a systematic review of its laws,
including the Emergency Decree.
Developments in Sri Lanka
131. UNICEF received 39 reports of child recruitment and 7 reports of
re-recruitment by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from 1 September
2007 to 31 October 2008. However, the number of children who were recruited by
LTTE is estimated to be much higher. The majority of the recruitment by LTTE
(64 per cent boys and 36 per cent girls) occurred in the Vanni. The capacity in the
Vanni to monitor and receive reports of recruitment of children was reduced steadily
in the reporting period owing to limited access allowed to the United Nations,
increased insecurity and the requirement that international and national
humanitarian agencies leave the Vanni on 16 September 2008 and relocate to
Vavuniya as a result of the intensification of the conflict. Threats by LTTE against
families wishing to report have also been a significant factor. Although data
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collection has been severely hampered prior to their relocation, UNICEF was able to
verify a total of 19 children released by LTTE and 9 children who had escaped and
returned to their families. According to UNICEF reports registered before the onset
of the fighting, as of the end of January 2009, there were 81 children who had not
been released and 1,342 individuals who had been recruited as children but are now
over the age of 18. In February 2009, the United Nations reported that there are
clear indications that LTTE has intensified forcible recruitment of civilians and that
children as young as 14 years old are being targeted.
132. The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), a former breakaway faction of
LTTE, became a registered political party on 24 January 2008. It signed an action
plan with the Government of Sri Lanka and UNICEF on 1 December 2008, agreeing
to commence the release of children for rehabilitation and reintegration. Efforts are
under way and the United Nations awaits the full and timely implementation of the
action plan. This was seen as an important undertaking by TMVP. From November
2008 to January 2009, 7 cases of child recruitment were reported, and 22 children
were released, while during the period from 1 September 2007 to 31 October 2008
UNICEF received 113 reports of child recruitment and 40 reports of re-recruitment
by TMVP. During the same period, a total of 108 children were released and
81 children escaped and returned to their families. As of the end of January 2009,
41 children remain recruited and there are 804 individuals who were recruited as
children but are now over the age of 18.
133. The Government has made significant initiatives to support its obligations
towards children leaving armed groups. The Office of the Commissioner General for
Rehabilitation undertook five specific initiatives in the reporting period: the
establishment of the Ambepusse Centre for the rehabilitation of children leaving
armed groups; the development and signing of a memorandum of understanding
with UNICEF clarifying roles and responsibilities in relation to the prevention,
release, care, protection and reintegration of children associated with armed groups;
the drafting of an Emergency Regulation for the provision of rehabilitation services
for children leaving armed groups; the development of a public awareness campaign
against child recruitment; and the facilitation of the action plan with TMVP and
UNICEF.
134. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka recorded 102 incidents of child
abduction in the reporting period, with 54 children abducted in Batticaloa alone. Of
the 41 children remaining in the ranks of TMVP, 16 were abducted.
135. Reports indicate that, as at the end of December 2008, 26 children had been
killed and 10 injured. The causes included aerial bombardment by the Sri Lankan
Air Force and children being caught in crossfire and shelling between the Sri
Lankan Army and LTTE. Children were also victims of claymore mine attacks; for
example, on 29 January 2008, a claymore mine detonated on a bus carrying mostly
schoolchildren in Thatchanamadhu, Mannar district, an area that was tactically
controlled by LTTE. Thirteen children were killed and 8 were injured in the
incident.
136. The physical security of children trapped in increasingly small areas where
intense fighting is taking place and in other conflict affected areas has become a
critical protection concern. LTTE was carrying out operations, including artillery
fire from civilian areas, placing them at risk. The Government also continued aerial
bombardment and long-range artillery fire. The full scale of child rights violations is
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not known due to access impediments. However, on the very few occasions that
access was possible in the Vanni, the United Nations verified that at least 4 children
were killed and 17 injured in December 2008 and 55 children were killed and 212
injured in January 2009. On 29 January 2009, ICRC successfully escorted 226 sick
and wounded patients requiring urgent medical treatment to Vavuniya hospital in the
Government-controlled area. The wounded included 50 children between the ages of
4 months and 17 years.
137. Between 15 December 2008 and 15 January 2009, 11 shellings of or near
medical facilities in the Vanni were reported. On 2 February, ICRC issued a
statement condemning the shelling of Puthukkudiyirppu Hospital for the second
time. It has since been shelled on three further occasions.
138. As a result of the intensification of military operations in LTTE-controlled
areas of the Vanni at the end of 2008, and restrictive procedures imposed by the
Government for the transportation of essential goods to the Vanni allegedly owing to
security concerns, including medical supplies, therapeutic food to treat
malnourished children and shelter materials, children displaced by the conflict have
been adversely affected. Some WFP and Government food convoys were delivered
in January and February 2009. The United Nations has been engaged in ongoing
advocacy with the Government and LTTE for increased access to the Vanni, but that
became more difficult as the conflict intensified. Additional impediments to
humanitarian access included LTTE preventing civilians, including children and
United Nations national staff and their dependants, from leaving the Vanni to
Government-held territory. Further, internally displaced persons sites in Governmentcontrolled
areas of Mannar and Vavuniya are subjected to tight Government security
regulations, which severely restrict the movement of internally displaced persons
and access to humanitarian agencies.
Developments in Uganda
139. There were no cases of recruitment and use of children by Uganda People’s
Defence Forces (UPDF) or the local defence units in the reporting period. The
Government of Uganda asserted that local defence units had been disbanded and its
members integrated either into UPDF or the Uganda Police Force. In February 2009,
the country task force on monitoring and reporting carried out on-site visits to
UPDF facilities in northern Uganda to observe UPDF general recruitment exercises
and to verify the implementation of UPDF recruitment policies, as part of the terms
of the action plan signed by the Government on 16 January 2009. In addition, the
visits sought to verify the disbanding of local defence units and to confirm the
discharge of any persons under the age of 18 in the process of integrating local
defence units into UPDF.
140. Following the visits, the country task force ascertained that the age criteria for
recruitment into UPDF within existing laws and regulations were strictly observed;
confirmed that current policies and directives relating to the prevention of
recruitment and use of underaged persons were in place, including for age
verification, awareness-raising, prevention and disciplinary measures; noted that
UPDF recruitment criteria and procedures were strictly adhered to by its officers;
and that there has been no evidence of the recruitment of children by UPDF since
August 2007. The country task force also confirmed that local defence units were in
the process of being phased out, and members who did not meet the recruitment
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criteria, including age limits, are demobilized and reintegrated into their
communities.
141. On the basis of these findings, and as it has been determined that UPDF and its
auxiliaries have shown full commitment towards the implementation of the action
plan and continue to allow regular access to the United Nations to any UPDF
facilities upon request to monitor compliance, they shall be removed from the lists
contained in the annex to my report this year. However, the country task force will
continue to monitor UPDF compliance with the action plan, to ensure that
continuous efforts are made to prevent the recruitment and use of children.
142. The Government has established a clear national policy framework for the
demobilization and reintegration of non-government forces operating in and outside
Uganda, based on the Amnesty Amendment Act (2006). Its peace, recovery and
development programme for northern Uganda encompasses a demobilization and
reintegration of ex-combatants programme that seeks to coordinate and facilitate
socio-economic reintegration of non-governmental forces that voluntarily surrender
to the Government, including those associated with LRA.
143. Owing to considerable improvement in the security and humanitarian situation
in northern Uganda, the number of grave violations attributable to UPDF and its
auxiliaries has dropped significantly. A total of 16 cases of sexual violence were
registered from September 2007 to October 2008. Eight cases were reported to law
enforcement officers for investigation, and in five of those cases, the perpetrators
were arrested. In addition, the presence of UPDF soldiers on the ground has
decreased, and formal institutions and structures such as the police, particularly
children and family protection units, as well as welfare officers and members of
local councils, are assuming a greater role in ensuring social and legal protection for
children.
144. No cases have been attributed to LRA, as the group has not been operating in
Ugandan territory, although women and children are reported to still be present
within its ranks. Between November 2007 and April 2008, 20 boys who had fled
LRA captivity were received at various reception centres across northern Uganda
and confirmed the presence of many more children in LRA. The Government
estimates that at the time LRA left Uganda, it consisted of approximately 1,000
individuals, of whom 500 were women and children. The presence of LRA has been
reported in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan and the
Central African Republic, and, in response to grave violations committed against
children by LRA, a strategy for a subregional coordination mechanism to monitor
and report on cross-border recruitment and use of children will be developed.
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III. Information on progress achieved in implementing
Security Council resolutions on children and armed
conflict, including progress made in the implementation
of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and in the
development and implementation of action plans
Progress made in the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism
145. As called for in paragraph 3 of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005),
monitoring and reporting mechanisms on grave child rights violations have been
established in all eight situations of armed conflict, listed in annex I to the 2007
report of the Secretary-General (A/62/609-S/2007/757), that are on the agenda of
the Security Council; and in all five situations of armed conflict or other situations
of concern, listed in annex II to the same report. Parties in Afghanistan and the
Central African Republic were listed in the report of the Secretary-General for the
first time last year for recruitment and use of children, thereby triggering the
requirement to establish a monitoring and reporting mechanism within the
framework of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005). In July 2008, the monitoring
and reporting mechanism was set up in Afghanistan, while the mechanism is in the
process of being formally established in the Central African Republic. The
Government of Colombia formally accepted the implementation of the monitoring
and reporting mechanism on 29 December 2008.
Progress made in the development and implementation of action plans with
parties to conflict
146. Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), parties
are called upon to develop and implement concrete time-bound action plans, in close
collaboration with the United Nations. During the reporting period, formal action
plans to halt the recruitment and use of children were signed with the Tamil Makkal
Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) of Sri Lanka on 1 December 2008 and the Government
of Uganda on 16 January 2009. Important commitments to begin negotiations on an
action plan were received from the Justice and Equality Movement in the Sudan and
the Moro Islamic Liberation Forces in the Philippines. In addition, commitments
were received by the Government of Nepal to release children from Maoist
cantonments as a matter of priority and by FNL in Burundi to immediately and
unconditionally separate and release all children.
147. Engaging in dialogue on child protection with all parties to conflict is crucial
in order to bring parties into compliance with international standards for the
protection of children. With regard to non-State actors, it is important that States
allow such dialogue between non-State actors and the United Nations without
prejudice to their political and legal status, for the purposes of developing action
plans to halt recruitment and use of children and to address all other grave violations
committed against children. However, in certain situations of concern, such as in
Myanmar and Colombia, the Government has been reticent to allow for further
dialogue with certain armed groups, and this has impeded progress on securing the
release and rehabilitation of children associated with these groups.
148. Over the last years, commitments by parties leading to action plans have been
obtained by several parties to conflict, both State and non-State actors. The status of
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these action plans and other commitments made for the release of children as of the
end of January 2009 is reflected in the table below.
Status of action plans
Parties to conflict listed in annex I to the reports of the
Secretary-General (A/61/529-S/2006/826 and Corr.1 and
A/62/209-S/2007/757)
Parties in Afghanistan
Taliban forces No action plan. In September 2008, the
country task force on monitoring and reporting
initiated consultations with the Government of
Afghanistan to devise a strategy to disseminate
information to parties to the conflict on the
monitoring and reporting mechanism, and on
engaging with parties for the preparation of
action plans to end child recruitment.
Parties in Burundi
Parti pour la Libération du peuple Hutu-Forces
nationales de libération (Palipehutu-FNL)
(Agathon Rwasa)
No formal action plan. The release of children
associated with Palipehutu-FNL is being
negotiated within the Joint Verification and
Monitoring Mechanism of the Comprehensive
Ceasefire Agreement signed on 7 September
2006 between the Government of Burundi and
Palipehutu-FNL. Pursuant to the Bujumbura
Declaration of 17 January 2009, FNL committed
to immediately and unconditionally separate
children associated with its combatants no later
than 30 January. However, FNL has refused to
begin the disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration of its combatants, including the
separation of children associated with its
forces on 5 February, until there is an
agreement on the integration of its combatants
into the national security forces.
Parties in the Central African Republic
Armée populaire pour la restauration de la
République et de la démocratie (APRD)
Dialogue has been initiated by the United
Nations to translate commitments into an
action plan. During the visit of my Special
Representative to the Central African Republic
in May 2008, the leader of APRD, Laurent
Djim Wei, committed to prepare a list and
release all children in his armed group as soon
as proper arrangements are made for their
protection and reintegration into communities.
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On 20 October 2008, APRD handed over to
UNICEF and partners a list of 105 children to
be released.
Union des forces démocratiques pour la
rassemblement (UFDR)
Dialogue has been initiated by the United
Nations to translate commitments into an
action plan. In June 2007 a tripartite agreement
was signed between the Government of the
Central African Republic, UFDR and UNICEF,
in which the UFDR agreed to separate and
release all children associated with its armed
group; and facilitate their reintegration.
Forces démocratiques populaires de Centrafrique
(FDPC)
No action plan.
Parties in Côte d’Ivoire
Armed militia groups affiliated with the
Presidential camp:
(a) Front pour la libération du Grand Ouest
(FLGO);
(b) Mouvement ivoirien de libération de
L’Ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire (MILOCI);
(c) Alliance patriotique de l’ethnie Wé
(APWé);
(d) Union patriotique de résistance du
Grand Ouest (UPRGO).
Action plan signed on 14 September 2006.
Parties have been de-listed from annexes of the
report of the Secretary-General (S/2007/757).
All the parties have ceased recruitment and
taken concerted measures to identify and
release children associated with their forces for
rehabilitation, and have allowed the United
Nations to regularly monitor the association of
children with fighting forces as part of the
implementation of action plans.
Forces de défense et de sécurité des Forces
nouvelles (FDS-FN)
Action plan signed on 10 October 2005.
Party has been de-listed from annexes of the
2007 report of the Secretary-General. Party has
ceased recruitment and taken concerted
measures to identify and release children
associated with their forces for rehabilitation,
and have allowed the United Nations to
regularly monitor the association of children
with fighting forces as part of the
implementation of its action plan.
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Forces armées de la République démocratique du
Congo (FARDC)
No formal action plan. The disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration of children
has been carried out within the Operational
Framework for Children Associated with
Armed Forces and Groups, adopted by the
Unité d’exécution du programme national de
désarmement, démobilisation et réinsertion, in
March 2004.
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Through that national disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration process, from
mid-2003 to December 2006, approximately
30,000 children were released from armed
forces and groups, including those released
prior to the adoption of the operational
framework. The final phase of the formal
national disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration did not take place in 2008;
however, 1,098 children were documented to
have separated from or escaped from armed
groups in the reporting period.
Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda
(FDLR)
No formal action plan.
Front nationaliste et integrationaliste (FNI)
Forces de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI)
Mouvement révolutionnaire congolais (MRC)
No formal action plan. The disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration of children
was carried out within the operational
framework for children associated with armed
forces and groups, except for small splinter
groups from FNI and FRPI who failed to disarm.
Mai-Mai groups in Maniema and Katanga that
have not integrated into FARDC
No formal action plan. Remaining combatants
are awaiting inclusion into the next phase of
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu No formal action plan. In January 2008, the
Mai-Mai groups adopted the “actes
d’engagement” for North and South Kivu, in
the context of the Conference on Peace,
Security and Development in the Kivus, and
committed to release children in their ranks.
Congres National pour la Défense du Peuple
(CNDP)
No formal action plan. In January 2008,
CNDP adopted the statements of commitment
(actes d’engagement) for North and South
Kivu, in the context of the Conference on
Peace, Security and Development in the Kivus.
Parties in Myanmar
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) No action plan.
Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation
Army Peace Council
No action plan.
Kachin Independence Army (KIA) No action plan.
Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)
Karenni Army (KA)
No action plan. However, the Karen National
Union (KNU)/KNLA signed a deed of
commitment on 6 April 2007; and the Karenni
National Progressive Party (KNPP)/KA signed
a deed of commitment on 13 April 2007.
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In line with this commitment, the United Nations
country team in Myanmar will undertake
discussions with the parties in order to finalize
action plans to cease the recruitment and use of
children from their armed wings in the border
areas. The country teams in Myanmar and
Thailand, however, have been unable to
establish contact and undertake formal
dialogue with these groups to date due to
resistance from the Government of Myanmar.
Karenni National People’s Liberation Front
(KNPLF)
Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
Shan State Army-South (SSA-S)
No action plan. The country team has been
unable to establish contact with these non-State
entities to date.
Tatmadaw Kyi No action plan. The Government action plan
does not meet minimum standards. In 2004,
the Government of Myanmar high-level
committee for the prevention of military
recruitment of underage children outlined a
plan of action to address the recruitment,
release and reintegration of children; public
awareness; cooperation with international
organizations; and action against transgressors
of recruitment policies.
During the visit of the Special Representative
in June 2007, the Government of Myanmar
agreed to update the Tatmadaw Kyi action plan
and to bring it into line with international
standards, with the country task force on
monitoring and reporting. The United Nations
has formally sought a meeting with the
Committee to advance discussions on the
action plan development and implementation,
but the meeting has not yet taken place.
United Wa State Army (UWSA) No action plan. During the visit of the Special
Representative in June 2007, UWSA agreed to
engage with the United Nations on the
modalities for an action plan.
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Parties in Nepal
Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist
(UCPN-M)
No formal action plan. The release of children
associated with UCPN-M who are held in
Maoist army cantonments is being addressed
within the context of Nepal’s Comprehensive
Peace Agreement of 2006 and the Agreement
on Monitoring the Management of Arms and
Armies, which commits UCPN-M and the
Government of Nepal to the immediate release
and reintegration of children associated with
armed forces and groups. A draft national plan
of action for the reintegration of children
affected by armed conflict, including children
associated with armed forces and groups, is
pending finalization and Government approval
for implementation.
During the visit of my Special Representative
on 5 December 2008, the Prime Minister of
Nepal committed to the release of 2,973
children from the Maoist army cantonments by
the end of February 2009.
Parties in Somalia
Transitional Federal Government No action plan. An advocacy campaign
against child recruitment targeting armed
groups, government officials, and community
and religious leaders is ongoing to mobilize
broad support for the development of action
plans.
Remnants of the former Islamic Courts Union
(IUC)
No action plan. Dialogue with IUC or any
other armed groups in Somalia is seriously
impeded by access restrictions and the
targeting of humanitarian workers.
Parties in southern Sudan
Parties under the control of the Government of the Sudan
South Sudan Defence Forces, including the
forces of Major-General Gabriel Tang Ginyi
The South Sudan Defence Forces have been
fully incorporated into the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army.
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) No formal action plan. However, the United
Nations continues its advocacy with SAF on
issues related to grave violations against
children, including the recruitment and use of
children, through the Ceasefire Joint Military
Committee and its seven subsidiary Area Joint
Military Committees.
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Parties under the control of the Government of southern Sudan
Pibor Defence Forces The Pibor Defence Forces have been fully
incorporated into the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army.
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) No formal action plan. The release and
reintegration of children associated with armed
forces and groups are carried out by the South
Sudan disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration Commission within the context of
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which
calls for the immediate and unconditional
release of all children from various fighting
forces and armed groups. A national
reintegration strategy for children associated
with armed forces and groups has been
developed.
During the reporting period, 150 children were
demobilized.
Parties in Darfur
Parties under the control of the Government of the Sudan
Chadian opposition groups No action plan.
Government-supported militias called Janjaweed There is no United Nations engagement with
Janjaweed to date.
Police forces, including the Central Reserve
Police
No action plan.
Popular Defence Force No action plan.
Former rebel parties that have accepted the Darfur Peace Agreement
Justice and Equality Movement (Peace Wing)
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Free Will
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abu Gasim/
Mother Wing
No action plan. However, during a meeting to
launch child disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration in Darfur in June 2008,
representatives of the six signatories to the
Darfur Peace Agreement, including Justice and
Equality Movement (Peace Wing), SLA/Free
Will, SLA/Minni Minnawi, SLA/Peace Wing,
SLA/Abu Gasim/Mother Wing and Movement
of Popular Force for Rights and Democracy
agreed to start discussions on a plan of action
and reaffirmed their commitments for the
release, return and reintegration of children
associated with their groups, in accordance
with the Darfur Peace Agreement.
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Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Minni Minnawi Action plan signed on 11 June 2007 between
Sudan Liberation Movement/Army
(Minnawi) and UNICEF.
After an initial delay in implementation of the
action plan owing to a lack of clarity on the
mandate and channels of disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration in Darfur,
SLM/A (Minnawi) reaffirmed its commitment
for the release, return and reintegration of
children into its ranks in June 2008; so far, 16
children have been registered for
demobilization.
Former rebel parties that rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul Wahid No action plan.
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Shafi No action plan.
Parties to conflict listed in annex II to the report of the
Secretary-General (A/62/609-S/2007/757)
Parties in Chad
Chadian National Army No action plan. However, an agreement was
signed on 9 May 2007 between the
Government of Chad and UNICEF in the
context of the disarmament, demobilization
and reintegration efforts in Chad to release all
children associated with the armed forces and
groups and facilitate their sustainable
reintegration into communities and families.
In addition, during the visit of my Special
Representative in May 2008, the Government
of Chad committed to allow verification by
United Nations teams of detention centres,
training camps and military facilities; release
as a matter of priority children associated with
armed groups held in detention; and establish
an inter-ministerial task force to coordinate and
ensure effective reintegration of children.
A joint commission was formed by the
Government and UNICEF in August 2008. The
commission has carried out verification visits
to the Moussoro and Lumia instruction centres,
where one child was identified and released.
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A total of 555 children have been demobilized
to date, including 13 per cent from the Chadian
National Army and 87 per cent from the
Convention révolutionnaire démocratique du
Tchad (CRDT), Concorde nationale tchadienne
(CNT) and Front uni pour le changement (FUC).
Chadian self-defence groups operating in Ade,
Dogdore and Mogororo
Most elements of these groups have been
integrated into the Chadian National Army.
Government of the Sudan-backed militias,
known as Janjaweed
No action plan.
Sudanese armed groups backed by the
Government of Chad:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement;
(b) Sudan Liberation Army — G19 faction.
No action plan.
Union des forces pour la démocratie et le
développement (UFDD)
No action plan.
Parties in Colombia
Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) No action plan.
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-
Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)
No action plan.
Illegal armed groups not participating in the
demobilization process:
(a) Autodefensas Campesinas del Casanare;
(b) Frente Cacique Pipintá.
No action plan.
Parties in the Philippines
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) The absence of a political organization and the
extreme risks involved prevents the possibility
of the United Nations engaging with ASG.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Dialogue has been initiated by the United
Nations to translate commitments into an
action plan. During the visit of my Special
Representative in December 2008, the
leadership of MILF committed to enter into an
action plan with the United Nations to halt the
recruitment and use of children and to ensure
their separation and return into civilian life.
New People’s Army (NPA) No action plan. The Government of the
Philippines has expressed reservations on the
engagement of the United Nations with NPA.
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However, the United Nations country team is
considering possible dialogue on child
protection with the Office of the Presidential
Adviser to the Peace Process within the
context of the ongoing peace processes.
Parties in Sri Lanka
Karuna faction/TMVP Action plan signed on 1 December 2008
between TMVP, the Government of Sri
Lanka and UNICEF. The action plan lays out
a three-month process by which TMVP should
stop the recruitment of children and release all
children in its ranks.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Action plan does not meet minimum
standards. LTTE developed an action plan on
15 October 2007. However, it does not meet
minimum prerequisites, including but not
limited to allowing full access to the United
Nations country team for verification,
formalizing principles and time-bound
measures for the safe release of children, and
accountability mechanisms and mechanisms
for preventing re-recruitment. Also, the action
plan was not signed by the parties.
Any small progress made was not maintained
and, as of April 2008, only 17 children have
been verified as released. There has been no
consistent dialogue with LTTE to review its
commitments since the relocation of the United
Nations in September 2008 from the Vanni.
Parties in Uganda
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) No action plan. LRA has not been present in
Ugandan territory as of November 2005. On
24 August 2007, the United Nations Special
Envoy for LRA-affected areas transmitted a
message from the Security Council to the
leader of the LRA delegation, who assured that
the delegation would convey the message to
the leader of LRA, Joseph Kony. The message
urged LRA to take immediate steps to release
children associated with its forces; to
immediately engage in transparent procedures
with UNICEF for verification of the
demobilization of all children; to provide
humanitarian personnel unimpeded access to
populations in need; and to ensure that specific
provisions for children are included by the
parties at all steps of the negotiations.
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Government armed forces and defence units:
(a) Local defence units;
(b) Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
Action plan signed on 16 January 2009
between the Government of Uganda and the
Uganda Task Force on Monitoring and
Reporting. As it has been determined that
UPDF and its auxiliaries have shown full
commitment towards the implementation of the
action plan and continue to allow regular
access to the United Nations to any UPDF
facilities upon request to monitor compliance,
the parties have been de-listed from the current
year’s report.
Parties to conflict not listed in annexes to the report of the
Secretary-General (A/62/609-S/2007/757)
Parties in Central African Republic
Self-defence militias No action plan. On 13 December 2008,
UNICEF met with the Minister of Defence to
request for access to these militias. Following
his agreement, UNICEF and partners met with
the militia leader of the Ouham-Pendé
prefecture, who has agreed to work
collaboratively to release children within its
ranks.
Parties in Darfur
Former rebel parties that have accepted the Darfur Peace Agreement
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Peace Wing
Movement of Popular Force for Rights and
Democracy
No action plan. However, during a meeting to
launch child disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration in Darfur in June 2008,
representatives of the six signatories to the
Darfur Peace Agreement, including Justice and
Equality Movement (Peace Wing), SLA/Free
Will, SLA/Minni Minnawi, SLA/Peace Wing,
SLA/Abu Gasim/Mother Wing and Movement
of Popular Force for Rights and Democracy
agreed to start discussions on a plan of action
and reaffirmed their commitments for the
release, return and reintegration of children
associated with their groups, in accordance
with the Darfur Peace Agreement.
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Former rebel parties that rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement
Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Dialogue has been initiated by the United
Nations with JEM to translate commitments
into an action plan. In July 2008, JEM stated
its commitment during a workshop held by the
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva
to refrain from recruiting children for military
operations.
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Unity No action plan. In July 2008, SLA/Unity,
during the workshop in Geneva, also
committed to refrain from recruiting children.
149. Concerted leadership by United Nations missions and country teams on the
ground and partners in following up on these commitments through sustained
advocacy and monitoring is vital to their success, in addition to the credible threat
of action by international actors, including the Security Council. However, more
must be done to ensure that parties to conflict respect and comply with their child
protection obligations and commitments. This should include targeted and concrete
measures by the Security Council where insufficient or no progress has been made
by parties listed in the annexes to my reports, particularly the persistent violators, in
accordance with its resolutions 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005).
150. The Working Group has drawn the attention of several Security Council
sanctions committees and their relevant expert groups to the repeated violations
against children by leaders of armed groups, such as in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, with the aim of obtaining targeted measures against individuals or
groups who persistently commit, or are complicit in the commission of, grave
violations against children. Limited progress, however, has been made to date.
Progress made in the mainstreaming of children and armed conflict issues in
United Nations peacekeeping and political missions
151. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has significantly expanded the
incorporation of children’s issues in peacekeeping operations, including child rights
and protection in training for peacekeepers and the deployment of child protection
expertise in peacekeeping missions. Child protection advisers are currently deployed
in seven peacekeeping operations. In situations where a peacekeeping operation
exists, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations co-chairs the country task forces
on monitoring and reporting. The department is currently developing a policy
directive on mainstreaming the protection of children affected by armed conflict
within United Nations peacekeeping that will also provide guidance on the role and
function of child protection advisers in peacekeeping operations, outline the policy
framework within which they operate, and define partnerships and coordination with
other key child protection actors on the ground. The reports of the Secretary-
General on country situations with peacekeeping missions have increasingly
included child protection issues as a specific aspect of the reports.
152. The Department of Political Affairs has developed specific guidance on child
protection for mediators. It has also recently revised its Operational Guidance Note
on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, in order to integrate the
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consideration of children and armed conflict issues that facilitate or impede peace
processes, and has identified the release of children as a factor that promotes
confidence between parties to conflict in its guidance on confidence-building
measures. The newly established United Nations mediation focal point system of the
Department of Political Affairs seeks to ensure that children and armed conflict
issues are taken into account early on in the strategic thinking and planning phase of
a peace process. Significant effort has also been made by special political missions
of the Department to mainstream the protection of children and armed conflict
throughout their missions and mandates.
153. The presence of child protection advisers should be integrated into or
enhanced in all relevant peacekeeping and political missions as key implementers of
Security Council resolutions, and in order to mainstream a child-conscious approach
in the discharge of their functions. Child protection advisers engage in monitoring
the situation of children in armed conflict, including monitoring grave violations
under resolution 1612 (2005), engaging in dialogue with parties to conflict for the
development of action plans, advocating on politically sensitive issues, thereby
supporting operational partners who may be unable to do so without the risk of
jeopardizing their programmes on the ground, ensuring systematic training on child
rights and protection, lending support to the planning and implementation of
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, and implementing
other aspects of Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict.
IV. Strengthening monitoring and reporting of rape and other
grave sexual violence against children in armed conflict
154. Widespread and systematic rape and sexual violence against children, both
girls and boys, is increasingly a characteristic of conflict, often perpetrated in a ruleof-
law vacuum that is a consequence of conflict, and exacerbated by an ensuing
culture of impunity. In some instances sexual violence has been used as a
premeditated tactic of war designed to humiliate or exterminate a population or to
force displacement. For children, the physical and mental consequences are
devastating, with far reaching negative effects on sustainable peace and security.
During the reporting period, high incidence rates of rape and sexual violence against
children were received from Burundi, Chad, Central African Republic, Côte
d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia and the Sudan.
155. There is universal consensus that rape and sexual violence against children in
armed conflicts are grave crimes. It is therefore critical that efforts be strengthened
towards ending impunity and ensuring access to justice, accountability and remedies
for cases of such crimes against children. International humanitarian and human
rights law provides that children affected by armed conflict are entitled to special
respect, protection and care, including against all forms of sexual violence and
exploitation. Rape and other forms of sexual violence also constitute a war crime or
a crime against humanity if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack
against a civilian population under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court.
156. During the Security Council open debates on children and armed conflict in
February and July 2008, Member States reaffirmed the need to strengthen the
general framework of protection against such crimes. The Council, as a follow-up to
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its resolution 1325 (2000), has begun to translate that call through its resolution
1820 (2008), in which it requested in paragraph 15 that I provide “information on
situations of armed conflict in which sexual violence has been widely or
systematically employed against civilians; analysis of the prevalence and trends of
sexual violence in situations of armed conflict”. The Council also requested in
paragraph 3 that, where appropriate, I “encourage dialogue to address this issue in
the context of broader discussions of conflict resolution between appropriate United
Nations officials and the parties to the conflict”.
157. To this end, the office of my Special Representative has initiated consultations
with relevant United Nations agencies and departments to devise a strategy to
strengthen data collection and reporting on sexual violence within the framework of
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), which will provide a better platform for
the identification of incidents, victims and perpetrators through a common set of
indicators, and to enable a better analysis of trends on sexual violence against
children. Resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1820 (2008) are mutually reinforcing, and the
complimentary processes for documentation or reporting vis-à-vis these resolutions
should be explored to allow for streamlined and better coordinated sharing of
information on rape and sexual violence among United Nations agencies. Enhancing
the participation of relevant United Nations agencies and departments working on
the issue of sexual violence in the country task forces on monitoring and reporting is
a step towards that objective.
158. In the light of the fact that children are particularly vulnerable to sexual
violence in situations of armed conflict, and the culture of impunity prevails for
such crimes, I recommend that the Council adopt an incremental approach by first
including rape and other grave sexual violence as an additional criteria for inclusion
in the annexes along with recruitment and use of children. Like the recruitment and
use of children, sexual violence is always deliberate, targeted and a direct
consequence of criminal intent. This would be a positive step towards expanding the
protection framework for children and drive United Nations and international efforts
to seal commitments to put an end to sexual violence against children.
159. The same way parties that are listed for child recruitment have to prepare and
implement time-bound concrete action plans, steps also need to be taken to ensure
that parties that are listed for rape and sexual violence against children enter into
dialogue with the United Nations to formally outline commitments and undertake
measures to put an end to such practices. Structured dialogue on recruitment and use
of children has already paved the way for dialogue on broader child protection
issues and enabled child protection actors in the field to pursue other priorities such
as rape and other grave sexual violence against children, such as in Côte d’Ivoire.
160. This proposal as laid out above should be supported as a constructive step
towards addressing issues of prevention, impunity, and response, in order to put an
end to sexual violence against children.
V. Recommendations
161. It is recommended that the Security Council consider giving equal attention to
children affected by armed conflict in all situations of concern listed in the annexes
to my report, as well as other relevant situations of concern addressed in my report.
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162. While acknowledging the equal weight for all grave violations against
children, considering that children are particularly vulnerable to rape and sexual
violence in situations of armed conflict, as noted in the present and previous reports,
and the culture of impunity prevails for such crimes, it is recommended that the
Security Council consider, at a minimum, expanding the criteria for the annexes of
my report to include parties that commit rape and other grave sexual violence
against children in armed conflict without prejudice to the possibility of further
expanding the criteria in the future to include other violations, including, if possible,
intentional killing and maiming of children.
163. As addressing sexual violence is an important system-wide priority of the
United Nations, mechanisms and arrangements for monitoring such violations
should be strengthened. Country-level task forces under Security Council resolution
1612 (2005) should include actors who monitor gender-based violations, and
modalities for data sharing and coordinated action, including on access to justice
and remedies, should be developed between gender-based violence and child
protection actors. National capacity to address sexual violence should also be
strengthened.
164. The Security Council is encouraged to continue to insist that parties in
situations of armed conflict listed in the annexes to my report prepare and
implement concrete time-bound action plans to halt the recruitment and use of
children in violation of international obligations applicable to them, and to take
measures against any parties that fail to comply.
165. The Security Council is also encouraged to call upon parties in situations of
armed conflict listed in the annexes to my report to undertake specific commitments
and measures to address other violations and abuses committed against children for
which they are cited.
166. Concerned Member States should allow contact between the United Nations
and non-State parties to ensure the broad and effective protection of children in
situations of concern, including for the purposes of preparing action plans to halt
recruitment and use of children and undertaking specific commitments and measures
to address all other grave violations committed against children. The Security
Council should encourage this. Such contact will not prejudice the political and
legal status of these non-State parties.
167. The Security Council is urged to ensure that systematic communication is
established between its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and the
relevant sanctions Committees and their expert groups in country situations of
common concern. This may include the Working Group bringing to the attention of
relevant sanctions Committees and their expert groups specific information
contained in my reports prepared in the framework of Security Council resolution
1612 (2005) for any necessary action. In situations where there are no existing
sanctions committees, the Security Council is urged to consider means by which
targeted measures may be applied against persistent perpetrators of grave violations
against children.
168. It is recommended that the Security Council ensure that specific provisions for
the protection of children continue to be included in all relevant United Nations
peacekeeping operations and political missions, including by means of the
deployment of child protection advisers. The need for, the number and roles of and
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the budget for child protection advisers should be systematically assessed during the
preparation of each peacekeeping operation and political mission, and children’s
concerns should be reflected in all mission planning instruments and processes,
including technical assessment and review missions.
169. Given the regional dimension of some conflicts highlighted in this report,
relevant Member States, United Nations peacekeeping and political missions and
United Nations country teams should establish appropriate strategies and
coordination mechanisms for information exchange and cooperation on cross-border
child protection concerns such as recruitment, release and reintegration of children.
170. Member States should take strong and urgent action to bring to justice
individuals responsible for the recruitment and use of children in violation of
applicable international law and other grave violations against children through
national justice systems. The Security Council is encouraged to refer to the
International Criminal Court, for investigation and prosecution, violations against
children in armed conflict that fall within its jurisdiction, and other international
justice mechanisms should also prioritize accountability for crimes against children.
171. Member States are urged to ensure that children who are accused of crimes
under international law allegedly committed while they were associated with armed
forces or groups are considered primarily as victims, and that they are treated in
accordance with international law, and within a framework of restorative justice and
social rehabilitation.
172. States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child are encouraged to
strengthen national and international measures for the prevention of recruitment of
children into armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities. In particular,
these include signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and enacting
legislation that explicitly prohibits the recruitment of children into armed
forces/groups and their use in hostilities; exercising extraterritorial jurisdiction in
order to strengthen the international protection of children against recruitment;
taking measures to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights
of the Child; and submitting timely reports under the Optional Protocol to the
Committee on the Rights of the Child.
173. Effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes for
children is crucial for the well-being of all children associated with armed forces
and groups, and, as such, relevant Governments and donors should ensure that these
programmes receive timely and adequate resources and funding, and are
community-based for long-term sustainability. This is increasingly a critical factor
for durable peace and security.
174. The monitoring and reporting of violations against children need to be
supported with effective measures to prevent and respond to such violations. The
Security Council should continue to call upon relevant national and international
actors to support and expand programmes to ensure that children who are victims of
violations have access to appropriate services and response.
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VI. Lists11 in annexes to the report
175. The present report contains two annexes.12 Annex I contains a list of parties
that recruit or use children in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the
Security Council, bearing also in mind other grave violations and abuses committed
against children. Annex II contains a list of parties that recruit or use children either
in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council or in other
situations of concern, also bearing in mind other grave violations and abuses
committed against children. Parties marked with an asterisk (*) have been on the
annex lists for a minimum of four years.
176. It should be noted that countries as such are not listed in the annexes. The
purpose of the lists is to identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible for
specific grave violations against children. In this respect, the names of countries are
referred to only in order to indicate the locations or situations where offending
parties are committing the violations in question.
__________________
11 Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the present report is guided by criteria for
determining the existence of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and
international jurisprudence; reference to a situation of concern is not a legal determination, and
reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal status.
12 The parties are listed in alphabetical order in the annexes.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children in situations
of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council,
bearing in mind other violations and abuses committed
against childrena
Parties in Afghanistan
Taliban forces: this party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of
children, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to
children in the reporting period.
Parties in Burundi
Palipehutu-Forces nationales pour la libération (FNL) — Agathon Rwasa:* this
party has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave sexual violence
against children in the reporting period.
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Armée populaire pour la restauration de la République et de la démocratie
(APRD).
2. Forces démocratiques pour la rassemblement (UFDR): this party has also been
responsible for committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in
the reporting period.
3. Forces démocratiques populaire de Centrafrique (FDPC).
4. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA): this party has also been responsible for
abductions and committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in
the reporting period.
5. Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ).
6. Self-defence militias supported by the Government of Central African
Republic.
Parties in Chad
1. Chadian National Army: this party has also been responsible for committing
rape and other grave sexual violence against children and the denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
2. Concorde nationale tchadienne (CNT).
3. Convention révolutionnaire démocratique du Tchad (CRDT).
4. Direction Générale de Sécurisation des Services et Institutions de l’Etat
(DGSSIE).
5. Front uni pour le changement (FUC).
__________________
a Parties marked with an asterisk (*) have been on the annex lists for a minimum of four years.
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6. Sudanese armed groups backed by the Government of Chad:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement;
(b) Sudanese Toroboros.
7. Union des forces pour la démocratie et le développement (UFDD).
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Congrès national pour la defense du peuple (CNDP), formerly led by Laurent
Nkunda and currently by Bosco Ntaganda: this party has also been responsible for
the killing and maiming of children, and attacks on schools and hospitals in the
reporting period.
2. Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC):* this party
has also been responsible for committing rape and other grave sexual violence
against children, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian
access to children in the reporting period.
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR).*
4. Front nationaliste et integrationaliste (FNI).*
5. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA): this party has also been responsible for the
killing and maiming of children, abduction and committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period.
6. Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including PARECO:* this party has
also been responsible for attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
Parties in Iraq
Al-Qaida in Iraq: this party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of
children in the reporting period.
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
2. Karen National Union-Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council.
3. Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
4. Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA):* this party has sought to conclude
an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions
1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), but the United Nations has been prevented from
doing so by the Government of Myanmar.
5. Karenni Army (KA):* this party has sought to conclude an action plan with
the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005), but the United Nations has been prevented from doing so by the Government
of Myanmar.
6. Karenni National People’s Liberation Front (KNPLF).
7. Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.
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8. Shan State Army-South (SSA-S).
9. Tatmadaw Kyi:* this party has also been responsible for the denial of
humanitarian access to children in the reporting period.
10. United Wa State Army (UWSA).
Parties in Nepal
Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M).*
Parties in Somalia
1. Al-Shabaab: this party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming
of children and attacks on schools in the reporting period.
2. Remnants of the former Islamic Courts Union (ICU): this party has also been
responsible for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools in the
reporting period.
3. Transitional Federal Government (TFG):* this party has also been responsible
for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools in the reporting
period.
Parties in southern Sudan
1. Parties under the control of the Government of the Sudan:
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): this party has also been responsible for
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children in the reporting
period.
2. Parties under the control of the Government of southern Sudan:
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).*
3. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
Parties in Darfur
1. Parties backed by the Government of the Sudan:
(a) Chadian opposition groups: this party has also been responsible for the
killing and maiming of children in the reporting period;
(b) Government-supported militias:* this party has also been responsible for
killing and maiming, committing rape and other grave sexual violence against
children, and attacks on schools in the reporting period;
(c) Police forces, including the Central Reserve Police: this party has also
been responsible for killing and maiming and committing rape and other grave
sexual violence against children in the reporting period;
(d) Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): this party has also been responsible for
killing and maiming, committing rape and other grave sexual violence against
children, and attacks on schools and hospitals in the reporting period.
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2. Former rebel parties that have accepted the Darfur Peace Agreement:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (Peace Wing);
(b) Movement of Popular Force for Rights and Democracy;
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abu Gasim/Mother Wing;
(d) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Free Will;
(e) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Minni Minnawi: this party has also been
responsible for the killing and maiming of children in the reporting period;
(f) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Peace Wing.
3. Rebel parties that have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (JEM): this party has also been
responsible for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and
hospitals in the reporting period;
(b) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul Wahid;
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Unity: this party has also been
responsible for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and
hospitals in the reporting period.
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children in situations of
armed conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council,
or in other situations of concern, bearing in mind other
violations and abuses committed against childrena
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN):* this party has also been responsible
for killing and maiming, committing rape and other grave sexual violence against
children and attacks on schools in the reporting period.
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARCEP):*
this party has also been responsible for killing and maiming, abductions,
committing rape and other grave sexual violence against children and attacks on
schools in the reporting period.
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).*
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF):* this party has also been responsible
for killing and maiming and abductions of children in the reporting period.
3. New People’s Army (NPA).*
Parties in Sri Lanka
1. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE):* this party has also been
responsible for killing and maiming and the denial of humanitarian access to
children in the reporting period.
2. Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) (former Karuna faction): this party
has also been responsible for the abduction of children in the reporting period.
Parties in Uganda
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).*
__________________
a Parties marked with an asterisk (*) have been on the annex lists for a minimum of four years.
United Nations A/64/742–S/2010/181
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
13 April 2010
Original: English
10-31128 (E) 190510
*1031128*
General Assembly
Sixty-fourth session
Agenda item 65 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Sixty-fifth year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2009,
is submitted pursuant to paragraph 19 of Security Council resolution 1882 (2009),
by which the Council requested me to submit a report on the implementation of that
resolution, resolutions 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539
(2004) and 1612 (2005), as well as its presidential statements on children and armed
conflict.
2. The first part of the report (section II) includes information on measures
undertaken by parties listed in the annexes to end all violations and abuses
committed against children in armed conflict that serve as indicators of progress
made in follow-up to the recommendations of the Security Council Working Group
on Children and Armed Conflict. The second part (section III) contains an update on
the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism established by the
Council in its resolution 1612 (2005). The third part (section IV) of the report
focuses on information on grave violations committed against children, in particular
recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children, rape and other
sexual violence against children, abductions of children, attacks on schools and
hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access to children by parties to armed
conflict in contravention to applicable international law.1 Where possible, this
__________________
1 Applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict
includes, in particular, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and obligations applicable under the
Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the
Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and the amended Protocol II and Protocol V to the
Convention on Prohibitions or Restriction on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which
May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, International
Labour Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for
the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of
the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction, and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
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section identifies trends or patterns of violations and provides an assessment of the
progress or deterioration.
3. In accordance with the request of the Security Council, and taking into account
the views expressed by the members of its Working Group on Children and Armed
Conflict, the fourth part of the report (section V) provides information on the
criteria and procedures used for listing and de-listing parties to armed conflict in the
annexes of my report. And the final part (section VI) contains a series of
recommendations.
4. By paragraph 3 of its resolution 1882 (2009), the Security Council requests
that the present report include in the annexes, in addition to recruitment and use,
those parties to armed conflict that engage in patterns of killing and maiming of
children and/or rape and other sexual violence against children in contravention of
applicable international law. A conservative approach has been taken this year in
determining the parties to be listed for these additional violations, given the limited
time for country task forces to orient themselves with the listing criteria and
requirements pursuant to resolution 1882 (2009).
5. The preparation of the present report involved broad consultations within the
United Nations, in particular with the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict at
Headquarters, country task forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping and
political missions and United Nations country teams, as well as with concerned
Member States and non-governmental organizations.
6. References to reports, cases and incidents in the present report refer to
information that is gathered, vetted and verified for accuracy. In situations where the
ability to obtain or independently verify information received is hampered by
factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such.
7. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in identifying the
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict is guided by the criteria for determining the existence
of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and international
jurisprudence. In the performance of her mandate, my Special Representative has
adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach to this issue, with a humanitarian
emphasis, aimed at ensuring broad and effective protection for children exposed and
affected by conflict in situations of concern. Reference to a situation of concern is
not a legal determination and reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal
status.2
II. Information on measures undertaken by parties listed in the
annexes to end all violations and abuses committed against
children in armed conflict
8. The present section presents the specific measures and initiatives undertaken
by parties during the reporting period to cease recruiting and using children, refrain
__________________
2 See, for example, common article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, article 1 of Additional
Protocol II of 1977 thereto; International Committee of the Red Cross, J. Pictet (ed.),
Commentary on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (1958); and Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case
No. IT-94, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Appeals Chamber
(2 October 1995).
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from committing rape and other sexual violence and/or from killing and maiming
children, as well as to address other grave violations against children during armed
conflict for which they have been cited, in line with their obligations under
international law and relevant national legislation.3 These measures are based on a
review of all pertinent sets of conclusions of the Security Council Working Group
and recommendations in my country reports on the situation of children affected by
armed conflict. They comprise the critical priority recommendations addressed to
parties, based on which progress made by parties is assessed. They include:
(a) Engagement in dialogue with country task forces on monitoring and
reporting, as called for by the Security Council in its resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612
(2005) and 1882 (2009), towards the preparation and implementation of action plans
to end the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, and
rape and other forms of sexual violence against children;
(b) Release of all children from their ranks unconditionally through a formal
process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in line with international
standards;
(c) Addressing impunity for perpetrators through investigations, convictions
or sanctions of those responsible for grave crimes against children;
(d) Reform or implementation of national legislation that criminalizes child
recruitment, sexual violence or any of the other grave violations in line with
international law;
(e) Any other specific measures to prevent the killing and maiming of
children and/or to prevent and combat the perpetration of rape and other forms of
sexual violence against children.
A. Dialogue and action plans
9. Action plans to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and association
of children, as well as to secure their release from armed forces and groups, were
signed between the United Nations and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF);
the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA); the Government of Nepal and the
Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) on 30 July, 20 November and
16 December 2009, respectively. In conjunction with the MILF action plan, a
supplemental general order for dissemination to all frontline commanders is being
finalized to re-state the policy on non-recruitment of children within the MILFBangsamoro
Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), providing for, inter alia, the necessary
sanctions for non-compliance and the establishment of child protection units within
MILF-BIAF. A programme for the demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration
of children who may be found in the ranks of MILF-BIAF is planned to be put into
place in 2010. The SPLA action plan, signed in the presence of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, will set a timetable for the release
of children, defines continuous prevention measures against recruitment and
re-association of children and grants the United Nations access to the military
__________________
3 For more comprehensive information, see specific country reports of the Secretary-General on
children and armed conflict submitted to the Security Council and its Working Group on
Children and Armed Conflict.
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barracks of SPLA to monitor and verify compliance. In Nepal, the signing of the
action plan, witnessed by my Special Representative, resulted in the discharge and
release of 1,843 personnel verified as minors in the United Nations-led verification
process in 2007. The discharged minors will have access to a range of rehabilitation
options provided by the Government, with assistance from the United Nations. A
total of 1,130 children, the remainder of the caseload, did not present themselves, as
many had fled on earlier occasions or were fearful to return to the cantonments.
Those children will obtain discharge notifications and will be traced in their home
communities for assistance and protection.
10. In the Central African Republic, although an action plan for the Armée
populaire pour la restauration de la République et de la démocratie (APRD) had
been negotiated and ready to be signed by the Government, the national “Comité de
pilotage” and the United Nations since October 2008, it has been put on hold by the
Minister of Defence, who requested that other parties to conflict listed in the
annexes of my report, in addition to APRD, be included within the action plan.
11. Dialogue on action plans with parties to conflict is also ongoing in other
country situations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a draft action plan has
been submitted to the Government. The Minister of Defence and the Chief of Staff
of the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) have
expressed their willingness to cooperate with the United Nations, although the
Government has yet to engage formally in the discussions. A draft action plan is also
under discussion with the Working Committee on the Monitoring and Reporting
Mechanism of the Government of Myanmar. On 26 November 2009, the
Government agreed to undertake the following steps identified in the draft action
plan: to appoint a focal point from the Office of the Chief of Military Affairs
Security, in addition to representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Social Welfare and Resettlement; to cooperate with the United Nations
so as to strengthen birth registration systems that facilitate age verification during
recruitments; to provide awareness training on child rights and protection at all
military recruitment centres and training schools; to issue directives stipulating
disciplinary measures for recruiters and violators to all military divisions on the
prohibition of recruitment of minors; to facilitate in-country access on specific
requests by the United Nations, in conjunction with states and divisional
coordination committees; and to facilitate visits by the United Nations to
Government recruitment centres and military sites. Those positive commitments to
the draft action plan should be accelerated and finalized in an urgent manner.
12. Important commitments to begin negotiations with the United Nations towards
the development of action plans and the release of children were received from
several parties in the Sudan. The leadership of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)
agreed to consider the adoption of an action plan that also extends to
pro-Government militia groups in Darfur. Commitments were also received from the
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abu Ghasim (Mother Wing), SLA/Free Will and the
Justice and Equality Movement (Peace Wing), all of which are signatories to the
Darfur Peace Agreement. SLA/Minni Minnawi agreed to allow continuous
unhindered access to its military camps and areas of concentration for verification
by the United Nations in compliance with an action plan it had signed in 2007.
13. In Afghanistan, the Government appointed a high-level focal point on
18 October 2009 to interact with the country task force on monitoring and reporting.
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That was followed in December by the commitment to establish an interministerial
steering committee on children and armed conflict, with the objective to develop an
action plan to address issues affecting children in the context of the conflict. The
official launch of the Government steering committee is scheduled to take place in
early 2010. In Chad, the Government has, since July 2009, shown a consistent
policy position and commitment against child recruitment, and is engaged in
discussions with the United Nations, through its Defence Adviser, on the process
towards development of an action plan. In Somalia, the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) has undertaken to assist the Transitional Federal Government to
prepare an action plan that would include measures to screen its troops, as well as
the establishment of prevention mechanisms against the further recruitment of
children.
14. In Sri Lanka, where an action plan was signed by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai
Pulikal (TMVP) in December 2008, distinct steps are being undertaken to ensure its
implementation. A task force comprising the Government agent, the police
department, the Sri Lankan army, the Department of Probation, the National Child
Protection Authority and UNICEF was established in Batticaloa in January 2009. It
meets on a monthly basis to monitor progress and address issues related to the
action plan. In addition, the task force established a child welfare unit to provide
assistance to families seeking information, orientation and support for the release of
their children. This has contributed significantly to increasing the confidence of the
population in the authorities and to reporting cases of child recruitment. Only five
children remain associated with the group as of December 2009.
15. The United Nations country team in Myanmar, however, remains unable to
establish contact and undertake formal dialogue with non-State armed groups listed
in the annexes to my report, as the Government has not granted access to those
groups. In the Philippines, the Government has not given its endorsement for the
United Nations to directly engage the New People’s Army (NPA) for the purposes of
an action plan. In Colombia, the Government has also expressed concerns about
dialogue with Colombian parties listed in my report and dialogue with my Special
Representative continues in that regard.
16. During the reporting period, child protection dialogue has also resulted in
some positive movement in the form of commitments by parties in Côte d’Ivoire to
combating sexual violence against children, pursuant to Security Council resolution
1882 (2009). Consultations with the Government on a draft national action plan on
sexual violence are currently under way. Furthermore, on 19 January, the Forces de
défense et de sécurité des Forces nouvelles (FDS-FN) signed a programme of action
to address sexual violence against children in areas under its control. This is
expected to serve as a stopgap measure pending the establishment of the national
action plan. On 20 February, the Chief of Staff of FDS-FN established a working
group (groupe de travail et de suivi) composed of 14 members, to oversee the
implementation of the programme of action in all zones under its control and has
requested the United Nations to provide a comprehensive briefing on resolution
1882 (2009) to his cabinet. In a similar development, on 30 January, the leadership
of the militia groups operating in western Côte d’Ivoire also committed to
collaborate with the United Nations on preventing sexual violence, through a
communiqué addressed to my Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire.
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B. Release of children through a formal process of disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration
17. In Burundi, in response to the Declaration of the Special Envoys for the Great
Lakes Region of 17 January 2009 and continued advocacy by the United Nations
and the Political Directorate, as well as the regional initiative, eight focal points
from Agathon Rwasa’s Forces nationales de libération (FNL) were nominated to be
responsible for facilitating the separation of children associated with FNL
combatants. This encouraged real progress in discussions on the release of children
associated with FNL, which culminated in pivotal success, with the formal release
of the first group of 112 children on 2 April from the Rubira and Rugazi assembly
areas. On 10 April, the remaining 228 children were released from five FNL
pre-assembly areas. On 8 June, 40 children associated with alleged FNL dissidents
in the Randa and Buramata assembly areas were also released. To date, all the
children have been reunified with their families and there are no known children
associated with armed groups in Burundi.
18. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, during the reporting period 2,672
children, including 97 girls, were separated or escaped from the armed forces and
groups during the “fast-track integration” process carried out in North and South
Kivu. Of the 2,672 children, 2,032 were separated from the Congrès national pour la
défense du peuple (CNDP), the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda
(FDLR) and its sub-groups, FDLR — Forces combattantes abacunguzi (FOCA),
FDLR — Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUD) and FDLR — Soki, the Forces des
résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), the front populaire pour la justice au Congo
(FPJC), the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Mai-Mai groups in North and
South Kivu, including the Patriotes résistants congolais (PARECO), the Mai-Mai
Patriotes résistants, the Mai-Mai Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et
souverain, the Mai-Mai Mongols, the Mai-Mai Kasindiens, the Mai-Mai Ruwenzori
and other unnamed, smaller Mai-Mai groups. The remaining 640 children were
separated from the newly integrated FARDC units after the completion of the
integration process. All those children were provided temporary care in transit and
orientation centres or in foster families pending family reunification.
19. In north Sudan, 739 children associated with SPLA, the Eastern Front
Movement, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), SLA/Peace Wing and other
armed groups aligned to the SAF registered for the disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration process since the signing of the three peace agreements in the Sudan
and have all been released. A total of 638 of those children have been benefiting
from inclusive reintegration activities in nine states across the north of the country
during the reporting period. In south Sudan, 56 children associated with SPLA have
been demobilized since August 2009 and 35 children have been registered for the
demobilization anticipated for 2010. This has been as a result of the establishment
of the first child protection unit within SPLA headquarters, which consists of five
SPLA officers and carries out joint monitoring and verification missions to SPLA
barracks with the United Nations. Furthermore, the good collaboration between the
North and South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
Commissions for the reintegration of children in the Three Areas (Abuja, Southern
Kordofan and the Blue Nile) is acknowledged. In Darfur, a decree by the
Government of National Unity for the North Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization
and Reintegration Commission to coordinate disarmament, demobilization and
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reintegration activities in Darfur, in collaboration with the Darfur Security
Arrangements Implementation Commission of the Transitional Darfur Regional
Authority, has assisted in efforts to release and reintegrate children associated with
armed groups. The Darfur child disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
programme, endorsed in early July 2009, with UNICEF as the United Nationssystem
lead, is based on an operational plan developed with six armed groups,
including SLA/Free Will, SLA/Abu Ghasim (Mother Wing), the Justice and Equality
Movement (Peace Wing), SLA/Minni Minnawi, SLA/Peace Wing and the
Movement of Popular Force for Rights and Democracy. A total of 387 children from
SLA/Free Will and SLA/Abu Ghasim (Mother Wing) have been disarmed and
demobilized during the reporting period.
20. Despite the absence of a formal action plan with APRD in the Central African
Republic, a contingency plan to assist the release of children was developed by the
United Nations and child protection partners following the commitment by the
group to demobilize all children in its ranks. As part of the implementation of this
plan, APRD identified several cantonment sites for children and provided
preliminary lists of children associated with the group for verification by the United
Nations. During the reporting period, 652 demobilized children, including 52 girls,
were assisted. In the north-west, 474 children, including 39 girls, were demobilized
from APRD. All the children received immediate care in interim care centres or with
foster families and have been successfully reunified with their families. An
additional 174 children, including 13 girls, formerly associated with the Uníon des
forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR) in the north-east, were
identified and assisted through community child protection mechanisms.
21. In Chad, with a view to verifying the presence of children and facilitating their
release from the ranks of the Armée nationale tchadienne (ANT), the Ministry of
Defence sent out orders to commanders of armed and security forces to grant access
to military camps to the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red
Cross for monitoring and verification. The Government also initiated and allowed
joint verification visits by the United Nations to military barracks and training
centres in Abéché, Koundoul, Moussoro and Mongo. Joint visits to the headquarters
of the Armée de terre, the Gendarmerie nationale, the Garde nationale et nomade du
tchad (GNNT) and the Direction générale de sécurisation des services et institutions
de l’État (DGSSIE) in N’Djamena were also undertaken in August 2009. As a result
of those verification exercises, UNICEF has documented a total of 240 children who
have been released from the following armed groups: Front pour le Salut de la
République (FSR); Front uni pour le changement (FUC); Mouvement national pour
le redressement (MNR); Rassemblement des forces pour le changement (RFC);
Conseil démocratique et révolutionnaire (CDR); Union des forces révolutionnaires
(UFR); Union des forces pour la démocratie et le développement (UFDD); Union
des forces démocratiques pour le changement (UFCD); Union des forces
démocratiques (UFD); Front populaire pour la renaissance nationale (FPRN); and
Union pour le changement démocratique (UDC).
22. Following the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka, as of November 2009, a total of
560 “surrendee”4 children, including 199 girls, were identified through the process
__________________
4 A “surrendee” under the Sri Lankan Emergency Regulation No. 1580/5 of 15 December 2008,
is a child leaving an armed group that has been identified and registered by the Government of
Sri Lanka and verified by UNICEF.
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of screening for former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) combatants. Of
the 560 children, 6 were formerly associated with the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai
Pulikal (TMVP). Children have been separated from the adult surrendees and
transferred to rehabilitation centres dedicated for children, in line with Emergency
Regulation No. 1580/5 concerning the reintegration of children leaving armed
groups. In the Poonthottam Cooperative Training Centre in Vavuniya, established as
a child rehabilitation centre in July 2009, children undergo vocational training
courses, while at the Ratmalana Hindu College, established in October 2009,
children have resumed formal education. The process of screening is ongoing and
small groups of children continue to be identified.
23. In Myanmar, according to official reports made available by the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, 87 child soldiers were released through Government mechanisms
from January to December 2009. Progress has been made with respect to those
reports, as they now include addresses and other contact details of the children,
which assist the United Nations in verifying the release and in tracing the families
of the children. In addition, under the International Labour Organization (ILO)
Supplementary Understanding complaints mechanism for the elimination of forced
labour, a total of 44 under age recruits were verified as discharged and reunited with
their families in 2009. The Government working committee on the monitoring and
reporting mechanism has also invited the United Nations to witness the discharge of
eight children from the basic military training schools, recruitment centres and
camps. During the reporting period, UNICEF and child protection partners provided
reintegration services to 54 former child soldiers, in support of the Ministry of
Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
24. In Colombia, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) continues to
implement reintegration programmes, re-establishment of rights and psychosocial
attention for children separated from illegal armed groups. From January to
December 2009, information from ICBF indicated that a total of 218 children had
been separated from the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del
Pueblo (FARC-EP), 74 from the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) and 1 from
the Ejército Popular de Liberación (EPL). In addition, according to ICBF,
22 children had been separated from other illegal armed groups which the
Government considers to be criminals involved in drug trafficking. While many of
those groups are dedicated to common criminal activities, others operate in a
manner similar to that of the former paramilitary organizations.
C. Addressing impunity for perpetrators through investigations,
convictions or sanctions of those responsible for grave crimes
against children
25. In many of the country situations covered in the present report, the near total
impunity for grave crimes perpetrated against children remains disturbing and poses
a serious challenge for the protection of children. Despite several initiatives and
commitments by some Governments to address impunity using national
accountability mechanisms in 2009, including by initiating investigations, arrests
and trials against members of armed forces or armed groups, with some resulting in
convictions, impunity continues to prevail. The number of prosecutions of parties to
conflict listed in the annexes of my report for the commission of violations against
children remains small. Information received suggests that factors which undermine
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the fight against impunity include, the lack of political will, weak legal and judicial
infrastructures, as well as the absence of resources and expertise to conduct
investigations and prosecutions. In some situations, there is deliberate obstruction of
the course of justice and the failure to focus on command responsibility. Concerted
effort must be made in establishing and maintaining the rule of law at the national
level, as well as ensuring that perpetrators of crimes against children are held
accountable in a manner consistent with international human rights norms and
standards, as this has a critical deterrent effect.
26. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mai-Mai commander, Gédéon
Kyungu Mutanga was convicted by the Haut-Katanga military court for crimes
against humanity on 5 March 2009. This was the largest trial involving such crimes
in the country and his conviction by the military justice system set an important
precedent for those who suffered human rights abuses. On 3 June, the Kisangani
military tribunal sentenced four members of a Mai-Mai group to life imprisonment
and one to 30 years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity, in particular for the
rape of more than 30 women, including 8 girls. In South Kivu, six FARDC elements
were convicted for crimes of sexual violence against children during the reporting
period. It is important to note, however, that while the efforts of military tribunals
should be recognized, their jurisdiction should be restricted to military offences
committed by military personnel, to the exclusion of human rights violations, which
should fall under the jurisdiction of ordinary criminal courts. Where military courts
have exercised jurisdiction, they must do so in accordance with international due
process and fair trial standards.
27. Collaboration between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and the International Criminal Court has resulted in the arrest and transfer to
the Court of Germain Katanga, a commander of the Forces de résistance patriotique
en Ituri, and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, the former head of the Front des nationalistes
et intégrationnistes and a colonel in FARDC. Both individuals are charged with the
commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of
children in hostilities, attacks against civilians, as well as murder, rape and sexual
slavery. Their trials resumed in January 2010.
28. There has been some cause for concern, however, despite those positive steps
to investigate and prosecute violators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
with the appointments of known perpetrators of grave crimes against children to
Government or senior military positions. Jean-Pierre Biyoyo was made a colonel in
FARDC despite being convicted by a military court in March 2006 for the abduction
and illegal detention of children for the purposes of recruitment, while a leader of
the Mudundu 40 militia; Bosco Ntaganda was made a general in FARDC in January
2009 despite being the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International
Criminal Court for the war crime of enlisting child soldiers and using them in
hostilities; and Ndayambaje Nyangara Kipanga, convicted to life imprisonment in
absentia by the military court in Goma on 27 July 2009 for the abduction and rape
of three girls, escaped from prison and is reportedly within the command structure
of FARDC.
29. In Sri Lanka, a TMVP cadre was arrested in Batticaloa in April 2009 for child
recruitment and use, but was released after one week on bail without being charged.
The cadre was reportedly killed following his release. The Government has not
taken any additional action with regard to similar allegations. However,
commitments to take steps to address allegations of recruitment and re-recruitment
of children in Ampara district by errant TMVP cadre Iniya Barathi, referred to as
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“commander”, were made by officials during the mission of the envoy of my
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Major General (ret.)
Patrick Cammaert in December.
30. In Myanmar, in response to complaints lodged by ILO on under age
recruitment by Tatmadaw Kyi officers, such administrative penalties as serious
reprimands, the loss of wages or the loss of seniority have been imposed on
26 soldiers. In addition, a commissioned officer has been dismissed from the
military and sentenced to one-year imprisonment, and two privates have been
sentenced to imprisonment of up to three months with hard labour by the military
courts.
31. In Colombia, according to a report by the Attorney-General, for the period
from January 2008 to August 2009, 156 cases of recruitment, affecting 633 children,
were received by its Human Rights Unit and a total of 13 persons were convicted. In
addition, as of December 2009, the United Nations has confirmed information of the
Justice and Peace Unit indicating that demobilized members of self-defence groups
have begun giving testimony on 1,437 cases of child recruitment and have
completed testimonies on 1,093 cases. Of those cases, 90 charges have been pressed,
but there have been no convictions to date.
32. In Nepal, on 13 September 2009, a decision was finally issued by the Kavre
District Court on the previously reported case of Maina Sunuwar, a 15-year-old girl
who was tortured and killed by members of the former Royal Nepal Army in 2004.
The court ordered the Nepal Army to turn over court-martial documents and
immediately proceed with the automatic suspension of Major Niranjan Basnet, one
of the four soldiers charged with Ms. Sunuwar’s killing. Major Basnet had been
deployed by the Nepal Army to serve with the United Nations Mission in the Central
African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). Upon the recommendation of the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the Secretariat, in view of the serious
nature of the allegations, Major Basnet was repatriated on 12 December. At the time
of writing, he remains in the custody of the Nepal Army despite a formal request by
the Nepal police for his arrest. Senior officers from the Nepal Army and the
Minister of Defence have made statements challenging the court’s jurisdiction over
the case and indicating that the officer would not be turned over to the police until a
military court of inquiry had completed an investigation into the circumstances of
the repatriation.
33. In Afghanistan, a number of investigations were conducted into incidents
involving, inter alia, the killing and maiming of children by military forces. Notably,
an investigation led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was ordered into the
events surrounding the air strike in Kunduz, in which 40 children were killed. There
have been no known investigations by the Afghan National Forces and Afghan
National Police for violations concerning children. The Taliban or other insurgent
armed groups are responsible for the vast majority of violations against children.
D. Reform or implementation of national legislation criminalizing
child recruitment, sexual violence or other grave violations
against children
34. In 2009 a number of important new pieces of legislation were adopted or
existing laws modified to prevent, prohibit and criminalize child recruitment and
other grave violations against children, in line with State obligations under
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international law. There have also been some significant successes in efforts to
integrate child rights and child protection goals into national development plans and
strategies, such as the national action plan for the child in Côte d’Ivoire.
35. As of 31 December 2009, the number of ratifications of the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in
armed conflict has increased to 131 countries. My Special Representative continues
to advocate with Member States for the ratification or accession to this important
international instrument in order to give it the broadest possible legitimacy and
force. Countries covered in the present report that have not ratified the Optional
Protocol include the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Lebanon,
Myanmar, Pakistan and Somalia.
36. On 10 January 2009, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo promulgated a new law on child protection, replacing the decree of
6 December 1950 on juvenile delinquency. Under the law, for the first time, the
recruitment and use of children under 18 years of age by armed forces, the police
and armed groups are prohibited and can result in a prison term of 10 to 20 years.
The law also sets the age of legal majority at 18 years and calls for the creation of
special tribunals and police units for the protection of children.
37. In the Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army Act of 2009, adopted on
10 February 2009, explicitly establishes 18 years as the minimum age required for
enrolment into the SPLA forces. In addition, on 9 April 2009, the President of the
Government of South Sudan inaugurated the Child Act of south Sudan, the first-ever
law recognizing children’s rights. The act criminalizes the recruitment and use of
child soldiers, as well as torture and cruel treatment of children. Another example of
major progress in this regard was the ratification of the Federal Child Act by the
Sudan National Assembly on 29 December 2009. This new act brings Sudan’s
legislation in line with international standards, including the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and its two Optional Protocols. The act prohibits the recruitment
of children into armed forces or groups, ensures demobilization, reintegration and
rehabilitation support for child soldiers and child victims of conflict, and abolishes
the death penalty for any person under 18 years of age.
38. In Burundi the revised penal code adopted by the National Assembly on
22 April 2009 now prohibits the enlistment of children into the national defence
forces, lays down that 18 years is the minimum age for conscription, raises the age
of criminal responsibility to 15 years, provides alternatives to imprisonment and
strengthens sentences against perpetrators of violations against children, in
particular sexual violence.
39. Another significant development is the coming into force of the Child Soldier
Prevention Act, on 23 June 2009, in the United States of America. The act restricts
the provision of United States military training, financing and other defence-related
assistance to countries identified as recruiting or using child soldiers in Government
armed forces or Government-supported paramilitary organizations or militias, in
violation of international law.
40. In Nepal, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has initiated a
draft of the child rights protection and promotion bill, which will include, among
other provisions, criminalization of the recruitment of children in armed forces and
groups. This process has been put on hold owing to the change of Government.
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E. Other measures to prevent the killing and maiming of children
and/or to prevent and combat rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children
41. On 1 April 2009, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
officially endorsed the Comprehensive Strategy on Combating Sexual Violence in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, developed in consultation with relevant
ministries, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies and the United
Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).
A plan that operationalizes the components of the comprehensive strategy was
subsequently developed as the priority action plan for addressing sexual violence,
including against children, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and has
been integrated into the wider national strategy against gender-based violence.
Similarly, in the Sudan the Ministry of Justice of the Government of National Unity
developed an action plan for combating violence against women and children in line
with Security Council resolutions 1820 (2008), 1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009). The
action plan defines key objectives and activities in five main areas, that is,
legislative, health, social protection, awareness-raising and addressing impunity.
42. In October 2009 the Government of the Philippines and MILF panels signed
the Agreement on the Civilian Protection Component of the International
Monitoring Team, which reconfirms their obligations under international
humanitarian law and human rights law to refrain from intentionally targeting or
attacking non-combatants or to avoid acts that would cause collateral damage to
civilians. The Agreement also includes provisions for the preservation of facilities
vital for the survival of civilians, such as schools, hospitals and relief distribution
sites. To give effect to the Agreement, both parties agreed to issue or reissue orders
to their respective military units or security forces (including paramilitary
organizations, associated militias and police units) to conduct their operations
consistent with their obligations and commitments. In Afghanistan, a review was
conducted by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the United
States Forces in Afghanistan, leading to the issuance of a new tactical directive in
July 2009. In 2010 a comprehensive analysis and review of ISAF standard operating
procedures will be undertaken to ensure that international child protection standards
are being met.
III. Information on progress made in the implementation of the
monitoring and reporting mechanism
43. Following the listing of Al-Qaida in Iraq in my last report, the United Nations
country team in Iraq endorsed the establishment of a country task force on
monitoring and reporting in March 2009. The task force has not yet been activated
owing to the lack of expertise on the ground; however, the training of partners
aimed at improving the reporting and verification of child rights violations has been
undertaken throughout the year. In Colombia, the country task force was formally
established in January 2009, subsequent to the acceptance by the Government of the
process in accordance with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).
44. In 2009 four regional task forces on monitoring and reporting were established
in the eastern, central, south-eastern and western regions in Afghanistan. Task force
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members also increased the number of staff dedicated to monitoring and reporting
mechanism activities. A child protection unit was established in the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in March 2009, consisting of a child
protection adviser and a monitoring and reporting officer, although greater field
presence is urgently required. Focal points on child protection were appointed in
four of the Mission’s eight regional offices to work with the regional task forces. In
eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, under the leadership of the MONUC
child protection section and UNICEF, several working groups established pursuant
to resolution 1612 (2005) have been set up, which act as sub-branches of the
country task force in the field to ensure the regular reporting on grave violations of
child rights. The Nepal country task force expanded its scope to monitor and report
on armed groups, especially in the Tarai region and the eastern hills.
45. Given the presence of two distinctive peacekeeping operations in the Sudan,
an agreement has been reached to establish a national task force on monitoring and
reporting co-chaired by African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur
(UNAMID) and the United Nations Mission in the Sudan Deputy Heads of Mission
with the UNICEF Country Representative. This unique arrangement of three
co-chairs is intended to facilitate coordination and fulfil the requirements as
outlined in my report on children and armed conflict in 2005 (A/59/695-S/2005/72),
which specified the significance of the role of Special Representatives in any given
conflict situation. Furthermore, to facilitate more effective monitoring of violations,
UNAMID will enhance its existing capacities on the ground through the
establishment of child protection field presence in the three states of Darfur.
46. In Côte d’Ivoire, the persistence of sexual violence against children across the
country has resulted in the need to reactivate and strengthen the country task force
in order to monitor and report on such violations with immediate urgency. Efforts in
that regard are currently under way.
IV. Information on grave violations committed against children
in armed conflict
A. Information on grave violations against children in situations
on the agenda of the Security Council
Developments in Afghanistan
47. While detailed documentation is still difficult to obtain, available information
indicates that a number of children were recruited or used by armed opposition
groups throughout the country, including the Taliban, the Haqqani network, Hezb-i-
Islami, the Tora Bora Front and Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia. Cases were
documented of children as young as 13 and 14 years of age who carried out suicide
attacks or were used to plant explosives. This was further reinforced by the
documentation of cases of children in Government custody allegedly under national
security-related charges, which confirmed that a number of such children detained
had been lured into carrying explosives or trained in conducting suicide-type attacks
against national and international security forces or Government officials. Two
children revealed that they had been kidnapped from Afghanistan and taken to
Pakistan, where they underwent military training. Several cases of Pakistani
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children used to conduct military-related operations in Afghanistan were also
confirmed. Children also continue to be associated with the Afghan National Police.
48. During the reporting period, more than 1,000 children were killed or injured in
conflict-related violence, victims of, inter alia, improvised explosive devices, air
strikes, rocket attacks and mines and unexploded ordnance accidents. This is a
marked increase from last year and is due mainly to the growth and spread of the
insurgency, with armed groups being responsible for the vast majority of incidents.
The southern region of Afghanistan (Helmand, Uruzgan, Kandahar) remains the
most volatile, with the highest number of civilian casualties, including children,
closely followed by the south-east (Khost, Ghazni) and east (Kunar, Nangarhar). A
total of 128 children were killed by armed opposition groups, including the Taliban,
in 2009. The reported child casualties were caused by suicide attacks, assassinations
and improvised explosive devices, including at least five children who were killed
while positioning or using explosives against pro-Government targets. Furthermore,
from January to December 2009, 55 children were killed and 199 injured in mine
accidents, the vast majority (205) of whom were boys. While the number of deadly
air strike incidents remains limited overall, aerial bombings by international military
forces caused the death of 131 children in 2009.
49. Available information points to sexual violence, including that against
children, as a widespread phenomenon. The practice of bacha bazi and sexual abuse
against boys is also a matter of concern. The general climate of impunity and the
vacuum in rule of law has adversely affected the reporting of sexual violence and
abuse against children to the authorities and the prosecution of perpetrators.
According to the July 2009 report entitled Silence is Violence, drafted by UNAMA
and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
perpetrators also include and are linked to local power holders, such as Government
or elected officials, powerful commanders, members of illegal armed groups and
criminal gangs.
50. The burning of schools or school equipment, forced closure, use of school
facilities, damage from attacks, fighting or explosions from improvised explosive
devices in the vicinity of school buildings or targeted military attacks and threats
against pupils and educational staff have increased since my last report. A total of
613 incidents were recorded from January to November 2009 compared to 348
incidents reported in 2008. Those incidents were largely perpetrated by groups
opposing the Government, but also by conservative elements in some communities
that are opposed to the education of girls. Such incidents have spread throughout the
country, with a notable increase in areas around Kabul, Wardak, Logar and Khost,
and in the eastern provinces of Laghman, Kunar and Nangarhar. The situation in the
southern region remains of great concern, while attacks have further spread to
northern provinces previously considered relatively safe, such as Takhar and
Badakhshan. Reports indicate alarming figures of schools closed in certain areas,
such as in Helmand (more than 70 per cent) or in Zabul (more than 80 per cent).
During the reporting period, at least 23 pupils were killed and 342 suffered serious
or minor injuries from such incidents, while 24 teachers and education personnel
lost their lives and 41 were injured throughout the country.
51. There were also continued attacks on health workers and facilities, forcing
many to close or scale down services, effectively cutting off hundreds of thousands
of Afghan children from basic health care, in particular in Kandahar, Nimroz,
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Kunar, Khost, Helmand, Wardak, Nangahar and Kunduz. While 31 incidents were
reported in 2008, the number of incidents nearly tripled to 115 in 2009 and includes
the abduction, killing and assault of medical staff, personal threats from armed
groups, burning, looting and forced closure as well as the use of explosives in and
around health facilities by armed groups. Abduction of health workers by armed
groups, including vaccinators and support staff, was by far the most reported
violation. Search operations conducted by national and international military forces
in health facilities, and occupation of health facilities were also denounced as a
serious breach of international standards.
52. Increased incidents targeting the aid community continue to adversely affect
the delivery of humanitarian programmes throughout the country, with significant
peaks in Kunduz, Kandahar and Herat. A total of 163 incidents attributable to armed
groups, including complex attacks against humanitarian agency compounds and aid
vehicle/convoy ambushes, and numerous threats to aid personnel were recorded in
2009.
53. Countrywide, approximately 110 children have been detained by the National
Directorate of Security and international military forces on charges related to
national security, including their alleged involvement or association with the Taliban
and other armed groups. Access to detention facilities continues to be difficult and
information on children detained by pro-Government forces remains limited. The
use of harsh interrogation techniques and forced confession of guilt by the Afghan
National Police and the National Directorate of Security was documented, including
the use of electric shocks and beating.
Developments in Burundi
54. The United Nations has verified that all children associated with the Forces
nationales de libération (FNL) were released through a formal disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration process in June 2009, and reunified with their
families.5 It has also been confirmed that FNL has ceased recruitment and since
June no new reported cases of recruitment or use of children by the group have been
recorded. On the basis of this information, FNL will be removed from the lists
annexed to my report this year. The country task force will continue to monitor
compliance by FNL and its alleged dissident groups to ensure that continuous efforts
are made to prevent the recruitment or re-recruitment of children.
55. However, sexual violence against children continued to be of serious concern
during the reporting period. An increase was noted with regard to the number of
rape cases committed by civilians, while cases committed by members of security
and defence forces have decreased since July. From January to November, four
cases of rape were committed by members of the Burundi National Police, 7 by the
National Defence Forces and 4 by FNL members. This is a marked decrease
compared to the 42 cases attributed to those actors in 2008.
56. In addition, I remain concerned by the reports on militant activities of youth
groups allegedly associated with certain political parties that are generating fear and
suspicion. The United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi has received reports
about members of the youth wing of the ruling Conseil national pour la défense de
la démocratie-Forces pour la défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD) party, the
__________________
5 See para. 17 above for the total number of children released from FNL.
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Imbonerakure, being involved in community patrols, guarding premises and
accompanying public and police officials during arrest procedures, allegedly
sanctioned by the authorities.
Developments in the Central African Republic
57. Child recruitment continues to be a serious concern in 2009, with active
mobilization of a large number of children into the ranks of self-defence militias
throughout the country, in particular in Nana-Mambéré, Ouham-Pendé and Ouham
prefectures. It is estimated that children constitute one third of the total self-defence
militias. There are concerns that those militias are supported by the Government of
the Central African Republic and are being used as auxiliaries by the Forces armées
centrafricaines (FACA). The United Nations has observed an increased and open
presence of armed children linked to those militias along main roads in Bocaranga
and Bouar/Niem. The Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement
(UFDR) and the Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP), which
had split from UFDR, were also recruiting and using children in the frontlines in the
Vakaga area of north-eastern Central African Republic. Between 200 and 300
children remain present in the Armée populaire pour la restauration de la
République et de la démocratie (APRD),6 the Forces démocratiques populaires de
Centrafrique (FDPC) and the Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la
justice (MLCJ). Furthermore, approximately 100 children are estimated to be
associated with Chadian zaraguinas present in the Nana-Gribizi and eastern Ouham
areas. The zaraguinas are from the Central African Republic, the Sudan, Chad,
Cameroon, Mali and Uganda, and on occasion are made up of elements from the
Central African Republic rebel groups or from the Chadian and the Central African
Republic armed forces.
58. The situation in the south-eastern region was particularly alarming, following
repeated incursions and the presence of LRA in Obo, Bambouti, Zemio, Djema and
Mboki villages, in Haut-Mbomou prefecture. LRA continues to abduct and forcibly
recruit children and use them as combatants, spies, sex-slaves and porters. A total of
eight Central African children and young mothers who had escaped were received in
reception centres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and repatriated under
United Nations auspices. At least 23 other Central African children reached their
communities in Haut-Mbomou on their own from the neighbouring Democratic
Republic of the Congo and/or southern Sudan.
59. Incidence of rape and sexual violence against children by armed elements is of
grave concern. The United Nations confirmed 108 cases of sexual violence against
children in the north-west in the reporting period, with rebel groups and armed
bandits (coupeurs de routes) among the perpetrators.
Developments in Chad
60. Recruitment and use of children, in particular in eastern Chad, by the Armée
nationale tchadienne (ANT) and different armed groups continued in 2009. All the
children recruited were boys, mainly from 14 to 17 years of age, with several as
young as 12 years of age. The Government of Chad stated that there was no policy
to recruit children; however, on several occasions, Government officials have
__________________
6 See para. 20 above for the total number of children released from APRD.
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admitted the presence of children among their ranks. During the reporting period,
MINURCAT documented 26 cases of child recruitment by ANT. According to the
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, 15 of those children
were refugees and were recruited in March 2009 by ANT, which promised the
children CFA francs 400,000 each (US$ 900) to join the armed forces. To date, 19
children remain associated with ANT.
61. Persistent and corroborated reports have also indicated the active recruitment
of Sudanese children from refugee camps by the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM), in many instances with the full complicity of local camp leaders. At least 17
children were recruited, with some having been used as combatants in clashes
between JEM and the Sudan Armed Forces in south Darfur. Throughout 2009,
MINURCAT also received 56 reports of children disappearing under suspicious
circumstances from the Abéché, Farchana, Goz Beida and Iriba refugee camps, of
which 16 children were confirmed to have been recruited by JEM. The remaining 40
children were also suspected to have been recruited.
62. A total of 84 children were identified among Union des forces révolutionnaires
(UFR) combatants captured by Government forces following clashes in Am Dam in
May, although interviews with the children and adult combatants indicate that the
number of children who took part in the battle was significantly higher. From June
onwards, a massive process of voluntary defections from Chadian armed opposition
groups took place. Approximately 5,000 former members of such groups, mainly
from the Mouvement national (MN), a coalition made up of the Union des forces
pour la démocratie et le développement rénové (UFDD-R) of Issa Moussa
Tamboulet, the Mouvement national pour le redressement (MNR) of Mahamat
Ahmat Hamid and the Front pour le salut de la république (FSR) of Ahmat
Hassaballah Soubiane, as well as from other armed groups,7 laid down weapons and
joined Government forces. Among those who disarmed, 155 children were identified
and released. There are no more children associated with those groups.
63. Within the MINURCAT area of operations in eastern Chad, it has been
established that the mine threat is relatively low. However there is concern about the
possibility of new mines being laid by Chadian armed opposition groups. In 2009
the Mine Action Unit identified 36 new casualties resulting from mines and
explosive remnants of war in the Wadi Fira, Quaddai, Salamat and Sila regions,
including 19 persons killed and 17 injured. Children from 3 to 15 years of age were
the biggest casualty group, with 11 killed and 17 injured.
64. In eastern Chad, women and girls face the threat of rape and other forms of
sexual violence by the militia, armed groups and ANT, and some cases have been
recorded. However, owing to the lack of comprehensive data and information, there
is insufficient evidence to suggest that sexual violence against children is a
systematic feature of the conflict in Chad.
65. The prevailing insecurity in eastern Chad and the recent surge in attacks
against aid workers and humanitarian assets have forced some aid agencies to
suspend operations in some areas in the east, thus leaving thousands of children in
need of relief support. The kidnapping of humanitarian workers has become a new
and disturbing trend in eastern Chad.
__________________
7 See para. 21 above for the total numberof children released from the Mouvement national pour
le redressement and other armed groups.
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Developments in Côte d’Ivoire
66. Child protection officers in the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire
(UNOCI) continue to monitor compliance by FDS-FN and militia groups with their
respective action plan commitments on recruitment and use of child soldiers by
conducting regular verification visits to checkpoints, areas around camps or military
sites, police stations and customs posts. Both the leadership of FDS-FN and militia
groups agreed to an “open door” policy with UNOCI, whereby any allegations of
the use of child soldiers can be immediately investigated with their full cooperation
and with unrestricted access. During the reporting period, there was no substantiated
evidence of child-soldier use by those parties.
67. The prevalence of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
remains the most urgent concern in Côte d’Ivoire, with no substantial improvement
compared to the previous reporting period. The situation is more serious in the
northern parts of the country controlled by FDS-FN and is aggravated by the
continued impunity of perpetrators. There is a similar concern in the western parts
of the country under the control of pro-Government militias.
68. The number of cases of killing and maiming of children has also increased
notably in 2009 and is linked to the other grave violations, such as abduction or rape
and sexual violence. Although in several instances the perpetrators were identified
as FDS-FN elements, the majority of violations are perpetrated by individuals or
groups, often unidentified, who take advantage of the current lack of administration
of justice. Perpetrators remain unidentified for a number of reasons: in most cases
victims do not know their aggressor and they are reluctant to press charges owing to
fear of reprisal or revenge, in particular in cases involving FDS-FN elements; poor
administration of justice; and the general widespread culture of impunity that often
results in many cases going unreported.
Developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
69. In 2009 the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic
of Congo (MONUC) documented 848 newly recruited children (including 52 girls).
Of those recruitments, 77 per cent took place in North Kivu province, 10 per cent in
South Kivu province, 7 per cent in Katanga province, 4 per cent in Oriental province
and 1 per cent each in Maniema and Kasai Oriental provinces.8 Perpetrators include
the national armed forces, the Forces armées de la République démocratique du
Congo (FARDC) (24 per cent), Mai-Mai factions (26 per cent), the Patriotes
résistants congolais (PARECO) (31 per cent), the various factions of the Forces
démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) (10 per cent) and the Congrès
national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP) (9 per cent). Furthermore, 15 cases of
new recruitment of children were attributed to the Forces de résistance patriotique
en Ituri (FRPI). There were no new recruitments by the Front nationaliste et
intégrationnaliste (FNI).
70. A total of 473 new cases of child recruitment were attributed to FARDC. The
increased presence of children within the ranks of the national armed forces
compared to the previous reporting period was a result of the fast track process that
integrated armed groups into FARDC, as well as new recruitment operations in
__________________
8 See para. 18 above for the total number of children released from the armed forces and groups in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Katanga and the Kasais. It appears that children recruited in those provinces during
general recruitment drives have been transferred to such regroupment centres as
Kamina, in Katanga, or Kitona, in Bas-Congo, for military training. The
documentation of 64 children in the Kamina centre indicates that the Presidential
Guard recruited them before and during their deployment in Haut-Uélé (Oriental
province). Child protection actors experienced several obstructions and sometimes
blunt refusals from FARDC to access those sites and identify children for their
release. Many of the children that have escaped from remaining armed groups, but
especially from FDLR, reported that they were detained by FARDC elements,
sometimes over extended periods of time.
71. In the first four months of the year, 238 new cases of child recruitment by
CNDP were registered in North Kivu before the military wing of CNDP officially
ceased to exist. However, in the second half of 2009, a new surge of recruitment and
re-recruitment of children, in particular in Masisi territory, North Kivu, was
attributed to integrated former CNDP elements within FARDC. A total of 154
children were reported to have been recruited by former CNDP elements currently
operating as FARDC.
72. No specific trends or patterns of killing and maiming of children could be
identified during the reporting period. Nevertheless, 23 cases of killing and 12 cases
of maiming were documented. Nine cases of killing were attributed to FDLR, six to
FARDC, two each to the National Police and PARECO, and one to FRPI. In three
cases, the group could not be identified. Four cases of maiming were reportedly
perpetrated by FARDC, four by FDLR, one by the National Police and three by
unidentified armed men.
73. Sexual violence against children continued to be a widespread phenomenon
despite a slight decrease compared to the previous reporting period. In Oriental
province and the Kivus, of 2,360 cases that were reported to have been committed
against children, 447 have been attributed to security forces and armed groups, 38
cases were allegedly committed by FARDC, 30 by the National Police and 379 by
several Mai-Mai groups, FDLR, FRPI, the Front nationaliste et intégrationnaliste
(FNI), LRA and non-identified people in uniform.
74. In December 2008 a new surge of abduction of children and killings in Haut-
Uélé district of Oriental province was attributed to LRA. Attacks against civilians
by that group, including killings, abductions and pillaging, which triggered
significant population displacements, continued in 2009. During the reporting
period, 130 children (77 boys and 53 girls) were reportedly abducted by LRA. Most
of them were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and 14 were reported to have
suffered sexual violence. Of those children, seven were allegedly recruited in the
Sudan and two in the Central African Republic.
Developments in Haiti
75. The devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 has
dramatically increased the vulnerability and risks of children to abuse and
exploitation, since such conventional protection environments as children’s families,
schools and churches have been weakened and destroyed, and security and order
have been disrupted. Thousands of children have been orphaned, lost or otherwise
separated from their families, while many more face serious threats of abduction,
trafficking, sexual exploitation and association with criminal elements. According to
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UNICEF, half of the Haitian population is under 18 years of age, and almost 40 per
cent is under 14 years of age. Concerted efforts must be made to protect children,
including ensuring that priority is given to reinforcing security and control along the
border with the Dominican Republic and at international airports, establishing rapid
registration and tracking systems as well as safe spaces for separated children,
reuniting children with their families or caregivers and providing physical and
psychological support for the long term. Furthermore, criminal elements who have
escaped from prison constitute a serious threat to the security of children, especially
in terms of recruitment of children to criminal gangs. The Government of Haiti has
been heavily involved in investigating cases of abuse against children, as well as
their movement across borders without proper authorization.
76. Prior to the earthquake, efforts by the Haitian National Police, working in
close cooperation with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH), dismantled a number of kidnapping rings towards the end of 2009,
which resulted in a significant decline in reported kidnappings of children from 89
cases in 2008 to only 21 cases (15 girls and 6 boys) in 2009. The arrests of armed
elements and gang leaders involved in child abductions and an improved security
situation, as well as the increased capacity of the Haitian National Police to solve
abduction cases were factors that contributed to the reduction in the number of
children abducted. According to information gathered by MINUSTAH with regard
to those abductions, children remain particularly vulnerable within school
surroundings and on their way to or from schools. It has also been observed that
girls who are abducted are commonly exposed to sexual abuse and rape during
captivity.
77. Killing and maiming of children within the context of armed violence in Haiti
were relatively rare during the reporting period. Statistics collected by United
Nations police serving with MINUSTAH demonstrated a decline in the number of
children killed over the last two years, from 38 cases in 2008 to 21 cases in 2009.
78. The rape of children committed by armed elements in the context of insecurity
and impunity continued to be reported, predominantly in the urban areas of the West
department. According to information received by United Nations police serving
with MINUSTAH, 162 children, including 3 boys, from 2 to 18 years of age, were
victims of rape from 1 January to 9 December 2009. According to the Concertation
nationale contre les violences faites aux femmes, the principal coordination
mechanism for sexual and gender-based violence in Haiti, of 291 cases of sexual
violence documented in the West, North-east and South-east departments, 186 cases
were committed against children. It was also reported that although gang rapes
against children appeared to have decreased in general, cases in the proximity of
areas affected by armed violence had increased. Despite efforts to document
incidences of rape and sexual violence, a large number of cases remain
underreported.
79. It is important to note that reference to “heavily armed groups” was no longer
applicable to the Haiti security situation prior to the earthquake. MINUSTAH
instead refers to “criminal syndicates” in areas affected by armed violence, such as
Martissant, Bel-Air and Cité-Soleil. Those groups are comprised of about five
persons, are well organized and armed with clear criminal motivations. They have
been seen using children to, inter alia, provide early warning to members when
security forces are conducting operations, carry weapons and intervene in armed
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confrontations, act as spies, carry out arson attacks or destroy private and public
property, and undertake various other services for the groups.
80. There has been an increase in the number of children in detention since the last
reporting period, with 328 children detained at the end of 2009 compared to 297
children (including 30 girls) in 2008. The arrest of children charged with association
with criminal and armed activities, including such serious crimes as kidnapping,
rape and murder, continued to be reported. In the West department, approximately
56 per cent of children (14 per cent of whom were girls) arrested were charged with
crimes associated with criminal and armed activities, in addition to nine children
suspected of association with gangs involved in criminal activities in Gonaïves. The
prolonged pre-trial detention of children and the lack of separate and adequate
detention facilities for children remained a serious concern during the reporting
period.
Developments in Iraq
81. Police and military sources, community members, the media and United
Nations partners have reported the continuing recruitment of children by armed
groups for acts of terror, including as suicide bombers. The children were reported
to have been tricked, coerced or enticed with financial incentives. Some of the
children used as suicide bombers were girls. Apart from Al-Qaida in Iraq, several
insurgent groups reportedly have children in their ranks and have used them in
conflict-related activities. Al-Qaida in Iraq had taken responsibility for the terrorist
attacks in Ninewa, Kirkuk, Salahadin and other areas in Iraq in 2009, in which,
according to United Nations partners, children were used. Information provided by
the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) in Kirkuk relayed four cases of children,
from 14 to 16 years of age, used by insurgents as suicide bombers or to throw
grenades at security forces, in Kirkuk in April and May 2009.
82. Since the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism in April
2009, 142 violent incidents, in which children were reported to have been killed or
injured, were documented. In 10 of those incidents, where it had been possible to
confirm the information, a total of 223 children were killed or injured. In a double
truck-bombing in Ninewa (Khazna village in Bartala district) on 10 August, 177
civilians were killed or injured, of whom 76 were children. Another huge bomb
explosion outside a mosque in Mosul resulted in 236 persons killed or injured, of
whom 87 were children. The large number of child casualties was attributed to the
fact that many of the bomb attacks took place in public areas, including markets and
outside mosques, where children tend to gather.
83. The high profile attacks on Government institutions and security forces
suggest a new trend and tactic by insurgents. However, they have also resulted in
large casualties among children. The Baghdad bombings of 25 October, targeting the
Ministry of Justice and the Baghdad Provincial Council building, hit a bus carrying
children from a day-care centre next to the justice Ministry, killing the driver and 24
children on board, as well as wounding 6 other children. The Islamic State of Iraq
group claimed responsibility for the bombings.
84. A total of 110 children have been arrested by Iraqi authorities on suspicion of
being involved in terrorist activities or have been convicted for their involvement in
a terrorist activity. United Nations partners reported that 25 of those 110 children,
the majority of whom were from 15 to 18 years of age, from a juvenile rehabilitation
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facility in Ninewa, are accused of being involved in terrorist activities, 4 of whom
have since been convicted. Other reports indicate that 62 male adolescents were
arrested by Iraqi security forces and detained in a juvenile detention centre in
Baghdad for alleged terrorism under the anti-terrorist legislation. Efforts to gather
information on the remaining 23 children have been futile so far. There are also
allegations that suggest significant numbers of children are being detained in Tikrit
and Basra.
Developments in Lebanon
85. Owing to the five-month delay in forming a Government after the 2009
parliamentary elections, the United Nations has faced some major difficulties in
taking up child protection issues with the Government of Lebanon. The collection of
accurate and credible evidence on the association of children with armed groups
remains problematic because of the lack of independent monitoring mechanisms. A
monitoring and reporting mechanism to track emerging patterns of children’s
involvement in political violence, which was agreed to by the Government
following the visit of my Special Representative to Lebanon in 2006, has yet to be
established.
86. The United Nations, child protection partners and human rights agencies were
concerned with the continued politicization of youth and children, and their active
participation in armed clashes between opposing political forces, often involving the
Lebanese Armed Forces. In the past, this has led to the arrest of children under
terrorism charges. Some of these children were held owing to their alleged
association with Fatah al-Islam. A total of 12 children are currently awaiting trial by
the Justice Council or the military courts, neither of which conforms to international
child protection standards and therefore offer little protection to children.
87. The presence of cluster munitions used by Israel during the 2006 war
continues to present a serious danger to the civilian population living near
contaminated areas. Children are especially exposed to the risk of serious incidents
associated with such munitions. After repeated requests by the United Nations, the
Government of Israel transferred cluster bomb strike data to the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon in May 2009, which has enabled the Lebanese Mine
Action Authority and the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre to
identify previously unknown strike sites and begin clearance. The Lebanese Armed
Forces consider this data to be incomplete and call for further submissions. In 2009
30 separate accidents occurred, mostly in south Lebanon, one of which was fatal.
Among the injured, four were children below 14 years of age. Since July 2006, 276
civilians have been injured or killed, among them 96 children.
Developments in Myanmar
88. The United Nations country task force on monitoring and reporting continues
to face challenges related to access to Government armed forces (Tatmadaw Kyi)
recruitment units, schools and camps in order to carry out its monitoring and
verification exercises. The task force also had extremely limited access to non-State
armed groups during the reporting period and was unable to establish contact with
many of those groups owing to Government restrictions. Therefore, although there
have been reports of the recruitment and use of children in all the groups listed in
my previous report, the United Nations has not been able to fully verify, or in the
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cases of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Karenni National People’s
Liberation Front (KNPLF), the Karen National Union-Karen National Liberation
Army Peace Council, the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) and the United Wa State
Army (UWSA), to obtain any new information.
89. New information received by ILO indicates that recruitment and use of
children by the Tatmadaw Kyi continued during the reporting period.9 Reports have
recently been received from Shan state (north) and Ayeyarwaddy division,
indicating that the Tatmadaw Kyi is ordering Village Peace and Development
Council chairmen to organize mandatory military trainings for village militias
known as “Pyithusit”. A trend may be emerging in both those regions, where adult
males, who are the primary breadwinners of the family, are unable to attend the
military training sessions and are sending their children instead. There are also
reports that in some instances in Ayeyarwaddy division, children who have
completed the village militia training are being recruited into the Tatmadaw Kyi.
The country task force is still attempting to verify those reports.
90. ILO has verified a report that an under age boy who was recruited into the
Tatmadaw Kyi and had taken a direct part in hostilities, had been convicted of
murdering a colleague and sentenced to death. The sentence has not yet been carried
out and the case has been urgently raised by ILO with the Government authorities in
respect of his recruitment, his treatment under the law and his future.
91. In Kayin state, information received indicated that the Democratic Karen
Buddhist Army (DKBA) had scaled up its recruitment efforts and many children
reportedly have been recruited in 2009. The reports also indicated that DKBA was
actively recruiting in order to meet the quota of 6,800 soldiers to form border guards
under the command of the Tatmadaw Kyi as part of a plan allegedly agreed by the
Myanmar Government and some non-State armed groups. Many children, all armed,
were seen working for DKBA-run businesses, in particular DKBA-run toll gates. In
one of the townships in Kayin state, locals estimate that at least 50 children are
working for DKBA in their township alone. The country task force has verified four
cases of recruitment of children from 10 to 16 years of age, including one girl, who
were used as porters.
92. Reliable information received in March 2009 through the country task force
indicated that every household in Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
(Kokang Army) areas with more than one child has to provide at least one child to
the group. According to the reports, both boys and girls, including those under
15 years of age, are recruited and families that have more daughters than sons will,
in most cases, send their girls. Some child soldiers have also been witnessed
manning the Kokang Army checkpoints during the clashes in Kokang state in
August 2009. However, since the defeat of the Kokang Army shortly thereafter,
there are indications that the group has disintegrated and it is unclear as to what has
happened to the child recruits.
93. On 18 April 2009, the Executive Committee of the Karenni National
Progressive Party (KNPP) issued a press release, in addition to a communiqué sent
to my Special Representative in February 2009, highlighting the fact that it has
invited the United Nations on several occasions to monitor its military bases and areas
of operations, has offered open and independent access for compliance verification
__________________
9 See para. 23 above for the total number of children released from the Tatmadaw Kyi.
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and has expressed its willingness to have an dialogue with the United Nations. It
noted that, in accordance with the Karenni state constitution, article 29 (5), all under
age children shall be free from conscription into the Karenni Army and appealed for
the group to be removed from the annexes. On 25 April, the Karen National Union
(KNU) issued a similar press release, in addition to calling upon the Government of
Myanmar not to limit United Nations access to its areas. The groups also committed
to investigate any allegations of child recruitment received. During the reporting
period, a boy 14 years of age was confirmed present in KNU as was a boy 17 years
of age in KNPP.
94. Villagers and internally displaced persons, including children, in locations
along the eastern border areas of Myanmar continue to suffer serious threats to their
lives from the effects of the use of anti-personnel mines. Karen National Liberation
Army (KNLA), Tatmadaw Kyi and DKBA soldiers have been responsible for laying
mines in Karen areas. Two cases of boys 13 years of age, maimed by landmines,
were recorded during the reporting period. It is important to note that, owing to the
limited scope of data collection and the lack of access to contested and ceasefire
areas of the country, there may be more casualties that remain unreported.
95. Since the clashes in Kokang in August and the resulting tension that had
spread to Wa state, local district authorities in Wa have prevented access to the
north-western area that is close to the border with China because of the scaling-up
of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) presence. As a consequence, food-foreducation
programmes, benefiting around 1,450 children from 46 community
schools in that area, were suspended.
Developments in Nepal
96. There were no cases of recruitment or use,10 killing and maiming of children
or sexual violence against children by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-
Maoist (UCPN-M) during the reporting period. However, reports indicate that many
children are involved in the youth wings of major political parties, such as the
UCPN-M-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL), the United Marxist Leninistaffiliated
Youth Force and the Nepali Congress-affiliated Tarun Dal. Friction between
cadres from those youth wings has continued, with violent clashes taking place in
the eastern and mid-western regions, resulting in injuries on all sides. The country
task force reported that a significant number of children participated in 42 protests
and demonstrations in 2009, of which 14 were organized by UCPN-M and its sister
organizations, including YCL and the All Nepal National Independent Students
Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R). While all political parties are accountable for
the activities of their respective youth wings and should ensure that the activities are
carried out within the limits of the law, a particular responsibility rests with UCPN-M
to fulfil its commitments to end the violent activities of YCL. Furthermore, the
protests resulted in the frequent closure of schools: 120 separate instances of school
closures were reported, of which 36 were related to the series of protests, rallies and
demonstrations organized by UCPN-M and its sister organizations.
97. In 2009 64 casualties, including 7 deaths and 28 severe injuries from victimactivated
explosions caused by mines, improvised explosive devices and such other
__________________
10 See para. 9 above for more information on the action plan signed by the United Nations, the
Government of Nepal and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), and the
total number of children released as a result.
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explosive devices as hand grenades and socket bombs, were documented. A majority
of incidents involved children from 5 to 14 years of age. In one case of the
explosion of an improvised explosive device, a Tarai-based armed group, the Tarai
Rastriya Mukti Sena, claimed responsibility. In three other cases, other Tarai-based
armed groups, including the Madhesi Freedom Tigers, the Nepal Defence Army and
the Great Madhesi Revolutionary Army, were identified as perpetrators.
98. Public security remains an issue of serious concern in many Tarai districts and
impeded the ability of the country task force to monitor and verify information on
grave violations against children. However, 10 cases of children abducted by Tarai
armed groups and criminal gangs were documented. Some children were also found
to be involved with Tarai armed groups as messengers and, in some cases, children
were used for cross-border smuggling.
Developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
99. At the close of 2009, the effects of Israel’s military operations in Gaza,
codenamed “Operation Cast Lead”, from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009,
were still being felt across the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Gaza residents, including
children, are still living in alternative or temporary accommodation and many
schools, health facilities and parts of vital water and sanitation infrastructure
networks have not been rehabilitated or repaired. The ongoing blockade by Israel
and the resulting lack of necessary materials in Gaza make such repairs and
rehabilitation difficult.
100. A total of 374 Palestinian children were killed and 2,086 were injured during
the reporting period, including at least 350 killed and 1,815 injured in Gaza alone
during “Operation Cast Lead” by Israeli forces. The Israel/occupied Palestinian
territory working group on grave violations against children confirmed 12 cases of
Palestinian children who were killed while bearing arms and acting as combatants
during “Operation Cast Lead”. The working group also confirmed one case of
recruitment of a 16-year-old boy by the armed group Ezz al-Din al-Qassam
Brigades. The actual number of cases is believed to be higher and there had been
other reported incidents of children being trained and/or used by Palestinian militant
groups in Gaza. Community members are, however, reluctant to provide information
on this practice.
101. The working group confirmed reports of seven Palestinian children used by
Israeli soldiers as human shields in three separate incidents during “Operation Cast
Lead.” The office of Israel’s Military Attorney-General is investigating those
incidents, although the United Nations is unaware of the actual process under way
or the outcome of the investigations to date. On 11 March 2010, the Military
Advocate for Operational Affairs brought criminal charges against two Israel
Defense Forces staff sergeants who ordered a nine-year-old Palestinian child to open
bags and suitcases suspected of being booby-traps. The criminal investigation of this
case was launched in June 2009, following the report of my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict. The indictment was filed with the District Military
Court for offences of excessive authority that endangers life or health and of
unbecoming conduct.
102. Since the end of the offensive in January 2009, 24 children were killed and
271 were injured in incidents involving Israeli gun and tank fire in the Gaza buffer
zone as a result of unexploded ordnance, and in settler-related incidents in the West
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Bank and East Jerusalem. One Israeli child was killed during the reporting period
and three Israeli children were injured in two separate incidents in the West Bank.
The working group was able to verify three incidents of Palestinian inter-factional
fighting during 2009, resulting in the injury of six children and the deaths of two
others. The two children, allegedly affiliated with the Jund Ansar Allah group, were
killed in armed clashes between Hamas-affiliated security forces and members of
the Jund Ansar Allah group in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.
103. No children were harmed as a result of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on
Israeli communities in adjacent areas. However, attacks and the threat of attacks are
known to cause high levels of prolonged anxiety among Israeli children residing
there and among Palestinian children in Gaza.
104. In 2009 the working group documented at least five children who were
requested to become informers for the Israeli intelligence while being subjected to
violent interrogation by the Israeli authorities. The actual figure is suspected to be
much higher, but as testifying puts the lives of the concerned children at risk, the
United Nations does not actively seek information on this practice.
105. The number of Palestinian children arrested and detained by Israeli military
authorities rose sharply at the beginning of 2009, immediately after the start of
“Operation Cast Lead”, but has decreased steadily since then, although remaining
systematic and widespread. As of December 2009, 305 children were being detained.
There are serious concerns regarding the rise in the number of young children, from
12 to 15 years of age, being detained, with 42 children in that age category being
held in Israeli detention in December 2009 compared to 30 in December 2008. The
United Nations has documented over 87 reports of ill-treatment and torture of
Palestinian children during the reporting period, including 6 reports of threats of
rape and sexual assault against the children to elicit confessions or in some cases
collaboration from child detainees. Israeli authorities stress that the Israel Security
Agency operates in strict compliance with Israel’s Supreme Court ruling (HCJ
5100/94), which states that investigations are free of torture, cruel inhuman
treatment and any degrading handling, and absolutely prohibits the use of “brutal or
inhuman means” in the course of an interrogation. Israeli authorities also stress that
note should be taken of Israel’s commitment to investigate any allegation,
irrespective of the source, and of Israel’s concern that more information should be
provided in order to enable the appropriate authorities in Israel to investigate and
respond substantively, where appropriate.
106. On 29 July 2009, the Israeli military commander in the West Bank, Major
General Gadi Shamni, issued a new military order (Military Order No. 1,644)
establishing a juvenile military court in the West Bank. This attempt to incorporate
juvenile justice standards within the military court system was met with concern by
the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child during its session in
January 2010. Since the order came into effect on 1 October 2009, lawyers have
observed that the military court judges, who adjudicate on juvenile matters in the
West Bank, also continued to preside over cases involving adults. However, unlike
previously, children under 16 years of age are now tried separately from adults and
are brought into the courtroom individually, but are still taken to the courts from the
detention facilities with adults.
107. In Gaza, 18 schools were destroyed and more than 260 were damaged,
including 5 schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
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Palestine Refugees in the Near East, by Israeli forces during “Operation Cast Lead”.
In some cases, the Israel Defence Forces forcibly entered school compounds and
used schools as interrogation centres. The lack of materials for reconstruction and
rehabilitation of schools, coupled with chronic shortages of educational supplies as
a result of an ongoing blockade forced thousands of students to learn in
overcrowded schools operating on double shifts and often under unsafe and
unsanitary conditions. To date, very few of the destroyed or damaged schools have
been rebuilt or repaired. In addition, discrimination and neglect by Israeli authorities
in East Jerusalem and Israel-controlled area C of the West Bank have also
jeopardized children’s right to education. Inadequate structures, including tents,
shacks and crude cement structures, are being used as schools owing to the
difficulties in obtaining building permits needed to expand and upgrade existing
schools and build new ones to accommodate the student population in area C, while
in East Jerusalem, each year large numbers of Palestinian children are denied
admission in the municipal schools run by the Jerusalem municipality and the Israeli
Ministry of Education owing to a shortage of over 1,000 classrooms.
108. Almost half of Gaza’s health facilities were damaged or destroyed during
“Operation Cast Lead” and Gaza’s health-care system is currently unable to provide
adequate responses to children’s health-care needs. As a result, some patients must
seek treatment outside Gaza — in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Egypt, Jordan and
Israel — for a wide range of medical assistance. During the reporting period, while
1,407 of 1,648 applications for children who sought to obtain medical assistance
outside Gaza were approved, nine children in Gaza died while waiting for the
appropriate permits to travel outside Gaza. In 2009 there was also an increase in the
number of interrogations at Erez crossing, including the interrogation of children
leaving Gaza for medical treatment.
109. Throughout 2009, the continuing high rate of settler violence against children
was registered. Palestinian children continue to be shot, beaten and threatened while
walking to school, grazing their livestock or playing outside their homes. According
to reports, it has been revealed that a new pattern of violence has emerged since
2009, which suggests that Israeli settlers undertake attacks against Palestinians and
their property in response to attempts by the Israeli authorities to dismantle
“unauthorized” settlement outposts, raising additional concerns regarding the
protection of Palestinian children. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs has documented at least two such incidents, in which 11 children were
attacked by settlers. It is suspected that there are many more incidents that remain
unreported. Perpetrators are never held accountable. This underscores the need for
greater enforcement by the Israeli Government of the rule of law where violent
settlers are concerned.
Developments in Somalia
110. Over the past year there has been growing evidence regarding the widespread
recruitment and use of children by all warring parties. The United Nations carried
out research in June 2009 which confirms that the recruitment of children has
become more systematic and widespread. The insurgent group Hizbul Islam
reportedly had 30 persons dedicated to recruiting children and the group is estimated
to have around 500 active child soldiers. While very active in the central and
southern regions, Al-Shabaab is also reportedly recruiting in Puntland and Somaliland,
and is training children in Bay, Bakool, Galgaduud, Hiran, Mogadishu and
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Raskiambooni. In March 2009 alone, Al-Shabaab reportedly recruited 600 children.
At the Galduuma base, on the border of Bay region, Al-Shabaab has allegedly
recruited 1,800 children, some as young as 9 years of age. In Raskiambooni training
camp, Al-Shabaab trains boys, some as young as 12 years of age, and every six
months, 270 students graduate to operational units.
111. While recruitment of girls has been rare and is generally regarded as socially
unacceptable, there are documented accounts of girls working for armed groups, in
particular in cooking and cleaning. Girls are also brought in to transport detonators,
for logistics and for intelligence collection, though they do receive weapons training
as well. An Al-Shabaab training camp for about 120 girls is located near Kismayo,
where girls learn intelligence-gathering techniques, how to transport explosives, and
driving. Girls are also reported to be recruited for marriage to young combatants.
112. The current Transitional Federal Government is also reported to be recruiting
and using children, although the recruitment pattern by the Government forces is
said to be less systematic. During the early months of 2009, the Transitional Federal
Government, especially members of the former opposition group, the Alliance for
the Re-liberation of Somalia-Djibouti, is alleged to have trained about 3,000 new
recruits, approximately 50 per cent of whom were under 18 years of age. Before its
defection to the Hizbul Islam, the freelance KM60 militia, aligned to the
Transitional Federal Government, also had about 50 children in its ranks. Those
numbers have increased now that the militia is part of Hizbul Islam.
113. Humanitarian actors have expressed concern over the recruitment of young
men and boys from north-eastern Kenya, including from Dadaab refugee camp, to
fight alongside the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia. The Transitional
Federal Government and the Government of Kenya have denied press reports
making such allegations. The Minister of Defense of Kenya and other members of
Parliament stated in mid-November 2009 that a training programme exists, but
claim it is intended for Somali recruits to join the Transitional Federal Government
army and police. No Kenyan or Somali official has admitted to recruiting inside
Kenya-based refugee camps, which contravenes fundamental principles of refugee
law. In October 2009 the Kenyan Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Foreign
Relations said it would look into the matter and expected to report to the House of
the Parliament. The United Nations country team in Kenya has expressed concern
with the Government of Kenya at the highest levels, urging the Government to
redouble its efforts to ensure the protection of all children in Kenya. UNICEF and
the United Nations country team continue to monitor the issue closely.
114. During the year, monitors reported more than 280 children as having been
killed in the conflict and more than 550 wounded. However, the total number of
child casualties is estimated to be much higher. Access by child protection monitors
to first-hand information and to direct contact with child victims of the violence has
been critically compromised by security concerns, especially in the second half of
the year. Typically, in the current conflict, children are being injured or killed as a
result of crossfire, mortar attacks, or grenade launches. Significant concerns have
been raised by the shelling of civilian areas by the Transitional Federal Government
and troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia during the last four months of
2009, and the indiscriminate nature of their return fire when attacked by insurgent
groups, which has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, including a large number
of children. Children also continue to be the victims of explosive remnants of war,
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predominantly unexploded shells, grenades and mortars from the recent conflict, but
also landmines or pieces of ordnance remaining from previous years of clan fighting
and border disputes. Since the United Nations began systematic surveillance in the
second half of 2009, 49 child casualties have been recorded, including 14 deaths as
a result of those incidents.
115. Reports of sexual violence against children have remained at the same levels
during 2009 as compared to 2008, but that is a generalized abuse occurring in all
regions of the country and there is no indication that it is being used as a tactic of
war by the parties to conflict. Reported cases of sexual violence by uniformed and
armed individuals have decreased since my last report, and less than 1 per cent of
the 415 documented cases of rape were confirmed as perpetrated by either
Government-associated armed forces or anti-Government groups.
116. In 2009 more than 60 schools were closed in Mogadishu, while more than
10 schools were temporarily occupied by armed forces. Schools were damaged and
destroyed, and students were killed or injured, during exchanges of fire between
forces of the Transitional Federal Government and anti-Government armed groups.
In other instances, soldiers threatened students and teachers, and destroyed school
facilities. Hospitals were also hit by mortar shells, resulting in their temporary or
permanent closure, and were compromised by the lack of sufficient manpower,
supplies of medicines and other equipment. Medical personnel received death
threats, including those in Medina Hospital, Mogadishu, who were accused of
treating Government soldiers and receiving support from enemies of Islam.
117. Humanitarian access in general has vastly deteriorated during the year. The
new wave of hostility against humanitarian aid work in Somalia is putting the lives
of Somali children at great risk. United Nations agencies have now withdrawn all
international staff and most of their national staff from central and southern
Somalia. That action followed the takeover of the UNICEF office in Jowhar in May
and the United Nations offices in Baidoa and Wajid in July by factions of
Al-Shabaab. The looting and destruction of life-saving humanitarian supplies and
equipment in the UNICEF office in Jowhar have enormously affected the ability of
the Fund to deliver services to the most vulnerable children. The United Nations
Development Programme, the United Nations Political Office for Somalia, the
United Nations Department of Safety and Security and, more recently, the United
Nations mine action programme for Somalia, were accused by Al-Shabaab of
working against the interests of Islam and instructed to leave immediately. In
October 2009 Al-Shabaab announced that all international relief organizations were
banned from operating in Somalia, in particular in areas that were under its control.
Many partner organizations have reported threats and invasions into their offices. As
such, their personnel are operating under a constant threat to their lives.
Developments in the Sudan
118. Although there are no reports of active child recruitment by the Sudan
People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), the demobilization of children from the group
remains a concern.11 Some children who had previously been demobilized by the
South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration Commission had
__________________
11 See para. 9 above for more information on the action plan signed between the United Nations
and SPLA; see also para. 19 above for the total number of children released from the group.
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voluntarily rejoined SPLA in order to carry out military and domestic chores for the
army. While SPLA has made efforts to remove children from payrolls, some children
interviewed stated they were still receiving salaries to support their families. Joint
field visits to Unity state by UNICEF, UNMIS, the SPLA Child Protection Unit, the
South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration Commission and the
Ministry of Social Development in August 2009 revealed that some of the children
who were demobilized, reunified with their families and attending school in Warrap
state had re-joined SPLA in Unity state after they were informed by SPLA officers
that their salaries were ready to be collected. Children also remain or return to
military barracks as they have access to food, shelter and even some schooling
provided by SPLA. However, SPLA expressed concerns regarding the inadequate
provision of reintegration services for the released children and it had little choice
but to provide such services to the children itself. The lack of provision of such
services by the United Nations is due to the lack of capacity and resources, among
other constraints. This has made it increasingly difficult for the United Nations to
continue advocating for the release and integration of children. Furthermore, there
have been reports of re-recruitment of 33 former child soldiers by SPLA in Blue Nile
state and the families of 23 of those children confirmed the re-recruitment. UNICEF,
UNMIS and the North Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration
Commission are following up on this as a matter of priority with SPLA forces in
Kurmuk.
119. In Darfur, the association of children with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF),
Government forces such as the Central Reserve Police and Border Intelligence
Forces, and pro-Government militias remains a concern, although the numbers have
decreased compared to the previous reporting period. It should be stressed that the
Government has no policy to recruit children and directives have been issued in that
regard. In 2009 there were 20 reported incidents of association of children with
SAF, involving 65 children, in all three Darfur states. In addition, UNICEF
documented a total of 315 children associated with armed groups: 72 children in
North Darfur; 166 children in West Darfur; and 77 children in South Darfur. Those
children were observed with SLA/MM, SLA/Abdel Wahid, the Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM), Chadian opposition armed groups and unknown armed
elements.12 The majority of children were observed in West Darfur state, though
logistical and security issues affected monitoring ability in North and South Darfur.
120. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) sporadic attacks and incursions into
villages and abductions continue to cause civilian deaths and remain a threat to
children in southern Sudan, in particular in Western Equatoria state. As a result of
such attacks, 177 Sudanese children have been abducted, 18 have been killed and
19 have been injured in 2009. The number of children who escaped or were rescued
from LRA increased in 2009 as a result of the joint military operations by the
Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), FARDC and SPLA. From January to
November 2009, a total of 192 LRA-affected children, including 154 Sudanese,
35 Congolese and 3 Ugandans, were rescued. Ten girls who returned were pregnant
or had babies. Of the 154 Sudanese children, 9 were repatriated from the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and 6 from the Central African Republic. In addition,
9 Congolese children were handed over by the UPDF to FARDC and 37 persons
__________________
12 See para. 19 above for the total number of children from armed groups in north Sudan, including
Darfur.
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were repatriated to the Central African Republic. The majority of Ugandan children
picked up by UPDF forces operating in southern Sudan, however, are returned
directly to Uganda without the United Nations in Sudan being notified, despite
requests to do so.
121. A presidential amnesty was granted for the remaining children who were
involved in the JEM attacks on Omdurman, Khartoum state, in May 2008, in line
with advocacy by child protection partners. All detained children were released and
no criminal measures were taken against them. The children have been handed over
to their families and are currently benefiting from reintegration services.
122. An upsurge in inter-communal violence in Jonglei state among the Lou Nuer,
Dinka and Murle accounted for many of the deaths and child abductions reported in
2009. Since March 2009, there have been four brutal massacres involving at least
2,500 victims, most of whom were women and children. The increased targeting of
women and children in inter-communal conflicts occurring throughout southern
Sudan has been a recent and disturbing trend.
123. Child abduction also continued in the context of conflict between and within
tribal communities in Jonglei state. Official figures provided by the Jonglei state
Government indicated a total of 227 children who were abducted both by the Murle
and the Lou Nuer groups in Pibor county from November 2008 to November 2009.
Most of the cases were attributed to the Murle, although the identity of perpetrators
can be difficult to ascertain and abductions are not exclusive to the Murle. It is
believed that most cases go unreported and that overall numbers could be
significantly higher. There has been minimal progress in securing the release of
those children. As of the end of the reporting period, approximately 30 children
from Jonglei state, Central and Eastern Equatoria States and the neighbouring
Gambella region of Ethiopia have been rescued from their abductors.
124. In Darfur, cases of rape and sexual violence against children were often
allegedly committed by men in uniform and attributed to military, police personnel,
armed-group factions and militia men. However, in general, victims and witnesses
provide little information on the identity of the alleged perpetrators and the
uniforms alone do not always substantiate the alleged perpetrators’ affiliation. Other
alleged perpetrators do not wear uniforms and are unidentified. The persistent
allegations indicate that sexual violence remains a major concern in Darfur, taking
into consideration that many cases remain unreported owing to stigma and fear. The
climate of conflict resulting in insecurity and breakdown of law and order exacerbates
the prevalence of sexual violence; however, there has been no substantiated evidence
during the reporting period that such violations are systematically perpetrated upon
orders by the leadership or field commanders of the parties to the conflict.
125. It is anticipated that the recent developments deriving from the Doha peace
dialogue and normalization of relations between the Sudan and Chad may have
positive implications for children.
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B. Information on grave violations against children in situations
not on the agenda of the Security Council or in other situations
of concern
Developments in Colombia
126. The Government of Colombia is continuing to implement a comprehensive
policy to prevent the recruitment and use of children by illegal armed groups. It has
established a high-level Intersectoral Commission that sets up social, family and
institutional networks aimed at reducing the risks of recruitment of children,
focusing on those departments and municipalities that are especially vulnerable. The
Government also continues to carry out programmatic efforts to reintegrate into
their communities those children who have been separated from illegal armed
groups.
127. During the reporting period, recruitment and use of children by illegal armed
groups continued as an extensive, systematic and habitual practice. Although the
true magnitude and territorial coverage remains unknown, the United Nations
observed a significant increase in the information received on cases of recruitment
of children by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del
Pueblo (FARC-EP) in the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó,
Guaviare, Meta, Nariño, Putumayo, Tolima, Valle and Vaupés; as well as by the
Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN).13 The children were used in hostilities, to
recruit other children, to act as spies and gather intelligence, to serve as sex slaves
and to provide logistics support. Resistance or attempts to escape have exposed
some children to torture or death. Reports indicate that schools remained a major
venue for recruitment by those groups. Many adolescent girls considered pregnancy
as a means to avoid being recruited by illegal armed groups. Threats of child
recruitment continued to cause the displacement of local populations, in particular
in the departments of Putumayo, Vaupés and Nariño, in 2009. There is also evidence
that indigenous children have been increasingly subjected to recruitment.
128. Recruitment and use of children is also a practice by illegal armed groups that
were formed from units of the demobilized former United Self-Defences Forces of
Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC)). Those groups are not
homogeneous in terms of their motivation, structure or modus operandi. The
Government considers all those groups to be criminal gangs which are principally
involved in illegal activities, especially in the production and commercialization of
drugs. However, while many are dedicated only to common criminal activities,
others operate in a manner similar to that of the former paramilitary organizations.
Some of the groups have a military structure and chain of command, and are capable
of exercising territorial control and sustaining military-type operations. Moreover,
they have a political and ideological orientation similar to that of the former AUC.
In May 108 members of an unidentified illegal armed group, among them 12 boys
and 2 girls, surrendered to the National Armed Forces in the department of Chocó.
129. Information was received on the use of children for intelligence purposes by
members of the National Armed Forces, in violation of the Code on Children and
Adolescents (Law No. 1098) and directives by the Ministry of National Defence.
Reports indicated that members of the Army had offered food as an incentive to
__________________
13 See para. 24 above for the total number of children released from FARC-EP and ELN.
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boys and girls in exchange for information on the presence of illegal armed groups
in rural areas of Valle del Cauca. The National Armed Forces also continue to use
children in civic-military activities and maintain specific programmes for children
despite the fact that the Code on Children and Adolescents expressly requires the
State to refrain from using children in military activities, psychological operations,
civic-military campaigns and similar programmes. In the first half of 2009 members
of the Army entered rural schools in Meta department in order to make contact with
the students within the framework of the lanceritos programme, through which
children were taken to the Brigade Command facilities, participated in helicopter
tours and received food. There is a concern that such activities, when undertaken in
conflict-affected areas, may put children at risk and expose them to subsequent
retaliation by members of illegal armed groups.
130. Children continue to be victims of indiscriminate attacks carried out by illegal
armed groups, or caught in clashes between illegal armed groups or between illegal
armed groups and national security forces. In some instances, children have been
threatened with death or killed by illegal armed groups on suspicion of being
informants for the national army. According to the Presidential Programme for
Comprehensive Action against Anti-Personnel Mines (PAICMA), from January to
October, anti-personnel mines laid by illegal armed groups, mainly by FARC-EP
and ELN, resulted in the deaths of 9 children and injury of 24 children.
131. Information received confirmed cases of sexual violence committed against
children by illegal armed groups. Although there is no systematic information on the
number of cases of sexual violence against children perpetrated by illegal armed
groups, there is evidence that child members of such groups are subjected to grave
sexual violence. They are required to have sexual relations with adults at an early
age and many girls have been forced to abort if they become pregnant. Three cases
of rape and sexual violence by members of security forces were also documented in
2009.
132. Schools have been damaged as a result of hostilities and, in many instances,
owing to anti-personnel mines planted by members of FARC-EP. There are also
concerns about the continued occupation of schools by members of the National
Armed Forces in Cauca department during the reporting period. In addition, military
barracks or police quarters have been installed in close proximity to several schools
in conflict areas in Putumayo and Nariño departments.
133. Clashes among illegal armed groups, or between the armed groups and the
National Armed Forces, the presence of landmines, as well as attacks by FARC-EP
on humanitarian missions, have largely limited humanitarian access and the delivery
of humanitarian assistance to villages in conflict-affected areas, such as Arauca and
Putumayo.
134. In March the Government approved Presidential directive No. 001, a
comprehensive initiative to strengthen the coordination of military and social efforts
in strategic zones of Colombia, as part of the overall objectives established in the
Government’s democratic security policy. In August the 29th Command of the
FARC-EP declared all the projects within the framework of Presidential directive
No. 001 in Nariño department to be legitimate military targets. That threat was also
made to international cooperation agencies, which could potentially jeopardize the
delivery of humanitarian assistance and thus affect children. Dialogue is ongoing
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between the Government and members of the humanitarian community on the
implications of that policy for access and safety of humanitarian personnel.
Developments in the centre/east states of India
135. Reports of recruitment and use of children by the Maoist armed groups, also
known as the Naxalites, especially in some of the districts in the Chhattisgarh state
were received by the United Nations. According to a statement by the Ministry of
Home Affairs on 20 October 2009, information gathered from intelligence inputs
has indicated forced recruitment of children by the Naxals in areas south of
Chhattisgarh. The statement also refers to the Naxals exhorting villagers to provide
five boys or girls for their armed group. Those reports are consistent with findings
by India’s National Human Rights Commission, which stated in its submission to
the Supreme Court in August 2008 that the Naxals forced many families to send at
least one adolescent boy or girl to join their ranks. Other credible reports indicate
that many children are abducted or forcibly recruited from schools. The Naxals have
claimed that children were used only as messengers and informers, but have
admitted that children were provided with training to use non-lethal and lethal
weapons, including landmines. It must be noted that the Naxalite problem is spread
over several states in the centre/east of the country.
136. The Naxals have also carried out systematic attacks on schools in order to
intentionally damage and destroy Government structures and to instil fear among the
local community. This has been confirmed by the National Human Rights
Commission in its findings (as well as by the National Commission for the
Protection of Child Rights, following its visit to Dantewada district, Chhattisgargh,
in January 2009) that some schools remained closed or abandoned as a result of
continued Naxalite bombings of school buildings, especially those occupied by
security forces for protection. The state Government and Jharkhand police indicated
that they had vacated 28 of 43 schools in Naxalite-affected districts of the state and
were in the process of vacating 13 more. However, by September 2009, the
Jharkhand High Court issued a ruling calling for security forces to vacate all
educational premises as early as possible.
137. The Government of India strongly condemns the acts of the Naxalites and has
committed itself to control those activities. The Government, together with
concerned state authorities, has undertaken specific actions, including awarenessraising
programmes through the media and mass contact, establishment of new
schools under its programme for universal elementary education (sarva shiksha
abhiyan) in all villages as well as ashram schools, and the strengthening of
integrated child development and pre-school education centres in all areas.
Developments in north-west Pakistan
138. In a statement made on 28 July, the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of
Pakistan, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, said that children were being recruited by
terrorist and extremist groups and used for suicide attacks, and that the enticement
of children to join such groups was the most serious challenge facing the
Government. Furthermore, in the submission of its States party report of 19 March
to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Government of Pakistan stated that
it was taking strict measures to stop recruitment of children by non-State actors, in
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addition to initiating reforms to streamline and regulate the madrasahs that were the
major source of children going into armed conflict.
139. The United Nations in Afghanistan confirmed several cases of children from
Pakistan used in hostilities in Afghanistan, as well as two cases of Afghan children
who were abducted and taken to north-west Pakistan where they underwent military
training. This calls for more attention to cross-border issues.
Developments in the Philippines
140. It should be noted that reports on grave violations against children may only
be indicative, as the country task force continues to face tremendous challenges with
regard to the monitoring of child rights violations. The limited number of verified
incidents may be attributed to a number of factors, including inadequate human
resources capacity for the monitoring and reporting mechanism, as well as safety
and security considerations in affected areas. A significant portion of south-western
Mindanao continues to be highly restricted to United Nations travel, as armed
skirmishes between non-State groups and Government forces intermittently erupt, a
situation compounded by the tangible threat of abduction. That situation complicates
the verification, monitoring and response activities for grave child rights violations,
in particular in the restricted areas of Zamboanga, Sulu and Basilan provinces in
Mindanao.
141. During the reporting period, reports on recruitment and use of children by the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)14 and the New People’s Army (NPA) were
received consistently according to United Nations partner organizations, although
the reports could not be verified. In addition, although children have been reportedly
associated with Abu Sayyaf units, no accurate estimate of the number of children is
currently available. A total of six cases of children used by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) to carry supplies, for intelligence purposes, or who had been
illegally detained for their alleged association with MILF recalcitrant commands or
NPA have been documented by the country task force. In one case, three children
were blindfolded and mistreated by elements of the 7th and 40th Infantry Battalions
of the Philippine Army (IBPA) in an attempt to obtain confessions regarding their
membership in MILF.
142. From January to December 2009, 12 children killed and 40 injured were
recorded. There has been a considerable increase in incidents involving the use of
improvised explosive devices in populated areas, in particular by the Abu Sayyaf,
causing more casualties among the civilian population, including children. Mortar
shelling by AFP during clashes with MILF has also caused serious injuries to some
children.
143. Ten incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals have been verified by the
country task force from January to December 2009, where in several instances
children were injured as a result. All incidents resulted from ongoing clashes
between the military and non-State armed groups. Furthermore, accounts of
schoolteachers abducted in Zamboanga and Sulu provinces by members of the Abu
Sayyaf caused fear among the civilian population and disrupted the learning
activities of children in conflict-affected areas.
__________________
14 See para. 9 above for more information on the action plan signed between MILF and the United
Nations.
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Developments in the southern border provinces of Thailand
144. The overall situation improved somewhat in 2009 owing to measures taken by
the Royal Thai Government, in close cooperation with the local communities.
Nevertheless, information based on interviews by child protection partners with
Government officials, family members of affected children, members of civil
society, village headmen and religious representatives indicates that there are
concerns relating to the involvement of children in activities of armed groups in the
southern border provinces of Thailand in 2009. Credible reports indicate that
children begin carrying out tasks for armed groups from approximately 13 years of
age, which may include acting as lookouts, spraying graffiti messages and
destroying State property. The United Nations country team in Thailand has
informed my Special Representative that it is not in a position to monitor, report or
verify allegations of grave violations against children in the conflict-affected areas
of southern Thailand, based on its activities in the area.
145. The ongoing serious commitment and efforts by the Royal Thai Government to
protect the safety and enhance the development of children in the southern border
provinces are commendable. In my annual report last year, reference was made to
the intention of the Government to investigate any alleged abuse by State
authorities, such as the irregular detention of children, and to undertake a systematic
review of its laws, including the Emergency Decree. According to the Government,
it carried out in 2009 a systematic review of relevant laws and formal investigation
mechanisms, as well as human rights training for security personnel. However, there
are credible reports that indicate that children detained for alleged association with
armed groups are not guaranteed their rights under Thailand’s Juvenile Justice Act.
That remains a concern, while the Government maintains that to date there are no
children in irregular detention.
146. The overall trend of attacks on schools, teachers, students and education
personnel in 2009 was similar to the one observed in 2008. According to the
Ministry of Education, 9 schools were burned and 10 teachers and education
personnel as well as 32 students were killed or injured in 2009, while 6 schools were
burned and 14 teachers and education personnel as well as 31 students were killed
or injured in 2008.
Developments in Sri Lanka
147. There has been no evidence of significant recruitment by the Tamil Makkal
Viduthalai Pulighal (TMVP)15 in 2009. TMVP, formerly led by Vinayagamoorthy
Muralitharan (also known as Karuna), has been reconstituted and is now under the
control of former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre Sivanesathurai
Chandrakanthan (also known as Pillayan). From December 2008 to November 2009,
21 cases of child recruitment were reported, 78 children were released and only
5 children remain associated with the group. TMVP declared that those children
were not in their ranks and police investigations are ongoing in each of those cases.
In addition, 60 persons who were recruited as children and are currently over 18
years of age remain associated with the group.
__________________
15 See para. 14 above for more information on the action plan signed by TMVP, the Government of
Sri Lanka and the United Nations.
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148. Reports of recruitment by LTTE continued to be received until the end of the
conflict in May 2009. UNICEF verified and documented 397 cases of child
recruitment, including 147 girls, by LTTE that occurred from 1 January to 19 May
2009. As of the end of November 2009, UNICEF recorded at least 34 children as
well as 1,345 persons who were recruited as children but are now above 18 years of
age, whose whereabouts remain unknown.16 LTTE appears to have ceased to exist
as a military organization in Sri Lanka.
149. During the mission to Sri Lanka by the Special Envoy of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, a number of reports were received
on recruitment of children and threats of re-recruitment by Iniya Barrathi (who was
part of the TMVP breakaway faction, under Karuna’s leadership, and is referred to
as “commander”) in Ampara district in the Eastern province.
150. In the districts of Killinochchi and Mullaitivu (northern Sri Lanka), a total of
199 cases of children killed and 146 cases of children maimed were reported from
1 January 2009 to 19 May 2009, although the actual number of casualties is likely to
be higher. The most affected age groups were the oldest and the youngest
children — the majority of children killed were those up to 5 years of age (71
children killed and 28 maimed), while the older children, 13 to 15 years of age, and
16 to 18 years of age, suffered proportionally more by incidents of maiming (40
children in the first category and 37 in the second). The vast majority of children
(97 per cent) were injured or killed in Mullaitivu district, followed by 3 per cent in
Killinochchi district. According to interviews with internally displaced persons, a
large number of casualties were allegedly due to artillery fire from the Sri Lankan
Armed Forces and a number of casualties were allegedly due to artillery fire from
LTTE. Four cases of child deaths and injuries were related to incidents that occurred
in or near a hospital. In addition, children and youth continue to be at risk from the
presence of mines and unexploded ordnance in northern Sri Lanka, although
unexploded ordnance removal and de-mining activities continue.
151. Interviews with internally displaced persons also indicated that during the
months leading to the end of the conflict, there were reports of rape during flight
and of sexual harassment, especially towards former female LTTE cadres, including
girls. Some women and girls trying to flee the conflict areas had their hair forcibly
cut by LTTE as a deterrent to fleeing, knowing that women with short hair would be
suspected by the Sri Lankan Army of being LTTE cadres and would likely be treated
differently from other internally displaced persons. Some young girls were forced
by their families to marry their relatives to avoid forced recruitment by LTTE.
Within the internally displaced person sites, exploitation of women and girls
appeared to be perpetrated by various actors through promises of favours, money or
marriage and through threats.
152. To date, nine schools are being used by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces (SLAF)
to detain adult “surrendees” who were identified as former combatants. The schools
remain only partially operational for the education of children, affecting a
population of 5,753 children. SLAF barracks are established within school
compounds, and classrooms as well as other school facilities are being used by the
forces, causing high levels of disruption to the schools’ normal routine. Despite the
__________________
16 See para. 22 above for more information on the total number of “surrendee” children formerly
associated with LTTE.
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separation by barbed wire between the school and the “surrendee” site, adult
“surrendees” are seen walking around the schools. The need to transfer the
“surrendees” out as soon as possible has been brought to the attention of the
relevant military and civilian authorities on several occasions, including by Major
General (ret.) Cammaert during his December mission, and the Government has
made commitments in that regard.
153. The emergency that arose from the last phase of the conflict, including the
insecurity and the large number of persons displaced, posed a serious challenge for
national authorities and the international community to provide assistance and
respond to the conflict-affected population, including children. Access to the areas
directly affected by the conflict was extremely limited and access to the displaced
population was also difficult not only for protection organizations but also for
relevant Government bodies. LTTE continued to prevent civilians, including United
Nations staff and other employees of humanitarian organizations, from leaving the
conflict area. Some civilians were injured and killed during the fighting.
154. By May 2009, some 40 internally displaced person sites were established in
various districts in the north and east of Sri Lanka. No freedom of movement was
granted to the 280,000 internally displaced persons in the sites and access to those
persons was curtailed for “national security-related issues”. Specifically, the
authorities restricted vehicle access to the internally displaced person sites in
Vavuniya district for the distribution of non-food relief items and other humanitarian
assistance by agencies, and protection monitoring was not authorized. Access
greatly improved by the end of June, although delays in granting access to some
zones in the Vavuniya Menic Farm camps occurred. Access was also occasionally
denied when cordon and search operations were being conducted in the internally
displaced person sites. During the months of September and October, access was not
fully granted to closed “transit sites”, specifically in Jaffna and Trincomalee
districts, where internally displaced persons who were being released from the
Menic Farm camps were held in their districts of origin, reportedly for further
screening. By the end of October, however, over 12,000 internally displaced persons
who were accommodated in transit sites in all five districts had been released or sent
to rehabilitation centres and almost all of the transit sites are now closed.
155. The lifting of military security clearance for travelling out of Jaffna district on
18 November and the introduction of the pass system on 1 December at the
internally displaced person sites in all districts have had a positive impact on
humanitarian access and freedom of movement for internally displaced persons. The
remaining concerns include restriction of access by non-governmental organizations
to return areas and limits on access to rehabilitation centres where internally
displaced persons suspected of association with LTTE are being held. As of the end
of the reporting period, access to rehabilitation centres has been granted only to the
World Food Programme, for the provision of food, to UNICEF, in order to manage
the childcare centres, and to the International Organization for Migration, for the
construction of non-temporary centres.
156. Other serious concerns remain with regard to the need for a more efficient
registration system for separated and unaccompanied children that promotes early
family tracing and reunification, as well as the need to address the issue of children
who have been reported missing by their parents. Additional concerns include the
care and protection of children with disabilities and with critical medical conditions.
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As of the end of November, 1,221 separated, unaccompanied and orphaned children
have been identified in the north of the country. Of those, 517 have been reunified
with their families or relatives and 704 have been placed in residential homes. In
addition, 162 parents have reported to probation officers that their children are
missing and families continue to file requests for tracing their children at the Family
Tracing and Reunification Unit established in Vavuniya in December 2009.
Developments in Uganda
157. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has not operated in Uganda throughout the
reporting period. In the past four years, the group has moved into the neighbouring
Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, as well as into
southern Sudan. The root of the LRA insurgency began in Uganda, therefore the role
of the Government of Uganda remains central to achieving a resolution.
158. Last December, the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), with the
cooperation of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(FARDC) and south Sudan (SPLA), have launched joint military offensives into
northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo and southern Sudan territories in
pursuit of LRA. The rebels have scattered and spread out in smaller groups in the
region. Those groups carried out violent reprisal attacks against civilians, including
killings, abductions and forced recruitment of children, rape and pillaging, that have
led to the death and disappearance of hundreds of children and triggered significant
population displacements. During such offensives, UPDF has come into contact
with children who are either in the frontlines, associated with LRA or being held
captive. There are a number of child protection concerns in that regard, including
timeliness of release of such children to child protection agencies, their cross-border
repatriation, the use of those children for intelligence purposes by UPDF and the
lack of immediate access to psychosocial support and services for children who are
severely traumatized. The United Nations has stressed to the Government of Uganda
the need to establish appropriate protocols between UPDF and child protection
actors, and between other concerned Government forces that would ensure timely
access to UPDF military barracks for the identification and release of children to the
United Nations and partners.
159. The cross-border repatriation of children associated with LRA has become a
major component of the humanitarian response for the protection of children and
women in LRA-affected areas, and has benefited from cooperation between the
Governments of Uganda, south Sudan, the Central African Republic and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. That cooperation needs to be reinforced and
systematized. During the reporting period, 71 children and young mothers formerly
associated with LRA were received in reception centres in northern Uganda as part
of the repatriation and reinsertion process for LRA-affected children. Among the 71,
2 were subsequently confirmed to be Sudanese and 1 Congolese, and they were
repatriated to their respective countries of origin.
Developments in Yemen
160. Clashes between Al-Houthi groups and the Yemeni Government in Sa’ada
governorate escalated into open hostilities on 12 August 2009, triggering the
displacement of 250,000 persons from Sa’ada and neighbouring areas of Amran,
Hajjah and Al-Jawf, and raising other serious protection concerns for the civilian
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population, including children. UNICEF and child protection partners conducted
several investigations in the conflict-affected areas in Sa’ada, Amran and Hajja in
order to document incidents and cases of grave violations against children. The
numbers quoted below only represent a portion of the cases that were accessible and
verifiable, and may not entirely reflect the actual situation on the ground,.
161. It has been reported that as many as half of the total number of fighters, either
from the tribal militia affiliated with the Government, called Al-Jaysh Al-Sha’bi
(Popular Army), or the Al-Houthi rebels, are below 18 years of age. A total of 402
cases of children recruited by Al-Houthi rebels and 282 recruited by the Popular
Army were documented, including 59 cases of children who were confirmed as
having been abducted for the purposes of recruitment by those groups. The truce
between the Government and Al-Houthi rebels on 11 February 2010 is a positive
development. However, it is a priority to ensure, through action plans, access to, and
identification and release of, children associated with armed forces and groups to
child protection partners.
162. Although a clear estimation of the total number of children killed or injured
during the current conflict is difficult to obtain, a total of 189 cases of children
killed and 155 children injured was recorded. Of those cases, 71 per cent occurred
as a result of direct shelling on civilian targets during military operations by both
sides to the conflict, while 29 per cent occurred as a result of lack of access to
humanitarian aid, especially food and health care. In addition, 59 cases of children
were reported missing by their families after disappearing at the very beginning of
the conflict. Parents and relatives do not know if the children have been killed,
abducted or recruited.
163. Most of the schools in the conflict-affected areas are currently being used for
military purposes either by Al-Houthi rebels or by Government forces, which make
them a legitimate military target by both sides. It was confirmed that 17 schools
were completely destroyed and 16 schools continued to be used as military bases
during the reporting period. The Ministry of Education had to cancel the school year
in the conflict-affected areas, in particular in Sa’ada and Harf Sufyan.
164. Approximately 70 per cent of health facilities in Sa’ada were either completely
destroyed or used as military installations during the conflict, including 2 hospitals,
3 health centres and 13 health units destroyed, as well as 2 health centres used as
military installations. That situation highly affected access by the community to
health care both during and after the conflict.
165. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United Nations and other humanitarian
agencies have raised serious concerns regarding the inability to deliver humanitarian
assistance to the internally displaced persons and other affected population, in
particular in Sa’ada governorate, Harf Sufyan and Al-Jawf. There are approximately
60,000 children who are trapped in crossfire areas between Al-Houthi rebels and
Government forces/pro-Government militias. All efforts with the parties to conflict
in order to open a safe corridor for humanitarian aid failed to reach any
breakthrough. However, the truce cleared the way for Government officials and aid
workers to carry out humanitarian needs assessment in previously inaccessible areas
and to enable humanitarian assistance to reach civilian populations, including
children.
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166. There are reportedly more than 1,000 children being detained in prisons
throughout the country as a result of the conflict. Those children were either
captured from opposing forces during the conflict or suspected of being fighters or
pro-Houthis. The United Nations does not have access to those children.
V. Information on the criteria and procedures used for listing
and de-listing parties to armed conflict in the annexes
A. Authority
167. In paragraph 3 of its resolution 1882 (2009), the Security Council requested
the Secretary-General to include in the annexes to his reports on children and armed
conflict those parties to armed conflict that engage, in contravention of applicable
international law, in patterns of killing and maiming of children and/or rape and
other sexual violence against children, in situations of armed conflict, bearing in
mind all other violations and abuses against children, and noted that paragraph 3
would apply to situations in accordance with the conditions set out in paragraph 16
of its resolution 1379 (2001).
168. In paragraph 16 of its resolution 1379 (2001), the Security Council requested
the Secretary-General to attach to his report a list of parties to armed conflict that
recruit or use children in violation of the international obligations applicable to
them, in situations that are on the Council’s agenda or that may be brought to its
attention by the Secretary-General.
169. In paragraph 19 (a) of its resolution 1882 (2009), the Security Council
requested the Secretary-General to include in its 2010 report annexed lists of parties
in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Council or in other situations of
concern, in accordance with paragraph 3 of that resolution.
170. By paragraph 2 (a) of Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), information
collected by the monitoring and reporting mechanism should be timely, objective,
accurate and reliable.
B. Scope of the annexes
171. By paragraph 3 of its resolution 1882 (2009), the Security Council expanded
the scope of the annexes to the Secretary-General’s reports beyond the unlawful
recruitment and use of children to include acts in violation of applicable
international law involving patterns of killing and maiming of children and patterns
of rape or other acts of sexual violence against children.
172. Within that expanded scope, the Security Council, in paragraph 19 (d) of
resolution 1882 (2009) also requested that the Secretary-General include in his 2010
report on children and armed conflict information on the criteria and procedures
used for listing and de-listing parties to armed conflict in the annexes to his periodic
reports, bearing in mind the views expressed by all the members of the Working
Group on Children and Armed Conflict during informal briefings. In devising
criteria and procedures for listing and de-listing, the Secretary-General will be
guided by paragraph 3 of resolution 1882 (2009), and the Council’s request to list
parties that engage, in contravention of applicable international law, in patterns of
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killing and maiming of children and/or rape and other sexual violence against
children.
173. The reference to acts in contravention of applicable international law suggests
that the acts in question are not merely crimes under the national law of the State
where the crime was committed, but rather acts that amount to a violation of
applicable international law, including international humanitarian or human rights
law. Isolated incidents of killing, maiming or sexual violence, which are not part of
a pattern, as discussed below, would not be listed.
174. At the same time, the reference to “patterns” of violations rather than to
“crimes” — whether war crimes or crimes against humanity — suggests that the
Security Council did not necessarily intend to raise the threshold for inclusion to the
actual commission of international crimes, which could only be met through an
investigative or prosecutorial process.
C. Listing and de-listing criteria: the notion of a “pattern”
175. The threshold for inclusion therefore revolves around the notion of a “pattern”.
Based on the use of the notion in similar contexts, a “pattern” denotes a “methodical
plan”, “a system” and a collectivity of victims. It is a “multiple commission of acts”
which, as such, excludes a single, isolated incident or the random conduct of an
individual acting alone and presumes intentional, wilful conduct. In proving the acts
to be systematic, it would also be necessary to show that all such acts in
contravention of applicable international law involving killing and maiming, or
sexual violence, are being perpetrated in the same context and, from that
perspective, are considered “linked”.
D. Specific listing criteria
176. On the basis of the above-mentioned understanding of the notion of a “pattern”
as a threshold for inclusion in the list, reference to the description of the acts in
contravention of applicable international law involving killing, maiming, rape and
other sexual violence is as follows. Killing and maiming should include mutilation,
torture resulting in serious injury or death and killing in contravention of applicable
international law. Rape and other sexual violence should include rape, sexual
slavery and/or any other form of sexual violence.
177. Recruitment and use of children will continue to be the basis for listing and
de-listing in conformity with past practice and in line with applicable international
law.
E. Specific de-listing criteria
178. A party will be de-listed on condition that there is United Nations-verified
information that it has ceased commission of all the said grave violations17 against
children for which the party is listed in the Secretary-General’s report on children
and armed conflict, for a period of at least one reporting cycle.
__________________
17 See S/2005/72.
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179. As part of the de-listing process, a party to the conflict, whether a State or
non-State actor, is required to enter into dialogue with the United Nations to prepare
and implement a concrete, time-bound action plan to cease and prevent grave
violations committed against children for which the party has been listed in the
Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict, in accordance with
Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009). The action
plan should include:
(a) A halt to violations and/or the pattern of violations concerned;
(b) Official command orders issued through the chain of command of the
armed force or group specifying a commitment to halt violations and to take
disciplinary measures against perpetrators;
(c) An agreed means of cooperation between the party concerned and the
United Nations to address grave violations committed against children;
(d) Access to territory under the control of the party and to bases, camps,
training facilities, recruitment centres or other relevant installations, for ongoing
monitoring and verification of compliance. The framework of access will be
mutually agreed upon by the United Nations and the party;
(e) Verifiable information regarding measures taken to ensure the
accountability of perpetrators;
(f) Implementation of an agreed prevention strategy by the party to address
violations;
(g) Designation of a high-level focal point in the military hierarchy of the
group responsible for the fulfilment of action plan criteria.
180. It should be noted that once a party is de-listed, ongoing monitoring and
reporting of the situation is required as long as the Secretary-General remains
concerned that such violations may recur. The de-listed party must ensure
continuous and unhindered access to the United Nations for monitoring and
verification of compliance with commitments for a minimum period of one
reporting cycle following de-listing, failing which it may be re-listed in the annexes,
and the Security Council alerted to the non-compliance.
VI. Recommendations
181. I welcome the signing of action plans by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army,
the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist and the Government of Nepal, and
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as well as the progress made by parties in
releasing children, addressing impunity for perpetrators through investigations and
prosecution, implementing and/or reforming national legislation to put into practice
international legal prohibitions, including criminal penalties, against child
recruitment and undertaking other measures to prevent the killing and maiming of
children and the rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
highlighted in the present report.
182. The Security Council is encouraged to continue to insist that parties listed in
the annexes to my report for the recruitment and use of children, killing and
maiming of children, and/or rape and other sexual violence against children, in
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contravention of applicable international law, prepare and implement concrete timebound
action plans to halt those violations and abuses, and to take measures against
any parties that fail to comply.
183. The Security Council is also encouraged to call upon all parties mentioned in
my report for committing grave violations against children to engage with the
United Nations peacekeeping and/or political missions and United Nations country
teams to undertake specific commitments and measures to address violations
committed against children for which they are cited.
184. Concerned Member States should allow contact between the United Nations
and non-State actors to ensure the broad and effective protection of children,
including for the purposes of preparing action plans to halt recruitment and use of
children, killing and maiming of children, and/or commission of rape and other
sexual violence against children, as well as undertaking specific commitments and
measures to address all other grave violations against children. The Security Council
should encourage this. Such contact is not to prejudice the political and legal status
of those non-State actors.
185. As the pace of the conclusion of action plans with parties to conflict
accelerates, my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict should
convene United Nations departments, agencies and programmes and invite Member
State commitment to devise a more stable and long-term funding structure for the
provision of staffing and other resources required to fulfil all elements of the action
plans. Donors are encouraged to ensure that adequate resources and funding are
available to national Governments, the United Nations and partners for the
rehabilitation and reintegration of children who have been associated with armed
forces and groups.
186. The Security Council is encouraged to weigh more vigorous measures against
persistent violators who have been listed in my annual report for at least five years
for grave violations against children. In that regard, the Council is encouraged to
consider including child recruitment and use in the mandate of all its sanction
committees, including counter-terrorism committees, to streamline the sharing of
information between its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and its
sanctions committees, and to ensure that my Special Representative is invited to
brief them on a more regular basis on specific information contained in my reports
prepared in the framework of Council resolution 1612 (2005) and necessary actions.
187. To facilitate the work of the Security Council sanctions committees, its expert
groups are encouraged to incorporate child protection expertise in their investigation
and research teams, and to systematically include information on violations against
children in their reports, recommendations and confidential lists/annexes.
188. In situations where there are no existing sanctions committees, the Security
Council is encouraged to consider means by which targeted measures may be
applied against persistent perpetrators of grave violations against children, including
through direct referral of information and recommendations for measures by its
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.
189. The introduction of additional listing criteria, as provided for in Security
Council resolution 1882 (2009), necessitates renewed attention to the provision of
timely, accurate and reliable information to the Council, and the need to develop the
capacity to document incidents and trends on killing, maiming and sexual violence
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against children. In that regard, the donor community is urged to support relevant
United Nations agencies, programmes, funds and peacekeeping and political
missions, as well as national Governments.
190. In light of the current challenges in monitoring and reporting on sexual
violence, the Chair of the United Nations country task forces on monitoring and
reporting is requested to undertake efforts to improve the collection and verification
of information on sexual violence against children by systematically liaising and
engaging with entities working on other relevant mandates to ensure synergies and
the exchange of information, as requested by the Security Council in its resolutions
1882 (2009) and 1888 (2009).
191. National Governments are encouraged, in collaboration with the United
Nations, and through the participation of civil society and grass-roots organizations,
especially those involving women and girls, to devise and implement national
strategies against sexual violence that would include prevention, the provision of
health, psychosocial, security and protection, and legal/justice services for survivors
of sexual violence, and rigorous and timely investigation and prosecution of crimes
of sexual violence. Such efforts should be pursued in coordination with other
national efforts to address gender-based violence.
192. I am concerned by reports, in several country situations, of the use of children
by national armed forces for military intelligence purposes and the interrogation of
children who have been separated from armed groups. The Governments concerned
are strongly urged to ensure that their national armed forces cease such practices
and hand children over to child protection authorities as soon as possible after their
separation.
193. Given the regional dimensions of some conflicts highlighted in the present
report, relevant Member States, United National peacekeeping and political
missions and United Nations country teams should accelerate the development of
appropriate strategies and coordination mechanisms for information exchange and
cooperation on cross-border child protection concerns.
194. In accordance with the newly implemented child protection policy directive of
the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Security Council is urged to ensure
that specific provisions for the protection of children continue to be included in all
relevant United Nations peacekeeping operations, as well as political and
peacebuilding missions, including by means of the deployment of child protection
advisers. The need for such advisers, including the required budget, should be
systematically assessed during the preparation of each peacekeeping operation and
political mission. Child protection concerns should be reflected in all mission
planning instruments and processes, including technical assessment, review
missions and reports to the Council.
195. I am concerned about reports on the high numbers of civilian casualties,
including children, during military operations, remind all parties to conflict of their
obligations to ensure respect for international law and urge them to consider
practical steps to spare civilians from the effects of hostilities.
196. The Security Council should require that when requesting peacekeeping
operations to support, through provision of supplies or by other means, national
forces that may be committing serious human rights violations, such support is
conditional on compliance with international law.
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197. Member States and non-State actors are urged to ensure that children and
armed conflict concerns are consistently reflected in peace processes and peace
agreements so that this issue is carried forward as a priority into the post-conflict
peace consolidation and peacebuilding phases. The United Nations will help to
ensure this, including by providing mediators, negotiators and heads of mission with
adequate guidance in that regard.
198. The Security Council is encouraged to call upon all parties in situations of
armed conflict to adhere to international normative instruments protecting
educational facilities from attack. This includes protecting educational institutions
as well as students, teachers and other education personnel. Special attention should
be paid to the protection of girls’ right to education, given the increased targeting of
girls’ educational facilities in some countries.
199. States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child are encouraged to
strengthen national and international measures for the prevention of recruitment of
children into armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities. In particular,
those measures include signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict and enacting legislation that explicitly prohibits the recruitment of children
into armed forces or groups and their use in hostilities, exercising extraterritorial
jurisdiction in order to strengthen the international protection of children against
recruitment, taking measures to implement the recommendations of the Committee
on the Rights of the Child and submitting timely reports under the Optional Protocol
to the Committee.
VII. Lists in annexes to the report18
200. The present report contains two annexes.19 Annex I contains a list of parties
that recruit or use children, kill or maim children and/or commit rape and other
forms of sexual violence against children in situations of armed conflict on the
agenda of the Security Council, bearing in mind other violations and abuses
committed against children. Annex II contains a list of parties that recruit or use
children, kill or maim children and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda of the
Security Council or in other situations of concern, bearing in mind other violations
and abuses committed against children.
201. A conservative approach has been taken this year in determining the parties to
be listed for killing, maiming and sexual violence against children, given the limited
time for country task forces to orient themselves with the listing criteria and
requirements pursuant to Security Council resolution 1882 (2009) in August 2009.
The relatively low incidence of sexual violence against children reported does not
reflect the depth and extent of that practice by parties; rather, it reflects the
challenges encountered in collecting and verifying information on sexual violence.
__________________
18 Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the present report is guided by criteria for
determining the existence of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and
international jurisprudence. Reference to a situation of concern is not a legal determination and
reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal status.
19 The parties are listed in alphabetical order in the annexes.
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202. The following parties have been on the annex lists for at least five years:
(a) Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG);
(b) Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN);
(c) Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC),
including fast-track integrated units of the Congrès national pour la défense du
peuple (CNDP), formerly led by Laurent Nkunda and Bosco Ntaganda;
(d) Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR);
(e) Front nationaliste et intégrationnaliste (FNI);
(f) Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP);
(g) Karenni Army (KA);
(h) Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA);
(i) Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA);
(j) Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO);
(k) Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF);
(l) New People’s Army (NPA);
(m) Pro-Government militias in Darfur;
(n) Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA);
(o) Tatmadaw Kyi;
(p) Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG).
203. It should be noted that the annexes do not list countries as such. The purpose
of the lists is to identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible for specific
grave violations against children. In that regard, the names of countries are referred
to only in order to indicate the locations or situations where offending parties are
committing the violations in question.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children in situations of armed conflict on
the agenda of the Security Council, bearing in mind other
violations and abuses committed against children
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Police*
2. Haqqani network*
3. Hezb-i-Islami*
4. Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia*
5. Taliban forces*
6. Tora Bora Front*
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Armée populaire pour la restauration de la République et de la démocratie
(APRD)*
2. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP)*
3. Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR)*
4. Forces démocratiques populaires de Centrafrique (FDPC)*
5. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)*‡
6. Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ)*
7. Self-defence militias supported by the Government of the Central African
Republic*
Parties in Chad
1. Armée nationale tchadienne*
2. Justice and Equality Movement (Sudanese armed groups backed by the
Government of Chad)*
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC), including
fast-track integrated units of the Congrès national pour la défense du peuple
(CNDP), formerly led by Laurent Nkunda and currently led by Bosco
Ntaganda*‡
* Parties that recruit and use children.
† Parties that kill and maim children.
‡ Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
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2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)*‡
3. Forces de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI)*‡
4. Front nationaliste et intégrationnaliste (FNI)*‡
5. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)*‡
6. Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO)*‡
Parties in Iraq
1. Al-Qaida in Iraq*
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)*
2. Karen National Union-Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council*
3. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)*
4. Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)*: this party has sought to conclude
an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), but the United Nations has been
prevented from doing so by the Government of Myanmar
5. Karenni Army (KA)*: this party has sought to conclude an action plan with the
United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005), but the United Nations has been prevented from doing so by the
Government of Myanmar
6. Karenni National People’s Liberation Front (KNPLF)*
7. Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army*
8. Shan State Army-South (SSA-S)*
9. Tatmadaw Kyi*
10. United Wa State Army (UWSA)*
Parties in Nepal
Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M)*
Parties in Somalia
1. Al-Shabaab*†
2. Hizbul Islam*
3. Transitional Federal Government (TFG)*†
Parties in the Sudan
Parties in southern Sudan
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)*
2. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)*†‡
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Parties in Darfur
1. Chadian opposition groups*
2. Police forces, including the Central Reserve Police and Border
Intelligence Forces*
3. Pro-Government militias*
4. Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)*
5. Parties signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (Peace Wing)*
(b) Movement of Popular Force for Rights and Democracy*
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abu Gasim/Mother Wing*
(d) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Free Will*
(e) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Minni Minnawi*
(f) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Peace Wing*
6. Parties not signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)*
(b) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul Wahid*
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Unity*
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children in situations of armed conflict not
on the agenda of the Security Council, or in other situations
of concern, bearing in mind other violations and abuses
committed against children
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)*
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)*
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)*
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)*
3. New People’s Army (NPA)*
Parties in Sri Lanka
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) (former element of Karuna faction, Iniya
Barrathi)*
Parties in Uganda
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
* Parties that recruit and use children.
United Nations A/65/820–S/2011/250
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
23 April 2011
Original: English
11-27533 (E) 090511
*1127533*
General Assembly
Sixty-fifth session
Agenda item 64 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Sixty-sixth year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2010
(as well as some developments that have extended beyond the reporting period), is
submitted pursuant to presidential statement S/PRST/2010/10 of 16 June 2010, by
which the Council requested me to submit a report on the implementation of its
resolutions 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539 (2004), 1612
(2005) and 1882 (2009), as well as its presidential statements on children and armed
conflict.
2. Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539
(2004), 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009), the report provides information on grave
violations committed against children, in particular the recruitment and use of
children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other sexual violence against
children, the abduction of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial
of humanitarian access to children by parties to armed conflict in contravention of
applicable international law1 (see sect. IV). The report also elaborates on the
progress made by parties to conflict on dialogue and action plans to halt the
recruitment and use of children and the patterns of killing and maiming of children
or rape and other sexual violence against children (see sect. II). It provides updates
__________________
1 Applicable international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict
include, in particular, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and obligations applicable under the
Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the
Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and the amended Protocol II and Protocol V to the
Convention on Prohibitions or Restriction on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which
May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, International
Labour Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for
the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of
the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction, and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.
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on the release of children associated with armed forces and armed groups (see
sect. III), and describes progress made by the United Nations system in
implementing specific requests of the Security Council (see sect. V). It also
examines the grave violations related to attacks on schools and hospitals (see
sect. VI), and outlines a series of recommendations (see sect. VII).
3. The preparation of the present report involved broad consultations within the
United Nations, in particular with the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict at
Headquarters, country task forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping and
political missions and United Nations country teams, as well as with concerned
Member States and non-governmental organizations.
4. References to reports, cases and incidents in the present report refer to
information that is gathered, vetted and verified for accuracy. In situations where the
ability to obtain or independently verify information received is hampered by
factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such. In several
situations covered by this report, the deterioration in security conditions continues
to hamper systematic monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children.
Therefore, the information presented is indicative of the gravity of the violations
committed against children, but not necessarily the scope and scale.
5. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in identifying the
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict is guided by the criteria for determining the existence
of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and international
jurisprudence. In the performance of her mandate, my Special Representative has
adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach to this issue, with a humanitarian
emphasis, aimed at ensuring a broad and effective protection for children exposed
and affected by conflict in situations of concern. Reference to a situation of concern
is not a legal determination and reference to a non-State party does not affect its
legal status.2
II. Information on progress made by parties to conflict on
dialogue and action plans to halt the recruitment and use
of children, patterns of killing and maiming of children or
rape and other forms of sexual violence against children in
armed conflict
6. New action plans to address child recruitment and use, as well as to secure
their release, were signed between the United Nations and the Sudan Liberation
Army (SLA)/SLA/Free Will; Sudan Liberation Army/SLA/Mother Wing (Abu
Gasim); and the Government of Afghanistan, respectively. Updates on progress
made in the implementation of action plans signed by the Government of Nepal and
the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), the Moro Islamic
__________________
2 See, for example, common article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, article 1 of Additional
Protocol II of 1977 thereto; International Committee of the Red Cross, J. Pictet (ed.),
Commentary on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (1958); and Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic, Case
No. IT-94, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Appeals Chamber
(2 October 1995).
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Liberation Front (MILF), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2009
and the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal (TMVP) in 2008 are also reflected below.
Afghanistan
7. On 30 January 2011, the action plan for the prevention of underage recruitment
into the Afghan National Security Forces was signed by the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Zalmai Rassoul, and my Special Representative for Afghanistan, and
witnessed by my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. In the
action plan, the Government of Afghanistan committed itself to preventing underage
recruitment in the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, including the
Afghan Local Police, and the National Directorate of Security. In addition, the
Government committed itself to addressing issues of sexual violence against
children by its security forces, and of killing and maiming in contravention of
international humanitarian law. My Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict also met with high-level stakeholders and obtained commitments from the
Ulema Shura (Council of Clerics), the High Peace Council, the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
donors and human rights actors to redouble their efforts in support of the action
plan.
8. As steps towards the development of the action plan, the Ministry of Interior
issued an executive order on 24 April 2010 prohibiting children from being recruited
or used within ANP, requiring children found in ANP ranks to be separated within
30 days; and calling for investigations and disciplinary action against those found to
be in violation of this order. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA) undertook its first unannounced verification visit to the Afghan National
Police recruitment and training centre in Kunduz City, Kunduz Province, in May
2010, and noted that the executive order was clearly posted on the walls of the
centre, and trainers and new recruits were fully aware of its contents. Further, a
Government steering committee on children and armed conflict, consisting of eight
Deputy Ministers, the Director of the National Directorate of Security and the
Presidential Adviser on Health and Education, was launched on 18 July 2010. The
steering committee approved the action plan and established a technical working
group, comprising focal points from relevant ministries and the United Nations to
ensure its implementation.
9. While there are no ongoing discussions on action plans with armed groups,
dialogue held at the community level in order to carry out protection activities has
proven partially successful. Dialogue with armed groups on the recruitment and use
of children is impeded by the current situation and the fragmentation within these
groups. Additionally, given their ties with those groups engaging in criminal
activities, it is often difficult to determine the identification and accountability of
these groups for grave violations against children in conflict.
Sudan
10. On 14 June 2010, an action plan was submitted by SLA/Free Will to the
United Nations. Under this action plan, the armed group committed to, inter alia, the
release of all children found within its ranks; fully cooperate with the North Sudan
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission; and grant access to
the United Nations to monitor its implementation. In a progress report to my Joint
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Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in
Darfur (UNAMID) in August, in follow-up to the action plan, SLA/Free Will
informed of the dissemination of a command order to all members of the armed
group, and participation of its field commanders in child protection training.
11. A similar action plan was submitted by SLA/Mother Wing (Abu Gasim) to the
United Nations on 15 August 2010. Preceding the signing of the action plan, the
armed group issued a command order on 9 April prohibiting its fighters from
recruiting and using child soldiers, and designated two senior commanders as focal
points to prepare and implement the action plan.
12. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM) and the United Nations on 21 July 2010, as a first step towards the
signing of an action plan. This memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing
an understanding of the basic principles of child rights enshrined in national and
international laws, and outlining conditions for unhindered access to verify
compliance with such laws, particularly that no child under the age of 18 is recruited
or associated with JEM. The dispersal of JEM to remote areas of Darfur or
neighbouring countries as a result of renewed clashes with Government forces,
however, have contributed to delays in implementation of this memorandum of
understanding.
13. On 22 December 2010, JEM/Peace Wing submitted a draft action plan to the
United Nations, to be implemented in Geneina and Zalengi (Western Darfur).
14. On 23 December 2010, UNAMID and the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) visited Gur Lumbung (Golum Bay) in Jebel Marra (Southern Darfur), a
stronghold of SLA/Abdul Wahid, to discuss the recruitment and use of child
soldiers. The armed group confirmed that while they do not actively recruit children,
children may be associated with them. SLA/Abdul Wahid commanders pledged full
commitment to continue dialogue with the United Nations and agreed to consider
the establishment of an action plan.
15. There are ongoing discussions between the United Nations and the Sudanese
Armed Forces on an action plan to end the association of children with the Sudanese
Armed Forces. This action plan will also apply to its proxy groups. It is
acknowledged that the Sudanese Armed Forces does not have a policy to recruit
children. The Sudanese Armed Forces agreed to work towards an action plan in a
meeting with the United Nations held on 21 October 2010, at the Ministry of
Defence.
16. Finally, in Southern Sudan, the action plan that was signed between the United
Nations and SPLA on 20 November 2009 lapsed in November 2010. A progress
report on the implementation of the action plan was submitted by the technical
committee comprising of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS),
UNICEF and the South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration
Commission to SPLA leadership for approval, including a request for a six-month
extension in order to complete the identification and removal of all children
remaining within the ranks of the group. In 2010, despite several challenges,
considerable progress was made by SPLA in action plan implementation, with
support of the South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration
Commission and the United Nations. A child protection unit was established at
SPLA general headquarters in Juba and in all SPLA divisions across all 10 States of
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Southern Sudan. SPLA officers were trained on child rights and child protection,
and similar trainings targeting SPLA soldiers were rolled out throughout the region
in December.
17. Insecurity (such as in Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile and Western Bahr el-Ghazal
States), lack of cooperation from some SPLA commanders (such as in Lakes State)
and poor road conditions were key challenges faced in the implementation of the
SPLA action plan. In addition, access for child protection actors to assess the
situation of children associated with SPLA in Kordofan State remained problematic
during the reporting period. Attempts made by child protection actors to work with
the Joint North-South Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission
to officially register these children could not be achieved for security reasons. On
3 December, UNMIS raised these concerns with the SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff for
Moral Orientation, who acknowledged the presence of children associated with
SPLA in Kordofan State and committed to cooperate with the United Nations to
release them. Furthermore, it was jointly agreed that the second phase of the action
plan implementation would begin with assessments in the transitional areas,
including in Jaw and Kurmuk, where children have been sighted within SPLA.
Nepal
18. In line with the action plan signed on 16 December 2009, between the
Government of Nepal, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M),
and the United Nations regarding the discharge of disqualified Maoist army
personnel and related tasks, and in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement, the formal discharge of Maoist army personnel verified as minors was
completed in early 2010; 2,973 Maoist army personnel were verified as minors. The
discharge process took place in the seven main cantonment sites and included 1,843
persons verified as minors; the remaining 1,130 verified minors who were not
present for this process were discharged with the signing of a declaration of
discharge on 23 March 2010.
19. A United Nations monitoring team comprising representatives from the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and
UNICEF, in conjunction with the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), was
established to monitor and report on compliance with the provisions specified in the
action plan. Information collected and verified to date indicates that there are
continuing links between some verified minors and the Maoist army, including
monthly payments being made to the verified minors and accommodation, in the
form of shared housing, being provided in different regions. A small number of
verified minors have returned to the cantonment sites. However, there are also
social-economic aspects to these continuing links, including difficulties faced by the
verified minors in reintegrating into their communities and finding alternative
employment. Despite concerns being raised with UCPN-M at the central level and
with Maoist army commanders at the cantonment sites, few measures to redress
these trends have been observed.
Philippines
20. As part of the 1 August 2009 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) action
plan to address child recruitment and use, in January 2010 MILF issued a
supplemental general order restating the policy of non-recruitment of children
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within the MILF-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces. The order also sets out
punitive sanctions for non-compliance, and provides for the establishment of child
protection units within the ranks of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.
21. Rapid registration of children associated with MILF in line with the action
plan is in progress across core communities in 18 of the 21 MILF base commands,
in partnership with mutually agreed upon non-governmental organizations.
Preliminary unverified results of the rapid registration indicate that 432 children
(366 boys and 66 girls) may be associated with MILF. The training of additional
data-gatherers and rapid registration covering the three remaining MILF bases, as
well as systematic expansion to peripheral Moro-MILF communities, commenced in
early 2011. In order to meet all its commitments, in August, the United Nations and
MILF agreed to extend the action plan agreement for an additional 12 months.
22. On 2 November 2010, the Government of Philippines issued an official
endorsement reaffirming its support for United Nations engagement with the New
People’s Army (NPA) on the development of an action plan. The Government
recognizes that this initiative will contribute to the advocacy urging all parties to the
conflict to respect the rights of children at all times, and likewise support the
complementary tracks of the peace process currently pursued by the Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
23. The absence of political representation, as well as the security risks involved,
currently prevents United Nations engagement with the Abu Sayyaf Group.
24. Finally, the United Nations has initiated discussions with the Government,
through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, on the
development of a strategy for engaging with government forces to protect children
in armed conflict. Consistent with recommendations in my report on children and
armed conflict in the Philippines (S/2008/272), on November 2010, the Government
appointed Army Colonel Domingo Tutaan, Jr., as the chief Human Rights Officer of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Sri Lanka
25. In 2010, sustained efforts were made by the United Nations throughout the
year to encourage the full implementation and completion of the action plan signed
by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal (TMVP), the Government of Sri Lanka and
UNICEF in December 2008. The working group established in Batticaloa in January
2009, comprised of representatives from the local administration, the police, the Sri
Lankan army, the Department of Probation and the United Nations, met on a
monthly basis to follow up on their commitments in accordance with the action
plan. Between June and July 2010, meetings were also held between the Police
Department, Iniya Barrathi (former element of the Karuna faction) and the United
Nations, to advocate and advance progress on the release of children who remain
associated with the group. This resulted in an investigation being carried out on
30 August 2010 by the National Child Protection Authority and its police section,
upon request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to establish the whereabouts of
these children. Although a request for a full investigation into allegations of
recruitment and use of children by Iniya Barrathi was lodged with the Government
after the visit of Special Envoy Patrick Cammaert, limited progress has been made
to date.
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Chad
26. The Government of Chad expressed its intention to prepare and implement an
action plan to address the recruitment and use of children by the Armée nationale
tchadienne in a meeting between my Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict and the Minister of Social Action, National Solidarity and Family in
October 2010. A draft action plan has been prepared and is currently being discussed
with the Government.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
27. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has not been
forthcoming in engaging with the United Nations on an action plan to end the
recruitment and use of children by the Forces armées de la République démocratique
du Congo (FARDC), despite advocacy by child protection actors, including the
country task force on monitoring and reporting, over the last several years. While
efforts have been ongoing to professionalize FARDC, these efforts have not
consistently involved a formal process to remove all children from FARDC units.
Many children continue to be recruited and remain associated with FARDC units,
particularly within former Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP)
units. Many children released in 2010 reported that they had been recruited several
times, even after family reunification. This reaffirms the urgent need for a political
commitment at the highest levels of the Government in order to move forward on
the action plan and ensure its coherence with ongoing security sector reform efforts.
In a positive move, new military directives were issued by the “Amani Leo” chain
of command ordering the release of all children remaining in FARDC units.
Myanmar
28. In Myanmar, progress was made in the action plan negotiations between the
Government and the country task force on monitoring and reporting to end the
recruitment and use of children by the Tatmadaw Kyi. The Committee for the
Prevention of Military Recruitment of Underage Minors, chaired by the Adjutant-
General of the Tatmadaw, agreed to form a technical panel to negotiate the action
plan. The panel met to consider the draft action plan put forward by the task force.
In October and November, the task force was invited to discuss the action plan with
the Government with a view to signing the action plan at the earliest opportunity.
While the positive commitments made by the Government on the draft action plan
are noted by the task force, some crucial elements of the action plan, including
access for monitoring, require further discussions.
29. There has been no progress on dialogue with listed non-State armed groups in
Myanmar. In 2010, the Government again refused access to these groups, despite
continued high-level advocacy from the task force. Security Council resolution 1612
(2005) underlines the primary role of States in providing effective protection and
relief to all children affected by armed conflict. To date, however, prevention and
response activities provided by the Government have involved the Tatmadaw, and
have not reached children purported to be present in the other listed parties in
Myanmar. Further, the protection of children in armed conflict has also not been
included in the comprehensive strategy to negotiate transformation of ceasefire
groups to border guard forces or to resolve the conflict with the Karen National
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Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA), the Karenni National
Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA) or the Shan State Army-South.
Somalia
30. Dialogue with the Transitional Federal Government on child protection issues
has been very limited. Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed committed to
nominating a focal point to work with the United Nations towards the development
of an action plan to address the issue of child recruitment with the Transitional
Federal Government and its allied militia in a meeting with my Special
Representative on Children and Armed Conflict during her visit to Somalia. State
Minister Zahra Ali Samantar was officially appointed by the Prime Minister in
December as the focal point for child protection and human rights. Given the serious
deterioration in the situation in Somalia with regard to the protection of civilians,
and in particular children, throughout 2010, the development and implementation of
a comprehensive time-bound action plan to stop and prevent the recruitment and use
of children should be given urgent priority.
31. While advocacy efforts on child protection issues have been possible with the
Transitional Federal Government, it has not been possible to engage with
Al-Shabaab and other insurgent groups owing to difficulties in contacting the
group’s leadership and concerns over the possibility of further compromising
humanitarian access.
Colombia
32. The Government voluntarily accepted the monitoring and reporting mechanism
pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) on the condition that any
dialogue between the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children
and Armed Conflict, the United Nations country team or the country task force on
monitoring and reporting and illegal armed groups may be possible only with the
previous and explicit consent of the Government of Colombia. There was no contact
or dialogue between the United Nations system and armed groups on the preparation
and implementation of action plans to address grave violations against children,
delaying progress in the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1612
(2005) and 1882 (2009). Upon inauguration and later in 2010, President Santos
indicated that a Government precondition to starting peace talks with the Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and the Ejército de Liberación
Nacional (ELN) included a halt to recruitment and the release of children remaining
in the guerrillas’ ranks.
Yemen
33. Ongoing dialogue between UNICEF and the Government of Yemen for the
immediate release of children detained for their association with Al-Houthi led to
the opening of discussions with the Ministry of Defence on the issue of child
recruitment and use, including towards the preparation of an action plan to cease all
grave violations against children.
34. To date, restrictions on access have made it very difficult for the United
Nations to begin negotiations with the Al-Houthi armed group.
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III. Information on progress made in the release of children
from armed forces and armed groups
Chad
35. One hundred and eighty-one children, including 25 girls, were released by the
following armed opposition groups during the year: Front pour le salut de la
République (FSR); Front uni pour le changement (FUC); Mouvement national pour
le redressement (MNR); Rassemblement des forces pour le changement (RFC);
Conseil démocratique et révolutionnaire (CDR); Union des forces de la résistance
(UFR); Union des forces pour la démocratie et le développement (UFDD); Union
des forces pour le changement et la démocratie (UFCD); Front populaire pour la
renaissance nationale (FPRN); Mouvement pour la démocratie et la justice au Tchad
(MDJT); Union des forces pour la démocratie et le développement-Fondamentale
(UFDD-F); Mouvement pour la paix, la reconstruction et le développement (MPRD)
and JEM.
Central African Republic
36. Between 2009 and 2010, 525 children, including 37 girls, were separated from
the ranks of the Armée populaire pour la restauration de la république et de la
démocratie (APRD). Of the 525 children, 417 were separated in Paoua (Ouham-
Pendé) in 2009 and 2010, and 108 in Kanga-Bandoro (Nana-Gribizi) in 2010. At the
end of the reporting period, all these children were reunified with their families and
communities. It should be noted that towards the end of 2008, 775 children had been
separated from APRD, bringing the total number of separated children to date to
1,300.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
37. A total of 1,656 children (including 47 from Rwanda, 5 from Uganda and
2 from Central African Republic) escaped or were separated from armed forces and
groups during the year. Of these, 71 per cent were released in North Kivu Province;
17 per cent in Orientale Province; 8 per cent in South Kivu Province; 2 per cent in
Katanga Province; and the remaining 2 per cent in other provinces. A number of
factors may have contributed to the higher number of children released in North
Kivu, including the comparative ease of access to locations in North Kivu, and the
greater number of child protection actors in the province from which children can
seek protection and assistance. These children were released or escaped from the
Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) (29 per cent); FARDC
(21 per cent); the Coalition des patriotes résistants congolais (PARECO)-Mai-Mai
(18 per cent); remaining Mai-Mai factions (15 per cent); Forces de résistance
patriotique en Ituri/Front populaire pour la justice au Congo (FRPI/FPJC) (13 per
cent); the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) (3 per cent); and the Allied Democratic
Forces (ADF)/National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU), the Forces
républicaines fédéralistes (FRF), non-integrated elements of CNDP and the national
police (1 per cent).
38. Of the 1,656 children, only 240 were separated by child protection actors,
while the large majority escaped and approached United Nations Organization
Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) bases
or service providers for assistance. Four hundred forty-seven of the children
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released reported that they were recruited in 2010, indicating that 73 per cent of the
children were therefore recruited before 2010 and have been associated with armed
forces and groups for one to four years. Access to girls associated with armed forces
and groups remained a challenge, as indicated by the small number of girls (121)
among the children released. In addition to the 1,656 children released in 2010, 387
children who had separated from armed groups or forces in 2009 were also
registered by the country task force on monitoring and reporting in 2010.
39. As part of MONUSCO support to FARDC during “Amani Leo” military
operations, a conditionality policy issued pursuant to Security Council resolution
1925 (2010) required the screening of all FARDC units to verify the presence of
children and, if found, their separation from FARDC ranks. Although over 50
attempts of screening were carried out in coordination with the FARDC units
supported by MONUSCO, only five children were separated during the exercise.
That was owed mainly to troops not being made available for screening. Despite
numerous attempts to coordinate with FARDC and implement new military
directives and the conditionality policy, no formal organized operation to separate
children in 2010 took place; as a result, children continued to be present in the ranks
of FARDC.
Myanmar
40. According to official reports made available by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, 110 child soldiers (all male) were released from the Tatmadaw Kyi through
Government mechanisms during the year (bringing the total of child soldiers
notified as discharged to the country task forces on monitoring and reporting since
2006 to 383). Of the 110 child soldiers, 40 were released in response to complaints
lodged under the supplementary understanding complaints mechanism for the
elimination of forced labour of the International Labour Organization (ILO). In
2010, 184 children received reintegration support from UNICEF, Save the Children,
World Vision and other child protection partners, in support of the Ministry of
Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
41. In 2010, the Government shared details of a number of new military
instructions issued on the prevention of underage recruitment and granted greater
access to UNICEF, on behalf of the country task forces on monitoring and reporting,
to recruitment units to observe recruitment procedures. This did not extend to
military training schools or operational units. During these visits, greater rigour in
the screening process was observed. The rejection of prospective recruits due to
invalid age verification documentation or to the fact that they were underage was
also observed. Further, it was brought to the United Nations notice that the
Directorate for Military Strength in Nay Pyi Taw holds a database of children
rejected by recruitment units and who are not included in the lists of released
children shared with the task force. This measure has been put in place to ensure
that underage recruits rejected in one unit are not brought elsewhere for recruitment.
42. From the ILO experience, from late 2009 onwards, it appears that, of the four
main recruitment units, recruitment unit No. 1 in Da-nyin-gone, Yangon, seems to
be applying a more rigorous screening mechanism. In a number of cases, reports
were received that underage recruits were initially rejected when presented to this
centre, but were accepted at other more remote or less rigorous centres when
presented there.
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43. Although these steps reflected positive progress in terms of prevention and
discharge and cooperation with the country task forces on monitoring and reporting,
the Government had yet to draw up a plan to systematically identify and separate
children being used by the Tatmadaw Kyi, and the discharge of children continued
to be undertaken on an ad hoc basis as a response to complaints.
Sudan
44. The establishment of the North Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission by the Government of National Unity has greatly
assisted efforts in the release of children from armed groups. From February 2009 to
March 2010, the Commission, with the support of the United Nations, facilitated
and organized the release of 957 children by SLA/Free Will, SLA/Mother Wing
(Abu Gasim), SLA/Peace Wing, JEM/Peace Wing and the Popular Forces for Rights
and Democracy (173 children in Northern Darfur, 534 in Southern Darfur, 250 in
Western Darfur). In January 2011, SLA/Free Will and SLA/Mother Wing (Abu
Gasim) jointly released 84 children (44 from SLA/Free Will and 40 from
SLA/Mother Wing (Abu Gasim)) in Northern Darfur to the Commission as part of
the implementation of their action plans.
45. Further, UNICEF and the North Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission officially registered 526 children formerly associated
with armed groups in the three States of Darfur, including 53 girls. In addition, 149
children were registered in the Three Areas.
46. A total of 210 children associated with SPLA were released in 2010, of which
42 were confirmed by the United Nations as children listed on the payroll, trained
and armed. In the majority of cases, children were used as porters, messengers,
cooks and guards by SPLA officers. In Unity State, 89 children were released from
SPLA Division 4 in April (from Pakur and Buoth barracks in Duar); 50 children
from Division 5 (Mapel) in July; and 26 children (from Wunyik) in November. In
Divisions 7 and 8 (in Panpandiar and Yomding), as well as in New Kush and the
SPLA general headquarters, a total of 45 boys were released. Separately, in Blue
Nile State, SPLA released 140 children of the 220 children registered. Efforts are
under way to release the remaining 80 children in early 2011.
Colombia
47. According to the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, 338 children (114 girls
and 224 boys) have been separated from illegal armed groups between January and
December 2010 and entered protection programmes. Of these, 246 were separated
from FARC-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), 62 from the Ejército de Liberación
Nacional (ELN), 1 from the Ejército Popular de Liberación (EPL), 8 from the
former Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) and 21 from other armed groups
the Government deems criminal gangs.
Sri Lanka
48. Since 1 December 2008, 122 children have been reported as released by
TMVP, including 32 boys released in 2010.
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49. On 25 May 2010, all 562 “surrendee”3 children and youth, including 201 girls,
identified at the end of the conflict as formerly associated with armed groups were
released, upon completion of one year of rehabilitation as required by Emergency
Regulation No. 1580/5(2008). All children were released through a Magistrate’s
Court order, as well as a letter from the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation.
All children, except one, have been reunited with their families. In line with
Regulation 1580/5, monitoring of these children is ongoing by the Department of
Probation and Child Care Services. In addition to highlighting the limited
employment opportunities, which may improve given the joint plan of action for the
Northern Province, the monitoring showed that at least 250 children formerly
associated with armed groups in the north and east of the country are facing a
number of security issues. Concerns range from being requested to report regularly
to the nearby military/police posts, visits by military and police/intelligence staff to
their house, arrests by the police, to being required to report and sign at the local
military or navy post before leaving their administrative division of residence.
IV. Information on grave violations committed against children
in armed conflict
A. Information on grave violations against children in situations on
the agenda of the Security Council
Developments in Afghanistan
50. The recruitment and use of children by anti-government elements, including
the Taliban and its various factions, Haqqani network, Hizb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar, the Tora Bora Front, Latif Mansur Network and Jamat Sunat al-Dawa
Salafia, was observed throughout the country in 2010. Children were used by them
to carry out suicide attacks, plant explosives and transport munitions. The country
task forces on monitoring and reporting verified 23 incidents of recruitment and use
of children by armed groups. Half of these incidents were reported from provinces
near the border with Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. All recruited
children are male, between the ages of 9 and 17, and most of them were recruited in
southern and western regions.
51. There have been continued reports of cross-border recruitment and use of
children by armed opposition groups, including the Taliban, from both Pakistan and
Afghanistan. Many have been forced to carry explosives across the Pakistan-
Afghanistan border, often without their knowledge, while others have received more
advanced training in weapons. One boy, aged 15 years, recounted that he was
kidnapped by the Taliban at the age of 13 and taken to Pakistan, near the Turham
border, where he was kept in captivity, among other Afghan children, for almost two
years and received training in the use of weaponry. The boy was told that anyone
who tried to escape would be killed. He was forced to join a Taliban fighting group
and participated in armed clashes in Khyber, Kharkhano and other locations before
escaping during an attack. He managed to find his way to Kabul, where he was
__________________
3 A “surrendee” under the Sri Lankan Emergency Regulation 1580/5(2008) of 15 December 2008,
is a child leaving an armed group that has been identified and registered by the Government of
Sri Lanka and verified by UNICEF.
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arrested by the Afghan National Security Forces. He is currently serving a prison
sentence in Kabul Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre for threatening national security.
52. The Government’s policy is to not recruit children under 18 into the national
security forces, and efforts are made to identify and remove children during the
recruitment process. However, children continue to be found in the ranks of the
Afghan National Police. This was especially true for local recruitment in rural
district police stations and conflict-affected areas, where there were consistent
reports of children associated with Afghan National Police units at checkpoints and
police stations, including as drivers, messengers and tea boys. Insufficient ageverification
procedures, extremely low levels of birth registration, opportunities to
manipulate age in national identity documents, and the current recruitment drive
within the Afghan National Police have led to such underage recruitment.
53. Sixty-six incidents of detention of children for crimes relating to national
security and alleged association with armed groups were verified and documented.
Children were often detained with adults in police custody and some reported abuse
and mistreatment. The Afghan National Security Forces detained 62 children, while
3 children were arrested and detained by the international military forces. According
to ISAF, there are an additional 300 detainees between the ages of 16 and 18 held in
the detention facility in Parwan (formerly known as Bagram). This has yet to be
verified and followed up by the country task forces on monitoring and reporting. A
request has been made to ISAF for access to these children.
54. A total of 1,396 children were killed or maimed (486 killed and 910 maimed)
in 2010. This is a 35 per cent rise compared to 2009, mainly owing to an increase in
indiscriminate methods of warfare and asymmetric attacks by armed groups all
around the country. The majority of incidents occurred in the southern and eastern
regions. Seventy-two per cent of child casualties were attributed to armed groups,
including the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and Hizb-e-Islami and their respective
factions. Improvised explosive devices, suicide attacks, and rocket and mortar
shelling were the main causes of death and injury to children by these groups. Of
grave concern is the killing of children by the Taliban on the suspicion that they
were spies, or for being allegedly associated with or supporting the international
military forces. One such case in Helmand Province and another case in Ghazni
Province have been reported. Pro-Government forces (the Afghan National Security
Forces supported by the international military forces) were responsible for 21 per
cent of all child casualties in 2010, mainly caused by air strikes, artillery and
operations conducted during night raids. Cross-fire accounted for the remaining
7 per cent of child casualties, for which it was impossible to determine which party
was responsible. Furthermore, explosive remnants of war and landmines, left over
from the preceding decades of conflict, continued to cause loss of lives and injury to
children, mostly boys between 8 and 14 years old in the south and central regions.
55. Reports were received of sexual violence committed against children by
members of the Afghan National Security Forces with no or limited follow-up by
the authorities. Moreover, there continued to be reports of boys being sexually
abused and exploited by armed forces and groups, including the practice of baccha
baazi (dancing boys). Such incidents and their context continue to be difficult to
document, but efforts are being made to further investigate.
56. Eight incidents of abduction of children by armed groups, including the
Taliban, were verified in 2010. Children were abducted for various reasons, to
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intimidate families perceived as pro-Government or to pressure an exchange or
release of individuals detained by the authorities. Dozens of additional reports of
abduction of children were received during the reporting period, but information on
the perpetrators and their motives has been difficult to obtain.
57. A total of 197 education-related incidents throughout the country were
verified. Incidents affecting education included direct attacks against schools,
collateral damage, killing and injury of students and education personnel, threats
and intimidations, and forced school closures. These incidents were mostly
perpetrated by armed groups (86 per cent); 30 per cent of the incidents were carried
out in September 2010, the month of the Parliamentary elections, when half of the
polling stations were located in schools. Of the 47 verified incidents affecting health
delivery, 33 were attributed to armed groups and 14 to pro-Government forces.
Incidents included the abduction of medical staff, the looting of medical supplies,
improvised explosive device attacks, collateral damage and intimidation. The
highest incident levels were recorded in the north-eastern, eastern and northern
regions. The occupation of schools and health facilities by pro-Government forces is
a concern, including five verified incidents of school occupation by the international
military forces in 2010.
58. Humanitarian access continued to be seriously affected by widespread
insecurity, especially in the south and south-east of the country in 2010.
Significantly increased levels of insecurity in these areas, as well as the northern,
north-eastern and north-western regions, also hindered the capability of aid agencies
to assess needs, assist vulnerable populations and monitor provision of assistance.
Armed opposition groups were responsible for the majority of incidents, including
the abduction of humanitarian personnel, intimidation, the looting of humanitarian
aid, and armed attacks against the convoys and staff of humanitarian organizations.
Abduction by armed opposition groups remained the most common violation (74
persons abducted in 30 separate cases). In a majority of instances, those abducted
were released on the intervention of community elders and religious leaders.
59. In January 2010, President Karzai outlined a peace and reintegration
programme aimed at promoting peace through dialogue with armed opposition
groups. In the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme 2010 document of
July 2010, however, no specific reference was made, nor resources or
responsibilities allocated, for the particular needs of children directly affected by
armed conflict.
Developments in Burundi
60. Following the release of all children associated with the Forces nationales de
libération (FNL) in April 2009 and the transformation of the movement into a
registered political party, Burundi was removed from the annexes to my last annual
report on children and armed conflict (S/2010/181). No new reported cases of
recruitment or use of children were recorded in 2010. The country task forces on
monitoring and reporting continues to monitor the situation of children in Burundi,
given the security challenges that are present in a country emerging from conflict.
61. The operational framework for the reintegration of children formerly
associated with FNL and its alleged dissidents, established in 2009 (comprising a
government technical coordination team, UNICEF, United Nations Office in
Burundi (BNUB), international NGOs and national civil society organizations),
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continued to monitor the reintegration of 626 children, including 8 girls, during the
reporting period.
62. The number of reported cases of rape and other sexual violence perpetrated by
members of security and defence forces decreased in 2010 (6 cases) compared to
2009 (15 cases). According to BNUB, from January to November, the six cases of
rape of children (7-16 years of age), including one boy, were committed by
members of the Burundi National Police, National Defence Force (FDN) and
national intelligence service. For most of the reported cases, no judicial case has
been filed by the victims or follow-up taken by the authorities. In line with the
national strategy to fight gender-based violence still to be adopted and as part of the
joint programme signed with the United Nations, the Government is setting up a
“one-stop” centre to provide medical and psychosocial support to victims of genderbased
violence, including rape.
63. From January to November, BNUB registered the extrajudicial or arbitrary
detention of 204 children (45 girls and 159 boys), including some children arrested
for offences linked to national security. Among them is a 14-year-old girl suspected
of subversion, and a 14-year-old boy suspected of involvement in mercenary
activity. On a positive note, the Ministry of Justice established a child protection
unit for providing protection and assistance to children in contact with the law.
Developments in the Central African Republic
64. The Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR) and the
Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP) reportedly continued to
use children in the north of the country. Children were seen fighting for both armed
groups during the attack on Birao in Vakaga prefecture by CPJP in November. The
presence of children within the Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC)
near Kabo (Ouham prefecture) and the Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains
pour la justice (MLJC) in Vakaga prefecture was also reported. Further, while
hundreds of children have been demobilized from APRD since 2008, reports have
confirmed that children, including girls, remain associated with the armed group in
Ouham, Ouham-Pendé and Nana-Gribizi. APRD commanders have denied using
children, and have explained that children voluntarily joined APRD elements for
food and protection. The United Nations has not been able to confirm the number of
children still present in the ranks of APRD. The abduction of children by LRA,
especially in the south-east of the country (Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou
prefectures), remained of concern, along with reports that self-defence militias
supported by local authorities had mobilized children into their ranks, principally in
the north-west.
65. Attacks on villages in the north and north-west of the Central African Republic
resulting in civilian casualties, including children, were documented during the year.
In particular, in February, APRD attacked a campsite of members of the Peuhl ethnic
group in Taley (near Markounda in Ouham prefecture), killing 18 people, including
4 children. CPJP attacked Kpata village (near Ndélé in Bamingui-Bangoran
prefecture) in October, killing one girl. Multiple LRA attacks in which children
were killed were reported in Haut-Mbomou and Mbomou prefectures by survivors.
66. Incidences of rape and other sexual violence against children by armed
elements continued to be of grave concern in 2010, even though they remain
severely underreported. Of the hundreds of cases reported to the United Nations,
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approximately 10 per cent of victims were children, with CPJP and zaraguinas
(coupeurs des routes) among the perpetrators. In the east, the abduction of young
girls by LRA for use as sex slaves was reported by several victims who were able to
escape. Weak law enforcement systems, compounded by the absence of protective
measures to separate victims of sexual violence from their known aggressors in the
community, have contributed to a high level of impunity for such crimes.
67. The education system, especially in the east of the country, was considerably
affected by insecurity owing to the presence of armed groups. While schools were
not specifically targeted by LRA or other armed groups present in the east, the
atmosphere of fear of incursions by armed groups, including LRA, have prevented
parents from sending their children to school. From mid-May to September 2010,
schools in several villages of Mbomou (Rafai and Dembia in particular) and Haut-
Mbomou (i.e., Obo and Zemio) prefectures were closed owing to LRA activities. In
addition, it was reported to the United Nations that CPJP occupied several schools
in villages near Bria (Haute-Kotto prefecture) between May and July; while in
October, schools in Ippy (Ouaka prefecture) were temporarily closed owing to the
occupation of the town by CPJP.
68. During the year, there were cases of lootings of health centres in the east and
north of the country during attacks on villages by CPJP (in Bamingui-Bangoran
prefecture) and by LRA (in Mbomou, Haut-Mbomou, Haute-Kotto and Vakaga
prefectures), which adversely impacted access to health care by the population,
including children.
69. Humanitarian access was a major challenge in several parts of the north and
east (including Bamingui-Bangoran, Vakaga, Haute-Kotto, Mbomou and Haut-
Mbomou prefectures) owing to sporadic fighting between armed groups and FACA,
as well as increased rebel group attacks throughout the year. Incidents linked to
armed attacks and banditry, including kidnappings and killings of humanitarian
workers, resulted in a substantial decrease of activities by humanitarian
organizations in these areas, especially in Vakaga. Widespread insecurity in the
LRA-affected prefectures of Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou considerably limited
humanitarian aid and protection activities, especially to the displaced rural
population. Restrictions on the passage of humanitarian convoys by the Government
on major routes around Ndélé (Bamingui-Bangoran) until July 2010, as well as
attacks on convoys by armed groups and looting of premises of NGOs by UFDR and
FDPC, compounded the challenges associated with aid delivery to affected
populations. On several occasions, negotiations for humanitarian access were
complicated by a lack of clarity in the chain of command, in particular with FDPC
in Kabo (Ouham prefecture).
70. In June, the Government of the Central African Republic signed the
N’Djamena Declaration to end the recruitment and use of children within its armed
forces. The Government’s commitment to protect children affected by armed
conflict was restated at the African Union ministerial meeting on LRA, held in
Bangui in October. Other efforts led by the Government to protect children included
the signing in September of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the
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Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict4 and on the
sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.5
71. In January, the revised Penal Code, which includes a section on crimes against
children under discussion since 2003, was promulgated by presidential decree.
Moreover, the Government decided, with the support of the International
Conference on the Great Lakes Region, to revise its existing law on the protection
of women against violence in the Central African Republic to include the protection
of children against all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. At the time of
writing, the bill was still under review.
Developments in Chad
72. The slow but progressive improvement in the security situation in 2010, and
the normalization of relations between Chad and the Sudan contributed to a decrease
in the number of reported cases of child recruitment in Chad, compared to 2009.
JEM was less visible and present in the refugee camps in eastern Chad; no new
cases of child recruitment by JEM were reported to have occurred after May 2010.
Furthermore, between May and August 2010, at least 40 former child combatants
allegedly recruited by JEM prior to 2010 returned to the refugee camps. Prior to
May, the recruitment of Sudanese refugee children by JEM from north-eastern Chad
had been reported. Information corroborated by various sources pointed to local
refugee leaders who in some cases acted as “facilitators” in the recruitment process.
73. On 17 September, a group of Sudanese men reportedly attempted to recruit
children and youth from the Goz Amer refugee camp (Dar Sila region) to join the
SLM/A. The recruiters targeted boys and girls, some as young as 12 years old.
Although the group was reported to have enlisted at least 207 refugees, most of
them children, they were prevented by the Détachement intégré de sécurité (DIS)
from taking the recruits with them, and the perpetrators were subsequently arrested
by Chadian authorities.
74. Only eight allegations of child recruitment by the Armée nationale tchadienne
(6 Sudanese refugee children from north-eastern Chad and 2 children among
displaced communities in the Goz Beida area of south-eastern Chad) were received
in 2010, compared to 26 cases in 2009. In addition, between May and August 2010,
the presence of children within Armée nationale tchadienne forces was also
observed in Adré, as well as within mobile brigades of the Armée nationale
tchadienne in the border areas of Goungour and Sawa, Assoungha department. The
number of cases documented were isolated and allegedly carried out by low-ranking
officers. In response, the Government, with the support of the country task force on
monitoring and reporting, organized training sessions to build and reinforce the
capacity and knowledge of rank-and-file officers of the Armée nationale tchadienne
on child rights and child protection, in line with international norms and standards.
75. Children were also identified within several Chadian opposition armed groups,
including those that joined Government forces following the signature of several
peace agreements (peace agreements of July 2009 with Mouvement national; with
Front démocratique populaire (FDP) of December 2009, and with MDJT of May
2010). For instance, 13 boys between the ages of 14 and 17 were identified among
__________________
4 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2173, No. 27531.
5 Ibid., vol. 2173, No. 27531.
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the 60 FPRN combatants captured by the Armée nationale tchadienne during the
fighting between Armée nationale tchadienne and FPRN in April 2010. Furthermore,
according to information received from the local population, children allegedly
remain associated with FDP, whose forces are armed and stationed in the Central
African Republic/Chad/Sudan border triangle; and MPRD in the hills of Korbol in
Moyen-Chari.
76. Children represented the majority of victims of explosive remnants of war in
2010. Of the 17 incidents reported in the four eastern regions (Ouaddai, Wadi Fira,
Dar Sila and Salamat), 14 involved children (all boys), and 2 were fatal. In addition,
access to the Tibesti region, an intensely mined area occupied by MDJT was
possible as a result of the peace agreement between the Government of Chad and
MDJT. Demining activities by the Government, as well as mine education
campaigns were carried out in the last quarter of 2010. Despite these efforts, the
prevalence of mines and explosive remnants of war in Chad has been understated.
With the departure of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic
and Chad (MINURCAT) and the termination of its mine and explosive remnants of
war clearance and road verification programmes, there is a serious risk that
incidents of killing and maiming of children by explosive remnants of war may
increase.
77. Sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls continued to be a
widespread phenomenon in Chad. Perpetrators include members of armed groups
and the Armée nationale tchadienne, but the majority of incidents were perpetrated
by civilians. Two observations may be made from sexual and gender-based violence
data collected in Chad by the United Nations. First, there is an ascending trend of
reported sexual and gender-based violence cases among refugees, with 295 cases in
2006, 512 cases in 2007, 656 cases in 2008, 860 in 2009 and 650 by midyear 2010.
This may not necessarily indicate that sexual and gender-based violence cases have
increased, but rather the result of increased reporting owing to sustained work on
sexual and gender-based violence. Second, it may reveal a behavioural change
evidenced by survivors and their relatives willing to report cases. While
underreporting remains a concern, particularly for rape or attempted rape cases, this
trend may indicate growing trust in the protection mechanisms established by
international actors, in close coordination with the communities, and in DIS.
78. Of the 650 cases of sexual and gender-based violence against refugee women
and girls recorded by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) in the first semester of 2010, nearly 30 per cent of victims were
children, including children as young as 3 years old. Gender-based violence
assaults, rapes and attempted rapes, including by members of the armed forces, were
documented. Within the host population, two cases of rape against children by
members of the armed forces were also documented. Impunity related to sexual and
gender-based violence cases, particularly when the perpetrators are soldiers of the
Armée nationale tchadienne, remains a major concern.
79. During 2010, 11 security incidents and attacks against humanitarian workers
were recorded. This was attributed to three factors: DIS, with the support of
MINURCAT, increasingly providing escorts and being able to react relatively
promptly; the creation of the joint Chad/Sudan monitoring force and its deterrence
effect; and the fact that other security forces, including the Armée nationale
tchadienne and Gendarmerie, intensified their efforts to pursue and apprehend
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perpetrators. However, this decrease came after a spate of serious security incidents
in June 2010, including carjackings, kidnappings and abductions. As a result, one
international NGO withdrew its international staff from eastern Chad and three
others partially suspended their operations. In order to continue protection for
humanitarian operations in view of the withdrawal of MINURCAT, the Government
created the Bureau de sécurisation et de mouvement in six different locations
(Abéché, Bahai, Guéréda, Iriba, Koukou, Goz Beida) to provide additional security
to the humanitarian actors.
80. As part of its efforts to address the recruitment and use of children, the
Government of Chad organized a regional conference in N’Djamena on ending the
recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups in June 2010. Bringing
together representatives of Chad, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Niger,
Nigeria and the Sudan, the conference culminated in the signing of the N’Djamena
Declaration, by which Governments committed to, inter alia, end child recruitment
and use by armed forces and armed groups; establish a strategy to fight arms
proliferation; implement relevant regional and international instruments on child
rights and child protection; and harmonize national legislations.
Developments in Côte d’Ivoire
81. The prevalence of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
remains one of the many concerns in Côte d’Ivoire. Out of the 37 cases of sexual
violence documented by the country task forces on monitoring and reporting at the
national level, 7 were perpetrated by Forces nouvelles elements in the north. In the
west, most of the cases of rapes allegedly attributed to pro-Gbagbo militia groups
occurred during road attacks, which has become a new concern in the region. Three
cases were reported in May, June and October 2010. Generally, it was difficult to
identify whether perpetrators belonged to militia groups, as most of them were in
civilian clothing. In San Pedro, two members of the Fédération estudiantine et
scolaire de Côte d’Ivoire, aged 17, who had been arrested on 12 March for their
involvement in the kidnapping and gang-rape of one of their peers, were released.
82. There were also concerns about the killing and maiming of children, with 23
cases recorded, of which 19 were verified. Of the 19, 11 cases occurred during the
immediate post-electoral period mainly in the cities of Issia, Duékoué, Sinfra,
Abidjan and Tiébissou. These cases were allegedly perpetrated by forces loyal to
former president Laurent Gbagbo. The remaining allegations were not verified by
the country task forces on monitoring and reporting at the time of writing, owing to
the volatile security situation and the restrictions to movement of personnel in areas
controlled by forces loyal to Mr. Gbagbo.
83. The involvement of children in campaigning activities and political
demonstrations during the weeks leading up to the elections exposed them to
reprisals, and in some cases resulted in children being physically harmed. In order to
address this concern, the Forces nouvelles Chief of Staff and Integrated Command
Centre officials were requested to instruct their personnel to ensure children are
protected from any potential risks of violence or manipulation that are against their
best interests.
84. A worrying trend of youth militarization was observed, particularly after the
run-off election on 28 November 2010. Young people were recruited in various
localities, notably in Abidjan, Bouaflé, Daloa, San Pedro, the Agnéby region,
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Vavoua and Zuénoula, which are areas controlled by forces loyal to Mr. Gbagbo.
Some were brought to Abidjan to undergo rapid military training in designated
centres. There were also reports of forced abductions of youth who were taken to
training centres. Upon completion of their training, some of the youth were sent to
the field with military uniforms and weapons. In Yamoussoukro, the Compagnie des
Scorpions Guetteurs, a militia group led by a Young Patriot, was reactivated, and
reportedly recruited youth to infiltrate areas controlled by the Forces nouvelles.
Developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
85. Child protection actors recorded 447 cases of child recruitment (including 49
girls) so far in 2010, representing about half of the number of recruitment cases
reported in my last report (S/2010/181). This difference can be attributed to the
surge of recruitments just before FARDC fast track integration in 2009. Of the
recruitments that took place in 2010, 311 took place in North Kivu Province, 74 in
South Kivu Province, 60 in Orientale Province and 1 in Bandundu Province. One
child was reportedly recruited in Uganda and separated in North Kivu. Perpetrators
include FARDC, FDLR, PARECO, Mai-Mai, LRA, FRPI/FPJC, CNDP, Police
nationale congolaise, ADF/NALU and unidentified armed elements. The majority of
children recruited in 2010 were used in military operations and were recruited more
than once by the same or other groups. Of particular note is the ongoing recruitment
and threats of re-recruitment, including from schools, in Masisi and Rutshuru
territories by former elements of CNDP that have been integrated into FARDC. For
example, in November 2010 in this area, at least 79 children who had been reunified
with their families returned to transit centres for fear of re-recruitment.
86. A total of 26 cases of killing of children and 16 cases of maiming of children
by armed forces and groups were documented in 2010 (compared to 23 cases of
killing and 12 cases of maiming in 2009). Of the 26 cases, 13 were attributed to
FARDC, 5 to LRA, 2 to ADF/NALU, 2 to FRPI/FPJC, 2 to PARECO, and 1 each to
FDLR and Mai-Mai groups, respectively. Seven cases of maiming were reportedly
perpetrated by FARDC, four by FDLR, three by Mai-Mai, one by PARECO and one
by an unidentified group.
87. Sexual violence against children by security forces (army and the Police
nationale congolaise) and armed groups continued to be a serious concern in 2010.
A total of 141 cases (including two against boys) were recorded in 2010 by child
protection actors, compared to 134 cases in 2009. Of the 141 cases, 73 occurred in
North Kivu Province, 35 in Orientale Province (13 in Ituri and 22 in Haut and Bas
Uélé), and 33 in South Kivu Province. Sixty-seven cases of sexual violence against
children were allegedly perpetrated by FARDC, followed by FDLR (20 cases), LRA
(15 cases), Police nationale congolaise (12 cases), PARECO (4 cases), FRPI
(2 cases), Mai-Mai factions (1 case), ADF/NALU (1 case) and Agence nationale de
renseignement (1 case). On 10 January 2010, an element of the Uganda People’s
Defence Force (UPDF) reportedly raped a 16-year-old girl in Haut Uélé territory,
Orientale Province. In 15 cases, perpetrators remained unidentified. Twenty-six
children who were victims of sexual violence, including one boy, were under the age
of 10. In addition to the 141 cases of sexual violence against children that occurred
in 2010, 89 other cases that occurred in 2009 and earlier were also documented in
2010.
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88. Ensuring accountability for perpetrators of crimes against children remained
problematic. Despite the large number of reported cases of child recruitment,
particularly by FARDC commanders involved in “Amani Leo” operations, no
judicial action has been initiated against them. Bosco Ntaganda, Innocent Zimurinda
and Beaudoin Ngaruye, all of whom are suspected of recruitment and use of
children, remained in the command structure of FARDC. On the positive side,
28 security forces were arrested for sexual abuses against children (19 in South
Kivu Province and 9 in Province Orientale). Among those arrested, 20 FARDC and
two Police nationale congolaise elements were convicted. In addition, in the Kivus,
two FARDC elements and one member of the Mai-Mai were convicted for the
killing and maiming of children.
89. In 2010, at least 14 schools and 9 hospitals (10 in North Kivu, 8 in Ituri, 5 in
South Kivu) were attacked by armed forces and groups (7 by FRPI/FPJC, 7 by
FARDC, 3 by PARECO, 1 by FRF, 2 by FDLR, 3 unidentified). The attacks included
10 cases in which the buildings were destroyed, 18 cases of looting and 7 cases of
occupation of the buildings.
90. Humanitarian access continued to be hampered in eastern Democratic
Republic of the Congo throughout 2010, not only as a consequence of armed group
activity and military operations against these groups, but also because of the direct
targeting of humanitarian staff. The number of recorded security incidents against
humanitarian partners increased in 2010 by 10 per cent compared to 2009. All
parties to the conflict targeted humanitarian personnel, severely limiting the
provision of aid to vulnerable populations. While the national security forces and
armed groups accounted for some cases (mostly FDLR and Mai-Mai), the majority
remains unidentified. The trend was particularly worrisome in North and South
Kivu, with Masisi, Rutshuru and Fizi territories being most affected. In South Kivu
alone, the number of attacks against aid workers more than doubled in 2010
compared to 2009. In the Haut and Bas Uélé districts of Orientale Province,
insecurity owing to the threat attributed to LRA and other tensions severely
restricted the movement of humanitarian staff throughout the year. The provision of
humanitarian assistance by United Nations agencies in the east has continued to
depend largely on the capacity of MONUSCO to deploy troops to escort relief
convoys and secure the areas where assistance is being delivered.
Developments in Haiti
91. Since my last annual report, the security environment was marked by the
12 January 2010 earthquake, which displaced over a million people into precarious
and internally displaced camps, and two rounds of presidential and legislative
elections, on 28 November 2010 and 20 March 2011. More firearms are reportedly
circulating, and gangs possess an estimated 17,000 of the 205,000 illegal weapons
now in circulation. This poses an increased risk for children, who are recruited as
gang members, especially as conventional social structures and protective
environment — their schools and families, churches — remain disintegrated as a
result of the earthquake. The political turmoil and the volatile security situation
have also heightened the risk of opportunistic alliances by armed elements with
political or private sector actors for political or criminal purposes. Further,
trafficking of children remains a serious concern in Haiti. Many of these children
are victims of mistreatment, sexual abuse, forced labour and criminal exploitation.
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92. Although there was a decline in the number of child abductions prior to the
earthquake owing to the arrest of armed elements and gang leaders involved in child
abduction by the Haitian National Police in close cooperation with the United
Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) (89 cases in 2008; 21 cases in
2009), the numbers increased slightly in 2010, with 27 children (including 13 girls)
abducted for ransom or for assault, including by armed elements, predominantly in
Port-au-Prince. Abducted girls were exposed to sexual abuse and rape during
captivity. Underreporting to the authorities by families owing to fear of
repercussions suggests that the total number of abductions may be higher.
93. According to official figures provided by national law enforcement authorities,
17 boys and 4 girls were killed during armed confrontations among Port-au-Prince
gangs in 2010. During the last week of November and the first week of December
alone, nine children were reported killed by armed gangs in Martissant as a result of
the political unrest related to the first round of elections.
94. Despite more frequent patrols by the Haitian National Police, rape and other
sexual violence against children committed by armed elements continue to be
reported, particularly in the internally displaced persons’ camps that have limited or
intermittent access to law enforcement services. Several IDP camps were a base for
escaped prisoners and gangs’ operations. Sixty per cent of the 284 cases of sexual
violence registered during the reporting period by an international NGO in Port-au-
Prince were children under the age of 18; and the Haitian National Police recorded
279 cases of rape and sexual violence against women and girls and 1 case of male
child rape in Port-au-Prince between January and October 2010. Given that
collecting data on sexual violence cases in post-earthquake Haiti has been extremely
challenging with no active case registration system in the country, information on
the number of cases perpetrated against children in IDP camps was not available at
the time of writing.
95. Children as young as 10 years old are reportedly being used by armed
elements in and around Port-au-Prince to courier drugs, warn members when
security forces are conducting operations, carry weapons and intervene in armed
confrontations, convey messages, act as spies, collect ransom during kidnapping,
carry out arson attacks or destroy private and public property. In Martissant,
approximately 30 children reportedly belong to one armed gang.
96. Physical damage to rule-of-law institutions by the earthquake has exacerbated
existing challenges, including the lack of adequate detention facilities and the
prolonged pre-trial detention of children. Of the 342 children detained across the
country in December 2010, 88 per cent were held in pre-trial detention and 14 per
cent were girls. Children charged and undergoing a judicial process lacked adequate
detention facilities. Nevertheless, the Direction de l’Administration Pénitentiaire has
undertaken steps to resolve this issue, within the framework of the development
strategic plan for the period 2007-2012.
Developments in Iraq
97. Children were used in Iraq by Al-Qaida in Iraq to spy and scout, to transport
military supplies and equipment, to videotape attacks, to plant explosive devices and
to actively engage in attacks against security forces and civilians. There have been
consistent reports received in 2010 by the United Nations from civil society groups,
national authorities and security forces, as well as the United States Forces in Iraq
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(USF-I), that Al-Qaida in Iraq operates a youth wing for children under the age of
14 called “Birds of Paradise” (also referred to as “Paradise Boys” or “Youth of
Heaven”) to carry out suicide attacks against military, government and civilian
targets. Information concerning this wing of Al-Qaida in Iraq is difficult to verify
owing to the group’s clandestine nature and the difficulty in identifying its
leadership and chain of command. However, Al-Qaida in Iraq reportedly targets
vulnerable children for forced recruitment, such as orphans, street children and the
mentally disabled. In other instances, insurgents have allegedly used children as
proxy bombers who did not know they were carrying explosives that were intended
to be detonated remotely without their knowledge.
98. At least 194 children were killed and 232 injured as a result of the continued
conflict in 2010. The majority of these incidents took place in the governorates of
Baghdad, Ninewa, Kirkuk and Basra. Access to many parts of Iraq is limited to
United Nations staff as a result of security conditions, and therefore verification of
all incidents was not possible. As a result, it is believed by the United Nations that
these figures may underrepresent the actual number of child casualties during the
year. The largest number of casualties is attributed to Al-Qaida in Iraq and Islamic
State of Iraq (ISI), which carry out indiscriminate attacks, including suicide
bombers, car bombs, and roadside bombs, with the intention of creating terror
among the population and engendering a climate of fear in public places where
civilians, including children, tend to gather. ISI had taken responsibility for the
attack on 31 October against Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad that killed
55 people, including 3 children. In addition, children were also killed or maimed as
a result of being caught in the crossfire between insurgent groups and military or
police forces engaged in combat, or during checkpoints confrontations.
99. The ongoing security situation has in some instances compromised children’s
access to education. In particular, threats and intimidation against specific groups
remain a concern. For example, in October 2010, as a result of the attack by ISI
against Our Lady of Salvation Church, it was reported that many schools in
Baghdad, often sharing the same grounds as their churches, cancelled classes for
several weeks out of fear of a similar attack taking place by ISI or another insurgent
group intending to terrorize the community.
100. The detention of children by USF-I ceased during the reporting period. The
United States-Iraq status of forces agreement requires that juveniles detained by
USF-I be released, or, if sufficient evidence exists, that they be transferred to the
Iraqi justice system for processing. As of June 2010, no juveniles remained in USF-I
custody. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, supported by UNICEF, started a
“justice for children” project, which combined prevention, protection, reintegration
and restorative justice for children and youth in 2009. Four mobile legal teams
continued to provide assistance to boys in pre- and post-trial detention in Baghdad
and Basra in 2010. Many of these boys were accused of being involved in terrorist
activities, which carries a 15-year jail sentence if convicted. Others had been in
detention without a formal charge for more than 12 months.
Developments in Lebanon
101. The United Nations and child protection organizations remain deeply
concerned about the politicization of children and their potential participation in
armed clashes between opposing political forces or in political demonstrations.
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However, the collection of accurate and credible evidence on the association of
children with armed groups remains problematic owing to the lack of monitoring
mechanisms in Lebanon at this time. The Government of Lebanon has not yet
ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
102. The impact of ongoing political volatility, acute socio-economic inequities,
significant school dropout rates and high youth unemployment among Palestine
refugees in comparison to the host population also constitute major risk factors for
the increased association of children with political armed violence, or with violent
extremism in some Palestinian camps. It should be noted that significant
amendments to the Labour Code and the Social Security Law adopted by the
Lebanese Parliament in 2010 aim at improving access to the private sector labour
market by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
103. On a positive note, 9 out of the 12 children detained on national security
grounds, some held owing to their alleged association with Fatah al-Islam, as
reported in my last report, were released this year. Two of the detainees turned 18
during the year and were transferred to adult facilities.
104. The presence of cluster munitions used by Israel during the war in 2006
continues to pose a serious danger to the civilian population living near
contaminated areas. Since the end of the conflict in August 2006, the number of
incidents among civilians has reached 347, including 44 fatalities and 303 injuries,
among them 102 children.
105. There are also ongoing threats related to landmines and unexploded ordnance,
with 17 civilian casualties recorded during the reporting period. This includes the
killing of one child and the maiming of three others in a single incident in a
Palestinian camp in Beddawi (northern Lebanon), which is currently being
investigated by the Lebanese Mine Action Centre. On 17 August, the Lebanese
Parliament ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Developments in Myanmar
106. Of the 93 child soldiers notified as having been discharged from the Tatmadaw
through government mechanisms from January to December 2010, the country task
forces on monitoring and reporting verified that 40 had been recruited during 2010,
with the remaining 53 recruited in 2009. However, this most likely does not
represent the total number of children recruited, given that ILO received 201
complaints of child soldier recruitment in 2010 (a significant increase over the 86
complaints received in 2009), and there continued to be a steady stream of underage
recruitment reports submitted regularly to the task force. In 2010, the task force
regularly followed up on reported cases, but access restrictions in Myanmar
continued to limit the number of cases that the task force is able to verify. Analysis
of verified cases and credible reports indicates that, despite progress made by the
Government, the patterns of recruitment of underage children into the Tatmadaw did
not alter significantly, and still included the recruitment of working and
unaccompanied children from the streets, railway stations or other public places,
although the majority of children were recruited from their homes or villages. Most
cases of recruitment were of children between 15 to 17 years of age, and the
majority were from Yangon division. Children continue to be persuaded or duped by
relatives (working in the Tatmadaw), soldiers (to earn a promotion or other
incentives) and other brokers to join the Tatmadaw. The majority of children
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interviewed after discharge stated that the recruiter had not requested for the age of
the child, or had falsified the age of the child upon recruitment. Credible reports
indicate that, in addition to children who are officially recruited into the Tatmadaw,
children are used by the Tatmadaw as porters, and as labour for road construction,
kitchen work, farming, and aides-de-camp to high-ranking officers. Reports also
confirm the recruitment and use of children by village militias known as “Pyi thu
sit”.
107. Children were still present in the ranks of the Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army (DKBA), based in Pa’an district of Kayin State. Three cases were verified,
involving three boys between the ages of 11 and 15, who were recruited by DKBA
battalions 555 and 907, respectively, prior to 2010. Testimonies by these children,
who had separated from DKBA in 2010, point to the presence of many other
children in the armed group.
108. Credible information indicated that children are also present in the ranks of the
Kachin Independence Army, KNU/KNLA Peace Council, the Karen Peace Front,
KNPP/KA, the Shan State Army-South and the United Wa State Army. However, the
country task force on monitoring and reporting has been unable to establish contact
with these groups or to directly monitor the presence of children in these groups
owing to access restrictions placed on it by the Government. The Karen National
People’s Liberation Front and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance
Army/Kokang Army, listed in annex I of my 2010 report (A/64/742-S/2010/181),
have now been integrated into the Tatmadaw border guard forces (Border Guard
Force 1004 and Border Guard Force 1006, respectively). A DKBA breakaway
faction has also been integrated into the border guard forces. Further, one case of a
child associated with KNU/KNLA was verified in 2010. The boy reported that he
performed administrative tasks for the group and that there were two other boys
present in the camp.
109. Children in military attire were spotted in the Chin National Front/Chin
National Army (CNF/CNA) in Tongzam and Tedim in north-west Chin State. This
would be a breach of the CNF “deed of commitment” published on 15 March 2009,
in which it reaffirmed that the group does not recruit any persons under the age of
18, and reiterated its commitment to facilitating independent monitoring and to
developing a time-bound action plan, in accordance with Security Council
resolution 1612 (2005).
110. There were a number of media reports in 2010 of children being killed or
maimed during skirmishes involving the Tatmadaw, DKBA, KNLA, KA or Mon Pyi
Thit, or by landmines and unexploded ordnance. In a verified case, on 31 March
2010, two boys under the age of 10 accidentally detonated an unexploded round
from a M-79 grenade launcher while playing in Hlaingbwe Township in Kayin State.
One of the boys died instantly, whereas the second boy was seriously injured. The
Tatmadaw, DKBA and KNLA make regular use of M-79 grenade launchers in that
area. There were many additional allegations in 2010 of children being directly
targeted and killed and maimed by parties to the conflict (the majority of cases
reported involving the Tatmadaw and DKBA). The country task forces on
monitoring and reporting was unable to verify these cases, owing to access
limitations imposed on the task force by the Government of Myanmar.
111. Access to vulnerable groups in many areas of the country, including children,
remained limited for United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian
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actors in Myanmar. The Government continued to restrict access to various parts of
the country, citing security concerns as the main justification for limiting the
presence and travel of international (as well as national) personnel of relief
agencies. Access was limited in ceasefire and non-ceasefire areas, including mixed
administration areas.
112. There have been a number of media reports of attacks on schools or hospitals
by the Tatmadaw and DKBA in Kayin State. The country task force on monitoring
and reporting has been able to verify only two reports, as access is either severely
limited or forbidden by the authorities. These involved an offensive conducted by
Tatmadaw Light Infantry Battalions 362 and 367 in Ler Doh Township, Nyunglebin
District, Kayin State. Between 3 and 8 February 2010, the battalions caused a large
number of people to be displaced and 13 schools with a total of 531 students to be
abandoned. Of these schools, a high school and a nursery in Thi Baw Tha, Kwee
Lah village tract were destroyed. In addition, Thi Baw Tha Clinic, serving
approximately 3,000 people, was burned down. It is unclear whether villagers were
able to return to their homes by the end of the reporting period, as access to this
region is severely curtailed.
113. The Government shared documents that indicated that from January to May
2010, 43 Tatmadaw soldiers were either warned, demoted, had their pay and
allowance cut, received a serious reprimand or were imprisoned in military and
civilian jails, in connection with the illegal recruitment of children. This represents
a significant increase compared to 2009, when only 22 disciplinary action cases
involving military personnel were reported by the Ministry of Defence. However,
the country task force on monitoring and reporting, while welcoming and noting the
steep increase in sanctions and penalties meted out to perpetrators, remains of the
view that this falls short of the urgent need for the Government to systematize
disciplinary processes against perpetrators (both military and civilian). As far as the
task force is aware, no civilians who may have aided and abetted underage
recruitment have faced criminal prosecution. The Government has also failed to take
steps to criminalize the recruitment and use of children by non-State armed groups.
114. The country task forces on monitoring and reporting previously reported the
welcome development of the Government accepting the principle that underage
recruits charged with desertion should be discharged and released from prison on the
basis of their illegal recruitment. ILO reports that, to date, 7 (1 in 2010) such
imprisoned underage recruits have been released from prison and discharged from
the military, with negotiations continuing for the release of another 10 such persons.
Unfortunately, the arrests of young “deserters” have continued and no pro-active
action to identify such persons currently imprisoned has been taken. Also welcomed
is the Government acceptance of the principle that a child recruit attaining the legal
age of majority does not legitimize his recruitment, his continued retention in the
army or his being charged with subsequent desertion.
115. In 2010, there was a marked increase in reporting of underage recruitment into
the country task forces on monitoring and reporting and other child protection
organizations. This can be attributed in part to more effective cooperation between
the Government and members of the task force on the issue, not only at the national
level, but also at local level, where awareness of local officials has been increasing.
Reporting has also increased in project areas where broader mechanisms for child
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protection have been put in place by local officials with the support of child
protection agencies and their local child protection partners.
116. On 4 November 2010, the Government enacted the People’s Military Service
Law, which, to the knowledge of the country task forces on monitoring and
reporting, has not yet entered into force. The law stipulates that men between the
ages of 18 and 35 and women between the ages of 18 and 27 may be summoned for
military service for a period not exceeding 24 months (or 36 months in the case of a
defined class of professional and skilled personnel). The task force remains
concerned with the possible implementation of this legislation considering systemic
issues for age verification. The Government of Myanmar has not yet signed the
Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Developments in Nepal
117. The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) took part, as a
political party, in the Constituent Assembly elections in 2008, and conflict-related
violations against children have subsequently decreased significantly. However,
armed elements operating with political and often criminal motives primarily in the
southern Terai districts continue to have a serious impact on the overall security
situation and have created new protection risks for children and increased their
vulnerability to violations. However, no consistent pattern of violations can be
established, and perpetrators are often unidentified, given that the situation in the
Terai region is fluid and different armed groups quickly form, split and disappear.
118. In 2010, the country task forces on monitoring and reporting documented that
14 children were abducted and 4 were subsequently killed. Of the 14 cases, 12
abductions involved demands for ransom, while the motives of the other two cases
were not known. In addition, 20 children sustained injuries caused by improvised
explosive devices in different parts of the country. However, it was difficult to
determine if the improvised explosive devices were remains from the former
conflict or new contamination by the armed elements.
119. Mine risk education programmes led by the Department of Education, the
Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, with support from UNICEF, have trained and
equipped teachers, Nepal Police officers and Armed Police Force officers in the 25
most affected districts. Some 500,000 schoolchildren and 25,000 security personnel
have been educated in avoiding the risks of mines and, importantly, explosive
remnants of the conflict, which have caused more casualties than mines have in
Nepal. A mine action section was established within the Ministry of Peace and
Reconstruction and has commenced its operation as the government focal point for
coordinating mine action initiatives.
Developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
120. Eleven Palestinian children were killed and 360 injured (342 boys and 18
girls) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in incidents
related to the armed conflict. Of the 360 children injured, 58 were under the age of
12; 83 per cent of the injuries occurred in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,
and 17 per cent in Gaza; 302 children were injured by the Israeli security forces, 40
by Israeli settlers, 11 by unexploded ordnance, and 2 by unidentified perpetrators. In
addition, five children were injured by mishandling weapons and explosives,
including one incident allegedly related to interfactional fighting by Palestinian
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armed groups. No Israeli children were killed in 2010 as a result of the conflict, but
two were injured, including one as a result of a rocket from the Gaza Strip on
21 December launched by an unidentified Palestinian armed group.
121. There are serious concerns regarding the increasing number of civilians,
including children, shot and injured in the so-called Gaza buffer zone imposed by
Israel, which covers the area up to 300 metres from the Gaza fence. The exact
boundaries of the zone are unclear, given that it is not physically delimited, but is
known to be an area where there are clashes between militants and the Israeli
security forces. In May 2009, the Israeli Army made a statement indicating that any
individual entering the zone would be endangering his or her life. However,
Palestinians continue to collect gravel and scrap metal in abandoned settlements and
industrial zones near the fence, which they later sell to support their families. In
2010, 40 boys and 4 girls were allegedly injured by Israeli fire in or near the buffer
zone. Of those, 26 boys, some as young as 13, were shot while collecting gravel
within 800 metres of the fence. In cases where sworn affidavits were taken, 19
children were shot in the leg, 2 in the arm and 1 child was shot in the head.
122. For the third consecutive year, the use of Palestinian children as human shields
by Israeli security forces was reported, with three new cases documented in three
separate incidents in the West Bank in 2010. A 16-year-old girl and a 13-year-old
boy were used as human shields during house searches in two separate incidents in
Nablus, and a 14-year-old boy was forced to walk in front of Israeli soldiers as a
shield while stones were being thrown at them during clashes in Hebron. In the first
prosecution of its kind, on 11 March 2010, two soldiers were charged with using a
boy as a human shield during “Operation Cast Lead”. The soldiers were convicted
by an Israeli military court on 3 October 2010 for “inappropriate behaviour” and
“overstepping authority”. They were demoted from the rank of staff sergeant to
sergeant and given three-month suspended prison sentences. To date, the measures
taken by the Israeli security forces to prevent and punish the use of children as
human shields have not reflected the gravity of such conduct.
123. As of December 2010, 213 Palestinian children between the ages of 12 and 17
were in Israeli detention or imprisoned by the Israeli security forces, including one
girl on conflict-related charges. Two Palestinian children were held in administrative
detention without charge or trial in 2010, including one boy having been detained
for over 10 months. Of particular concern is the sharp increase in the last quarter of
2010 in the documented cases of arrest of young children in the Silwan
neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. There are also increasing reports of violence and
mistreatment of children by Israeli soldiers during patrols in Silwan, as well as
during the arrest, transfer to detention and interrogation of children from East
Jerusalem. According to Israeli police figures, 1,267 criminal files were opened
against children accused of throwing stones in East Jerusalem between October
2009 and October 2010.
124. In 2010, 90 cases of ill treatment with regard to the treatment of Palestinian
children in Israeli detention were documented by the United Nations and its
partners, including through the sworn affidavits of children. Twenty-four of these
children were below the age of 15, including two 10-year olds and one 7-year old.
In more than 75 of these cases the excessive or extended use of hand-ties and
blindfolds were reported, 62 children reported being beaten, 35 children reported
position abuse and 16 children were kept in solitary confinement. In three cases,
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children reported the use of electric shocks on their bodies and four reported being
threatened with electric shocks in the course of their interrogation, which resulted in
confessions made under duress. Particularly concerning was the fact that there was
an increase in documented cases of sexual violence, with 14 cases (13 boys and 1
girl) in 2010 compared to 9 cases (8 boys and 1 girl) in 2009. The cases involved
threats of sexual violence (13 cases) and 1 actual sexual assault through the use of
electrical cables on genitals. The high number of instances of such treatment
reported and documented suggests that ill treatment of children is common in the
Israeli military justice system. There is evidence that some children do not report
incidents of ill treatment while in custody, owing to concerns about repercussions
for making such complaints, and doubts about the effectiveness of the complaints
process.
125. One case of ill treatment of a Palestinian boy by the Palestinian Preventive
Security Force was also reported and documented in 2010. The case refers to an
incident involving an alleged association with Hamas. The boy was threatened and
beaten for the purposes of obtaining a confession. He was released after having been
detained in solitary confinement for eight days after having been denied access to a
lawyer or to presentation before a judge.
126. There was an increase in the number of attacks on schools and education
facilities by Israeli security forces and settlers in 2010 (20 cases), compared to 2009
(9 cases). These attacks resulted in damage to schools or interruption of education,
placing the safety of the children in Gaza and the West Bank at risk. The majority of
cases involved the presence of Israeli security forces within school compounds
following raids, forceful entry, and search and arrest operations, including the use of
tear gas on students. There were also three incidents involving air strikes and
shelling by Israeli security forces that resulted in damage to four schools in Gaza,
although schools did not appear to have been directly targeted in these incidents.
There was also an increasing number of incidents in 2010 in which Palestinian
students were prevented from accessing schools and had their safety compromised
by Israeli security forces. Thirty-six such incidents were documented in the West
Bank in 2010, purportedly involving security measures such as road closures
searches, harassment or assaults at checkpoints by Israeli authorities and settlers. In
other cases, children were exposed to settler violence as Israeli authorities did not
provide military escorts to protect children who pass near historically violent
settlements and outposts in the West Bank, particularly Hebron. In this regard, the
Israeli authorities have not yet responded to the request of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in February 2009 to investigate the
2008 attack by Israeli settlers of children on their way to the Al-Tuwani School
outside Hebron. Furthermore, they have failed to address the broader issue of settler
violence against Palestinian children. In addition, the blockade on the Gaza Strip
impacts on the availability, accessibility and quality of education in Gaza. Though
the situation has improved since the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) commenced building 20 new schools
after certain restrictions were lifted, UNRWA was unable to deliver education to a
number of Palestinian refugee children owing to a shortage of school space resulting
from the restriction on the importation of construction materials to rebuild schools
destroyed or damaged during “Operation Cast Lead”. Those children are therefore
attending Palestinian Authority schools.
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127. In 2010, Palestinian armed groups were responsible for eight incidents related
to access to education, including two attacks on UNRWA summer schools in Gaza
and one incident of a rocket that was fired into Israel and landed near a kindergarten
in Ashkelon. Of particular concern was the attack in May on UNRWA summer
camps located in Gaza by masked assailants. The attack and intimidation against
UNRWA officials, for which no group has claimed responsibility, was apparently
intended to have a negative effect on the attendance of the quarter million boys and
girls who participated in those summer camps.
128. On 20 June 2010, the Israeli Security Cabinet declared the easing of the Gaza
blockade, particularly pertaining to civilian goods and humanitarian access. While
this has resulted in some improvement in the entry of construction materials, it
amounts to only a fraction of what is needed to meet the humanitarian needs of the
population of Gaza. Gaza’s health-care system also suffers from a severe lack of
adequate equipment and instruments. As a result, patients must seek treatment
outside of Gaza. From January to November 2010, while 3,546 out of 3,851 (92 per
cent) applications for children who sought medical assistance outside of Gaza were
approved, 294 applications were delayed and 11 were denied. Both the delays and
denials in processing applications can be life-threatening to child patients who are
waiting for urgent medical treatment. Four children, all under the age of 3, died
while waiting for the appropriate permits to travel outside of Gaza in 2010.
129. Forced displacement continues to affect the lives of hundreds of Palestinian
families. More than 431 Palestinian structures were demolished in 2010 in the West
Bank (including Area C and East Jerusalem), including 137 residential structures,
leaving homeless at least 594 people, 299 of them children.
Developments in Somalia
130. There has been growing evidence regarding the widespread and systematic
recruitment of children in central and southern Somalia, with child recruitment
patterns known to be significantly more aggressive on the anti-government
elements’ side, especially within Al-Shabaab, including the newly merged Hizbul
Islam. Partners on the ground consistently reported on the extensive forced
recruitment of children by Al-Shabaab, especially in the schools. According to
military sources, an estimated 2,000 children were abducted by Al-Shabaab in 2010
for military training in different camps in southern Somalia. An increasingly large
number of these children are reportedly used by the insurgent groups to fight against
the Government and troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in
Mogadishu, and, as a result, many of these children are killed, injured or captured
by the armed forces or other armed groups. Further, while the recruitment of girls
has been rare and is generally regarded as socially unacceptable, there are
documented accounts of girls working for armed groups, particularly for cooking
and cleaning. Girls are also brought in to transport detonators, provide logistics
support and collect intelligence. Girls are also reported to be increasingly recruited
for marriage to fighters. In October, Al-Shabaab summarily executed two teenage
girls in Beled Weyne whom they accused of spying for the Transitional Federal
Government.
131. Despite its official policy not to recruit children into its national security
forces, it is reported that children continue to be associated with the Transitional
Federal Government and its allied militia, including Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a, with
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40 cases documented in 2010. Ensuring that no children are de facto recruited or
used remains a challenge, particularly when applied to the integration of allied
militia into the Transitional Federal Government armed forces. While some vetting
procedures are reportedly being implemented by the Transitional Federal
Government in Mogadishu to ensure that children are not recruited, gaps remain and
to date stringent vetting procedures to assess age are being applied only to those
recruits who are being trained outside Somalia. Recruits being trained by the
Transitional Federal Government inside Somalia and those being integrated into the
Government forces from allied militia groups are not subject to the same stringent
vetting standards and procedures. The United Nations remains highly concerned
with the lack of progress in the area. The Transitional Federal Government has not
yet signed the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
132. There were reported cases of children captured by the Government/AMISOM
forces on the front line, as well as children who defected, many of whom were
recruited from areas other than Mogadishu to fight for the armed insurgent groups.
Upon defecting or self-demobilizing, these children find themselves alone in
Mogadishu without any family or clan support and exposed to retaliation and
re-recruitment. Family tracing and reunification are difficult in the current
circumstances and may expose the children and their families to even higher
protection threats if they come from areas under the control of insurgent groups. The
United Nations recently initiated discussions with AMISOM to address this
problem, including through the development of standard operating procedures to
ensure that these cases are handled in line with relevant international standards. The
Transitional Federal Government also expressed the need for urgent measures and
programmes to be established to address the issue of child defectors.
133. There are increasing concerns about the detention of children in the central
prison of Mogadishu. For example, between July and October, seven boys were
reportedly being detained under different charges, including association with
Al-Shabaab. In addition, in Lower Shabelle and Marka, two boys were detained by
Al-Shabaab for refusing to join its forces.
134. A total of 222 children were reportedly killed and 592 wounded or maimed in
2010 as a result of being caught in crossfire or mortar shelling during fighting
between Transitional Federal Government forces, supported by AMISOM, and
armed insurgents, primarily Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, in and around
Mogadishu. The number of child casualties is, however, estimated to be much
higher according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In 2010, out of
more than 6,000 patients (compared to 5,000 in 2009 and 2,800 in 2008) admitted to
Keysaney and Medina Hospitals, the two main referral hospitals in Mogadishu,
approximately 40 per cent were women and children. Of particular concern was the
recent increase in the number of civilians, among them many children, being killed
or injured owing to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
135. The number of documented cases of sexual violence against children
substantially increased in 2010 (462 cases), compared to 2009 (128 cases) in southcentral
Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland, the majority of which occurred in
Somaliland and Puntland IDP settlements. In south-central Somalia, these violations
are committed mainly by members of clan-based militia. The continued fighting has
rendered women and children more vulnerable to sexual violence because of
displacement, destitution, the breakdown of the rule of law and the emergence of
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freelance militias, working under informal local authorities, mostly associated with
Al-Shabaab. Most at risk are women and girls living on the streets and in open and
unprotected IDP settlements such as those in Bossaso, Galkayo and Hargeisa and
along the Afgooye corridor. Further, allegations that Al-Shabaab combatants were
systematically forcing girls into early marriages were received in October. Two
cases perpetrated by the Transitional Federal Government were also documented.
136. Increasingly, schools, educational establishments, teachers and students are
being targeted by Al-Shabaab and other militia groups for recruitment and use in the
conflict. In June, Al-Shabaab reportedly ordered teachers and school managers in
Lower Shabelle to release more than 300 students to be trained, failing which they
would be punished. In south-central Somalia, approximately 52 schools suspended
operations and activities in May alone owing to growing demands from the militia
groups. In addition, several schools were closed, damaged and destroyed, as well as
students killed and injured, owing to clashes between armed insurgents and the
Transitional Federal Government forces in Mogadishu.
137. As a result of the intensification of the conflict throughout 2010, the
humanitarian and security situations have deteriorated further, with the Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that access for aid
organizations in southern Somalia was at its lowest point since 2006. The
operational environment for the United Nations is extremely restricted as
Mogadishu remains inaccessible, except around the airport and the areas controlled
by the Transitional Federal Government supported by AMISOM, while access to
many southern and central parts of the country remains restricted for United Nations
national staff. In 2010, seven international NGOs and one United Nations agency
were expelled from south-central Somalia regions. An additional 12 international
NGOs in the Lower Juba region suspended their activities in August following a raid
by Al-Shabaab into their compounds, affecting approximately 130,000 people
requiring humanitarian assistance, particularly children. Local Somali NGOs have
been able to continue their work so far without major interruption, although under
increasingly difficult conditions.
138. In my annual report on children and armed conflict issued in 2010 (A/64/742-
S/2010/181), I raised the concerns about the alleged recruitment of young Kenyan
Somali men and boys from North-eastern Province in Kenya, as well as Somali
refugees from Dadaab refugee camp, in Kenya, to fight alongside the Transitional
Federal Government in Somalia. This concern was raised with the Government of
Kenya at the highest levels by the United Nations and other diplomatic missions. As
a result, the Government, through its Joint Departmental Committee on
Administration and National Security and the Committee on Defence and Foreign
Relations, carried out a fact-finding mission to Garissa, Dadaab and Voi, in Kenya,
in November 2009. United Nations sources confirmed that a vetting exercise was
undertaken and anyone part of the recruitment drive who could not prove being over
the age of 18 were removed and returned to their families. The report of the factfinding
mission was presented to the Kenya Parliament on 6 October 2010. It
highlighted that young men and boys were susceptible to joining these groups owing
to the high levels of poverty and unemployment in the north-eastern region. In
addition, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs met with my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict during her mission to Kenya and
Somalia in November 2010, and reiterated the commitment of the Government that
necessary protections and safeguards would be implemented at the border and in and
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around refugee camps, in conjunction with the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to prevent the recurrence of such activities.
The immediate action and vigilance by the Government of Kenya in investigating
these allegations of underage recruitment are welcomed.
139. Children associated with piracy continued to be held in prisons in Puntland.
During the year, 10 children convicted were released following the overturning of
their sentences by the Bossaso Appeals Court. As of December, three children were
in remand.
Developments in the Sudan
140. The number of documented cases of child recruitment and use in 2010
decreased compared to 2009; however, the collection of accurate data continued to
be seriously hampered by insecurity and fear of reprisals, lack of access to
non-government controlled areas, and movement restrictions imposed by the
Government. In addition, difficulty in recording new splinter groups, unclear lines
of command, extremely mobile groups, renewed clashes between Government
forces and armed groups, especially in the last quarter of 2010, also contributed to
underreporting. Notwithstanding these challenges, 113 children were confirmed to
have been recruited by the following armed forces and groups: Armed Movement of
Liberals and Reform (splinter group of JEM and SLA/Abdul Wahid), Border
Intelligence Forces, Chadian armed opposition groups, community policing forces,
police forces, Popular Defence Forces, SLA/Abu Gasim, SLA/Historical Leadership
(splinter group of SLA/Abdul Wahid), SLA/Abdul Wahid, Sudanese Armed Forces
and unknown armed groups. In addition, credible allegations of recruitment and use
of children involving more than 150 children by several armed groups in northern
and southern Darfur, including SLA/Minni Minawi, SLA/Abdul Wahid,
SLA/Historical Leadership, JEM, Central Reserve Police, Border Intelligence
Forces, and Chadian armed opposition groups were received by the United Nations.
Verification of these cases is ongoing.
141. Within the three States of Darfur, allegations of abduction of children have
substantially declined with fewer cases documented in 2010. However, there were
continuous allegations of cross-border forced recruitment of children by the Chadian
opposition armed groups, JEM and unidentified armed men crossing into Chad and
Darfur. UNAMID also documented cases of abductions in non-border regions of
Darfur, including that of a girl in Northern Darfur and three boys in Southern
Darfur.
142. Ongoing association of children within the ranks of SPLA Division 4 in Duar
(Unity State), Division 3 in Wunyik (Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State), Division 5 in
Mapel (Western Bahr el-Ghazal State), Division 7 in Upper Nile State, Division 2 in
Eastern and Central Equatoria States and Division 8 in Jonglei State were noted in
2010. Further, 42 cases of active child recruitment by SPLA was also confirmed. It
has been difficult to determine the exact numbers of children associated with SPLA,
given that the children are subject to the constant movement of SPLA troops
throughout southern Sudan. Further, in the Transitional Areas, 220 children
associated with SPLA in Blue Nile State were verified and registered for
demobilization in July, while 8 boys were confirmed to have been recruited by
SPLA in Jaw (South Kordofan State) in November. More children are presumed to
be present in the ranks of SLA in South Kordofan, although lack of access and
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restrictions imposed by the local authorities make it difficult to confirm or verify
such allegations. Separately, 25 boys were recruited by the Joint Integrated Units
(SPLA and Sudanese Armed Forces) in Wau (Western Bahr el-Ghazal State).
143. Inter-tribal conflicts in Jonglei State and the Equatorias continued to account
for the deaths, injuries and abduction of children in 2010; a total of 10 children,
including 4 girls, were killed, 2 were injured and 138, including 38 girls, were
abducted. During a series of clashes between Murle and Lou-Nuer, the total number
of children abducted from both communities reportedly reached as many as 140. In
some areas, it was reported that parents took their children into the mountains in an
effort to protect them from abduction. Many children remain in the hands of
abductors. There has been minimal progress in securing the release of these
children, which has been increasingly linked to the outcome of political negotiations
between the groups.
144. In Darfur, six children were killed and one was injured as a result of gunshots,
grenades or bombs during the year. The violations were attributed to men in uniform
or unidentified assailants. The exact number of child casualties from government
aerial attacks, during ground fighting between armed groups or during ethnic
clashes, could not be determined owing to restrictions and limited access to affected
areas. The increase in the number of deaths (8 cases) and injuries (19 cases) of
children as a result of unexploded ordnance in 2010 was also of concern.
145. There were verified reports of children being physically abused and ill treated
in relation to forced civilian disarmament exercises carried out by SPLA in as many
as 10 cattle camps in Southern Sudan. The civilian disarmament exercise is part of
the policy of the Government of Southern Sudan for creating an enabling
environment for peaceful coexistence of the communities in Southern Sudan. In one
incident, approximately 250 children, between the ages of 10 and 17, were separated
from the adults, intimidated and beaten in attempts to extract information on the
location of their community’s arms cache.
146. In 2010, 22 cases of sexual violence against children attributed to members of
the military, police personnel, factions of armed groups and militia men in Darfur
were documented. As expressed in my report last year (A/64/742-S/2010/181), in
most cases, victims and witnesses provide little information on the identity of the
alleged perpetrators and the uniforms alone do not always substantiate the alleged
perpetrator’s affiliation. Monitoring and reporting of this violation remains a
challenge as victims, their families and communities are often reluctant to report
cases owing to fear of retribution or stigmatization. The Government of the Sudan
has asserted that the situation has improved and that it has taken measures to
address the concerns as part of due process of law. The Government is encouraged
to continue its efforts in this regard and ensure that armed groups also take
preventive action against sexual violence.
147. In Southern Sudan, a substantial increase in reported sexual violence and rape
cases against girls by SPLA was noted during the year. In two particularly disturbing
incidents, 10 girls were raped and sexually assaulted by SPLA soldiers during armed
clashes between SPLA and communities in Palal and Tonj (Warrap State) in
February; and 23 girls were raped in the Upper Nile State in June and July.
Monitoring cases of sexual violence in South Kordofan, Abyei and Blue Nile States
remained a challenge as the majority of violations are often not reported to law
enforcement or judicial authorities. However, according to the Commissioner of
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El Buram locality in South Kordofan State, the local communities are complaining
increasingly about sexual violence and the harassment of women and young girls by
Sudanese Armed Forces soldiers; the United Nations has not been able to verify this
information.
148. The tense security situation and renewed clashes at the end of 2010, attacks
against United Nations personnel and assets, and government-imposed restrictions
continued to have an impact on the delivery of humanitarian assistance for children.
Many areas across Darfur remained difficult or impossible to access for
humanitarian actors during 2010. Fighting in early 2010 between armed groups and
Government forces in Jebel Marra contributed to the displacement of about 100,000
civilians, including children, and led to the suspension of humanitarian activities in
February. Although partial access was granted in August and September 2010 for the
delivery of essential health and nutrition items, this did not lead to the full
restoration of humanitarian assistance in this area. Activities of the polio campaign
and the accelerated immunization campaigns for children, for example, were
seriously hampered by the lack of access.
149. In Southern Sudan, humanitarian actors have had largely unrestricted access
throughout the reporting period, with the exception of a few isolated incidents.
However, access in Western Equatoria State is reduced owing to the prevailing
insecurity related to repeated attacks by LRA. With regard to the Transitional Areas,
access to the northern part of former western Kordofan State has been difficult
owing to restrictions by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the National Intelligence
and Security Services claiming that it is outside the ceasefire zone, and therefore
outside of the mandate of UNMIS. These restrictions have hampered monitoring
activities of suspected recruitment and use of children in this area.
150. In September 2010, the Nyala Special Court tried 11 suspects allegedly being
affiliated with JEM and accused of attacking a convoy of the Government of the
Sudan in Sanyi Afundu, Southern Darfur. Five of the defendants declared their ages
to be between 15 and 17. However, the Court recognized the childhood age of only
one (age 16), following the opinion of Sudanese medical authorities, and sentenced
him to “reform measures for juvenile delinquents” under article 69 of Child Act
2010. The same medical authorities opposed the age declarations of the remaining
four and certified their ages to be between 18 and 21. Subsequently, the judge
sentenced all four to death by hanging, together with five other adult defendants.
The Government of the Sudan has reaffirmed that all necessary legal remedies will
be offered to the accused. The United Nations has appealed to the Government of
the Sudan to stay the execution of the death sentence, review the cases and take all
necessary measures to protect alleged child soldiers from capital punishment in
accordance with national and applicable international law. JEM should halt its
practice of recruiting and using children and of placing them at risk.
B. Information on grave violations against children in situations
not on the agenda of the Security Council or in other situations
of concern
Developments in Colombia
151. The complex humanitarian situation in Colombia is a consequence of a
protracted conflict and is aggravated by structural poverty, inequality and the links
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between armed groups and illegal activities, including drug production and
trafficking, extortion and abduction. Although significant progress has been made
by the Government of Colombia in weakening the armed groups, particularly
militarily, serious challenges around issues of security and human rights protection
remain. In 2010, clashes intensified in departments such as Arauca, Cauca, Córdoba,
Meta, Nariño and Norte de Santander, especially affecting children. Persons of
African descent and indigenous communities have been particularly vulnerable.
Another major consequence of the conflict is the continued displacement of the
population; according to official Government information, as at September 2010
there were 61,047 new internally displaced persons, of which 30,488 were children
(15,644 boys and 14,844 girls). Non-governmental sources estimate that the number
of IDPs is much larger.
152. In July 2010, the Colombian National Economic and Social Policy Council
published a document designed to coordinate Government strategies aimed at
preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed groups. Government
programmes and activities such as the “Protection of Children and Adolescents
Demobilized from Armed Groups Operating outside the Law”, the Mine Action
Programme and the Inter-agency Recruitment Prevention Commission continued
under the new Government. Further, the Government initiated a process to actively
locate children who informally left armed groups and offer them the necessary
protection and the same benefits as offered to those demobilized under the Justice
and Peace Law (Law 975). Further, a victims law, which, inter alia, provides for the
protection of children and adolescents, is under consideration by Parliament.
Although progress has been made by the Government of Colombia, combating
impunity for these serious violations remains a challenge of paramount importance.
153. Widespread and systematic recruitment and use of children by armed groups in
Colombia continued during the reporting period. Although the actual scale and
scope of this violation remains unknown, in 2010, the country task force on
monitoring and reporting received information on child recruitment from 19 of the
32 departments in Colombia. In addition, the early warning system established by
the Ombudsman, which monitors and flags imminent risks of violations of human
rights against civilian populations, including children, identified 43 risk situations in
19 departments, including risks related to child recruitment.
154. FARC-EP and ELN continued to recruit and use children, including for direct
participation in hostilities against Government forces. In February, FARC-EP
convened a community meeting in Antioquia to obtain a headcount of children in a
rural area of the department. It also announced that children above the age of 8
would be recruited. In one characteristic use of children, a child was used by FARCEP
to carry out an attack against a police station using explosives. The explosives
were attached to the child and activated as he approached the police station, killing
him instantly.
155. Further, according to the Ombudsman office, during 2010, the armed groups
Águilas Negras, Ejército revolucionario popular anticomunista de Colombia, Los
Rastrojos, Los Paisas and Los Urabeños continued recruiting and using children.
The Ombudsman office also detected situations where children were used for
intelligence purposes and sexual exploitation in Córdoba and Chocó. These groups,
which emerged after the demobilization of the paramilitary group Autodefensas
Unidas de Colombia, do not possess a homogenous motivation, structure and modus
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operandi. While many are dedicated to common criminal activities, others operate in
a manner similar to that of the former paramilitary organizations. Some of the
groups have a military structure and chain of command and are capable of
exercising territorial control and sustaining military-type operations. Some of these
groups have demonstrated their capacity to mutate and, in some instances, to operate
jointly. The Government considers all these groups to be criminal gangs.
156. The national armed forces continued to use children for intelligence purposes,
in violation of the Code on Children and Adolescents (Law No. 1098) and directives
by the Ministry of National Defence. In some instances, children who were
separated from armed groups were questioned by members of the security forces to
gather intelligence on the armed group they belonged to. Some of those children
were held for extended periods in the custody of military forces, longer than
permitted by law, instead of being handed over to child protection actors. Between
May and June, in Valle del Cauca, members of the Marines sought information
about the guerrillas by involving children in the region. In August, in Chocó,
national army personnel allegedly questioned four children between the ages of 13
and 16 who had demobilized from ELN to obtain military intelligence. The national
armed forces continued to use children in civil-military activities. For instance, in
September, children in an indigenous reserve in Valle del Cauca participated in
civil-military activities and interacted with the soldiers of the Psychological
Operations Task Force. Such activities, when undertaken in conflict-affected areas,
may put children at risk and expose them to retaliation by members of armed
groups.
157. Children were victims of indiscriminate attacks carried out by armed groups,
or as a result of being caught in the crossfire between illegal armed groups or
between armed groups and national security forces in 2010. The deaths of children
in combat were also reported. Further, according to official sources, 2 girls and
16 boys were injured by landmines between January and November 2010. The
country task force on monitoring and reporting verified that 11 children were killed
or injured during the same period in Arauca and Antioquia departments alone.
158. During the year, there were massacres and killings, including of children by
armed groups considered by the Government to be criminal gangs. Between January
and November, 10 massacres were reported in Córdoba. Among the victims, nine
were children between the ages of 13 and 17. These cases were attributed to
members of Los Rastrojos and other groups. Los Rastrojos is also responsible for
killing two boys and a girl in April 2010 in Córdoba department, and for killing a
five-member family in Cauca department, including two children aged 2 and 8, in
the same month. Such violence has resulted in the forced displacement of
populations, including women and children.
159. Cases of extrajudicial executions involving children persisted in 2010 despite
the Government’s zero tolerance policy for human rights violations and measures
introduced by the Ministry of Defence. As for cases of enforced disappearances of
children during armed conflict, it has not been possible to determine the total
number to date, as official figures on missing persons are not disaggregated by age
of the victims.
160. Of particular concern is the commission by the armed groups of grave forms of
sexual violence against recruited girls. This phenomenon remains vastly
underreported and unnoticed. Girls who are recruited or associated with armed
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groups are required to have sexual relations with adults at an early age and are
forced to abort if they become pregnant. They are also forced to use methods of
contraception that are often inadequate and harmful to their health. Separately,
according to the Inter-institutional Committee for Justice and Peace, 677 cases of
gender-based violence by former members of Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia,
including against children, were documented between 2006 and December 2010
within the framework of the Justice and Peace Law. However, no progress has been
made in following up investigations and convictions.
161. Reports have also been received concerning cases of rape and other sexual
violence cases against children involving members of the armed forces. All the
victims were girls, including as young as 2 years old. However, difficulties persisted
in obtaining information on sexual violence against children, as many victims failed
to report abuses owing to fear of reprisals by perpetrators or of re-victimization. A
lack of adequate institutional response, lack of confidence in the administration of
justice and lack of information on care and complaint procedures also contributed to
the paucity of information on cases.
162. Serious concerns continued over the occupation of schools by the national
security forces in the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Cordoba, and Norte
de Santander. The presence of national security forces in or near schools increased
the risks of schools being attacked by armed groups, placing the lives of children
and teachers in danger.
163. The armed groups have also been reported to occupy schools. Schools were
damaged as a result of hostilities and anti-personnel mines and explosive devices
planted by FARC. In addition, schools and students were targeted by armed groups
for recruitment and use in the conflict.
164. According to the country task force on monitoring and reporting, restrictions
on humanitarian access owing to actions of parties to the conflict had seriously
jeopardized the delivery of humanitarian assistance, affecting children in particular.
The movement of populations in several areas was severely restricted owing to
armed confrontations between armed groups and the national armed forces and the
establishment of their checkpoints, thus limiting their access to essential food items,
health care, education and other basic services. Access of humanitarian actors to
those populations was also severely hampered. Areas particularly affected included
the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Caquetá, Guaviare, Huila, Meta
Córdoba, Nariño and Norte de Santander.
Developments in India
165. Reports of recruitment and use of children by the Maoist armed groups, also
known as the Naxalites, especially in some districts in Chhattisgarh State, were
received by the United Nations. While noting the absence of reliable data to
determine the number of children affected, the Indian National Commission for the
Protection of Child Rights, in its policy document of March 2010, pointed to the
recruitment and use of children by the Naxalites and Salwa Judum. It also reported
that children were being killed and maimed as a direct result of violence. The
National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights also highlighted that
schools had been targeted and destroyed by Naxalites. Separately, the occupation of
schools by security forces was also reported in my last annual report (A/64/742-
S/2010/181). On 18 November 2010, the Supreme Court expressed strong
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displeasure over the continued occupation of school buildings in Chhattisgarh by
security forces. On 18 January 2011, the Supreme Court ordered the Chhattisgarh
government to vacate security forces from all educational institutions within four
months.
166. The Government of India strongly condemns the acts of the Naxalites. The
Government, together with concerned state government authorities, has undertaken
specific actions, including awareness-raising programmes through the media,
establishing new schools under its programme for universal elementary education
(sarva shiksha abhiyan) in all villages and ashram schools, and strengthening its
integrated child development programme and pre-school education centres in all
areas. In November, the Government of India launched a pilot programme (the Bal
Bandhu scheme) to protect the rights of children in Naxal-affected areas, to be
implemented by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights in 10
districts of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. The
programme has protection, health, nutrition, sanitation, education and safety
components. The Government also began efforts to bring development services to
affected areas, such as the integrated action plan for 60 Naxal-affected districts. The
plan aimed to effect governance reforms and devolve power to grass-root
institutions in selected districts over the coming three years.
Developments in Pakistan
167. In 2010, Pakistan continued to experience attacks by armed groups influenced
by and/or associated with Taliban or Al-Qaida, including Tehrik-i-Taliban, on
Government institutions and civilians, which escalated and expanded beyond
Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
(FATA) to several major urban centres. Sectarian violence also continued as attacks
by armed groups, including the Taliban and Lashkar i Jhangvi, were launched
mainly against Shiite processions and mosques. Children have been used by these
armed groups to carry out suicide attacks. In one such incident on 25 January 2011,
reported by the Government, a teenage suicide bomber carried out an attack near a
Shiite procession in Lahore, killing himself and 9 others, and injuring a further 50
people, including several children. In another incident on 10 February 2011, a boy
in a school uniform blew himself up at a Pakistani army recruitment centre in the
north-western town of Mardan, killing himself and 20 cadets. The Taliban claimed
responsibility for those attacks. Further, according to reliable sources, an increasing
number of children were allegedly abducted by armed groups throughout the
country in 2010.
168. Children also suffered the effects of cross-border recruitment related to the
ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Although there is no systematic monitoring of
cases by the United Nations in Pakistan, the country task force on monitoring and
reporting in Afghanistan has documented and verified cases of Afghan children
recruited and trained in Pakistan by armed groups, including the Taliban. The
Malakand-based Sabaoon Academy continued to provide rehabilitation and
reintegration support to 150 children who were recruited by the Taliban and other
non-State armed groups in Swat Valley and taken into custody by the Pakistan
armed forces.
169. Children were victims of indiscriminate attacks in 2010, including suicide
bombings, although there were no official figures on the number of children killed
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or injured. In two separate incidents reported by the media, children were among the
casualties in bomb attacks on a Shiite mosque in November 2010; and on a Shiite
procession in Quetta, Balochistan, in September 2010. Lashkar i Jhangvi reportedly
claimed responsibility for the latter incident.
170. Reports of drone attacks continued to be reported in FATA in 2010, but no data
is available on the number of children killed or injured in those attacks. In general,
the number of civilians killed is highly contested. The United Nations does not have
access to these sites to undertake any independent verification.
171. Civilian casualties as a result of landmines, unexploded ordnance and
improvised explosive devices became a serious concern in Pakistan during 2010. Of
the 268 reported incidents, 31 children were injured by these devices. The majority
of the reported incidents occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or FATA, with the
remainder occurring in Balochistan.
172. During the year, schools continued to be a target for bomb attacks by armed
groups, including the Taliban, who are opposed to secular education and girls’
education. In Malakand, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 273 schools were
destroyed and 367 were damaged by bomb attacks, according to the provincial
Minister for Education. An additional 70 schools were destroyed or damaged in
other affected provinces. In one particular attack in February 2010, an improvised
explosive device targeted at a truck carrying Pakistani soldiers travelling to the
inauguration of Koto Girls High School in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa detonated near the
school, destroying it, which resulted in the deaths of three schoolgirls and the injury
of 63 others. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan reportedly claimed responsibility.
173. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Ordinance, which is
aimed at addressing legal provisions to protect children from abuse, exploitation,
recruitment and other types of violations of their rights, was approved by the
Provincial Assembly in 2010. The Government of Pakistan has not yet ratified the
Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Developments in the Philippines
174. There was an increase in the recorded number of cases of child recruitment
and use by armed groups in 2010 (24 children), compared to 2009 (6 children). Of
the seven recorded incidents attributed to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF), the country task force on monitoring and reporting was able to verify four
incidents involving eight children carrying automatic weapons and performing
military functions in MILF areas of Central Mindanao. Testimony from a 15-yearold
child soldier in Maguindanao province confirmed that children, including girls,
are being trained by MILF. The task force also continues to receive credible reports
of children associated with the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendering to the police
and Armed Forces of the Philippines. The presence of children among the ranks of
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu and Basilan was also reported by former captives
of ASG, although these allegations could not be verified owing to security
constraints. The task force verified two cases of children recruited by an armed
group called the Black Fighters in North Cotabato. After participating in a series of
attacks, including extrajudicial killings, the boys surrendered to police and gave
detailed accounts of the group’s activities. Several members of the Black Fighters
are ex-NPA combatants. The group operates in North Cotabato Province, sometimes
reinforcing Government security forces in their operations.
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175. Reports indicate that at the local levels, members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines continued to use children for military purposes. A common pattern
observed involved children being used in counter-insurgency operations, and often
in pursuit of NPA rebels in remote areas of the country. The counter-insurgency
strategy, “Oplan Bantay Laya” (Operation Freedom Watch), permits and encourages
soldiers to engage with civilians, including children, for military purposes, using
them as informants, guides and porters. Three cases involving boys, aged 13, 15 and
16 years old, were verified in 2010. Similarly, the country task force on monitoring
and reporting recorded numerous allegations of recruitment and use of children by
paramilitary groups, particularly the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit,
who reportedly pressure and coerce children to join their ranks. The Units are
locally recruited from their community and their military operations are confined to
the municipality where they are formed. They are under the command structure of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines, but are loosely supervised.
176. The Armed Forces of the Philippines continued to detain children. Children in
detention reported being physically abused, interrogated under extreme duress,
subject to ill treatment and subjected to acts tantamount to torture to extract
information on insurgents. Four incidents involving four girls and one boy were
verified and involved the 11th, 34th, 25th, 54th infantry Battalions of the Philippine
army (IBPA). Such incidents also led to the displacement of families for fear of
being targeted as alleged members of NPA.
177. While there was a decline in the number of armed encounters between the
Armed Forces of the Philippines and MILF in 2010, fighting with other non-State
armed actors remained relatively unchanged. An increase in the number of
casualties of children in 2010 was documented: 38 children, including 8 girls, were
reportedly killed and 40, including 16 girls, reportedly maimed; in 2009, 12 children
were killed and 40 injured. Of those, verified incidents implicated NPA, the Armed
Forces of the Philippines and private militias of local politicians. The perpetrators
were not identified in 13 incidents of killing and 10 incidents of maiming.
178. There has been an upward trend in the number of attacks on schools and
hospitals and their personnel in 2010. This may be partially attributed to the use of
schools as polling stations during the May and October elections. Forty-one
incidents were recorded, compared to 10 in 2009. Of those, 14 were attributed to the
Armed Forces of the Philippines, 4 to NPA, 1 to MILF, 2 to ASG, 6 to private
militias of local politicians, and 14 to unidentified perpetrators. Schools have been
targets of improvised explosive device attacks and burning. In addition, teachers are
increasingly targeted; 11 teachers were reportedly killed during the reporting period.
179. There has also been a rising trend of the occupation of schools by the Armed
Forces of the Philippines and the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit in
2010, in contravention of national legislation prohibiting such practice. In remote
communities across the country, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Unit
have been using functioning public school buildings as barracks and command
centres, including for storing weapons and ammunition. In some situations, the
soldiers were observed approaching children, questioning them and allowing them
to handle weapons.
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Developments in the southern border provinces of Thailand
180. Reports of child casualties owing to the unrest and violence in the southern
border provinces remained a concern in 2010, although exact figures are not
available. According to information received, many instances of death and injury of
children are due to explosive devices in public spaces or indiscriminate shootings by
unidentified armed perpetrators. This covers the far south provinces (Yala, Pattani,
Narathiwat) and a part of Songkhla Province.
181. There has been a decline in the number of reported attacks against schools in
2010 (5 attacks), compared to the previous two years. Similarly, a decline in the
number of attacks on students and teachers was recorded in 2010 (12 teachers and
education personnel killed and 6 injured and 2 students killed and 5 injured).
According to the Royal Thai Government, this was owing mainly to security
measures implemented by the Government, including the provision of special
escorts for children and teachers to and from schools, and to local community
cooperation. These efforts aim at enhancing local solidarity and information sharing
among heads of schools, religious teachers, government officials and students, as
well as raising public awareness of the legal consequences of committing such
crimes against students and teachers.
182. The United Nations has received information that points to the alleged
involvement of children in activities of non-State armed groups and village defence
volunteers (Chor Ror Bor). However, the United Nations country team in Thailand
has informed my Special Representative that it is not in a position to monitor, report
or verify these allegations, based on its activities in the area. The Royal Thai
Government issued, in November 2009, a clear directive to the Governors of the
southern border provinces prohibiting the recruitment of children under the age of
18, and stated that no children were associated with the village defence volunteers.
183. The Royal Thai Government has stated that allegations reported in my
previous reports of children detained in police and army interviewing centres for
their suspected association with armed groups had been addressed. According to the
Government, child suspects are detained in these centres through a court order, and
interviews are conducted in accordance with international standards. The
Government also stated that there had been no cases of child detention in those
centres since 2009, though the United Nations in Thailand is not in a position to
verify this, despite visits to these centres. On 28 December 2010, the Cabinet lifted
the state of emergency in the Mae Lan District of Pattani Province as a result of a
systematic review of the Emergency Decree and improvement in the security in the
area.
Developments in Sri Lanka
184. Child recruitment has come to an end in Sri Lanka, with the last case reported
in October 2009. This is owing both to the defeat and disbanding of LTTE,
responsible for most of the child recruitment cases reported in Sri Lanka, and the
commitments of the Government of Sri Lanka and TMVP to release children
recruited previously by TMVP. Nevertheless, the whereabouts of some children
recruited by armed groups remain unknown, including some who are now adults.
With regard to LTTE, as at the end of December 2010, the number of persons
unaccounted for was 1,373, including 15 who are still children. With regard to
TMVP, the total number of pending cases is 13 boys, including 5 who were under
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the age of 18 years at the time of the signature of the TMVP action plan. On
30 August 2010, upon the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National
Child Protection Authority and its police section, an investigation was initiated to
establish the whereabouts of the five boys who remain associated with TMVP
(former elements of Karuna faction, under the command of Iniya Barrathi). The
National Child Protection Authority investigation, completed on 14 January 2011,
could not ascertain the whereabouts of these missing persons. This is the case
despite the fact that, according to the report of the Special Envoy of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on his mission to Sri Lanka in
February 2008, the abductions by the then Karuna faction took place exclusively in
government-controlled areas. The report pointed to the fact that these children spent
time in one of several camps of the then Karuna faction near the town of Welikanda
(Polonnaruwa district), located in a government-controlled area. The Authority
concluded with a recommendation to further investigate on the basis of information
provided by families of the missing boys, as well as by a former LTTE member who
was reportedly responsible for child abduction and recruitment in the past. The
report of the National Child Protection Authority also recommended death
certificates be issued for these persons, which, in accordance with Sri Lankan law,
can be done once a person has been missing for over seven years. However, these 13
boys were abducted and last seen between 2006 and 2009, which is at most five
years ago. It is hoped that Parliamentary Bill No. 52, which allows registration of
death after one year owing to terrorist or subversive activities, would not prevent
further investigations into these cases. In addition, the National Child Protection
Authority investigation did not make any reference to Iniya Barrathi or his
involvement in the recruitment or abduction of the missing persons. At the time of
writing, no prosecution against persons allegedly responsible for child recruitment
has been initiated, and repeated appeals to open a case against Iniya Barrathi for
child recruitment by the United Nations country team and the Office of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict have not been actioned.
185. In 2010, 28 incidents related to mine and explosive remnants of war were
recorded, killing 5 children and injuring 16, including 5 girls (compared to 12 child
casualties in 2009). Nevertheless, the casualty rate remains relatively low, especially
in the light of the high level of contamination in returnee areas. The presence of
approximately 585 suspicious items were reported by communities, which were
subsequently removed by demining agencies during the reporting period.
186. There were allegations of sexual violence across the four districts in the north
(Killinochchi, Mullativu, Vavuniya and Mannar) among the displaced communities.
Women and girls have reported lack of safety owing to the presence of members of
the Sri Lankan Army or local officials, some of whom have been reported to have
returned to the communities at night wearing civilian clothes and requesting sexual
favours. However, protection monitoring and participatory assessments suggest that
incidents of sexual violence remain underreported for fear of retribution by
perpetrators.
187. The situation of schools that were occupied and used by the Sri Lanka security
forces improved in 2010, although a number of schools remain affected. The schools
are used for a variety of purposes, such as barracks for the Sri Lanka security forces,
as transit sites for displaced persons who have left the IDP camps but cannot yet
return to their places of origin (mostly owing to the presence of mines and explosive
remnants of war), or to detain adult “separatees” (persons identified by the Sri
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Lanka security forces as formerly associated with LTTE but not formally charged).
Sustained advocacy was undertaken with the relevant local and national military and
civilian authorities to resolve this issue, and the Government has made repeated
commitments to resolve the situation.
188. Access for humanitarian partners is progressively improving, although
difficulties continued to be experienced on several occasions. In particular, the strict
implementation of Ministry of Defence orders requiring clearances to access
conflict-affected areas across the Northern Province for all United Nations agencies,
international organizations and international and national NGOs that was
implemented in June 2010 delayed implementation of some projects in the region.
Following engagement, including with the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement,
Development and Security in the Northern Province, the United Nations is now in
possession of clearance for six months at a time, and NGOs have obtained
permissions for varying durations. However, this process has resulted in delays and
disruption in the implementation of some activities at a critical time of the return
process of displaced persons, and has had a direct impact on child protection
projects. The approval of most child protection projects, including support to
communities to prevent, identify and respond to vulnerabilities and issues affecting
children, continues to be problematic. On a positive note, following discussions on
the Government-led Joint Plan for Assistance for the Northern Province for 2011,
child protection activities were included as a priority.
189. The Government established a family tracing and reunification unit for
unaccompanied and separated children in Vavuniya (Northern Province) on
22 December 2009. As at the end of December 2010, 662 requests for tracing
missing children (including 293 girls) had been filed by parents and families, 21 of
which have been reunified and 32 are in the process of reunification. The
verification of an additional number of cases is in progress. In 2010, the unit also
developed a plan to undertake tracing activities in hospitals, children homes and
police posts across Sri Lanka.
Developments in Uganda/regional impact of the Lord’s Resistance Army
on children
190. The country task forces on monitoring and reporting continued its onsite visits
of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) facilities to verify the implementation
of its recruitment policies and ensure compliance in ending child recruitment and
use, in line with the action plan regarding children associated with armed forces
signed between the Government of Uganda and the United Nations in August 2007.
There were no cases of recruitment and use of children by UPDF or the local
defence units in 2010.
191. LRA continued to commit violations against children outside Uganda, in the
Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.
Despite repeated calls by the international community to LRA to unconditionally
release children in its ranks, no progress has been made to date towards such
release.
192. In the south-east, particularly in Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures and
parts of Haute-Kotto prefecture of the Central African Republic, 138 Central African
children were abducted by LRA. In 2010, 12 children, including 4 girls (one of them
with a baby born in captivity), who escaped from LRA were repatriated to the
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Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and reunified with their
families with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Multiple attacks by LRA on the civilian population during the reporting period,
which resulted in the deaths and injury of children, were documented.
193. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 49 children were reportedly
abducted, recruited and used by LRA in 2010. An additional 233 cases of child
abduction by LRA that occurred prior to 2010 were documented as a result of
gaining access to zones not previously accessible in Orientale Province. Further,
there was an increase in the number of children who escaped from LRA in 2010
(282 children: 146 boys and 136 girls, among which one was from Central Africa
and two were from the Sudan), compared to 2008 and 2009, which was partly a
result of heightened military operations against LRA during that period. Also, in
2010 only 47 children who were separated from LRA claimed to have been used as
combatants, while 244 reported that they were used for forced labour, as opposed to
2009, when the majority of children abducted were reportedly used as combatants.
In addition, 96 children reported that they had been victims of sexual exploitation.
194. In Western Equatoria State of Southern Sudan, 27 children, including 21 girls,
were abducted by LRA in 2010. Two Sudanese children who returned from LRA
captivity had babies. In addition, incidents of LRA attacks resulted in the confirmed
killing of two children and the wounding of one child. Nine girls were raped or
sexually abused during captivity. A total of 24 children, including 2 Congolese boys,
were rescued by SPLA and UPDF during military operations in 2010.
195. Several child protection concerns that pertain to UPDF military offensives
against LRA in neighbouring countries (see A/64/742-S/2010/181), in particular
with regard to the repatriation of Ugandan children and women rescued or escaped
from LRA to Uganda were raised by the United Nations with the Government of
Uganda. These concerns were reiterated by my Special Representative for Children
and Armed Conflict during her meeting with the Uganda Chief of Defence Forces,
General Aronda Nyakayrima, during her visit to Uganda in May 2010. As a result, it
was agreed that the United Nations would draft standard operating procedures for
the reception and handover of children and vulnerable women separated from LRA
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan and the Central African
Republic. The draft standard operating procedures were shared with UPDF in
September, but the document had not been endorsed at the time of writing the
present report. In 2010, the majority (77 per cent) of children and young mothers
formerly associated with LRA were repatriated to Uganda through the Chieftaincy
of Military Intelligence or through UPDF child protection units, instead of being
handed over immediately to appropriate civilian child protection actors. In addition,
according to testimonies given by two children, some children stayed for more than
two months with UPDF/Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence before being handed
over to child protection agencies.
196. In Southern Sudan, repatriation and reintegration activities to support children
abducted by LRA are being implemented by the Ministries of Social Development
in each State. The support includes the repatriation of children back to their home
communities in neighbouring States and border countries, interim care, trauma
counselling, family tracing and reunification with families. However, the scope of
such activities and the capacity of the United Nations to support the Ministries
remains limited owing to funding shortages. There is an urgent need for increased
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institutional and human resource capacity to provide these children with
psychosocial rehabilitation programmes.
Developments in Yemen
197. The signing of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Yemen and
the Al-Houthi armed group in February 2010 resulted in the de-escalation of the
conflict in Yemen, with only sporadic fighting between the parties during the
reporting period. Despite the ceasefire and ongoing peace negotiations, 20 per cent
of Al-Houthi and 15 per cent of the tribal militia affiliated with the Government,
Al-Jaysh Al-Sha’bi, are children. A United Nations partner observed that 75 children
have engaged in tribal conflicts in Al-Jawf Governorate and 123 children in Sa’ada
Governorate. In the northern governorates, 90 caregivers reported that at least one
of their children had participated in the armed conflict. Children have been observed
undertaking security functions for both the pro-Government militia and Al-Houthi.
It has been reported that boys are mostly used by Al-Houthi armed groups and
pro-Government militia in combat and logistical roles and girls in support roles
(including food preparation, gathering military intelligence and carrying detonators)
and are trained on how to use weapons. Children reportedly joined Al-Houthi and
pro-Government militia for ideological, political and/or economic reasons, and
allegations of recruitment by forced marriage of girls to members of Al-Houthi and
pro-Government militias were received. Fifty-five children reported that they were
approached by Al-Houthi to join the armed group. In 2010, the media reported that
two child recruits of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, including an Iraqi and a
German national, were tried by the Special Criminal Court on charges for planning
attacks in Yemen. No further information is available on the recruitment and use of
children by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
198. The Government has detained children in prisons for their association with
Al-Houthi during the six cycles of conflict. During the reporting period, the
Government released 34 children from detention, of whom 31 were released as part
of the ongoing peace negotiations. At the time of writing, the United Nations did not
have access to these children, and therefore has not been able to verify the total
number of children detained or released. In addition, there is lack of clarity on the
basis of detention of the children.
199. A total of 42 reports of children killed and 55 reports of children injured were
received, allegedly a direct result of the fighting between Al-Houthi and
pro-Government militia. Additionally, 34 children were killed and 24 sustained
serious injuries from explosive remnants of war throughout Yemen in 2010.
200. Credible sources reported that at the end of 2010, some 43 per cent of schools
in Sa’ada Governorate were partially or completely destroyed owing to mortar
shelling and crossfire during clashes between parties to the conflict. In two separate
incidents, unexploded ordnance were sighted in schools in Malaheed in Sa’ada
Governorate, and three bombs were found in a girls’ school in Aden Governorate.
201. Over 80 per cent of the health-care facilities was either damaged or lost in
Sa’ada Governorate as a result of the conflict, which has continued to seriously
affect the provision of health care to the community, including to children. In this
governorate alone, approximately 35 per cent of health-care structures were partially
or completely destroyed owing to mortar shelling and crossfire during clashes
between parties to the conflict, and most of the health workforce has migrated
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outside the governorate. On 28 November, AQAP kidnapped the Director of
Al-Salam Hospital in Sa’ada, which resulted in the closure of the hospital for two
days. The hospital had been admitting around 3,000 patients a day.
202. Access by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies to conflict-affected
populations in the Sa’ada and Al-Jawf Governorates was problematic during the
reporting period, with the Government frequently denying permission for access to
humanitarian missions, and, when granted, Government guards refusing passage to
United Nations staff and aid convoys at checkpoints on multiple occasions. Tribal
groups have also stopped humanitarian missions at checkpoints. Tribal groups and
Al-Houthi have looted food and educational supplies en route to these areas and
from warehouses. The denial of humanitarian access, combined with extremely high
levels of poverty and a lack of health and nutrition services, has had significant
consequences for the well-being of children in conflict-affected governorates in
Yemen, with a total of 11,931 children found in western districts of Sa’ada
Governorate to be suffering from global acute malnutrition.
V. Information on progress made in follow-up to specific
requests by the Security Council
A. Action plan templates and guidance
203. The Office of my Special Representative, in close consultation with partners,
including the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNICEF, developed
guidance on resolution 1882 (2009) and subsequent action plans, as requested by the
Security Council. These action plans will be implemented in the field in the coming
months in situations of concern where parties have been listed in my last report on
children and armed conflict (A/64/742-S/2010/181) for the killing and maiming of
children and/or for sexual violence against children. A similar process is currently in
place to ensure updated guidance on the recruitment and use of children that would
take into consideration best practices since the adoption of resolution 1539 (2004).
B. Update on Security Council resolutions 1882 (2009), 1888 (2009)
and 1960 (2010)
204. My Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict is currently
consulting closely with my Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict
and other partners on ways to coordinate their work on monitoring and reporting on
sexual violence and the listing and de-listing of parties. As requested by the Security
Council in its resolution 1960 (2010), such arrangements will retain the integrity of
the children and armed conflict monitoring and reporting mechanism. Field partners
have also expressed the need to retain the separate focus of each mandate.
Discussions are ongoing on increased collaboration at Headquarters and field levels
to enhance prevention and response activities on sexual violence. This includes the
possibility of working towards a common system of information gathering on the
area where the two mandates overlap.
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C. Communication with sanctions Committees
205. The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533
(2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the first time invited
my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to brief the Committee
in May 2010. As a result, several individuals were included on the Committee’s list
of individuals and entities against whom targeted measures will be imposed on the
basis of verified information regarding, inter alia, their recruitment and use of
children. Further, on 2 December, the Security Council imposed sanctions on Forces
armées de la République démocratique du Congo Colonel Innocent Zimurinda for
grave violations against children, including the recruitment and use of child
soldiers, the killing and maiming of children, sexual violations and denial of
humanitarian access.
206. It will be important to build on the precedent set in the context of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Possibilities should also be explored for a
similar focus on grave child rights violations by other thematic committees. It is
also important to consider ways by which sanctions may be imposed in contexts
where there are no existing Security Council sanctions Committees.
D. United Nations regional strategy on the protection of children
affected by LRA
207. Following the conclusions of the Security Council Working Group concerning
the situation in Uganda of June 2010 and the request of my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict to strengthen cross-border reporting on the effects
of LRA on children, a joint meeting of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations,
UNICEF and the Office of my Special Representative took place in January 2011 to
finalize modalities for such reporting and identify reporting focal points throughout
the region. From its office in Uganda, UNICEF, on behalf of the country task force
on monitoring and reporting, will coordinate joint reporting from country task forces
in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South
Sudan and Uganda. All relevant departments and agencies, including military
advisers and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration specialists will
contribute to the monitoring and reporting arrangements.
E. Security Council Working Group visit to Nepal
208. The Security Council Working Group on children and armed conflict, led by
the Mexican Chair, visited Nepal from 21 to 26 November 2010, at the invitation of
the Government of Nepal. The purpose of the visit was to follow up on the action
plan of December 2009 signed by the UCPN-M, the Government of Nepal and the
United Nations to separate and reintegrate minors associated with the UCPN-M;
assess remaining challenges and issues for monitoring and reporting under
resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009), with special attention to the Terai region;
and interact and obtain first-hand information on the situation of children affected
by the conflict in Nepal. The Working Group was able to meet with senior
Government officials, Maoist leadership and the United Nations, its partners and
children themselves.
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209. A number of commitments were made to the Working Group Chair and
delegation by the Government of Nepal and UCPN-M. The Prime Minster of Nepal
indicated his appreciation for the working methods of the Working Group and
identified the plan of action as a key step in the fulfilment of the Nepal peace
process. The Nepal army committed itself to increasing the training of its personnel
on the protection of children in line with United Nations peacekeeping policy.
UCPN-M Chair Dahal agreed to significantly strengthen coordination with the
United Nations monitoring team in order to address the remaining challenges in
fulfilling the action plan. On behalf of the Government, the Ministry of Peace and
Reconstruction also committed to approve and implement the National Plan of
Action for Reintegration of Children Affected by Conflict. The delegation was also
briefed on the concerns of key partners, specifically on the protection of children in
the Terai region and the longer-term rehabilitation needs of the thousands of
children associated with armed groups or otherwise affected by the conflict.
F. Provision of administrative and substantive support to the
Security Council Working Group
210. In response to the call of the Security Council in its resolution 1882 (2009),
and presidential statements (S/PRST/2010/10, S/PRST/2009/9 and S/PRST/2008/28), a
working arrangement is now in place within the Secretariat to provide additional
administrative and substantive support for the Council’s Working Group on children
and armed conflict. This arrangement was established within existing resources, and
I hope it will facilitate the work of this subsidiary organ in meeting the expectations
of the Council.
VI. Attacks on schools and hospitals
211. As evidenced in this and previous reports, attacks against schools are a
significant concern and a growing trend. The infrastructure of schools have been
physically destroyed by armed actors, and students and education personnel have
been attacked, threatened or intimidated. In some situations, girls and girls’ schools
have been specifically targeted. The use of schools by armed elements has, in
certain circumstances, compromised the civilian nature of schools and put students
at risk.
212. Hospitals have also born the brunt of conflicts around the world, with physical
attacks or threats of attacks on personnel or infrastructure leading to the disruption
of the delivery of health services and/or the closure of hospitals. Looting of medical
equipment by parties to conflict has also been documented. Access to medical
facilities has also been an issue in a number of conflicts, with children and other
vulnerable populations being denied access through restriction of access or
intimidation by parties to conflict.
VII. Recommendations
213. I am concerned by the increasing trend of attacks against schools and
hospitals, and I encourage the Security Council to further ensure that such facilities
remain protected, including by calling on all parties to conflict to respect and take
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all possible measures to protect these crucial institutions and their personnel (and, in
the case of schools, their students) and to ensure the functioning of schools and
hospitals. Special attention should be paid to the protection of girls’ access to
schools and hospitals, given the increasing targeting of such facilities in some
countries.
214. While acknowledging that equal weight should be given to all grave violations
against children, and taking into account the ever-increasing need to protect schools
and hospitals, as noted in the present and previous reports, it is recommended that
the Security Council consider expanding the gateway to the annexes of my report to
include parties that attack schools and/or hospitals.
215. I welcome the signing of action plans by SLA-Free Will and SLA/Mother
Wing (Abu Gasim) in the Sudan and the Afghan National Security Forces, as well as
the progress made by parties in releasing children, and in addressing impunity for
perpetrators, through investigations and prosecution. I strongly urge parties who
have been listed in my previous reports for recruitment and/or use of children,
killing and/or maiming of children and/or sexual violence against children who have
not concluded action plans to do so without delay, in conjunction with United
Nations country task forces.
216. I encourage concerned Member States to facilitate contact between the United
Nations and non-State actors to ensure broad and effective protection for children,
including for purposes of concluding action plans in accordance Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009). Such contact will not
prejudge the political or legal status of those non-State actors.
217. The Security Council is encouraged to continue considering the application of
targeted measures against persistent perpetrators of grave violations against children
who are listed in my annual reports. These measures include designating child
protection criteria in the renewal or establishment of mandates of relevant sanctions
Committees; requesting specific child protection expertise in its expert groups; and
including systematic information on violations against children in its reports,
recommendations and referral of recommendations of its Working Group on
children and armed conflict to relevant sanctions Committees; and, when
appropriate, seeking the expert advice of my Special Representative.
218. I urge the Security Council to ensure that specific provisions for the protection
of children continue to be included in all mandates of United Nations peacekeeping
operations, as well as Special Political Missions and peacebuilding missions. The
Security Council should furthermore ensure that the mandate is appropriately
resourced.
219. I further call on the Security Council to strongly encourage troop- and policecontributing
countries to include child protection in their predeployment training.
220. Reports of child casualties in the course of military operations continue to be
of concern, and I remind all parties to conflict and mandated international forces of
their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. I strongly
urge them to ensure that they continuously review tactical directives to ensure that
children are not harmed.
221. The detention of children on grounds of association with armed groups,
including threats of violence against or ill treatment of children for intelligenceA/
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gathering purposes, is a growing trend, and I would invite the interested authorities
to work with my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to devise
appropriate measures to better protect these children.
222. Sexual violence against children in conflict remains a growing concern. My
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict will continue to work
closely with my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict and
other parts of the United Nations system and its partners to ensure the swift
implementation of the monitoring and reporting arrangements under Security
Council resolutions 1882 (2009) and 1960 (2010), and to engage with the broad
spectrum of partners working on child protection and sexual violence to ensure
adequate protection for girls and boys.
223. I urge the donor community to address, as a matter of priority, the funding
gaps for the implementation of action plans and sustainable long-term reintegration
needs. I further encourage the donor community to ensure adequate resourcing for
the implementation of monitoring, reporting and response in monitoring and
reporting mechanism-implementing countries.
224. I welcome the universal ratification campaign of my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights to encourage Member States that have not
done so to sign and ratify or accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on
the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, enacting
legislation that explicitly prohibits the recruitment of children under 18 years of age
into armed forces or armed groups and their use in hostilities, taking measures to
implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and
submitting timely reports under the Optional Protocol to the Committee.
VIII. Lists in annexes to the report6
225. The present report contains two annexes.7 Annex I contains a list of parties
that recruit or use children, kill or maim children and/or commit rape and other
forms of sexual violence against children in situations of armed conflict on the
agenda of the Security Council, also bearing in mind other grave violations and
abuses committed against children. Annex II contains a list of parties that recruit or
use children, kill or maim children and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children either in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda of
the Security Council or in other situations of concern, also bearing in mind other
grave violations and abuses committed against children.
226. It should be noted that the annexes do not list countries as such. The purpose
of the lists is to identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible for specific
grave violations against children. In that regard, the names of countries are referred
to only in order to indicate the locations or situations where offending parties are
committing the violations in question.
__________________
6 Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the present report is guided by criteria for
determining the existence of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and
international jurisprudence; reference to a situation of concern is not a legal determination, and
reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal status.
7 The parties are listed in alphabetical order in the annexes.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children in situations of armed conflict on
the agenda of the Security Council, bearing in mind other
violations and abuses committed against children
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Policea
2. Haqqani networka,b
3. Hezb-i-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
4. Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafiaa
5. Latif Mansur Networka
6. Taliban forcesa,b
7. Tora Bora Fronta
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Armée populaire pour la restauration de la République et de la démocratie
(APRD)a
2. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP)a
3. Forces démocratiques populaires de Centrafrique (FDPC)a
4. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
5. Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ)a
6. Self-defence militias supported by the Government of the Central African
Republica
7. Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR)a
Parties in Chad
1. Armée nationale tchadienne, including newly integrated elementsa
2. Justice and Equality Movementa
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC), including
recently integrated elements from various armed groups, including Congrès
national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP), formerly led by Laurent Nkunda
as well as elements currently led by Bosco Ntagandaa,c
__________________
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
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2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)a,c
3. Forces de résistance patriotique en Ituri/Front Populaire pour la Justice au
Congo (FRPI/FPJC)a,c
4. Front nationaliste et intégrationaliste (FNI)a,c
5. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,c
6. Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO)a,c
Parties in Iraq
1. Al-Qaida in Iraq, including its armed youth wing, “Birds of Paradise” a,b
2. Islamic State of Iraqb
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)a
2. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)a
3. Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA):a this party has sought to conclude
an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), but the United Nations has been
prevented from doing so by the Government of Myanmar
4. Karen National Union-Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Karenni Army (KA):a this party has sought to conclude an action plan with the
United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005), but the United Nations has been prevented from doing so by the
Government of Myanmar
6. Shan State Army-South (SSA-S)a
7. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forcesa
8. United Wa State Army (UWSA)a
Parties in Nepal
Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M)a
Parties in Somalia
1. Al-Shabaab, including newly merged Hizbul Islama,b
2. Transitional Federal Government (TFG)a,b
Parties in the Sudan
Parties in southern Sudan
1. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b.c
2. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)a
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Parties in Darfur
1. Chadian armed opposition groupsa
2. Police forces, including the Central Reserve Police and Border Intelligence
Forcesa
3. Popular Defence Forcesa
4. Pro-Government militiasa
5. Sudanese Armed Forcesa
6. Parties signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (Peace Wing)a
(b) Movement of Popular Force for Rights and Democracya
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Mother Wing (Abu Gasim)a
(d) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Free Willa
(e) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Minni Minawia
(f) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Peace Winga
7. Parties not signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement:
(a) Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)a
(b) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul Wahida
(c) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Historical Leadershipa
(d) Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Unitya
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children in situations of armed conflict not
on the agenda of the Security Council, or in other situations
of concern, bearing in mind other violations and abuses
committed against children
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)a
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)a
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)a
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)a
3. New People’s Army (NPA)a
Parties in Sri Lanka
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) (Iniya Barrathi faction)a
Parties in Uganda
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
Parties in Yemen
Al-Houthi rebelsa
Pro-Government tribal militiaa
a Parties that recruit and use children.
United Nations A/66/782–S/2012/261
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
26 April 2012
Original: English
12-32083 (E) 080612
*1232083*
General Assembly Security Council
Sixty-sixth session Sixty-seventh year
Agenda item 65 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2011, is
submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1998 (2011), by which the Council
requested me to submit a report on the implementation of its resolutions 1261 (1999),
1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and
1998 (2011), as well as its presidential statements on children and armed conflict.
2. The present report provides information on grave violations committed against
children, in particular the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against
children, the killing and maiming of children, the abduction of children, attacks on
schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access to children by parties to
conflict in contravention of applicable international law (see sect. II). The report
also describes progress made by parties to conflict on dialogue and action plans to
halt the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against children and the
killing and maiming of children, as well as on the release of children associated with
armed forces and armed groups (see sect. III). The report furthermore includes updates
on the implementation of specific requests by the Security Council in follow-up of
resolution 1998 (2011) (see sect. IV). The report concludes by outlining a series of
recommendations (see sect. V). The present report covers 23 country situations, of
which 16 are on the agenda of the Security Council and 7 are not on the agenda or
related to other country situations. Two new country situations are added to the
report (Libya and the Syrian Arab Republic), while two others have been removed
(Haiti and Burundi).
3. By paragraph 3 of its resolution 1998 (2011), the Security Council requests
that the present report include in the annexes those parties to conflict that engage in
recurrent attacks on schools and/or hospitals, or in recurrent attacks or threats of
attack against protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, in addition to
parties that engage in the recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against
children, and the killing or maiming of children in contravention of international law.
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4. The preparation of the present report involved broad consultations within the
United Nations, in particular with the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict at
Headquarters, the country task forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping
and political missions and United Nations country teams, as well as with concerned
Member States and non-governmental organizations. The Office of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict also works closely at Headquarters
with all relevant United Nations departments and agencies as well as special
representatives.
5. References to reports, cases and incidents in the present report refer to
information that is gathered, vetted and verified for accuracy. In situations where the
ability to obtain or independently verify information received is hampered by
factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such.
6. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in identifying the
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict is guided by the criteria for determining the existence
of an armed conflict found in international humanitarian law and international
jurisprudence. In the performance of her mandate, my Special Representative has
adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach to this issue, with a humanitarian
emphasis, aimed at ensuring broad and effective protection for children exposed to
and affected by conflict in situations of concern. Reference to a situation is not a legal
determination, and reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal status.1
II. Information on grave violations committed against children
in armed conflict and response
A. Information on grave violations committed against children in
situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
7. In 2011, 316 cases of underage recruitment were reported in Afghanistan, of
which the majority was attributed to armed groups notably the Taliban forces,
including the Tora Bora Front, the Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia and the Latif
Mansur Network, as well as the Haqqani network and the Hezb-e-Islami. Children
were recruited and used by armed groups to conduct suicide attacks and plant
improvised explosive devices, as well as for transporting goods. In 2011, 11 children,
including one 8-year-old girl, were killed while conducting suicide attacks. Some
children unknowingly carried explosive packages. At least 20 reports of crossborder
recruitment of Afghan children to Pakistan by armed groups, including the
Taliban, were received. The boys were reportedly taken to Pakistan for training, and
returned to Afghanistan to conduct military operations.
8. Although there has been notable progress on implementation of the Action
Plan, the use of children by units of the Afghan National Police and the Afghan
__________________
1 See, for example, common article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions; article 1 of Additional
Protocol II of 1977 thereto; International Committee of the Red Cross, J. Pictet (ed.), Commentary
on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (1958); and Prosecutor v. Duško Tadić, Case No. IT-94,
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Appeals Chamber (2 October 1995).
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National Army at checkpoints, including as messengers and tea boys, in
contravention of Afghan law, remains to be fully addressed. Children were also
recruited, mostly in the eastern and southern regions, into the Afghan Local Police,
including through intimidation.
9. Verification of all reports of recruitment and use of children remained a
serious challenge owing to the ongoing conflict and security constraints.
10. In 2011, 204 incidents of detention of children (all boys, including one 10-yearold)
for alleged support to armed groups were documented. In several instances,
children were initially detained by the International Military Forces, transferred to
the National Directorate for Security, and subsequently to the juvenile rehabilitation
centres. While the exact number of children held in International Military Forces
detention facilities is unknown, concerns remain about the duration of detention and
the handover to national authorities, particularly those held at the Parwan detention
facility.
11. Through direct interviews with underage detainees, the United Nations
documented incidents of ill-treatment during detention, including beatings, electrical
shocks and threats of sexual violence. For example, the United Nations received one
verified report of a 16-year-old boy, arrested and detained by the International
Military Forces for alleged association with the Taliban, and transferred to a
National Directorate for Security detention facility in Kandahar province, where he
was raped in January 2011. There were no reports of abuse of children in detention
by the International Military Forces.
12. The country task forces on monitoring and reporting documented that a total
number of 1,325 children were killed or injured during the reporting period.
Thirty per cent of child casualties were caused by improvised explosive devices
placed by armed groups, killing 123 children and injuring 262. These incidents also
include the use of suicide attacks. On 2 December 2011, for instance, a suicide
attack in Mohammad Agha district, Logar province, resulted in the injuring of at
least 28 children. In another attack, on 6 December 2011, the Lashkar i Jhangvi-Al-
Alami, a Pakistan-based armed group, killed at least 10 children and injured at least
12 in an attack on a religious ceremony in Kabul. Children also continued to be
victims of rocket, artillery and mortar attacks. The majority of incidents were
attributed to the Taliban forces, including Tora Bora Front, Jamat Sanat al-Dawa
Salafia, the Latif Mansur network, the Haqqani network and Hezb-i-Islami, killing
43 children and injuring 159. A total of 129 children were killed or injured in
crossfire between the Afghan National Army and armed groups.
13. The number of child casualties attributed to airstrikes conducted by
pro-Government forces, including the Afghan National Security Forces and the
International Military Forces, doubled compared with the last reporting period, with
110 children killed and 68 injured in 2011.
14. Furthermore, 431 child casualties were caused by mines and explosive remnants
of war from previous decades of conflict. The eastern region was the most affected
and the majority of casualties were boys between the ages of 8 and 15 years.
15. Reports of sexual violence against girls and boys by armed elements continued
to be received in 2011. Four incidents involving Afghan National Police elements
were reported, including two verified cases. In one case of an attempted rape of a
9-year-old girl, the Afghan National Police officer was sentenced to six years’
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imprisonment by the regional military prosecutor. Of 76 interviewed boys detained
in juvenile rehabilitation centres on national security-related charges, 10 reported
sexual violence or threats of sexual violence upon their arrest. Reports also
continued to be received of sexual abuse of boys by elements of armed groups.
16. During the reporting period, the country task forces on monitoring and
reporting documented 185 incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals in the
central, northern, south-eastern and eastern regions, including improvised explosive
device and suicide attacks (51), burning of schools (35), intimidation of educational
personnel (34), forced closures of schools (32), killing of educational personnel
(25), abduction of educational personnel (7) and looting (1). Of these reported
incidents, the majority was attributed to armed groups, including the Taliban,
opposed to girls’ education. It should be noted that in 2011 the Taliban reportedly
issued a directive forbidding attacks on schools and teachers. Although this could
not be confirmed by the United Nations, accounts suggested that Taliban members at
the provincial level publicly denounced attacks against schools. In addition,
31 incidents of military use of schools were documented during the reporting
period, of which 20 cases were attributed to armed groups and 11 cases to
pro-Government forces.
17. The United Nations also received reports of 58 incidents of attacks against
health facilities and personnel. Incidents attributed to unidentified armed groups
included killings, abduction, suicide attacks, intimidation and the use of an
ambulance in a suicide attack.
18. During the reporting period, 31 incidents of abduction of children by armed
groups were documented. All cases involved boys and were motivated by
recruitment, kidnap-for-ransom, retaliation and intimidation for suspected
association with pro-Government forces. Five of these incidents indicated a link to
armed groups located in Pakistan, and involved the movement of children across the
Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Central African Republic
19. The recruitment and use of children by the armed groups the Convention des
patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP) and the Union des forces démocratiques
pour le rassemblement (UFDR) continued to be reported, especially in the north of
the country. Children were seen fighting in the ranks of CPJP and UFDR during
armed clashes in September and October 2011 in Vakaga and Haute-Kotto
provinces. Children were also reportedly seen in the ranks of the Mouvement des
libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ) in Birao (Vakaga prefecture), and
in the ranks of the Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC) in Kabo
(Nana-Gribizi prefecture). According to information received, a small number of
children continued to be present in the ranks of the Armée populaire pour la
restauration de la république et la démocratie (APRD). The Chadian Front
patriotique pour le redressement (FPR) also recruited children in 2011. Of the 1,700
FPR combatants reportedly active in 2011, 15 per cent were estimated to be
children, including children from neighbouring countries.
20. During the reporting period, attacks on towns and villages, as well as armed
clashes by CPJP, UFDR and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) predominantly in
the north-east and south-east of the country, resulted in the killing of civilians,
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including children. Of a total of 88 children killed in 2011 (63 boys and 25 girls),
63 were killed in armed confrontations between CPJP and UFDR.
21. Incidents of rape and other grave sexual violence, although underreported,
continued to be of concern in 2011. For example, on 21 February, CPJP rebels
attacked two villages in Haute-Kotto province and raped a 13-year-old girl.
22. Attacks on schools and the use of schools by armed groups continued to have a
negative impact on the education system in the Central African Republic. During the
reporting period, 12 schools were used, attacked or destroyed during confrontations
between CPJP and UFDR, as well as during FPR attacks, affecting a total of 1,500
children. In the town of Bria (Haute-Kotto prefecture), teachers were directly
targeted and assaulted by different armed groups because the schools were located
in areas controlled by rival armed groups.
23. Humanitarian access continued to be limited in the north and south-east of the
country, especially in Bamingui-Bangoran, Haute-Kotto, Mbomou and Haut-
Mbomou, Nana-Gribizi and Vakaga prefectures, owing to the activities of local
(CPJP and UFDR) and foreign (FPR) armed groups. It is estimated that during the
reporting period, some 40,000 children in affected areas were deprived of
humanitarian assistance owing to widespread insecurity in these provinces.
Humanitarian access was complicated by lack of clarity in the chain of command, in
particular with FDPC in Kabo (Ouham prefecture).
Chad
24. A general improvement in the security situation in the country in 2011, as well
as the demobilization and reintegration of the Armée nationale tchadienne during
the second half of 2011, contributed to a significant decrease in the number of
reported cases of child recruitment in Chad. The presence of children was not
registered during the restructuring operations of the Armée nationale tchadienne,
which were monitored by the regional delegation of the Ministry of Social Action
and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Moussoro. Although the
Armée nationale tchadienne has stopped recruiting children as a matter of policy,
concerns exist that a small number of children may still be associated with it. Five
Sudanese refugee minors are still alleged to be serving in the Armée nationale
tchadienne in different locations. The Government denies any possibility of
participation of refugee children in the Armée nationale tchadienne.
25. The presence of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in refugee camps in
eastern Chad has significantly decreased, and no new cases of child recruitment by
JEM were reported in 2011. Potential attempts of re-recruitment of Sudanese
refugee children by armed forces or armed groups cannot, however, be excluded and
requires monitoring by the country task forces on monitoring and reporting.
Children also allegedly remain associated with the Front démocratique populaire
(FDP), whose forces are deployed in the border area between Chad, the Central
African Republic and the Sudan.
26. During 2011, and since the creation of the joint Chad/Sudan monitoring force,
there has been a significant decrease in security incidents. The Government of Chad
has assumed full responsibility for the protection of humanitarian workers and
finalized a joint United Nations-Government protection of civilians strategy. The
Détachement intégré de sécurité (DIS) has expanded its operational area from the
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east of the country to provide coverage in the southern and south-eastern part.
Nevertheless, United Nations system agencies and partners were obliged to use
armed escorts for their movements in eastern and southern Chad.
Côte d’Ivoire
27. The post-election crisis in early 2011 was directly associated with a rise in the
commission of grave violations against children. The end of hostilities led to a
subsequent decrease in the number of violations registered. However, some
violations against children continued to be committed after the end of fighting,
particularly in the west.
28. Cases of child recruitment and use were documented during the reporting
period, and peaked during the post-election crisis. During the run up to the 2010
election, a worrying trend of involvement of children in campaigning activities and
political demonstrations had been observed, which exposed them to violence and
culminated in public statements and recruitment drives targeted at youth.
Subsequently, between January and May 2011, many youths joined various armed
groups, including the Jeunes patriotes and the Commando Invisible.
29. Thirty-seven cases of recruitment and use were verified by the country task
forces on monitoring and reporting, although the total is believed to be higher.
Children and youth participated in self-defence groups instituted by supporters of both
sides. Children were seen manning checkpoints in collaboration with the Jeunes
patriotes and elements of the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) in the
period covering January to April 2011. The majority of children associated with armed
groups during the crisis have been released, although their formal reintegration
remains a challenge in the absence of a national disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration programme during the reporting period. Since the end of hostilities in
May 2011, no new cases of recruitment and use of children were reported.
30. The killing and maiming of children in crossfire and shelling peaked during
the period between January and May 2011, mainly in Abidjan and in the west. A
total of 42 cases of children killed and 66 of children maimed by armed elements
were registered by the United Nations in 2011, although the number of actual cases
is likely to be higher. In Abidjan, some cases were attributed to elements of the
Forces de défense et de sécurité (FDS). Cases of maiming of children by explosive
remnants of war have also been reported.
31. The prevalence of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
continued to be of great concern. A total of 271 cases of sexual violence were
registered by the country task forces on monitoring and reporting, affecting 265
girls and 6 boys. Of these cases, 24 per cent were perpetrated by armed groups. For
example, on 28 March 2011, a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped at gunpoint in her
home by three FRCI elements in the Carrefour neighbourhood of Duekoue. The
situation was particularly serious in the west where armed groups continued to enjoy
freedom of movement and impunity. Victims are generally reluctant to file a
complaint for fear of stigmatization and/or retaliation.2
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2 For information on parties in Côte d’Ivoire listed as responsible for patterns of rape and other
forms of sexual violence during the reporting period, see the report of the Secretary-General on
conflict-related sexual violence (S/2012/33).
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32. During the reporting period, a total of 477 schools were reported as being
damaged, looted and/or used by armed groups, depriving an estimated 67,500
children of education. Of these cases, 23 schools were used, 3 of them as storage for
weapons and 4 as collective graves. In addition, seven medical facilities were
attacked. These incidents were mostly attributed to FRCI, especially in the west of
the country. In addition, one case of military use of schools in the Yopougon
neighbourhood of Abidjan by Liberian mercenaries and pro-Gbagbo elements,
including the Jeunes patriotes, was reported.
33. In August, the Government ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on
the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. The
Government has also drafted a national strategy for the fight against gender-based
violence. The document is still pending approval by the Ministry of Family, Women
and Children.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
34. Child protection actors documented 272 cases of recruitment and use of children
(259 boys and 13 girls) during the reporting period. Of these, 266 cases reportedly
occurred in North and South Kivu, four in Orientale Province and two in Maniema.
The Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) was allegedly
responsible for the largest number, followed by Mai-Mai groups and the Forces
démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR). Other alleged perpetrators include
the Ugandan armed group the Allied Democratic Forces/National Liberation Army of
Uganda (ADF/NALU) and the Forces républicaines fédéralistes (FRF). Other cases of
child recruitment were attributed to new local defence groups and non-integrated units
of the Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP). Most children were used
as escorts, cooks and/or porters. A majority of the children were between the ages of
11 and 17 years at the time of recruitment; 12 children were under age 10.
35. Ten cases of killing and 14 cases of maiming of children were documented in
2011. Most were allegedly perpetrated by FARDC (six cases of killing and nine
cases of maiming). Three cases of maiming were attributed to the Police nationale
congolaise, one case of killing to a Mai-Mai group, and the remaining cases were
attributed to unidentified armed elements.
36. Sexual violence against children was committed by all parties and continued to
be a serious concern in 2011. The majority of documented cases were perpetrated by
Government security forces. A total of 108 cases of rape (including 3 cases against
boys) were documented. Of these, 86 cases occurred in North and South Kivu and
22 in Orientale Province. Sixty-seven cases were attributed to FARDC, 17 to various
Mai-Mai groups, 10 to the Police nationale congolaise, 4 to FDLR and 2 to the Front
de résistance patriotique en Ituri/Front populaire pour la justice au Congo
(FRPI/FPJC). Twelve cases of rape against children allegedly occurred during mass
rape incidents in Mutongo/Walikale, North Kivu, between 8 and 10 and 22 and
23 June 2011. The perpetrators were allegedly affiliated to the Alliance des patriotes
pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS). Most of the child victims were between
the ages of 8 and 17 years; five victims were under the age of 6.3
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3 For information on parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo listed as responsible for
patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence during the reporting period, see the report of
the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence (S/2012/33).
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37. The number of attacks against schools and health centres increased in 2011,
with 53 incidents against schools and health centres taking place in the Kivus and
Orientale Province, compared with 23 incidents in 2010. FDLR was responsible for
21 cases of destruction and looting of schools and health centres in 2011. Mai-Mai
groups were responsible for six cases and ADF/NALU for one case. FARDC was
responsible for several incidents, mainly involving looting, and in two cases the use
of schools.
38. Humanitarian access continued to be hampered in eastern Democratic
Republic of the Congo throughout 2011. For instance, five humanitarian workers
were killed during an attack allegedly carried out by Mai-Mai elements in South
Kivu in October. Cases of kidnappings of humanitarian workers were also reported.
Goma, Masisi and Rutshuru territories in North Kivu and Bukavu, and Uvira
territory in South Kivu, were the most affected. The security vacuum that followed
the temporary redeployment of FARDC in the context of the regimentation process
was exploited by armed groups, including FDLR and various Mai-Mai groups, to
re-establish their position in vacated areas, preventing humanitarian access.
39. Three years after the adoption of the Child Protection Law in January 2009 and
the criminalization of child recruitment, no perpetrators of recruitment and use of
children were prosecuted and convicted, despite the fact that many of them —
including at the senior level — were clearly identified. Perpetrators such as Bosco
Ntaganda, Innocent Zimurinda and Baudoin Ngaruye, remain in the FARDC
command structure, and some, such as Biyoyo Josue, have received promotions.
Others who have been tried and sentenced remain at large. For example, Mai-Mai
chief Kyungu Mutanga, alias Gedeon, sentenced to death in March 2009 for crimes
against humanity and for recruitment and use of children, escaped from prison in
September 2011 and resumed activities in North Katanga. Despite advocacy efforts,
no action was taken by the FARDC “Amani Leo” hierarchy in South Kivu to
investigate the looting of 10 schools by FARDC elements between August and
September 2011.
40. A positive development was the arrest and prosecution of FARDC and Police
nationale congolaise suspects who allegedly perpetrated acts of sexual violence
against children: 44 FARDC and Police nationale congolaise elements allegedly
involved in 77 cases of rape perpetrated in 2011 were arrested, and 18 were tried.
Two were acquitted owing to a lack of evidence and 16 were imprisoned and
obliged to pay financial compensation to the victims.
Iraq
41. In the reporting period, armed groups, including Al-Qaida in Iraq and Islamic
State of Iraq (ISI), continued to carry out violent attacks targeting security forces,
Government buildings and civilians. The most affected governorates were Baghdad,
Kirkuk, Ninewa, Diyala, Anbar and Salahaddin. From January to December, a total
of 341 incidents affecting children were reported, of which 117 were verified by the
country task forces on monitoring and reporting.
42. Throughout 2011, armed groups such as Al-Qaida in Iraq and ISI, continued to
recruit, train and use children to take part in hostilities. The exact number of
children recruited and used by armed groups remains difficult to ascertain owing to
the security context. However, incidents were documented in Anbar, Babil,
Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Wassit. Children were used to spy and scout,
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transport military supplies and equipment, videotape attacks for propaganda
purposes, plant improvised explosive devices and actively engage in attacks against
security forces and civilians. Children were also reportedly seen manning
checkpoints of the Awakening Councils, mainly in Diyala, Babil, Salahaddin and
Anbar. It should be noted that the Al-Qaida in Iraq’s youth wing “Birds of Paradise”,
listed in my previous report for recruitment and use of children, was no longer
active in the current reporting period.
43. During the reporting period, 294 children, including an unknown number of
girls, were indicted or convicted of terrorism-related charges under article 4 of the
Anti-Terrorism Act (2005). The last three months of 2011 saw a spike in the
percentage of children charged with alleged association with armed groups with
terrorism-related offences held in pretrial detention facilities.
44. At least 146 children were reportedly killed and 265 injured as a result of the
continued violence in 2011. The majority of these incidents took place in the
governorates of Baghdad, Ninewa, Kirkuk and Salahaddin. Verification of incidents
remained limited owing to the security risk associated with independent monitoring.
45. The killing and maiming of children was attributable mainly to indiscriminate
attacks, including suicide attacks, as well as targeted executions and crossfire
incidents. In the reporting period, there was also an emerging practice of complex
attacks in Iraq. In 2011, 20 of these attacks (14 between October and December
2011 alone) killed at least 20 children and injured 33 others.
46. Armed groups, including Al-Qaida in Iraq and ISI, caused the large majority of
casualties. ISI, for example, claimed responsibility for the bombing on 25 July 2011
near a restaurant in Kirkuk that killed and injured 14 people, including five girls and
four boys. Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks
in Baghdad on 22 December 2011, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive
device that targeted a Government building in Rufasa district that claimed the lives
of 7 children and injured another 28.
47. The reporting period saw a significant increase in the number of children
abducted, with 27 cases of abduction of boys and 10 cases of abduction of girls
documented. Although the motives of most incidents could not be ascertained, a
strong nexus between the cases of abduction of children and the funding of non-State
armed group activities in Iraq was suspected. For instance, in Kirkuk, an 11-year-old
boy was abducted near his house in June 2011 by perpetrators claiming to be members
of ISI. The boy was later released after the payment of a ransom.
48. Access to school and health services was also impacted by improvised
explosive devices planted in or in the vicinity of schools and medical facilities,
indiscriminate firing and targeted attacks against education and health personnel.
Fifty-four incidents affecting schools and 40 incidents affecting hospitals were
reported in 2011, which in both cases represents an increase compared with 2010.
Twenty-seven education personnel and 17 medical workers were killed or injured in
different incidents that included direct shooting and improvised explosive devices,
mostly in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salahaddin and Anbar. Other incidents related
to the abduction of medical staff and attacks against health facilities or civilian
ambulances. Armed groups, including Al-Qaida in Iraq and ISI, were responsible in
all reported cases.
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49. In 2011, sustained efforts were made by the United Nations to encourage the
Government of Iraq to put in place a mechanism to address the issues affecting
children in the context of the armed conflict. Following a meeting held in January
between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the co-chairs of the country task forces
on monitoring and reporting, the Ministry of Human Rights committed to
establishing an interministerial committee composed of representatives of the
Ministries of the Interior, Defence, Education and Labour and Social Affairs and, on
19 October 2011, the Ministry requested the Council of Ministers to approve the
establishment of that committee. As at 31 December 2011, no progress was noted.
Lebanon
50. The situation in Lebanon has been included in my previous annual reports.
Despite the general calm along the Blue Line since the cessation of hostilities in
2006, occasional incidents of violence affected children, including the killing and
maiming of children in sporadic incidents of violence. On 15 May 2011, Palestinian
demonstrators moved towards the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, prompting an
armed response by the Israeli security forces in the area of Maroun al-Ras. This
resulted in seven civilian casualties, including two boys, aged 16 and 17 years, and
the injuring of 111 persons, including four boys and two girls as young as 6 years
old.
51. In relation to the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon witnessed an
influx of over 6,200 Syrian refugees, half of whom were children, between April
and December 2011. Increased military manoeuvres on the Syrian side of the border
and the planting of landmines along the Lebanese border have made entry into
Lebanon through unofficial crossing points increasingly risky and contributed to
unease among displaced populations and host communities. Two Lebanese boys,
aged 14 and 16 years, were wounded by gunfire originating from the Syrian side in
the northern area of Wadi Khaled. One Lebanese child aged 13 years, was also
maimed by a landmine planted along the Lebanese border on the Syrian side.
52. In the Ain El Helweh camp, Sidon district, at least two separate violent clashes
between political factions occurred in 2011 killing one child and causing serious
injuries to two other children. These incidents also led to a disruption of schooling.
Libya
53. Since the conflict began in mid-February 2011, the United Nations has
received numerous reports of grave violations against children in Libya throughout
the reporting period. Owing to fighting, the lack of access to affected populations,
especially in Sirte and Misrata, and the absence of systematic monitoring and
reporting, grave violations against children, including child casualties, were not
systematically documented. As a result, even though a total of 129 cases of killing
and 247 cases of maiming of children were recorded, mostly in Misrata, Tawargha,
Bani Walid and Tripoli, 53 incidents of killing of children (16 girls and 37 boys) and
96 incidents of maiming (18 girls and 78 boys) were verified, mostly in Benghazi,
Tripoli, Misrata, Brega, Tawargha, Ajdabiya and Nafusa. The main causes of death
and injury were shelling by former Government forces (in particular in Misrata) and
crossfire between former Government forces and opposition groups. For example,
between mid-February and mid-August 2011, Brega Hospital admitted 24 children,
15 of whom had been shot and 9 injured by explosions. According to medical
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personnel in Misrata, Benghazi and Zlitan, in addition to shelling, the association of
boys with armed groups was also reported as a cause of killing and maiming.
Explosive remnants of war contamination also led to a significant number of child
casualties. The most affected areas were Ajdabiya, Nalut, Zinten, Sirte and Bani
Walid, especially as displaced populations returned to their homes.
54. Child casualties were also reported in the context of military operations of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Libya. The Commission of Inquiry
on Libya stated that NATO “conducted a highly precise campaign with a
demonstrable determination to avoid civilian casualties” (A/HRC/19/68, para. 812).
However, it documented at least 10 deaths of children in the course of NATO
operations in Majer, Tripoli, Zlitan and Sirte. For example, the Commission found
that at least seven children were killed in an airstrike in Majer on 8 August 2011. In
addition, the United Nations gathered information on 11 cases of deaths (three boys
and eight girls) and a further 11 cases of injuries (four boys and seven girls) related
to NATO operations in Brega.
55. The presence of children in armed forces and armed groups was broadly
reported in the context of the conflict in Libya, including by the Commission of
Inquiry, but the constraints for monitoring and reporting mentioned above prevented
the United Nations from verifying all reported incidents. The Commission found
strong evidence that, during the fighting, former Government forces recruited and
used children. The Commission was also very concerned about the reports of
children who had formed part of the opposition forces/brigades associated with the
National Transitional Council, also known as the “thuwar”, in the Nafusa
Mountains. Seventeen cases of recruitment of boys were verified in 2011, which
represents only a portion of the actual scope as estimated by witness accounts.
Reports indicated that children associated with former Government forces undertook
military training and were engaged in fighting alongside adult combatants.
56. Verified information was also received on the presence of children in
opposition forces and brigades associated with the National Transitional Council
during the conflict. Children were spotted undertaking military training, carrying
weapons, wearing uniforms and performing various tasks in support of combat
operations. At the end of 2011, children were seen manning checkpoints and
providing security, which remains a concern. On 20 May 2011, the National
Transitional Council reportedly issued directives to all front-line troops not to
recruit children. The United Nations has not been able to confirm this claim at the
time of writing. The current Government of Libya is working with the Office of my
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to address the issue of
children remaining associated with some brigades.
57. Concerns remain over the detention of children for alleged association with
armed forces of the former regime. The Commission of Inquiry documented four
cases of boys who were detained by brigades, together with adults, for association
with former Government forces. In addition, five separate cases of abduction and
detention of boys, aged 15 to 17 years, were documented by the United Nations. The
boys, from the Tawargha community, were taken from internally displaced persons
camps by opposition forces/brigades to military bases or security facilities for
interrogation. Detention lasted from one day (four cases) to five days (one case). All
boys reported being victims of ill-treatment and acts tantamount to torture during
their detention.
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58. Twenty-seven attacks on schools and four attacks on hospitals were
documented in 2011, in particular in Zlitan, Ajdabiya, Misrata, Nalut, Zinten and
Sirte. For reasons mentioned above, this number reflects only a portion of all
incidents that took place. A majority of these cases were attributed to former
Government forces and opposition forces and brigades. One case was attributed to
NATO. These attacks included shootings at schools and hospitals, shelling,
airstrikes, improvised explosive devices, looting of medical supplies and the use of
facilities by the military. This resulted in partial or total destruction of health and
education facilities and in disrupted provision of services. During an airstrike,
NATO hit the Institute of Health in Tigi, in August 2011, on the basis of intelligence
assessment that it was a missile and ammunition storage site for the former
Government forces.
59. At the end of 2011, the continued presence of armed brigades and sporadic
clashes between these brigades posed a challenge to the Libyan authorities in their
efforts to contain the overall security situation. In this context, children remained
vulnerable to association with these brigades, displacement and exposure to
explosive remnants of war and the widespread presence of small arms and light
weapons.
Lord’s Resistance Army and the Central African region (the Central African
Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda)
60. Grave violations against children by LRA in the Central African region
remained a major concern in 2011. The armed group continued to operate in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan.
While no violations have been reported in Uganda since 2006, Uganda continued
military operations against LRA in the region.
61. In the Central African Republic, 101 children (63 boys and 38 girls) were
reportedly abducted by LRA in 2011, mostly in Mbomou, Haut-Mbomou and Haute-
Kotto prefectures. Out of these, 43 cases were verified by the country task forces on
monitoring and reporting. All but one of the abducted girls were released. A
Congolese girl who had escaped from LRA in December 2010 was repatriated to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and reunified with her family in January 2011;
five boys and four girls were reunified with their families in the Central African
Republic. Twenty-four LRA attacks against civilians were documented in 2011,
resulting in the killing and injuring of children in Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou. In
2011, over 22,523 civilians were displaced by attacks or fear of attacks by LRA.
Access to humanitarian assistance continued to be restricted in LRA-affected areas
during the reporting period.
62. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 211 LRA attacks were documented
in 2011. In the Uélé districts of Orientale Province, 124 children (59 girls and
65 boys) were abducted by LRA and escaped a few days to months after their
abduction. Thirty-nine children reported that they had been used as combatants,
while 51 children reported that they had been used for forced labour. Nine of the
59 girls were abducted for a longer period and reported that they had been used as
forced wives. A total of 180 children escaped from LRA in 2011. Six cases of killing
and nine cases of maiming of children were attributed to LRA in 2011.
Humanitarian assistance continued to be hampered by LRA activity, in particular in
Faradje and Dungu in Orientale Province. In total, eight foreign children, five from
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the Sudan and three from Uganda, were repatriated in 2011, and 18 Congolese
children were repatriated from neighbouring countries to the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
63. In South Sudan, LRA carried out eight attacks against civilians, directly
affecting children. In Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal States,
13 children were reportedly abducted by LRA in 2011. Six cases of killing of
children were confirmed, four of whom died while in captivity. Eighteen girls,
between 12 and 17 years of age, separated from LRA by the Uganda People’s
Defense Force (UPDF) and the “home guards”, reported that they had been sexually
abused while abducted. One health centre in Western Equatoria State was looted by
LRA.
64. In 2011, nine Ugandan mothers (aged 20 to 21) and their children (12 girls and
eight boys, all below the age of 6) formerly associated with LRA were received at a
reception centre in Gulu, Uganda. The young mothers and children were
subsequently reunited with their families.
65. In May 2011, UPDF established standard operating procedures for the
reception and handover of children and women separated from LRA in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan and the Central African Republic.
The procedures stipulate that child protection actors shall be alerted immediately to
the presence of children in LRA custody, and in any case no later than 48 hours, and
that all children separated from LRA in UPDF custody, regardless of their
nationality, must be handed over to child protection actors in the shortest time
possible, in any case no later than within seven days. UPDF, in cooperation with the
United Nations, has trained 450 troops on the implementation of the standard
operating procedures. To ensure full implementation of the standard operating
procedures, all troops participating in counter-LRA operations should undergo
comprehensive predeployment training on the procedures. The UPDF is encouraged
to enforce full compliance within its ranks, to ensure that all children, including
Ugandan nationals, are handed over to child protection actors and within the time
frame set out in the standard operating procedures.
66. The weak presence of the Government security forces in LRA-affected areas
continued to have an impact on insecurity and impunity and contributed to the
establishment of unregulated community-based self-defence groups, such as the
“home guards” in South Sudan, and “milices d’auto-défence” in the Central African
Republic. Where Government security forces were present, concerns were raised
over human rights violations and lack of discipline. For example, a 14-year-old boy
who escaped in May 2011 was held hostage for three months by a soldier of the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) who demanded payment for services given
to the boy following his release. In the Central African Republic, the Forces armées
centrafricaines (FACA) reportedly used children for various purposes, including
checkpoint duty.
Myanmar
67. The number of complaints of underage recruitment, including children under
15 years of age, continued to rise, from 194 in 2010 to 243 in 2011, reflecting an
increased awareness of the age of recruitment by the Tatmadaw, and the existence of
reliable vetting mechanisms, including the International Labour Organization forced
labour complaints mechanism and community-based structures for complaints about
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underage recruitment. The Committee for the Prevention of Recruitment of
Underage Children in Myanmar received more complaints than in previous years as
a result of its extensive public awareness campaign. The vast majority of complaints
in 2011 reflected recruitment in Yangon, Ayeyarwaddy and Mandalay regions.
68. Children continued to be recruited by the Tatmadaw. The majority of underage
recruits interviewed after release stated that their recruiter had not asked their age,
or had falsified age documentation for presentation at the recruitment centre.
Reports continued to indicate that, in addition to children who were formally
recruited into the Tatmadaw, children were also used by the Tatmadaw for forced
labour, including as porters. In Kachin State, there were verified reports in late 2011
of children being used by the Tatmadaw alongside adults as porters on the front line.
69. Reports of recruitment and use of children by non-State actors in Myanmar
also continued to be received. In 2010, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
(DKBA) split into two factions, with the majority joining the Tatmadaw as a border
guard force, and the remainder allying itself with the Karen National Union/Karen
National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA). In 2011, with respect to both the DKBA
border guard force and the separatist DKBA troops, reports were received of forced
recruitment of children, unless payment in lieu of recruitment was received. The
country task forces on monitoring and reporting was able to verify this practice in
Kayin State, Ta Nay Cha and Thandaunggyi townships, in April and August 2011.
Reports of increased recruitment by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) were
also received in the second half of 2011, as tensions mounted in Kachin and
northern Shan State. The country task force also received allegations of children
joining KIA purportedly to avoid being used by the Tatmadaw as porters on the front
line. The country task force also confirmed one report of a 15-year-old boy recruited
by the Kachin Defense Army (KDA) in northern Shan State.
70. As conflict escalated in Shan State in 2011, reports of Shan State Army South
(SSA-S) perpetrating underage recruitment increased. Children are also reportedly
present in the ranks of the KNU/KNLA, Karen National Union/Karen National
Liberation Army Peace Council, Karen Peace Front (KPF), Karenni National
Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA), and the United Wa State Army
(UWSA). However, the country task force was unable to verify information about
these armed groups owing to travel restrictions imposed on it by the Government.
71. The country task force verified that 43 children had been killed or maimed as a
result of conflict-related violence in 22 separate incidents. During the reporting
period, children continued to be victims of landmines, explosive remnants of war,
mortar and rocket-propelled grenade attacks, and of crossfire between non-State
armed groups and the Tatmadaw.
72. There were a number of verified cases of children killed in retaliatory actions
by members of the Tatmadaw in villages where non-State armed groups were based,
or in villages considered aligned to non-State armed groups. For example, in
October 2011 the country task force verified an incident where, after having
sustained a severe beating, a one-year-old child in a village in Hsipaw township in
northern Shan State died by drowning, when soldiers of the Shan State Army-North
(SSA-N) threw the child and his parents into a pit filled with water.
73. Of the 22 verified incidents, a total of 9 occurred in Kachin State as a result of
fighting between the Tatmadaw and KIA, during which 22 children were killed or
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maimed. In June 2011, for instance, a 16-year-old girl from Bamaw township was
shot and killed in crossfire between the Tatmadaw and KIA. In another example, in
August 2011, a 3-year-old boy was shot and killed in the crossfire while fleeing his
village in Bamaw Township with his grandmother.
74. In 2011, both the Tatmadaw and non-State armed groups, such as KNU/KNLA,
KNPP/KA, DKBA, UWSA, KIA and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance
Army (MNDAA) continued to use anti-personnel mines in order to restrict the
movement of people, hinder the movement of troops, or to mark areas of operations.
75. The United Nations received a number of reports of attacks on schools or
hospitals by the Tatmadaw and other non-State armed groups during the reporting
period. The country task force verified that, during the fighting in May 2011 in
Kayin State, the Tatmadaw and DKBA/KNLA allied forces had partially destroyed a
hospital in Kawkareik.
76. During the reporting period, there were also a number of documented reports
in Kachin and Kayin States of schools being closed for long periods and schools
being damaged by shelling and mortar fire. In August 2011, the country task force
verified one case of a school in Kawng Lwin village in Mansi Township being
damaged by artillery fire in exchanges between the Tatmadaw and KIA. In July
2011, the country task force documented the incident of a school in Mone Hkawng
village in Mansi Township, Kachin State, being damaged by a Tatmadaw mortar
attack.
77. Access to vulnerable groups in many areas of the country, including children,
remained limited for United Nations system agencies in Myanmar. The Government
continued to restrict access to various parts of the country, citing security concerns
as the main reason for limiting the presence and travel of international as well as
national personnel of relief agencies. Access was particularly limited in ceasefire
and non-ceasefire areas, including mixed administration areas. However, some
progress was made when, in December 2011, a United Nations mission visited
inaccessible areas along the Myanmar-China border where displacement was
recorded.
Nepal
78. The situation in Nepal was included in my previous annual reports. While
conflict-related violations against children have significantly decreased in the
reporting period, children continue to be at risk. The presence of armed groups
operating with political and often criminal motives, primarily in the Terai districts
(southern belt of Nepal) and the Eastern Hills, gave rise to general insecurity in
those areas.
79. During the reporting period, 4 children were killed and 11 children sustained
injuries caused by explosive remnants of war in different parts of the country. Out of
the total number of cases documented, approximately half of the cases were related
to explosive remnants of war planted before the peace process, while the remaining
cases were the result of new contamination.
80. The United Nations Monitoring Team continued to monitor and follow up on
the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) compliance with the
Action Plan for the discharge of the disqualified Maoist army personnel (including
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verified minors) and related tasks, signed on 16 December 2009 between the
Government of Nepal, the United Nations and UCPN-M.
81. Information collected and verified by the Monitoring Team indicates that at
least one out of the seven Maoist army cantonment sites has ceased to distribute
payments to the verified minors through the Maoist army commanders. In addition,
three out of five Maoist army cantonment sites that previously provided shared
accommodation to verified minors have now either dismantled them or are no longer
using them to maintain a link between the verified minors and the Maoist army
commanders. There were no verified cases of returns of verified minors to the
cantonments.
Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
82. In 2011, Palestinian and Israeli children continued to suffer from the
prevailing situation of conflict. Twenty Palestinian children (19 boys and one girl)
were killed and 448 (393 boys and 55 girls) were injured in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and five Israeli children (four boys
and one girl) were killed and two boys were injured in Israel in incidents related to
the conflict, marking a significant increase compared with the previous year.
83. Among the 20 Palestinian children killed, 13 boys were killed by Israeli
security forces, two boys and one girl by Palestinian armed groups, including the Izz
al-Din Al Qassam Brigade and the Popular Resistance Committee in Gaza, two boys
by explosive remnants of war and two boys by Israeli settlers. Out of the
448 Palestinian children who were injured, 89 were under the age of 12 years. A
total of 384 children were injured by the Israeli security forces, 41 by Israeli settlers
in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, 15 by unknown perpetrators owing to the
detonation of improvised explosive devices and 8 by unidentified Palestinian armed
groups. Sixty-nine per cent of the injuries occurred in the West Bank (including
20 per cent in East Jerusalem), and 31 per cent occurred in Gaza (including 15 per
cent in the so-called buffer zone).
84. In the West Bank, there were serious concerns regarding incidents in which
Palestinian children were killed or injured by Israeli settlers. In 2011, two boys were
killed as a result of shooting attacks perpetrated by settlers, and another 35 boys and
6 girls were injured in incidents involving Israeli settlers, such as throwing stones at
vehicles and attacks against Palestinian houses or farm land.
85. In 2011, 8 Palestinian children were shot and killed and 65 boys and 2 girls
were injured by the Israeli security forces in the so-called buffer zone in Gaza that
was established for security concerns. Thirty-four children were injured while
collecting gravel and scrap metal, fishing, at home or playing in the so-called buffer
zone. Thirty-four boys were also injured on 15 May 2011 during a demonstration at
Erez crossing by live ammunition and tear gas fired by the Israeli security forces to
dispel demonstrators near the border fence. All subsequent claims of excessive use
of force during this incident are being investigated by the Israeli security forces.
86. Eight Palestinian children were injured as a result of rockets fired by
Palestinian armed groups from Gaza that fell short and landed inside Gaza, or by
explosives that detonated while preparing for an attack or being stored in populated
areas.
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87. In 2011, five Israeli children, four boys and one girl, were killed and two boys
were injured in conflict-related incidents. A 1-year-old boy was killed in a car
accident near Hebron caused by Palestinian stone-throwing. On 11 March, two boys
and a three-month-old girl were killed in an attack on an Israeli family living in the
Itamar settlement near Nablus, perpetrated by two Palestinian young people. In
southern Israel near the border with Gaza, a 16-year-old boy was killed when a
rocket fired by a Palestinian armed group hit a school bus on 17 April. Another two
Israeli boys, aged 1 and 9 years, were injured when a rocket fired by a Palestinian
armed group from the Gaza Strip hit the town of Ashkelon on 20 August.
88. One case of child recruitment by Izz al-Din Al Qassam Brigade was reported,
when a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was killed on 11 August by the detonation of the
explosives he was carrying while performing surveillance tasks in Rafah, southern
Gaza.
89. Five separate cases of use of children by the Israeli security forces for military
intelligence purposes were reported in 2011 in Meggido prison and Salem and
Mescobiyya interrogation centres. These cases involved Palestinian boys aged 15 to
17 years who were arrested and offered money, entry to Israel and a car or a mobile
telephone in exchange for intelligence on activities in their villages.
90. At the end of December 2011, 135 Palestinian children, 134 boys and 1 girl,
aged 12 to 17 years, were detained in Israeli prisons for alleged security violations.
This represents a steady decrease compared with 2010. It should be noted that on
18 December 2011, 55 children were released as part of the second stage of the
prisoner swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. In 2011, two cases of administrative
detention were reported. In the first case, the boy was released in February 2011,
after 11 months in administrative detention. Another child was arrested and placed
in administrative detention in December 2011. In 2011, 59 children from the West
Bank were reportedly transferred to prisons inside Israel in contravention of the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
91. In relation to the 135 cases of detention mentioned above, 116 cases were
documented through affidavits. Sixty-two children were below the age of 16,
including two 10 years of age and one 9 years of age. All of the 116 boys reported
being subjected to cruel and degrading treatment by the Israeli security forces and
Israeli police while in detention. Ninety-two per cent of the children interviewed
reported the use of hand-ties in violation of Israeli security forces orders, 70 per
cent reported having been blindfolded, 61 per cent reported having been beaten,
7 per cent reported solitary confinement, 21 per cent reported denial of access to
toilets and 18 per cent reported denial of access to food and water.
92. In a positive development, on 27 September 2011, the Israeli Military
Commander in the West Bank issued Order 1676 which raised the age of majority in
the West Bank from 16 to 18 years. This amendment increases the level of
protection given to children in the context of juvenile military courts in the West
Bank by introducing new provisions that relate to the adequate and professional care
of child detainees, the separation of child detainees from adults, notification of
parents, access of parents to trials, appointment of a lawyer and so forth.
93. A significant number of attacks on schools and education facilities continued
to be reported both in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2011.
These attacks resulted in damage to schools or interruption of education, and in
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some cases, in direct injury of children. Thirty-six cases were reported in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, compared with 20 cases reported in 2010. Four
attacks were reported against Israeli schools, compared with one case in 2010.
94. Twenty-three cases of attacks on schools or military use of schools were
reported in the West Bank, including 15 by the Israeli security forces and 8 by
Israeli settlers. In five instances related to search operations in villages or to
demonstrations, the Israeli security forces fired tear gas at Palestinian schools,
resulting in students suffering from tear-gas inhalation. In several instances, direct
attacks on schools or military use of schools were reported. In seven cases, Israeli
soldiers entered school premises. In April 2011, the Israeli security forces converted
a school into a military outpost for a few hours in Nablus. In another incident, the
killing of five members of an Israeli family in a settlement near Nablus led to a
curfew imposed by the Israeli security forces on the adjacent village of Awarta.
During a period of five days, the military conducted search operations and used one
school as a detention and interrogation centre. In addition, eight attacks were
perpetrated by Israeli settlers, including by physically assaulting Palestinian
children on their way to school, attacking schools by throwing rocks and empty
bottles, or vandalizing schools. One incident involved Israeli settlers setting fire to a
school prayer room in Huwwara (Nablus). In addition to these attacks, 10 schools
located in Area C of the West Bank received demolition or stop-work orders issued
by the Israeli authorities.
95. Fourteen incidents of attacks on schools were reported in Gaza. Eleven schools
were damaged as a result of shooting or heavy firing near the schools, or by Israeli
air strikes targeting Palestinian armed groups or suspected weapons and ammunition
storage located in the vicinity of schools. Palestinian armed groups were responsible
for damage caused to two schools in Gaza, when rockets allegedly fired at southern
Israel fell short. In addition, an unidentified Palestinian armed group attacked a
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
summer games facility in Beit Lahiya.
96. Missiles or rockets fired from Gaza damaged four school facilities in Israel,
including a day-care centre in the area of Eshkol in March 2011, a day-care centre
and a high school in Beer Sheba in August 2011 and a school in Ashdod in October
2011.
Somalia
97. In 2011, the United Nations documented 948 cases of recruitment of children,
mostly by Al-Shabaab. There were also documented cases of recruitment and use by
the Transitional Federal Government and allied militia. Separately, the Transitional
Federal Government forces inadvertently recruited 86 children, who were identified
and repatriated from Bihanga military training camp in Uganda in April and August
2011. While 11 of these children joined a United Nations-supported reintegration
programme, a number of them were reportedly released without undertaking a
formal release process, and others reportedly remain in the custody of Transitional
Federal Government forces.
98. In June 2011, mass recruitment by Al-Shabaab in Kismayo, Lower Juba
region, was reported by a victim of child recruitment, who indicated that the
recruitment took place in Kismayo town and that over 80 children remained in the
training camp from which he had escaped. Reports were also received of girls
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recruited and forcibly married to Al-Shabaab combatants. Children were typically
recruited by Al-Shabaab from schools and madrasas, particularly in internally
displaced person settlements in Somalia and refugee camps in neighbouring Kenya.
Forced recruitment increased in 2011 as a result of the escalation of military
operations in Somalia.
99. In 2011, 127 cases of abduction were reported. Most abductions and detentions
were carried out by Al-Shabaab in South Central zone.
100. In 2011, 7,799 child casualties of conflict were registered in the three main
hospitals in Mogadishu. The main cause of death among children below the age of
5 were burns, chest injuries and internal haemorrhage caused by blasts, shrapnel and
bullets. In addition, the United Nations verified the killing of at least 189 children
and the injury of 362 as a result of conflict. For example, in October, in Mogadishu,
Banadir region, Al-Shabaab conducted a suicide attack against the Ministry of
Education using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Hundreds of children
waiting outside to apply for scholarships were affected; at least 15 children were
killed and 18 were seriously wounded.
101. A total of 252 cases of rape and sexual violence were reported in 2011.
Continued fighting has rendered children more vulnerable to rape and sexual
violence, particularly in open and unprotected internally displaced person
settlements and especially in Mogadishu. The Transitional Federal Government and
allied militia were the main alleged perpetrators in Mogadishu and border areas. In
August and September 2011, the United Nations noted a trend emerging where
multiple perpetrators raped the same victims in a group setting. Cases of sexual
slavery were also reported, with Al-Shabaab fighters reported to have taken girls as
young as 9 years old for marriage. Sexual violence in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas
was underreported, given the significant fear of reprisals.
102. In 2011, Al-Shabaab and militia groups continued to target schools. In May
2011, a teacher was killed by Al-Shabaab in the Hiiran region for opposing the
recruitment of children. In August 2011, Al-Shabaab used a school in Elwak district,
Gedo region, for military purposes, disrupting the education of over 500 children.
Since February 2011, the school has been used intermittently. In December 2011,
Al-Shabaab militia attacked and used a secondary school in Merka district, Lower
Shabelle region, as an operations centre. Schools in Mogadishu have been
reportedly closed or used by Transitional Federal Government forces.
103. The ongoing conflict continued to restrict humanitarian access and hamper the
delivery of assistance, especially in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab. This was
further complicated by military interventions in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Humanitarian actors have experienced increasing difficulty in accessing South
Central zone, particularly following the access ban against 16 humanitarian
organizations issued by Al-Shabaab in November 2011. It is estimated that the
access ban affected over 3.5 million people — half of them children. The ban affects
regions that were critically affected by the famine of 2011.
South Sudan
104. The United Nations verified 352 cases of recruitment or use of children in
2011. Of these, 253 were associated with SPLA, while 99 were associated with
armed groups loyal to commanders David YauYau, Peter Gatdet and the late Gatluak
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Gai. In addition, 272 boys were released to the South Sudan Disarmament,
Demobilization and Reintegration Commission from various armed groups.
105. In 2011, the country task forces on monitoring and reporting verified the
killing of 104 children and the maiming of 78. In addition, 306 reports of killing and
maiming were received. Thirty-three children were reportedly killed and 36 injured
during five separate clashes between SPLA and armed groups (South Sudan
Democratic Movement, South Sudan Liberation Army, an armed group led by
Joseph Oloney, and an armed group led by Gabriel Tang). Air strikes by the
Sudanese Armed Forces in Unity State resulted in the death of three children and
injury of two.
106. In 2011, the country task force also verified the use of 21 schools by SPLA,
resulting in the disruption of schooling for approximately 10,935 children. An
additional 10 schools were damaged as a result of fighting among different armed
groups. In addition, four primary schools in the counties of Uror and Bor were
damaged during tribal fighting in Jonglei State, in August and October respectively.
The SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff issued an order in December to all SPLA
commanders to immediately vacate all schools used by their forces. Two schools
were vacated after the issuance of the order.
107. A total of 602 children were reportedly abducted during 2011, of which 356
cases were verified by the United Nations. Most of the abductions took place in the
context of tribal conflict in Jonglei State.
108. In 2011, 34 incidents of restriction of humanitarian access were reported, during
which personnel of humanitarian organizations were harassed, robbed or blocked at
military checkpoints: 8 incidents of looting or diversion of aid were reported;
10 humanitarian premises were raided for equipment and supplies, delaying the
humanitarian response in certain areas; and 16 reports were received of humanitarian
staff being exposed to violence, out of which two incidents were fatal. Hostilities in
the border areas between South Sudan and the Sudan, mined roads in Unity State and
tribal conflict in Jonglei continue to limit access to areas where violations are reported
and hinder humanitarian assistance to affected populations.
Sudan
Darfur
109. In 2011, the country task forces on monitoring and reporting documented
45 cases of recruitment and use of children, representing a significant decrease from
the 115 recorded in 2010. Of the 45 cases, 7 were perpetrated by the Sudanese
police forces; 5 by the Border Intelligence Forces; 5 by Central Reserve Police;
14 by pro-Government militias; 5 by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul
Wahid; 3 by the Popular Defense Forces (PDF); 1 by the Sudanese Armed Forces;
1 by SLA/Minni Minawi; 1 by JEM; and 3 by unidentified armed groups. The
majority of recorded incidents of recruitment and use of children took place in
Government-controlled areas. Collection of information in areas that were not fully
under the control of Government forces, such as parts of Jebel Mara and the border
areas with South and North Kordofan, remained a challenge owing to restrictions
and denial of access by both Government and armed groups.
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110. The country task force verified 54 cases of maiming and 17 cases of killing of
children. The 17 cases of killing included 7 attributed to crossfire, 5 attributed to the
Sudanese Armed Forces air strikes and 5 to explosive remnants of war. Of the
54 cases of maiming, 23 children were shot, and 31 were injured by explosive
remnants of war.
111. In 2011, the country task force verified 59 cases of rape of girls aged 6 to
17 years, an increase compared with the 22 cases recorded in 2010. Some of these
cases were reported to the police or to the Sudanese Armed Forces. The alleged
perpetrators included members of the Sudanese Armed Forces, unidentified armed
men, armed nomads, pro-Government militia, Sudanese police forces, PDF and the
Central Reserve Police. Limited access in areas controlled by armed groups and fear
of being stigmatized affected the documentation of sexual violence cases.
112. One incident of looting of a school was reported, allegedly by the Sudanese
Armed Forces in North Darfur in January 2011. The looting of a hospital in South
Darfur by unknown armed elements was also reported.
113. Throughout 2011, humanitarian access continued to be seriously hampered in
some areas of Darfur owing to fighting between Government forces and armed
groups, as well as security restrictions imposed by the Government. Restrictions and
denial of access delayed or prevented the delivery of essential drugs and vaccination
for children in Darfur in April 2011.
Three areas (Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan)
114. Cases of recruitment and use of children significantly increased in Abyei, Blue
Nile and South Kordofan in 2011, with 52 verified cases compared with 8 in 2010.
In South Kordofan and Abyei, 41 cases of recruitment of boys aged between 14 and
17 years were verified. Perpetrators included SPLA (12); the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) (5); the Sudanese Armed Forces (2); PDF
(5); and unidentified armed groups (17). In Blue Nile, 11 cases of recruitment of
boys between 14 and 17 years were verified and attributed to SPLA (10) and the
SPLM-N (1). The country task force received a number of credible allegations of
abductions of children by SPLM-N with the aim of forcefully recruiting them.
115. From April to June 2011, the number of cases of killing and maiming
increased with the resumption of conflict. At least 29 children were reportedly killed
and 34 maimed in South Kordofan and Abyei during the reporting period. Of these,
two children were killed and three were injured in incidents involving explosive
remnants of war. The remaining children were killed or injured as a result of
crossfire between the Sudanese Armed Forces, PDF and SPLM-N, or as a result of
shelling and aerial bombings by the Sudanese Armed Forces. In addition, one
7-year-old boy was killed and two children aged 14 and 16 years were injured by
Sudanese Armed Forces aerial bombing in Blue Nile. Lack of access impeded the
verification of these incidents.
116. Monitoring cases of sexual violence against children in South Kordofan, Abyei
and Blue Nile continued to be a challenge. One incident of rape of a 14-year-old girl
by four PDF elements in South Kordofan was verified. The country task force
received allegations of about 20 additional cases of rape targeting Nuba girls and
women by unidentified armed elements, including one incident leading to the death
of a girl.
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117. The military use of schools and hospitals in El Buram localities, in South
Kordofan, by the Sudanese Armed Forces before June 2011 continued. In addition,
the functioning of at least 12 schools in South Kordofan was disrupted since
fighting began in June 2011. As at December 2011, the education of an estimated
137,900 schoolchildren had been disrupted owing to schools being damaged or used
by armed forces, inhabited by internally displaced persons or contaminated with
explosive remnants of war. In Blue Nile, it is estimated that 35,335 children were
prevented from attending school owing to the disruption of the functioning of 156
schools as a result of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and SPLM-N in
Bau, Geissan and Kurmuk localities.
118. Humanitarian access deteriorated in South Kordofan, Abyei and Blue Nile in
2011 owing to insecurity and Government-enforced restrictions of movement and
new administrative measures. Although limited humanitarian access was granted in
some areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, this was restricted to Governmentcontrolled
areas. In addition, no international humanitarian staff has been allowed
into South Kordofan and Blue Nile since early October 2011. Meanwhile, Abyei
remained accessible for humanitarian actors only through South Sudan.
Syrian Arab Republic
119. The United Nations has received reports of grave violations against children in
the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 and throughout the reporting period,
continuing into 2012. In response to the need for United Nations verified
information, my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict sent a
technical mission to the region to conduct interviews with victims and witnesses in
refugee camps, villages and hospitals in the region in March 2012. In almost all
recorded cases, children were among the victims of military operations by
Government forces, including the Syrian Armed Forces, the intelligence forces and
the Shabbiha militia, in their ongoing conflict with the opposition, including the
Free Syrian Army (FSA). Children as young as 9 years of age were victims of
killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and ill-treatment, including
sexual violence, and use as human shields. Schools have been regularly raided and
used as military bases and detention centres. Information obtained by the technical
mission is in line with the findings of the independent international commission of
inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.
120. Interviews with former members of the Syrian Armed Forces and the
intelligence forces indicated that civilians, including children, were targeted by
Government forces if they were residing in villages where members of FSA or other
armed opposition groups were believed to be present or where deserters were
hiding, or if they were seen fleeing the country seeking refuge. In one instance, a
former member of the Syrian Armed Forces stated that, during protests in Tall
Kalakh in December 2011, he was given an order by his commander to shoot
without distinction, although the soldiers were aware that there were women and
children among the protesters. During the armed break-up of the demonstrations, the
witness saw three girls between approximately 10 and 13 years of age who had been
killed by the Syrian Armed Forces. In another similar incident in Aleppo in the
fourth quarter of 2011, a former member of the intelligence forces witnessed the
killing of five children in a secondary school during demonstrations.
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121. The grave violations continued into 2012 and although this is beyond the
reporting period, the gravity of the incidents requires their inclusion in the report.
Witness accounts described a particularly grave incident in the village of Ayn
l’Arouz in the Jabal Azzawiyah in Idlib province. On 9 March 2012, Syrian Armed
Forces, together with the intelligence forces and the Shabbiha militia, surrounded
the village for an attack that lasted over a period of four days. Government forces
entered the village on the first day and killed 11 civilians, including three boys aged
between 15 and 17 years. Thirty-four persons, including two boys aged 14 and
16 years, and one 9-year-old girl, were arrested for interrogation about the suspected
presence of deserters. Eventually, the village was reportedly left burned and 4 out of
the 34 detainees were shot and burned, including the two boys aged 14 and 16 years.
122. There is no evidence of Government forces formally conscripting or enlisting
children under the age of 18 years. However, the Syrian Armed Forces and its
associated Shabbiha militia used children as young as 8 years on at least three
separate occasions within the reporting period. In the incident mentioned above in
the village of Ayn l’Arouz in March 2012, a witness stated that several dozen
children, boys and girls ranging between the ages of 8 and 13 years, were forcibly
taken from their homes. These children were subsequently reportedly used by
soldiers and militia members as human shields, placing them in front of the
windows of buses carrying military personnel into the raid on the village.
123. The United Nations collected dozens of accounts of eyewitnesses of both
children as young as 14 years of age who were tortured while in detention, as well
as former members of the Syrian Armed Forces who themselves were forced to
torture or witness torture. The Shabbiha militia was also involved in the detention
and torture of children, especially during military operations and often in makeshift
detention cells in schools. Most child victims of torture described being beaten,
blindfolded, subjected to stress positions, whipped with heavy electrical cables,
scarred by cigarette burns and, in one recorded case, subjected to electrical shock to
the genitals. At least one witness said that he had seen a young boy of approximately
15 years of age succumb to his repeated beatings. Children were detained and
tortured because their siblings or parents were assumed to be members of the
opposition or FSA, or they themselves were suspected of being associated with
FSA. On one occasion, in May 2011, a 15-year-old boy was taken into custody by
intelligence forces in the municipal building in Jisr Ash-Shughur and repeatedly
beaten with heavy electrical cables during interrogation. The boy stated that there
were at least 20 other children his age or younger held in detention.
124. The United Nations has received some credible allegations of the recruitment
and use of children by armed opposition, including FSA and other armed groups,
although FSA has a stated policy of not recruiting any child under 17 years of age.
Various sources reported on young children association with FSA carrying guns and
wearing camouflage uniforms. My Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict reminded all parties of their obligations under human rights and
international humanitarian law.
125. The United Nations recorded multiple accounts of the use of schools by
Government forces, including the Syrian Armed Forces, the intelligence forces and
the Shabbiha militia as military staging grounds, temporary bases, detention centres,
sniper posts and centres for torture and the interrogation of adults and children.
Several witnesses stated that the intelligence forces and the Shabbiha militia had
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gun emplacements installed on the roofs of schools while students were attending.
Accounts also indicated that, on a number of occasions, children were killed or
injured by Government forces during military operations on school grounds, and
schools were looted and burned as retribution by Government forces in response to
student protests.
126. Reports also pointed out that, during the reporting period, hospitals were
struck by heavy artillery by Government forces. Aside from the conduct of military
operations that prevent civilians from accessing hospitals, reports also indicated that
injured persons, including children and their families, were afraid to seek medical
treatment out of fear of reprisals by the Government for suspected association with
the opposition. Similarly, reports were also received of medical workers being
intimidated and threatened by Government forces for having provided or being
suspected of providing medical assistance to members of the opposition.
B. Information on grave violations against children in situations not
on the agenda of the Security Council or in other situations
Colombia
127. The armed conflict continued to pose considerable challenges for the
protection of children in 2011. Children of African descent and of indigenous
communities were disproportionately affected.
128. Widespread and systematic recruitment and use of children by non-State armed
groups in Colombia continued in 2011. Although the actual scale and scope remains
unknown, 300 cases of recruitment and use were reported in 29 of the 32 departments
in the country. The early warning system of the Office of the Human Rights
Ombudsman, which monitors and flags imminent risks of human rights violations
against civilians, identified 50 risk situations in 16 departments (104 municipalities)
in 2011, including 20 cases of risk related to child recruitment.
129. The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP) and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) continued to recruit and
use children. For example, in May in Antioquia, in two separate events, 15 children
were recruited by FARC-EP and 13 children were recruited by ELN. In May and
June 2011, in Meta, five children were recruited by FARC-EP. The non-State armed
groups that emerged after the demobilization of the paramilitary group Autodefensas
Unidas de Colombia (AUC) also continued to recruit and use children. In February
2011, for example, in Antioquia, at least 13 children were recruited by several of
these groups, including Los Paisas, Los Rastrojos and Los Urabeños. In a 2011
report, the Office of the Ombudsman noted a strengthening of these non-State armed
groups, following a process of reconfiguration, expansion and consolidation in
various regions of the country.
130. In 2011, reports were received regarding the use of children for intelligence
purposes by the Colombian National Army. On several occasions, children separated
from non-State armed groups remained in military premises for periods exceeding
36 hours, in violation of the Code on Children and Adolescents and directives by the
Ministry of National Defence. For example, in August 2011, in Putumayo, a
15-year-old boy who escaped from FARC-EP and surrendered to the Colombian
National Army, was held in military premises for 72 hours. The Colombian National
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Army also continued to use children in civil-military activities. Such activities,
when undertaken in conflict-affected areas, put children at risk and expose them to
retaliation by members of non-State armed groups.
131. Children continued to be victims of attacks, including indiscriminate attacks
carried out by armed groups, or as a result of crossfire among non-State armed
groups or between non-State armed groups and security forces. In January and
February 2011, in various attacks by FARC-EP and other non-State armed groups
targeting community leaders and local authorities, three boys and one girl, relatives
of these leaders, were killed. In June 2011, in Nariño, an 11-year-old boy was killed
and three boys injured in a FARC-EP attack on the police. As at December 2011, at
least 32 children had been injured and 7 children were killed by anti-personnel
mines and explosive remnants of war.
132. While underreported, girls continued to be victims of sexual violence
attributed to members of non-State armed groups. Girls associated with non-State
armed groups were often required to have sexual relations with adults at an early
age and forced to abort if they became pregnant. In September 2011, a 16-year-old
girl separated from FARC-EP reported having undergone five forced abortions
during the four years she was associated with the group, in Antioquia. In December
2011, in Nariño, a pregnant 17-year-old girl and a 12-year-old indigenous girl were
raped during a massacre by members of Los Rastrojos. In November 2011, in
Putumayo, a 12-year-old indigenous girl was raped, tortured and murdered by
members of an unidentified non-State armed group. In March 2011, in Nariño, a
17-year-old girl was raped, forced to clean a public place naked, tortured and forced
to eat excrement, and subsequently killed in front of the community, allegedly by
members of Los Rastrojos. Reports have also been received of cases of sexual
violence against children involving members of the security forces.
133. Attacks against schools by non-State armed groups continued to be reported.
Schools were damaged as a result of hostilities as well as by anti-personnel mines
and explosive remnants of war. In addition, teachers and students were targeted by
non-State armed groups, for preventing recruitment and for recruitment and use,
respectively. In May 2011, in Arauca and Norte de Santander, 15 teachers were
threatened by FARC-EP, ELN and other non-State armed groups. In August 2011 in
Córdoba, 44 teachers were threatened. At least 18 of these resorted to displacement
for protection. These threats left 1,160 children without schooling.
134. The military use of schools by the Colombian National Army was reported in
several departments, including Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Córdoba, Huila, Nariño,
Norte de Santander and Valle del Cauca. In August 2011, in Cauca, members of the
Colombian National Army used a school for seven days, resulting in the suspension
of classes.
135. Humanitarian access was restricted owing to the armed conflict, particularly
affecting children and indigenous peoples. The departments of Antioquia, Arauca,
Cauca, Caquetá, Chocó, Guaviare, Huila, Meta, Córdoba, Nariño and Norte de
Santander were particularly affected. Some communities did not receive
humanitarian assistance and basic services as a result of armed confrontations, the
establishment of illegal armed checkpoints and massive mine laying.
136. Information on the abduction of children was limited during the reporting
period. In May 2011, a 14-year-old indigenous girl, the sister of a community leader,
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was abducted and tortured for four days, allegedly by members of Los Rastrojos, in
Nariño. Also in Nariño, in July and August 2011, the abduction of two girls, aged 13
and 16 years, was attributed to FARC-EP, reportedly as a reprisal for maintaining
relationships with members of the National police.
India
137. In 2011, reports were received of recruitment and use of children by Maoist
armed groups, also known as Naxalites, particularly in Chhattisgarh State and some
districts in adjoining states. In December 2011, the Ministry of State for Women and
Child Development stated in Parliament that Maoist armed groups were recruiting
and indoctrinating children, and had constituted children’s squads and associations
(Bal Dastas, Bal Sangham and Bal Manch) as part of mass mobilization. This is
supported by a 2010 National Commission for Protection of Child Rights report,
which indicated that children were being recruited by Maoist armed groups through,
inter alia, intimidation and abduction, and were used in support roles, including as
lookouts, messengers, porters and cooks. The report also pointed to the recruitment
of children by the militia Salwa Judum. In its judgement of 5 July 2011, the
Supreme Court of India ordered the State of Chhattisgarh to take all appropriate
measures to prevent the operation of any group, including but not limited to Salwa
Judum, that in any manner sought to take the law into its own hands, act
unconstitutionally or violate human rights.
138. In 2011, incidents of attacks on schools by Maoist armed groups continued to
be reported. Home Ministry statistics indicated that between 2006 and November
2011, Maoist armed groups destroyed 258 school buildings, mostly in Chhattisgarh,
Jharkand and Bihar States, of which 21 schools were destroyed between January and
November 2011. Government statistics indicate that the number of attacks on school
buildings has declined progressively since 2009. The Supreme Court has, on at least
two occasions, ordered security forces to vacate schools in Chhattisgarh State, most
recently in its order of 18 November 2011. In January 2011, the Government of
Chhattisgarh conceded that security forces were using 31 schools. The use of
schools by the security forces continued to be reported in various states in 2011.
139. The Government of India has strongly condemned the acts of Naxalites. Based
on recommendations from relevant stakeholders, including the National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Government of India has undertaken
a multifaceted approach to address the protection of children in areas of civil unrest,
involving focused development efforts, capacity-building and improvement in local
governance, in coordination with the concerned state government authorities. While
some recommendations of the National Commission remain to be implemented, in
2010 the Government of India launched a pilot scheme, Bal Bandhu, in 10 districts
of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to address
children’s needs comprehensively, focusing on protection, education, health,
nutrition, sanitation and safety aspects, including through local community
participation. As at 2011, the project had been initiated in nine districts. In
September 2011, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Integrated Action
Plan for 60 Naxal-affected districts, with the purpose of implementing public
infrastructure projects and improving services.
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Pakistan
140. In 2011, Pakistan continued to experience attacks by armed groups using terror
tactics and influenced by and/or associated with the Taliban or Al-Qaida, including
the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Attacks have targeted Government sites,
schools and civilians, including children, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas and urban centres.
141. In 2011, 11 incidents were reported of children being used by armed groups to
carry out suicide attacks, involving 10 boys, some as young as 13, and one 9-yearold
girl. In one such incident, on 3 April 2011, one boy was killed and another was
arrested in a double suicide attack on a Sufi shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan, southern
Punjab, which killed 50 people and injured 120. A 14-year-old survivor reported
having been trained for two months in Taliban camps in North Waziristan. In
another incident on 19 August 2011, a boy was used in a suicide attack during
Friday prayers at a mosque in the Ghundai area of Khyber Agency, killing 48 people
and injuring more than 100.
142. In 2011, children continued to be victims of indiscriminate attacks, including
by improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings. Reports indicate that a total
of 57 children were killed during the reporting period from landmines, explosive
remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (38), bomb blasts (11), shelling
(4) and targeted attacks (4). In one case, on 5 June 2011, a bomb blast in a bazaar
outside Peshawar killed seven people, including an 11-year-old girl, and injured four
other children, for which TTP claimed responsibility. In another case, on
13 September 2011, TPP allegedly attacked a school bus in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,
killing four children.
143. Child casualties as a result of landmines and other explosive devices remained
a serious concern in 2011. The majority of the casualties were reported in Khyber-
Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, including the killing of
30 children (25 boys and 5 girls) and injuring of 49 children (29 boys and 20 girls).
144. Throughout the year, schools continued to be directly targeted by armed
groups in bomb and improvised explosive device attacks, resulting in 152 incidents
of partial or complete destruction of school facilities in the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. According to the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas Department of Education, a total number of 73 schools were damaged
in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with the remainder occurring in Khyber-
Pakhtunkhwa. In a double attack on 20 December 2011 in Charsadda District, a
Government primary school for girls and a primary school for boys were blown up.
In neighbouring Mohmand Agency, TTP claimed responsibility for the attack,
reportedly to avenge military operations in the region and in opposition to secular
and girls’ education.
145. With regard to the abduction of children, it was reported that on 31 August
2011 at least 27 boys from Bajaur Agency were abducted along the border with
Afghanistan by armed militants of TTP. Seventeen children under the age of 10 were
released by TTP and two other boys managed to escape, leaving at least eight
children with TTP. The remaining children are believed to be in the neighbouring
Kunar Province in Afghanistan.
146. On 10 January 2012, the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa launched a child
protection policy in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, implementing a plan
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for protective services and child protection units in all Federally Administered
Tribal Areas Agencies. The Malakand-based Sabaoon rehabilitation and
reintegration programme for children taken into custody by the Pakistan security
forces for alleged association with armed groups received 29 new cases in 2011,
bringing the total number of children in the Sabaoon Centre to 170; 102 of these
children have been reintegrated into their families, including two girls.
Philippines
147. An increase was noted in the recorded number of cases of recruitment and use
of children by armed groups in 2011 (54 children) compared with 2010
(24 children). The country task forces on monitoring and reporting documented
26 incidents, involving 33 boys and 21 girls. Of that number, the country task force
verified two incidents, involving two boys and four girls aged between 14 and 17,
attributed to the New People’s Army (NPA). The Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) was implicated in two verified incidents, involving seven boys, who were
armed and performing military functions. Although the United Nations currently has
no access to the areas under control of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement
(BIFM), a breakaway faction of MILF led by commander “Kato”, the country task
force received reports that the armed group had children within its ranks. Four
incidents, involving six boys aged between 13 and 17 years, were attributed to the
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Reports indicate that ASG used children as combatants
against Armed Forces of the Philippines targets, but these cases could not be
verified owing to security concerns.
148. A number of incidents of association of children and/or false labelling of
children as NPA combatants were attributed to AFP and the Citizen Armed Force
Geographical Units, its associated paramilitary groups. The country task force
verified six cases, involving at least 12 boys and 7 girls aged between 10 and 17.
There were also allegations that as part of the implementation of the new Internal
Peace and Security Plan (Bayanihan) children were used for military intelligence by
AFP and its associated Units. There have also been reports of four cases of detention
by AFP and the Units, involving two boys aged 13 and 17, and two girls aged 6 and
14, as part of counterinsurgency operations.
149. During the reporting period, children continued to be victims of bomb
explosions, shootings, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive device
attacks. Although fewer encounters took place between Government security forces
and MILF, fighting with other armed groups, including NPA, ASG and private
militia remained relatively unchanged compared with the previous reporting period.
In 2011, 44 incidents of killing and maiming of children were recorded, signifying
an increase in the number of child casualties. Twenty-six children, including
16 boys and 10 girls, were reportedly killed, and 41 children, including 21 boys and
20 girls, were reportedly maimed. Of those incidents, nine implicated AFP and the
Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units, five implicated MILF, three implicated
ASG and one implicated NPA. Twenty-seven incidents were attributed to private
militia and unknown perpetrators. It is important to note that violations allegedly
committed by armed groups, in particular ASG and NPA, are more difficult to
verify, as few primary sources are willing to come forward, and the United Nations
has restricted access to the concerned areas for security reasons.
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150. There was a significant increase in incidents affecting schools and hospitals in
2011. During the reporting period, a total number of 52 cases were recorded.
Twenty-seven cases, of which 16 were verified, were attributed to AFP and its
associated Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units, including one incident of
military use of a health centre, one incident of a school being burned during an
airstrike operation, and 14 incidents of military use of schools in the course of
counterinsurgency operations.
151. The remainder of the recorded incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals
were attributed to MILF (6), NPA (4), ASG (3) and unknown perpetrators (12).
During the clashes between MILF and the breakaway faction BIFM in August 2011,
the country task force verified that two schools were used and another partially
destroyed during the fighting. An increase was also observed of improvised
explosive devices being planted by NPA and other unknown perpetrators near and
on school grounds, targeting AFP detachments.
152. Throughout the reporting period, 13 incidents of abduction of children have
been recorded, involving at least 12 boys and 8 girls aged between 4 and 17. A
pattern of kidnap-for-ransom activity to finance armed groups was observed in the
conflict-affected regions of Mindanao. ASG was identified as perpetrator in three
incidents of abduction of children, involving three boys, and MILF was identified in
one incident, involving a 7-year-old girl. Nine more incidents, involving at least
seven boys and five girls following similar modus operandi were recorded, but the
perpetrators remain unknown.
Sri Lanka
153. During the reporting period, the security situation in the country stabilized,
gradually moving towards an early recovery. However, assistance for the most
vulnerable families in the north remained a challenge. There continued to be a heavy
military presence, and the civil administration is in need of further strengthening.
The Government stated that this would be a priority. The implementation of these
commitments as well as the recommendations of the Lessons Learned and
Reconciliation Commission, including on children, will positively contribute
towards post-conflict efforts.
154. No new cases of recruitment of children by armed groups have been reported
since October 2009. However, the whereabouts of 1,373 children of a total of 6,905
who had been recruited by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) remains
unknown, and the location of five boys previously recruited by the Tamil Makkal
Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), three of which have been traced to the forces of Inya
Bharathi, is also unknown. The Government of Sri Lanka has been actively
following up on these allegations. The National Child Protection Authority has
undertaken an independent investigation and made recommendations to the
Government of Sri Lanka which are being pursued by the Criminal Investigation
Division of the police. To date, no prosecution has been initiated.
155. Since 2008, three rehabilitation centres have been in operation, providing
education, care, psychosocial support and reunification assistance to children
associated with LTTE, TMVP and Inya Bharathi. To date, 594 children aged
between 12 and 18 years, including 364 boys and 230 girls, have completed the
rehabilitation programme and have been reunited with their families. However,
recent community awareness programmes have revealed that a number of children
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formerly associated with armed groups have not accessed reintegration programmes,
including a trend of underreporting of girls. The country task forces on monitoring
and reporting is engaging with the Government on the need to identify the possible
reintegration needs of these individuals.
156. In December of 2009, the Vavuniya Government Agent and the Probation and
Child Care Commissioner (Northern Province) jointly established the Family
Tracing and Reunification Unit for unaccompanied and separated children, with
UNICEF support. At the time of writing, 736 tracing applications had been
registered concerning children, the majority of whom were recruited by LTTE. To
date, 139 children have been matched and referred to the Unit for tracing and
verification, of which 42 have been reunited with their family members.
157. The Government of Sri Lanka has made headway in the evacuation of school
premises in the reporting period, vacating four out of five schools recorded in my
previous report. However, one school in Poonahri, Kilinochchi District, remains in
use by the Sri Lankan Army. The Government has indicated that the school will be
vacated by May 2012. I remain concerned that 14 additional schools in Mullaitivu,
Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts continue to be used by Sri Lankan security forces,
although these areas are not opened for civilian return.
Southern border provinces of Thailand
158. Although no exact figures are available, children continued to be victims of
attacks by armed groups against Government officials, security forces and civilians
in the four southern border provinces of Thailand: Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and
Songkhla. On 3 February 2011, for example, armed assailants reportedly opened fire
on a group of civilians in Panare district, Pattani Province, killing five people and
injuring four others, including a 12-year-old boy. In another incident, on
16 September 2011, three bombs exploded at 30-minute intervals in different public
places in Sungai Kolok district, Narathiwat province, reportedly killing five
civilians, including a 3-year-old girl, and injuring another 115 people. On
1 February 2011, members of a family in Rueso district, Yala Province, including a
15-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, were reportedly executed by armed assailants.
159. During the reporting period, armed groups reportedly continued to carry out
targeted attacks against schools, teachers and students, purportedly because they
were perceived as a symbol of Government authority. The practice of having
Government soldiers present on some school grounds in the southern border
provinces to provide protection is also worrisome. On 28 September 2011, various
sources reported that 18 members of a uniformed armed group attacked Ban Lamoh
school in Rueso district, Narathiwat Province. The gunmen reportedly opened fire
on soldiers waiting to escort teachers home, killing one 7-year-old child in the
crossfire. In another incident, on 19 July 2011, three students were allegedly injured
when a motorcycle bomb exploded in front of a school in Bannang Sata district,
Yala Province.
160. Armed groups were also allegedly responsible for the killing of at least
31 Government teachers and educational personnel in the southern border provinces
during 2011. All reported incidents follow a similar modus operandi characterized
by a combination of hit-and-run attacks and the use of improvised explosive
devices. On 15 January 2011, a teacher at Decha Pattayanukul in Muang district,
Pattani Province, was reportedly killed in a drive-by shooting. In another case, on
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25 July 2011, five teachers were reportedly injured in a bomb attack at the entrance
of Ban Lamud School in Muang district, Yala Province.
161. Reports continue to indicate that children in the southern border provinces
were targeted for recruitment by armed groups, and that these children were used in
a variety of roles, including for intelligence gathering, diversion tactics and arson
attacks. The United Nations has also received allegations of association of children
with the Chor Ror Bor (village defence volunteers). These reports indicated that
children were engaged by the Chor Ror Bor to patrol villages, man checkpoints and
identify police suspects.
162. The Government of Thailand has taken positive action to protect children in
the southern border provinces. The Government made increasing efforts to prevent
the involvement of children with armed groups under the guidance of the Plan for
the Development of the Five Southern Border Provinces Special Areas (2009-2012),
as well as the Educational Development Plan in the Southern Border Provinces
(2010-2012). It should also be noted that, on 19 April 2011, the Government
amended its 2008 regulation on the Chor Ror Bor to explicitly prohibit the
recruitment of children below 18 years of age. In addition, the United Nations has
been informed that the Government is in the process of setting up a Subcommittee
on the Protection and Development of Children and Youth to oversee and respond to
the situation of children in the southern border provinces.
163. The United Nations country team in Thailand has informed my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict that it is not in a position to
monitor, report or verify the aforementioned allegations of violations against
children in the southern border provinces. It is therefore critical that the United
Nations country team be granted such access to the southern border provinces that is
necessary to independently verify and report on alleged violations against children
in the region, as requested. I strongly encourage the Government of Thailand to
strengthen cooperation with the country team to enable such access.
Yemen
164. The United Nations and its partners documented the association of children to
the Yemeni armed forces and various armed groups. Members of the Yemeni armed
forces indicated that children were in the ranks of the Republican Guard, and in
Sana’a and Taiz, were seen armed at military checkpoints of the Yemeni armed
forces. In the districts of Khanfar and Zinjibar in Abyan Governorate, the
recruitment and use of children by the Yemeni armed forces and pro-Government
tribal militia to fight against Ansar Al-Shari’a/Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP) was observed, with many families enlisting their children for financial
reasons.
165. The recruitment and use of children by the breakaway First Armoured Division
(FAD), led by defected General Ali Mohsen, was also documented during 2011.
Children associated with FAD were seen carrying out security duties in Sana’a.
Elements in FAD indicated to the United Nations that many children were
associated with the armed group. They also described how FAD encouraged
voluntary enlistment among demonstrators in Change Square in Sana’a.
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166. In Sa’da, recruitment drives by the Al-Houthi armed group included the
targeting of children. New recruits, including children, were seen manning
Al-Houthi checkpoints in Sa’da city and fighting armed tribal groups in
neighbouring Al-Jawf Governorate. In the districts of Khanfar and Zinjibar in Abyan
Governorate, children were observed being recruited in mosques by the Ansar
Al-Shari’a/AQAP. One 15-year-old boy reportedly joined Ansar Al-Shari’a/AQAP
and was later killed during fighting in 2011.
167. A total of 159 children (138 boys and 21 girls) were reportedly killed in 2011,
compared with 76 cases in 2010. The number of children maimed increased fourfold
to 363 (312 boys and 51 girls), from 79 in 2010. Another 322 child demonstrators
(319 boys and 3 girls) reportedly suffered tear-gas suffocation. Most cases of killing
and maiming occurred in Sana’a (47 killed and 141 maimed), Taiz (27 killed and
112 maimed) and Aden (19 killed and 21 maimed). Killing and maiming resulted
from, inter alia, children being fired upon alongside adult demonstrators; proximity
to clashes between Government forces and opposition groups (including FAD and
armed tribal groups such as the Al-Ahmar group); or indiscriminate shelling by
Government forces or armed groups. While the verification of perpetrators has been
challenging, some 76 per cent of the reported cases received by the United Nations
were attributed to Government forces (the Republican Guard and Central Security
Forces) and pro-Government militias in Sana’a, Taiz and Aden. In Abyan
Governorate, 31 children were killed and 28 maimed as a result of the fighting in
late May between Government forces and Ansar Al-Shari’a/AQAP. Fourteen
children were reported killed and 29 children maimed in Al-Houthi controlled areas
of Sa’da Governorate, mainly in the village of Damaj, home to a (Sunni) Salafist
religious group, which was under siege by the (Shiite) Al-Houthis in late 2011,
before an agreement was reached by the parties. Twenty-eight children were killed
and nine maimed by mines or explosive remnants of war during the reporting
period, including 18 children who were killed and 4 injured in an explosion at an
ammunitions factory in Abyan Governorate, in March 2011.
168. A surge in attacks on schools was recorded, including 211 attacks on schools
affecting a total of 150 schools, including in Sana’a (130), Taiz (72), Abyan (7),
Hajja (1) and Sa’da (1). Incidents against schools included looting; military use of
schools by armed forces (Republican Guard and Central Security Forces) and armed
groups (FAD and the Al-Ahmar group); shelling; aerial bombardment; arson; and
intimidation. In Sana’a, at least 77 schools were attacked, the majority of which was
reported to have been carried out by armed groups such as FAD and the Al-Ahmar
group. The operations of Al-Houthi in Hajjah decreased school attendance. Fortyfive
schools were closed as a result of armed conflict and violence. In total, the
schooling of some 200,000 children was disrupted in 2011.
169. In total, 23 attacks on hospitals and medical personnel were reported,
including nine health-care facilities in Sana’a and the killing of two medical staff in
Change Square, while they were reportedly assisting injured demonstrators. In
Abyan, the Al-Razi Hospital was bombed, resulting in the maiming of two children.
Three hospitals in Abyan were allegedly used by pro-Government tribal militia. In
Taiz, four hospitals were reportedly attacked, including Al-Thawrah Hospital, which
was used by the Republican Guards in October 2011 as a base for military
operations while patients were being treated. It was subsequently attacked on
3 December 2011, allegedly by armed groups. In Sa’da, the only primary health
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centre in the As Safra district of Damaj was shelled by Al-Houthi during the first
half of November of 2011; damage forced the closure of the centre.
170. In total, 46 incidents of denial of humanitarian access for children were
reported. In addition to Al-Jawf Governorate, safe and unhindered humanitarian
access in Abyan Governorate was impeded by fighting between Government forces
and the Ansar Al-Shari’a/AQAP. A siege by Al-Houthi on the village of Damaj,
Sa’da Governorate, from October to December 2011, disrupted the provision of
basic services, affecting 12,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, Al-Houthi placed
conditions on humanitarian assistance in their area of control; some humanitarian
agencies completely withdrew from Sa’da Governorate as a result. Sixty-seven
security incidents affecting humanitarian actors were reported, perpetrated
predominantly by tribal armed groups and Al-Houthi.
III. Information on progress made by parties to conflict on
dialogue, action plans and the release of children
Afghanistan
171. On 30 January 2011, an action plan for the prevention of underage recruitment
by the Afghan National Security Forces, including annexes on sexual violence and
killing and maiming in contravention of international humanitarian law, was signed
by the Government of Afghanistan and the United Nations, and witnessed by my
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. A working group
composed of Ministry representatives was established to report on the
implementation of the Action Plan. A first compliance report was submitted to the
United Nations at the beginning of 2012.
172. Positive initiatives were taken by individual ministries in moving towards the
prevention of recruitment and use of children, and progress was noted in the course
of 2011. For example, the Ministry of the Interior trained more than 150 staff of the
Afghan National Police on age-assessment procedures and launched a nationwide
awareness-raising campaign for the prevention of underage recruitment. The
Ministry of the Interior also initiated investigations into 19 cases of alleged
underage recruitment into the Afghan National Security Forces. In the western
region, the Afghan National Police established child centres in four provincial
recruitment centres, which began systematically documenting and rejecting attempts
by children to enlist. Also in compliance with the Action Plan, the Ministries of the
Interior and Defence have provided the United Nations with unimpeded access to
Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army recruitment and training centres,
and the Ministry of Justice to detainees in juvenile rehabilitation centres across the
country. Also, in line with the addendum to the Action Plan, both the Ministry of the
Interior and the Minister of Defence issued directives to prevent the recruitment and
sexual abuse of children in the ranks of the Afghan National Security Forces,
specifically stating sanctions for the perpetrators. Finally, the Government of
Afghanistan mapped all the programmes and legislation that identified gaps and
enhanced implementation of the Action Plan. This effort is welcome as a step
towards full compliance with the Action Plan.
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173. However, the lack of regular follow-up with the United Nations on the
development of a comprehensive interministerial strategy has delayed the full
implementation of the Action Plan, despite constructive engagement and initiatives
taken by individual ministries.
174. Limited access to certain areas and the fragmentation of armed groups
impeded dialogue on the recruitment and use of children. However, dialogue with
elders in communities has proven partially successful, in particular for the
reopening of schools and the safe access for humanitarian assistance. It should also
be noted that the highest religious council, the Ulema Shura, issued a fatwa in
March 2011, which condemns child recruitment, attacks against education and
killing and maiming in contravention of international humanitarian law.
Central African Republic
175. On 19 October 2011, APRD, which had released approximately 1,300 children
between 2009 and 2010, signed an action plan with the United Nations to end the
recruitment and use of children. On 20 November, another action plan on the
recruitment and use of children was signed by CPJP, and witnessed by my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Furthermore, on 20 November, the
leader of UFDR, in dialogue with my Special Representative for Children and
Armed Conflict and my Special Representative in the Central African Republic,
reiterated his commitment to release children remaining in UFDR ranks, and
undertook to allow United Nations verification of the presence of children. In 2007,
UFDR had signed an action plan to end recruitment and use of children with the
United Nations.
176. Since the signing of the action plans, two implementation committees were
created with CPJP and UFDR, respectively, to oversee the release of children.
Attempts to contact APRD leadership and put in place an implementation committee
failed following the arrest of the APRD leader. Further, owing to security
constraints, the United Nations was not able to verify the absence of children in the
ranks of APRD.
177. In April 2011, the Government of the Central African Republic established an
Interministerial National Council on Child Protection to support the development
and validation of new legislation, policies and strategies on child protection, as well
the reinforcement of data collection and profiling of different vulnerabilities to
which children are exposed in the country. In 2011, the National Assembly ratified
the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The
Government has also drafted a child protection law, which was being finalized in
2011.
178. During the reporting period, an estimated 400 children were separated from
self-defence groups in the Ouham-Pende prefecture.
Chad
179. On 14 June 2011, an action plan to end the recruitment and use of children by
the Armée nationale tchadienne was signed in N’djamena between the Government
of Chad and the United Nations, and witnessed by my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict. In the action plan, the Government committed to
preventing underage recruitment in the Armée nationale tchadienne and associated
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forces by, inter alia, allowing United Nations verification of the presence of children
in their ranks, and criminalizing the recruitment and use of children in armed
conflict under domestic law.
180. In August 2011, a committee of experts composed of the Government, the
United Nations and civil society developed a road map to guide the implementation
of the action plan, as well as terms of reference for focal points in the Ministries of
Social Action and National Defence. The implementation of the action plan remains
limited, despite advocacy by the country task forces on monitoring and reporting,
representatives of the international community in Chad and my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. In February 2012, the Ministries of
Social Action and National Defence nominated focal points in their respective
Ministries to ensure, in cooperation with the United Nations, the supervision and
monitoring of the implementation process.
181. During 2011, a total of 165 children formerly associated with armed forces and
groups, all boys, were supported in two transitional care centres in N’djamena. Of
the 55 children separated from armed groups in 2011, 50 children between the ages
of 14 and 17 years (including 13 girls) were separated from the Chadian armed
group Mouvement pour la démocratie et la justice au Tchad, 4 children were
separated by the Armée nationale tchadienne from CPJP, an armed group based in
the Central African Republic, and one child was separated from the Chadian armed
group Union des forces républicaines. The latter boy had been captured in 2010 but
was held for over 10 months in the prison of N’djamena before being handed over to
child protection actors.
Colombia
182. The Government voluntarily accepted the monitoring and reporting mechanism
pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) on the condition that any
dialogue between my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, the
United Nations country team or the country task forces on monitoring and reporting
and illegal armed groups is possible only with the prior and explicit consent of the
Government of Colombia. There was no contact or dialogue between the United
Nations system and non-State armed groups during the period covered by the report
on the preparation and implementation of action plans to address grave violations
against children, delaying progress in the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005).
183. During the reporting period, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare
provided protection to 282 children (76 girls and 206 boys) separated from
non-State armed groups. Of these, 207 were separated from FARC-EP, 44 from ELN
and 24 from non-State armed groups that emerged after the demobilization of
paramilitary organizations, considered as criminal gangs by the Government. In
2011, the Institute also provided protection to three children who had separated from
AUC, the Ejército Popular de Liberación and the former Ejército Revolucionario
Guevarista. Children separated from other non-State armed groups formed after the
demobilization of paramilitary organizations were not systematically referred to the
Institute; some were referred to the Attorney General’s Office for prosecution. All
children, as victims, should be accorded the same benefits and protection, regardless
of the group that recruited or used them.
184. The Inter-Sectoral Commission for the prevention of recruitment and use of
children by illegal armed groups, composed of 17 governmental entities, continued
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activities aimed at the prevention of child recruitment, including supporting the
development of regional action plans on prevention and awareness-raising. The
Commission also addressed the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence.
Coordination mechanisms for the prevention of recruitment at the departmental and
municipal level were also established. The impact of the work of the Commission
would be reinforced by the strengthening of its coordination and leadership role,
ensuring financial sustainability and by increasing its institutional capacity.
185. Other child protection activities conducted by the Government of Colombia
include prevention measures adopted under the national development plan,
“Prosperity for all”, endorsed by local authorities in six departments to date; the
Colombian Institute of Family Welfare protection and reintegration programme; and
the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman early warning system, operationalized
with help of the Inter-Institutional Early Warning Committee.
186. As at 31 August, 1,448 cases of child recruitment had been registered, out of a
total of 26,026 crimes confessed in the framework of the Justice and Peace Law
(Law 975). In December, the first conviction under this legal framework was handed
down for the recruitment between 1997 and 2002 of 309 children in Antioquia and
Chocó, by former AUC commander “El Aleman”.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
187. Despite entering its seventh year on my list of parties that commit grave
violations against children, the Government and FARDC made little progress
towards the development and implementation of an action plan to halt the
recruitment and use of children. Nevertheless, the Ministries of Defence and of
Justice and Human Rights created a joint inter-ministerial committee/working group
to discuss an action plan to end recruitment and use of children by FARDC in line
with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).
188. While some progress was made in separating children from FARDC through
the security sector reform process, concerns remain over the ineffectiveness of the
mechanisms to verify the ages of incoming recruits, further compounded by low
levels of birth registration.
189. In 2011, 1,244 children (1,226 boys and 18 girls) were separated from armed
forces and groups, in North Kivu (69 per cent), South Kivu (23 per cent) and
Orientale Province (7.6 per cent). Forty-two of the children were foreigners
(40 Rwandans and 2 Ugandans). Three factors explain the higher number of
documented releases in North Kivu: FARDC operations against armed group
operations in the province; the comparatively high presence of protection actors;
and the difficulty of accessing many locations in South Kivu and Orientale
Province. In July 2011, General Kirikicho Mirimba, commander of the Mai-Mai
Kirikicho armed group operating in South Kivu, made a written commitment to
separate children from the ranks of his armed group.
190. Most of the children separated during 2011 had been recruited and used by
FDLR, various Mai-Mai groups and FARDC. The majority escaped and approached
bases or partners of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) for assistance; others were
identified through MONUSCO screenings during FARDC “regimentation”,
biometric registration and training events. Most of the 1,244 children released had
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been recruited before 2011 and had been associated with armed forces and armed
groups between one and three years, corresponding to the 2008-2011 period of
increased hostilities between armed groups and FARDC, as well as clashes between
armed groups such as CNDP and the Patriotes résistants congolais (PARECO). It is
unclear whether the small number of girls separated in 2011 reflects the extent of
girls’ association with armed forces or armed groups. Child protection actors
commonly identify girls long after they have separated from an armed force or
armed group.
Myanmar
191. Beginning in October 2010, the co-chairs of the country task forces on
monitoring and reporting participated in seven meetings to negotiate an action plan
with the Tatmadaw, including the integrated border guard forces. Discussions on the
action plan were also held between my Special Representative for Children and
Armed Conflict and the Myanmar delegation in New York during September to
November 2011 and are ongoing. There has been much progress in the negotiation
process, and the country task force reported that it is optimistic that an action plan
will be signed in 2012. However, the country task force and my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict also reported that a number of
issues remain outstanding before this can be done. This includes access of the
country task force to affected children, in particular to military facilities and
prisons, and permission to have additional international staff for monitoring
purposes.
192. There was no dialogue with non-State actors during the reporting period,
despite the fact that the issue has been pursued throughout the reporting period by
the co-chairs of the country task force at the highest level. Access to vulnerable
groups in many areas of the country, including children, continued to be challenging
for United Nations system agencies and other international humanitarian actors.
However, there was some progress by the end of the reporting period, as the
Government, in principle, has agreed to provide the country task force with a
written assurance that once an action plan is signed with the Tatmadaw, it would
facilitate access to non-State armed groups. The terms of that access are yet to be
agreed. The country task force has advocated with the Government to include the
protection of children in armed conflict as an important aspect of any
comprehensive strategy to negotiate the transformation of ceasefire groups to border
guard forces or to resolve the conflict with KIA, KNU/KNLA, KNPP/KA and
SSA-S.
193. The country task force verified the release of 109 underage recruits, all boys,
from the Tatmadaw in 2011. Of these, 61 were released under the ILO forced labour
complaints mechanism. In 2011, the Government continued to regularly submit a list
of discharged children.
194. In addition to those formally released, the country task force obtained
information from the Government of an additional 417 potential new recruits
rejected at the recruitment unit screening between January and the end of September
2011 for the reason of being under 18 years of age. However, despite increasing
visits to Tatmadaw recruitment units and training schools, it remained difficult for
the country task force to determine that these vetting measures were consistently
applied. During informal discussions, Tatmadaw soldiers have highlighted the
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conflicting pressure they are under, with instructions to find new recruits often
taking precedence over the age restrictions on recruitment.
195. Furthermore, arrests of underage recruits as “deserters” continued in 2011.
ILO documented a total of 22 children arrested and charged with desertion in 2011,
of whom three were released and discharged from service.
196. New military instructions continued to be issued in 2011 on the prevention of
underage recruitment. The Government shared documents indicating that, in 2011,
51 soldiers of the Tatmadaw were either warned, had their pay and allowances cut,
received a serious reprimand or were demoted for recruitment and use of children.
However, the country task force noted that, in most cases, the penalties meted out to
those convicted of underage recruitment were not commensurate with the crimes
committed.
Nepal
197. A technical mission from the Office of my Special Representative for Children
and Armed Conflict was undertaken in coordination with the United Nations
Monitoring Team in Nepal, from 12 to 16 December 2011. The purpose of the
mission was to advocate with the UCPN-M to fully comply with the action plan and
to assist the Monitoring Team in this regard. The mission met with the UCPN-M
Chair, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, senior Maoist army leaders, members of
the diplomatic community and members of the Government of Nepal. A matrix of
UCPN-M compliance with the action plan was developed and shared with the
relevant Maoist leaders to help UCPN-M address the remaining challenges towards
full compliance.
198. Following the technical mission, a letter was sent by the UCPN-M Chair to the
Maoist Army division commanders. The circular acknowledged some of the findings
of the Monitoring Team and requested the division commanders to fully comply
with the action plan. Subsequently, UCPN-M has taken steps to suspend payments,
to cease providing housing and to encourage disqualified minors to register for the
reintegration programme provided by the United Nations. In the light of the above,
it has been determined that UCPN-M has come into full compliance.
Philippines
199. During her visit to the Philippines in April 2011, my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict met with the MILF leadership to discuss the
implementation of the action plan between MILF and the United Nations, signed in
August 2009. It was agreed with MILF that the registration of children across the 21
base commands would be completed within nine months, while more determined
criteria on the degrees of association with the armed group would be applied to the
identification of children. MILF reaffirmed its position that no child under the age
of 18 would be recruited or used, yet acknowledged that children might become
involved through the community fabric.
200. The extension of the United Nations-MILF action plan remains pending. While
the MILF agreement in principle to continue with implementation of the action plan
remains, the expiry of the action plan in July 2011 after two years of implementation
has been followed by a significant period of inactivity. This period, from August
2011 to the present, coincided with the MILF withdrawal from the peace talks with
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the Government of the Philippines, and an escalation in armed skirmishes between
AFP, MILF and the breakaway BIFM. Direct communication between the United
Nations and MILF resumed in December 2011, allowing for constructive dialogue
on the challenges to the complete registration of children associated with MILF.
This dialogue is expected to result in the signing of an addendum on the extension
of the action plan within the first quarter of 2012.
201. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political front
of NPA, agreed on 7 April 2011 to meet for talks on the possibility of an action plan
with the United Nations to prevent and halt the recruitment and use of children. In
January 2012, with the knowledge of the Government of the Philippines, a technical
team from the United Nations met with members of the NDFP negotiating panel for
an initial discussion. NDFP continues to deny that NPA has any children in its ranks,
and claims to have a policy of no underage recruitment. NDFP requested more time
for internal consultation and committed to continue a protection dialogue with the
United Nations.
202. Owing to the security risks involved, the United Nations has not been able to
engage with ASG to date.
203. During her field visit in April 2011, my Special Representative for Children
and Armed Conflict was able to gain the commitment of the Department of National
Defense and AFP to develop a strategic plan for the protection of children affected
by armed conflict. This strategy aims to address concerns surrounding the
association of children with AFP paramilitary units, including the Citizen Armed
Force Geographical Units, by ensuring child protection training for AFP personnel,
the establishment of vetting procedures at the local level, and the secondment of
international specialized staff to the AFP Human Rights Office.
Somalia
204. While the implementation of the recommendations of the Security Council
Working Group on children and armed conflict was delayed owing to a change of
Government in 2011, the political commitment of the post-June 2011 Government to
end grave violations against children by the Transitional Federal Government was
encouraging. A number of important steps have been taken. In July, the Transitional
Federal Government issued General Order No. 1, which underlined that the
recruitment and use of children by members of Somali National Security Forces was
a violation of national law and the Code of Conduct of the armed forces. In
November, during a mission of my Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict to Mogadishu, the Transitional Federal Government appointed military and
civilian focal points to interact with the country task forces on monitoring and
reporting, including on the development of an action plan to address recruitment and
use of children by Transitional Federal Government forces. Procedures to ensure
that children are screened during recruitment exercises and are separated on an
ongoing basis from the Transitional Federal Government forces will be the
cornerstone of the action plan that the Transitional Federal Government will develop
with United Nations support. Engagement with Al-Shabaab on the protection of
children was not possible during the course of the year.
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South Sudan
205. The country task forces on monitoring and reporting was formally established
in September 2011, following the independence of South Sudan and the
establishment of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Following
consultations, a new action plan was signed by the Government of South Sudan on
13 March 2012 during the visit of my Special Representative for Children and
Armed Conflict. SPLA has continuously granted access to military barracks or
training centres for child protection actors to verify the presence of children.
Following the August 2010 establishment of the SPLA Child Protection Unit at
SPLA headquarters, such units have been established in seven other SPLA divisions.
206. SPLA offered the rebel militia groups in South Sudan amnesty if they
surrendered and accepted integration into SPLA within a certain deadline. Three
armed groups (allied to David YauYau, Peter Gatdet and the late Gatluak Gai)
accepted that arrangement. The children associated with those three groups were
released prior to integration.
207. Four military orders were issued during the reporting period by SPLA for the
immediate release of all children and for halting all recruitment and use of children
within SPLA. As a result, seven military barracks submitted the names of 392 boys
who were released from SPLA.
208. As part of the programme for release and reintegration of children associated
with armed forces or groups in South Sudan, a total of 352 children (351 boys and
1 girl) were registered by the South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission in 2011. Of these, 272 (all boys) were released through
the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme in 2011. Some 255
children were reunited and received reintegration assistance. In addition, 210
children released in 2010 continued to receive assistance during 2011.
Sri Lanka
209. In relation to the continued listing of the Inya Bharathi faction and in response
to efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of the
Working Group of the Security Council on children and armed conflict, a United
Nations Headquarters compliance mission visited Sri Lanka in January 2012. The
mission found that the Government had undertaken serious efforts to locate the five
children allegedly still associated with the Inya Bharathi faction. Upon the request
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nation Child Protection Authority undertook
initial investigations, which were subsequently handed over to the Criminal
Investigation Division of the Police for further investigation. In addition, on
7 January 2012, additional enquiries were undertaken by the Secretary of Justice in
the presence of the Director General for the United Nations of the Ministry of
External Affairs and local authorities directly with Inya Bharathi. Mr. Bharathi
denied the charges. The mission was able to verify that the police had approached
the families and witnesses in the cases and those investigations continue. There has
been no obtained evidence suggesting that Mr. Bharathi possesses a chain of
command over the aforementioned cases. The United Nations in Sri Lanka will
continue to monitor and report on the case.
210. In view of the efforts of the Government to investigate the whereabouts of the
remaining children allegedly still associated with the Inya Bharathi faction, and
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their compliance with previous action plan commitments and the recommendations
of the Working Group on children and armed conflict and the special envoys of my
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in Sri Lanka, I have
delisted the Inya Bharathi faction from the annexes.
Sudan
211. In 2011, progress was made in discussions between the United Nations and the
Sudanese Armed Forces on the preparation of a time-bound action plan. Discussions
began during the course of the year with SLA/Abdul Wahid to establish an action
plan to end the recruitment and use of children. In addition, SLA/Historical
Leadership submitted a written commitment to the United Nations to end the
recruitment and use of children in Darfur.
212. During the reporting period, 255 former child soldiers, including 94 young
adults and 164 below 18 years of age, were registered in North and West Darfur by
the North Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission.
They had been formerly associated to JEM/Peace Wing, SLA/Mustapha Terab and
Liberals and Reform Movement (LRM). Separately, the SLA/Historical Leadership
shared a list of 120 children associated with their group in South Darfur with the
United Nations for registration with the Commission. In Blue Nile, 353 children, all
of them boys between 13 and 17 years old, were released between 30 December
2010 and April 2011 from SPLA and registered by the Commission.
213. During the reporting period, there were encouraging signs of progress in the
area of juvenile justice. In my previous report, concerns were raised over the death
sentence imposed against four children who allegedly took part in a JEM attack on a
convoy of the Government of the Sudan in Sanyi Afundu in 2010 (see A/65/820-
S/2011/250, para. 150). On 20 June 2011, the Supreme Court of the Sudan handed
down a ruling dismissing the death sentence imposed by the Court in Nyala, South
Darfur, and ordered a retrial, citing failure to follow the established legal procedures
necessary to guarantee a fair trial.
214. The country task force on monitoring and reporting registered progress by the
Government to address rape cases with the opening of investigations by the police
that resulted in the arrest of 16 alleged perpetrators, including Government officials.
In addition, the Government of the Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement
signed the Agreement on the adoption of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur,
on 14 July. The Doha Document contains provisions that comprehensively address
the causes of the conflict in Darfur and assist in addressing violations against
children.
Yemen
215. In May 2011, the Government of Yemen issued a statement expressing its
commitment to end the recruitment and use of children. In follow up to the
recommendations of the universal periodic review of Yemen by the Human Rights
Council, a decree on the same matter was issued by the Government in November.
In August 2011, in response to my 2010 report on children and armed conflict and
the listing of two Yemeni parties, the Minister of Legal Affairs and the Higher
Council for Motherhood and Childhood reaffirmed in writing their commitment to
work with the United Nations on ending the use and recruitment of children.
Defected General Ali Mohsen of FAD issued a decree in November 2011 for the
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release of 100 children. However, verification of this by the United Nations was not
possible in 2011. Following the signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-
brokered agreement in November, a military affairs, security and stability committee
was formed with a mandate to rehabilitate combatants who do not meet conditions
for service with the armed forces. The United Nations began working with the
Committee to develop a concrete, time-bound action plan to end the use and
recruitment of children in the armed forces of Yemen.
216. No progress was made in 2011 on the release of children from pro-Government
militia. In November 2011, in response to the universal periodic review
recommendations on Yemen, the Government entrusted the Minister of Legal Affairs
to form a committee to conduct independent and transparent investigations into
allegations of human rights violations committed during the civil unrest that started in
February 2011. However, progress has been slow. It is expected that this
recommendation will be implemented with the establishment of a new transitional
Government following the signing of the GCC initiative. The Higher Council for
Motherhood and Childhood has, since the inception of the civil unrest, raised
awareness and advocated against the use and exploitation of children, including
through the media.
217. Dialogue with the Al-Houthi armed group on grave violations against children
and the development of an action plan to end recruitment and use was not possible
during the reporting period.
IV. Follow-up to specific requests in Security Council resolution
1998 (2011)
Communications with sanctions committees
218. Following a briefing by my Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict on the situation of conflict-affected children in Somalia, the Security
Council Sanctions Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009)
concerning Somalia and Eritrea expanded in July 2011 its sanctions designation
criteria to include grave violations against children, including recruitment and use,
killing and maiming, sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals
and forced displacement in Somalia. My Special Representative for Children and
Armed Conflict continued to work closely with the Group of Experts established to
monitor the implementation of the sanctions regime for the Democratic Republic of
the Congo.
219. This brings to four the number of sanctions committees that now have
designation criteria on grave violations against children (Côte d’Ivoire, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and the Sudan). Other sanctions
regimes involving individuals or entities that commit grave violations against
children — in particular those against Al-Qaida and the Taliban — are encouraged
to include designation criteria for grave violations against children.
220. The expansion of the sanctions architecture on grave violations against
children is a significant step. The threat of sanctions sends a powerful signal to
parties that perpetrate grave violations, and has contributed to greater compliance
with the Security Council agenda on children and armed conflict. Further efforts are
necessary to ensure that sanctions are imposed against perpetrators. To this end, the
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Working Group of the Security Council on children and armed conflict and my
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict are encouraged to increase
transmission of specific information on alleged perpetrators to existing sanctions
committees.
Options for increasing pressure on persistent perpetrators
221. Of grave concern is the unacceptably high, and growing, number of persistent
perpetrators of grave violations against children listed in the annexes to my report.
In the present report, 32 persistent perpetrators — that is, parties that have been
listed for grave violations against children for five years or more — are listed, of
which seven are Government security forces. While efforts by some persistent
perpetrators to address the commission of grave violations are welcome, further
decisive and immediate action is needed to halt these violations, and to ensure that
persistent perpetrators are brought to account.
222. A number of actions could be considered. First, further linkages could be
developed with the Security Council sanctions regimes. In addition to the expansion
of designation criteria on grave violations against children to all relevant sanctions
regimes, consideration could be given to ways by which sanctions may be imposed
in contexts for which there is no existing sanctions committee, possibly beginning
with relevant situations on the agenda of the Council. Secondly, high-level attention
by the Council to the question of persistent perpetrators is warranted with a view to
develop concrete measures, including specific consultations on persistent
perpetrators. Thirdly, progressive and incremental measures could be taken by the
Working Group on children and armed conflict, with the support of my Special
Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, to develop close cooperation with
national and international courts to address persistent perpetrators who have not
taken concrete steps to halt grave violations.
Information on the criteria and procedures used for listing and delisting parties
to conflict in the annexes to the annual report of the Secretary-General on
children and armed conflict, in line with Security Council resolution 1998 (2011)
Authority
223. In paragraph 3 of its resolution 1998 (2011), the Security Council requested
the Secretary-General to include in the annexes to his annual reports on children and
armed conflict those parties to conflict that engage in recurrent attacks on schools
and/or hospitals, and/or recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected
persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals in situations of armed conflict,
bearing in mind all other violations and abuses against children, and noted that
paragraph 3 would apply to situations in accordance with the conditions set out in
paragraph 16 of its resolution 1379 (2001).
224. In paragraph 22 (a) of its resolution 1998 (2011), the Security Council
requested the Secretary-General to attach to his report a list of parties to armed
conflict on the agenda of the Council or in other situations, in accordance with
paragraph 19 (a) of its resolution 1882 (2009) and paragraph 3 of its resolution 1998
(2011).
225. Paragraph 22 (d) of its resolution 1998 (2011), the Security Council also
requested the Secretary-General to include in his 2012 report on children and armed
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conflict information on the criteria and procedures used for listing and delisting
parties to armed conflict in the annexes to his periodic reports, bearing in mind the
views expressed by all the members of the Working Group on children and armed
conflict during informal briefings.
Specific listing and delisting criteria
226. The concepts of “school” and “hospital” include all educational and medical
facilities, determined by the local context, including informal facilities of education
and health care. An attack on a school or hospital that has retained its civilian
character constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law. In addition, even
in cases where attacks on schools and/or hospitals may not result in child casualties,
they may affect children through the disruption of educational and/or medical
services.
227. Under international humanitarian law, schools and hospitals are protected
civilian objects and therefore benefit from the principles of distinction,
proportionality and precautions. For the purposes of listing, attacks on schools
and/or hospitals include direct attacks against them as well as indiscriminate attacks,
resulting in damage to or destruction of these facilities or which have the effect of
impeding the ability of a school or hospital to function and/or placing children at
risk, and acts of looting of these protected facilities. The country task forces on
monitoring and reporting will continue to monitor and report on other concerns,
including the military use of schools, although it does not constitute a trigger for
listing.
228. Threats of attacks against protected persons in relation to schools and/or
hospitals include a declaration of intention or determination to inflict harm, whether
physical or moral, related to the provision of education or medical assistance. For
the purpose of listing, these threats need to be credible and the consequences
plausible.
229. Protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals refer to
schoolchildren, teachers, medical personnel and any civilians involved in education
or medical assistance, unless and for such time that such persons are directly
participating in hostilities. For listing purposes, these attacks against protected
persons need to have a link with the act of teaching and/or the provision of health
care.
230. The references to “recurrent” attacks on schools and/or hospitals and
“recurrent” attacks or threats of attacks against protected persons in relation to
schools and/or hospitals suggest that such attacks or threats of attacks have been
committed several times, which, as such, excludes single, isolated incidents or the
random conduct of an individual acting alone.
231. Recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children in
contravention of applicable international law, and rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children, will continue to be the basis for listing and delisting, in
conformity with past practice and my 2010 report on children and armed conflict
(S/2010/181), and in line with applicable international law.
232. A party listed on the basis of Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612
(2005), 1882 (2009) and/or 1998 (2011) will be delisted on conditions specified in
paragraphs 178-180 of my 2010 report on children and armed conflict (ibid.).
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Security Council Working Group visit to Afghanistan
233. The Working Group of the Security Council on children and armed conflict,
led by the German Chair, visited Afghanistan from 4 to 9 June 2012, at the
invitation of the Government. The purpose of the visit was to follow up on the
implementation of the action plan signed between the Government of Afghanistan
and the United Nations, in January 2011, with the purpose of ending the recruitment
and use of children, as well as sexual violence committed by the Afghan National
Security Forces. During the visit, the Working Group was able to assess first-hand
the impact of attacks on schools and hospitals on the lives of Afghan children in
preparation of Security Council resolution 1998 (2011). In addition, the Working
Group followed up on recommendations made in its conclusions of May 2011
(S/AC.51/2011/3). The Working Group met with senior Government officials,
religious leaders, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), United
Nations representatives, as well as civil society partners and children affected by the
conflict.
234. The Security Council delegation was encouraged by the efforts of the
Government of Afghanistan to implement the action plan, including the
Government’s commitments to secure the full compliance of its forces. The Working
Group also received assurances from the ISAF Commander with regard to support
for the implementation of the action plan in its capacity-building activities with the
Afghan National Security Forces and cooperation with the monitoring and reporting
process, as well as commitments with regard to access to child detainees in Parwan
detention facility.
First judgment at the International Criminal Court
235. On 14 March 2012, the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered its
verdict in the case Prosecutor vs. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. Mr. Lubanga was
convicted for the war crime of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of
15 into the Forces patriotiques pour la libération du Congo, and for making them
participate actively in hostilities. This was the Court’s first judgment on the issue of
child recruitment and sets important international jurisprudence for future cases.
236. In 2008, my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict filed an
amicus curiae before the International Criminal Court arguing for a broad
interpretation of the term “participate actively in hostilities” in article 8 (2) (b) (xxvi)
of the Rome Statute to ensure justice and protection for all children associated with
armed forces or armed groups. The Court in its judgment stated: “as regards the
offence of using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities, the
Chamber has concluded that this includes a wide range of activities, from those
children on the front line (who participate directly) through the boys and girls who are
involved in a myriad of roles that support the combatants […] The decisive factor is
whether the support provided by the child to the combatants exposed him or her to
real danger as a potential target”. The Court makes a distinction between “direct
participation in hostilities”, which determines combatant status under international
humanitarian law and “actively participating in hostilities”, which is the criteria used
for the recruitment of children, holding that the latter is to be interpreted broadly. The
Chamber accepted the approach adopted by the Pre-Trial Chamber and suggested by
my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict that “conscription” and
“enlistment” are both forms of “recruitment”, in that they refer to the incorporation of
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a boy or a girl under the age of 15 into an armed group, whether coercively
(conscription) or voluntarily (enlistment). These interpretations allow for greater
protection for all children associated with armed forces or armed groups.
V. Recommendations
237. I welcome the signing of action plans by the Afghan National Security Forces
in Afghanistan, the Armée nationale tchadienne in Chad, SPLA in South Sudan, and
APRD and CPJP in the Central African Republic, as well as the progress made by
parties in releasing children, and in addressing impunity for perpetrators through
investigations and prosecutions. I strongly urge parties who have been listed in my
annual reports for recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children,
sexual violence against children and/or attacks on schools and hospitals, and who
have not concluded action plans to do so without delay, in conjunction with the
respective country task forces on monitoring and reporting.
238. With an increase of action plans signed and under negotiation, I urge the donor
community to address, as a matter of priority, the funding gaps for the
implementation of action plans, including the monitoring of compliance with action
plans, and sustainable, long-term reintegration needs of children formerly associated
with armed forces or armed groups, including economic reintegration.
239. I encourage the Member States concerned to allow independent access to the
United Nations for the purposes of monitoring and reporting on grave violations
against children, and facilitate contact between the United Nations and non-State
armed groups to ensure broad and effective protection for children, including for
purposes of concluding action plans in accordance with Security Council resolutions
1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011), as well as undertaking
specific commitments and measures to address all grave violations against children.
Such contact will not prejudge the political or legal status of those non-State armed
groups.
240. The Security Council is encouraged to put increasing pressure on those parties
who are persistent perpetrators of grave violations against children and are listed in
my annual reports, and to continue considering the application of targeted measures.
These measures include the establishment of linkages with the Security Council
sanction regimes; the development by the Council of other concrete measures,
including specific consultations on persistent perpetrators; and the close cooperation
with national and international courts to address persistent perpetrators who have
not taken concrete steps to halt grave violations.
241. I urge the Security Council to ensure that specific provisions for the protection
of children continue to be included in all relevant mandates of United Nations
peacekeeping operations, as well as political and peacebuilding missions, including
by means of the deployment of child protection advisers in accordance with the
Child Protection Policy of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The need
for child protection capacity in all situations mentioned in the present report,
including in situations where there is no peacekeeping or political mission, should
also be systematically addressed. Child protection concerns should be reflected in
all United Nations planning instruments and processes, including budget provisions,
technical assessment, review missions and reports to the Council.
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242. Reports of child casualties in the course of military operations, including the
use of explosive weapons, aerial bombardments and drones, continue to be of
concern, and I remind all parties of their obligation under international human rights
law and international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction
and proportionality and the duty to protect children and prevent violations, to take
all necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties. I strongly urge them to ensure
that they continuously review tactical directives for the better protection of children
during the conduct of military operations, and that military and police personnel are
sensitized to the protection of children’s rights under national and international
laws.
243. I welcome the universal ratification campaign of my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict, UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights to encourage Member States that have not
done so to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. As important
mechanisms to strengthen national legal and policy frameworks for the protection of
children, I call upon States parties to the Convention and its Optional Protocol on
the involvement of children in armed conflict to implement recommendations by the
Committee on the Rights of the Child and to submit timely reports under the
Optional Protocol.
VI. Lists in the annexes to the report
244. In the annexes to the present report, three new parties to conflict are listed for
recruitment and use of children: SPLM-N, the Yemeni armed forces and the
breakaway FAD. Two parties have been delisted after full implementation of the
action plan: the UCPN-M and the Inya Bharathi faction. Three parties have been
removed from the annexes as the armed groups no longer exist and no violations
against children were reported during the reporting period: the Front nationaliste et
intégrationaliste (FNI), the Chadian armed opposition groups and the Movement of
Popular Force for Rights and Democracy. One new party has been listed for killing
and maiming of children: the Syrian Government forces. Five parties have been
listed for attacks on schools and/or hospitals: the Taliban forces, FDLR, Al-Qaida in
Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Syrian Government forces. It is important to
note that for the present report parties can only be listed for incidents of attacks on
schools and/or hospitals that took place after July 2011 in accordance with Security
Council resolution 1998 (2011). Thirty-two parties to conflict have been in the
annexes for at least five years and are therefore considered persistent perpetrators.
245. It should be noted that the annexes do not list countries as such. The purpose
of the lists is to identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible for specific
grave violations against children. In that regard, the names of countries are referred
to only in order to indicate the locations or situations where offending parties are
committing the violations.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the
Security Council, bearing in mind other violations and
abuses committed against children*
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Police, including Afghan Local Police.a This party has
concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
2. Haqqani networka,b
3. Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
4. Taliban forces, including the Tora Bora Front, the Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia
and the Latif Mansur Networka,b,d
Parties in the Central African region (Central African Republic, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda)
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Armée populaire pour la restauration de la république et la démocratie
(APRD).a This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in
line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
2. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP).a This party has
concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
3. Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC)a
4. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
5. Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricain pour la justice (MLCJ)a
6. Self-defence militias supported by the Government of the Central African
Republica
7. Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR).a This party
has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security
Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
* The parties which are underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
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Parties in Chad
1. Armée nationale tchadienne, including newly integrated elements.a This party
has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security
Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
2. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)a
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Forces armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), including
integrated elements from various armed groups, including the Congrès national
pour la défense du peuple (CNDP), formerly led by Laurent Nkunda as well as
elements currently led by Bosco Ntagandaa,c
2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)a,c,d
3. Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri/Front populaire pour la justice au
Congo (FRPI/FPJC)a,c
4. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,c
5. Mai-Mai groups in North and South Kivu, including the Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO)a,c
Parties in Iraq
1. Al-Qaida in Iraqa,b,d
2. Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)b,d
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)a
2. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)a
3. Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA).a This
party has sought to conclude an action plan with the United Nations in line
with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), but the United
Nations has been prevented from doing so by the Government of Myanmar.
4. Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA).a This party has
sought to conclude an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security
Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), but the United Nations has
been prevented from doing so by the Government of Myanmar.
5. Shan State Army South (SSA-S)a
6. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forcesa
7. United Wa State Army (UWSA)a
Parties in Somalia
1. Al-Shabaaba,b
2. Transitional Federal Governmenta,b
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Parties in South Sudan
1. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
2. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).a This party has concluded an action
plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539
(2004) and 1612 (2005).
Parties in the Sudan
1. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)a
2. Justice and Equality Movement/Peace Wing (JEM/Peace Wing)a
3. Popular Defense Forces (PDF)a
4. Pro-Government militiasa
5. Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)a
6. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Abdul Wahida
7. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Free Willa
8. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Historical Leadershipa
9. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Minni Minawia
10. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Mother Wing (Abu Gasim)a
11. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Peace Winga
12. Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Unitya
13. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N)a
14. Sudan police forces, including the Border Intelligence Forces (BIF) and the
Central Reserve Police (CRP)a
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Government forces, including the Syrian Armed Forces, the intelligence
forces and the Shabbiha militiab,d
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda of
the Security Council, or in other situations, bearing in mind
other violations and abuses committed against children*
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)a
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP)a
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)a
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).a This party has concluded an action
plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539
(2004) and 1612 (2005).
3. New People’s Army (NPA)a
Parties in Yemen
1. Al-Houthi rebelsa
2. Breakaway First Armoured Division (FAD)a
3. Pro-Government tribal militiaa
4. Yemeni armed forcesa
* The parties which are underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
United Nations A/67/845*–S/2013/245*
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
15 May 2013
Original: English
13-31167* (E) 300713
*1331167*
General Assembly Security Council
Sixty-seventh session
Agenda item 65
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Sixty-eighth year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2012,
is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2068 (2012), by which the
Council requested me to continue to submit annual reports on the implementation of
its resolutions and presidential statements on children and armed conflict.
2. The preparation of the report involved broad consultations within the United
Nations, in particular with the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict, the
country task forces on monitoring and reporting, peacekeeping and special political
missions, United Nations country teams and non-governmental organizations. It also
involved extensive consultations with relevant Member States and regional
organizations.
3. In September 2012, Leila Zerrougui took office as my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict. Building on the work of her predecessors, she will
focus on furthering the implementation of the international legal framework and
mechanisms in place for the protection of children affected by armed conflict, in
particular by strengthening monitoring and reporting on all grave violations against
children, increasing support for the implementation of action plans, enhancing
cooperation with Member States and regional organizations to strengthen ownership
of the agenda, ensuring rapid response in emerging situations to halt and prevent
violations against children and developing strategies to put increased pressure on
persistent perpetrators.
4. The present report begins by describing a number of emerging challenges
regarding the impact of the evolving nature of armed conflict. It also explores some
additional tools to enforce compliance by armed forces and armed groups with child
rights obligations and provides an update on cooperation with regional
organizations. The report then continues by providing information on grave
* Reissued for technical reasons on 30 July 2013.
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violations committed against children and progress made by parties on dialogue,
action plans and other measures to halt and prevent such grave violations.1 Mali is a
new situation covered in this reporting period, while Nepal and Sri Lanka are no
longer included following the delisting of all parties within their territories in 2012.
The report concludes with a series of recommendations to the Security Council.
5. In line with the resolutions of the Security Council on children and armed
conflict, the present report includes in its annexes those parties that engage in the
recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against children, the killing and
maiming of children in contravention of international law, recurrent attacks on
schools and/or hospitals or recurrent attacks or threats of attack against protected
personnel.2
6. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), in identifying situations
that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative is guided by
the criteria for determining the existence of an armed conflict found in international
humanitarian law and international jurisprudence. In the performance of her
mandate, my Special Representative has adopted a pragmatic and cooperative
approach to this issue, with a humanitarian emphasis, aimed at ensuring broad and
effective protection for children affected by conflict in situations of concern.
Reference to a situation is not a legal determination, and reference to a non-State
party does not affect its legal status.3
7. References to cases and incidents in the present report refer to information that
is gathered, vetted and verified for accuracy. In situations where the ability to obtain
or independently verify information is hampered by factors such as insecurity or
access restrictions, it is qualified as such.
II. Evolving nature of armed conflict and emerging challenges
for child protection
8. In recent years, United Nations child protection actors have noted with
concern that the evolving character and tactics of armed conflict are creating
unprecedented threats to children. The absence of clear front lines and identifiable
opponents, the increasing use of terror tactics by some armed groups and certain
methods used by security forces have made children more vulnerable. Children are
being used as suicide bombers and human shields, while schools continue to be
attacked, affecting girls’ education in particular, and to be used for military
purposes. In addition, children are being held in security detention for alleged
__________________
1 The six grave violations are killing or maiming of children, recruitment or use of children as
soldiers, sexual violence against children, attacks against schools and hospitals, denial of
humanitarian access for children and abduction of children.
2 For additional information on conflict-related sexual violence and the listing of parties as
responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence during the reporting period,
see my report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/149).
3 See, for example, common article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions; article 1 of Additional
Protocol II of 1977 thereto; International Committee of the Red Cross, J. Pictet (ed.),
Commentary on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (1958); and Prosecutor v. Duško Tadić, Case
No. IT-94, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Appeals Chamber
(2 October 1995).
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association with armed groups. Furthermore, drone strikes have resulted in child
casualties and have had a serious impact on the psychosocial health of children.
Military use of schools
9. In its resolution 1998 (2011), the Security Council expressed deep concern
over attacks and threats of attacks against schools and educational personnel, calling
upon all parties to cease such violations. The Council also urged parties to refrain
from actions that impeded children’s access to education, specifically requesting me
to continue to monitor and report on the military use of schools in my annual report
on children and armed conflict. Schools should serve as a safe haven for children
and provide them with protection. The use of schools for military purposes puts
children at risk of attack and hampers children’s right to education. During the
period under review, the United Nations observed that schools were used as military
barracks, weapons storage facilities, command centres, detention and interrogation
sites and firing and observation positions. Such use of schools not only results in
reduced enrolment and high drop out rates, especially among girls, but also may
lead to schools being considered legitimate targets for attack.
Detention of children by security forces
10. Another continuing trend in 2012 is the growing practice of States to arrest and
detain children with or without criminal charges, be it as a perceived threat to
national security, for alleged membership in an armed group or for acts committed
while participating in hostilities. Children captured in the course of military
operations are often held in detention for long periods, in poor conditions and, in
certain cases, without access to counsel or judicial review to assess the lawfulness
of their detention. When deprived of their liberty, children are particularly
vulnerable to human rights violations, including degrading and inhumane treatment
and, in some instances, torture. This observed pattern of ill-treatment of children in
detention includes physical violence, sexual assault and threats of rape, prolonged
stress positions, the use of painful instruments of restraint, solitary confinement,
forced nudity and deprivation of food, water and basic facilities. In some cases,
children are detained without charge and held in detention without being brought
before a judge or being granted access to a lawyer. In others, children have been
prosecuted for acts allegedly committed during their involvement with an armed
group. Most courts in charge of such cases do not fully apply international juvenile
justice standards. Military courts in particular are not appropriate for hearing cases
involving children, given that they do not fully recognize the special status of
juveniles in conflict with the law.
Impact on children of the use of drones in military operations
11. Over the past years, the United Nations has received an increasingly
worrisome number of reports of child casualties in the course of military operations
using weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles, or armed drones. I therefore reiterate
my call upon relevant States to take all measures necessary to ensure that attacks
involving drones comply with the principles of precaution, distinction and
proportionality and to conduct transparent, prompt and effective investigations when
child casualties may have occurred. In addition, the mixed use of armed and
surveillance drones has resulted in permanent fear in some communities, affecting
the psychosocial well-being of children and hindering the ability of such
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communities to protect their children. Reports further indicate that the use of drones
has a wider impact on children, especially their access to education. For example, in
some situations, both boys and girls have ceased attending school owing to the fear
of drone strikes.
III. Enhancing compliance by armed forces and armed groups
12. Following the adoption of resolution 1998 (2011), an Arria-formula meeting
with Security Council members, United Nations child protection actors and civil
society partners was convened in July 2012 to discuss options for increasing
pressure on persistent perpetrators of grave violations against children. During the
meeting, three main strategies for ensuring compliance by parties with their
international obligations on child rights were put forward: increased political
pressure by the Council through full use of the Working Group on Children and
Armed Conflict “toolkit” (see S/2006/724); strengthening the sanctions regime by
expanding the criteria of sanctions committees and establishing a thematic or ad hoc
sanctions committee for violations against children; and closer cooperation between
the Council and the International Criminal Court in relation to crimes committed
against children. In February 2013, the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the
United Nations and Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, a non-governmental
organization, organized a follow-up workshop that resulted in a series of
recommendations for addressing the issue of persistent perpetrators, focusing on the
need for enhanced Security Council action and the efficient use of targeted measures
(see S/2013/158).
13. In a continuing effort to find innovative and effective tools to address the
growing number of persistent perpetrators, three additional tools are suggested for
further consideration: support for national accountability mechanisms; inclusion of
child protection issues in peace processes; and linkage between the United Nations
human rights due diligence and children and armed conflict frameworks.
Accountability for violations against children
14. During the reporting period, investigations, prosecutions and trials of adult
perpetrators of grave violations against children remained rare. Ending impunity for
grave violations against children is a crucial element in enforcing compliance by
parties with child rights obligations. The verdicts passed in 2012 by international
courts against the Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga and the former President of
Liberia, Charles Taylor, in addition to the recent transfer of Bosco Ntaganda,
represent significant progress and send a clear signal that child recruitment is a war
crime and that perpetrators of violations against children will be held accountable.
International justice complements national accountability mechanisms in cases in
which national authorities are unwilling or unable to bring alleged perpetrators to
justice. While a key challenge in conflict areas is weak political will, often a lack of
capacity and resources severely cripples the ability of national authorities to
prosecute child rights violations. In this context, the provision of capacity-building
support by the United Nations to Governments may assist in reducing the
accountability gap.
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Inclusion of child protection issues in peace talks and peace agreements
15. Ceasefire agreements and peace processes have been strategic instruments
with which to engage armed forces and armed groups on child protection concerns.
Since the mandate of my Special Representative was created, peace negotiations in
several country situations have demonstrated that peace talks can provide the
context to engage in advocacy with parties to conflict regarding action plans on
grave violations against children and other commitments for protection of children.
They have also demonstrated that the protection and rights of children constitute a
useful entry point for building confidence between parties. While it is better to
maintain a separate negotiation track for child protection, parallel processes can
mutually reinforce each other at various stages of engagement with parties.
16. Ensuring the inclusion of child protection provisions in peace agreements so as
to, among others, regulate the release and reintegration of children formerly
associated with armed forces or armed groups can provide a useful framework to
deepen dialogue between parties and child protection partners. Other key elements
in peace agreements are the establishment of 18 years as the minimum age for
persons to join the armed forces, including armed groups that are being integrated;
provisions ensuring family tracing and reunification; the need to address sexual
abuse of children during and after conflict; the commitment to taking all measures
to protect children from explosive remnants of war, including landmines; the
principle that no amnesty should be granted for adult perpetrators of violations
against children; and the principle that children associated with armed groups
should be regarded as victims and not as perpetrators.
Human rights due diligence policy and the Security Council framework on
children and armed conflict
17. In July 2011, the United Nations instituted a system-wide human rights due
diligence policy to regulate the provision of United Nations support to non-United
Nations security forces such as militaries and the police. This policy sets out the
practical measures that all United Nations entities must take to ensure that any
support provided to non-United Nations security forces is consistent with the
responsibility of the Organization to respect and promote international human
rights, humanitarian and refugee law, including the rights of children affected by
conflict. United Nations departments, agencies and programmes must assess the
risks of the recipient entity committing human rights violations and put in place
systems for monitoring compliance. The Security Council-mandated monitoring and
reporting mechanism on children and armed conflict, the listing of parties
committing such violations and the action plans to stop such violations may serve as
complementary platforms to the policy, including to monitor the behaviour of those
security forces receiving United Nations support.
18. In various country situations, action plans to cease the recruitment and use of
children provide a useful cooperation framework for the United Nations to assist
Governments in building the capacity of national security forces to address child
rights violations. Such action plans include provisions on the screening of troops to
prevent underage recruitment, the appointment of military focal points and the
establishment of mechanisms for monitoring compliance. This framework,
mandated by the Security Council, could be used to enhance compliance by armed
forces with international human rights standards, including under the human rights
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due diligence policy framework. What are known as “report cards”,4 used to enforce
compliance by individual commanders responsible for the behaviour of their troops,
provide an instrument to ensure that no political gain is made by commanders in
recruiting children and that a recipient of United Nations support is a legitimate
partner for capacity-building support. Adequately applied, the human rights due
diligence policy should contribute to strengthening the rule of law and a culture of
protection of human rights, including child rights, prevention of violations and
strengthened accountability.
IV. Cooperation with regional organizations on child protection
in armed conflict
19. The growing involvement of regional and subregional organizations in conflict
mediation, peacekeeping operations and peacebuilding missions highlights the
importance of developing partnerships between the United Nations and those
organizations to promote adequate protection for children affected by conflict in
their respective mandates and work. The engagement of regional and subregional
organizations in peace support and peace enforcement missions brings to the fore a
wide range of child protection challenges, from ensuring that troops uphold
international humanitarian law in the conduct of military operations to handling
children associated with armed forces and armed groups. While procedures to avoid
civilian casualties are generally in place, more efforts should be made to ensure that
children are protected during such operations, including by reviewing and
strengthening the rules of engagement and the conduct of investigations.
European Union
20. In 2003, dialogue between the European Union and my Special Representative
led to the adoption of Union guidelines on children and armed conflict, in which the
States members of the Union committed themselves to addressing the impact of
armed conflict on children in non-Union settings, in the context of its human rights
policy, its Common Foreign and Security Policy and its policies on humanitarian
assistance and development cooperation. Dialogue is continuing on strengthening
and implementing the guidelines, including through longer-term reintegration
support for children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups and
the development of child-specific training for States members of the Union
participating in crisis management operations. Due consideration should also be
given to the list of perpetrators of violations against children included in the present
report when providing bilateral or multilateral support to security or justice system
reforms in third countries.
African Union
21. With the growing role of the African Union in peace support and peace
enforcement missions, such as in Somalia, Mali and Central Africa, child protection
challenges during military operations have also increased. In line with Security
Council resolution 2033 (2012), on partnerships between the United Nations and
__________________
4 Report cards, as used in the context of Nepal, show compliance by individual commanders with
the provisions of an action plan. They are used as a tool to address remaining challenges to full
compliance.
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regional organizations, in particular the African Union, my Special Representative
envisages stronger cooperation with the peace and security mandates of the African
Union. In that regard, the upcoming deployments of child protection capacity to the
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the African Union Peace Support
Operations Division are seen as positive steps. The United Nations is also working
with the African Union on developing procedures for the handover of children
encountered during military operations. Discussions are also continuing on the
alignment of national legislation of African States with international instruments on
child rights, training for troop contributors to African Union and United Nations
peacekeeping missions, capacity-building within the African Union Commission and
the development of policy guidelines on children and armed conflict.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
22. Over the past few years, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan have jointly taken a
number of practical measures that serve as a good basis for further integrating child
protection considerations into North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military
training, mission planning and conduct of operations. This cooperation is creating a
set of best practices currently being integrated into NATO predeployment training
modules. Following a high-level briefing by my Special Representative to the North
Atlantic Council in January 2012, NATO appointed its Assistant Secretary General
for Operations as the high-level focal point for children and armed conflict, in
charge of mainstreaming child protection in NATO training and operations. The
issue of children affected by armed conflict was also highlighted in the declaration
issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the
North Atlantic Council in Chicago, United States of America, on 20 May 2012. In
November 2012, the NATO Military Committee adopted guidelines to integrate
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and related resolutions into NATO military
doctrine, training and operational planning and conduct, including quarterly
reporting on children and armed conflict and the appointment of technical focal
points.
V. Information on grave violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
23. In 2012, the country task force on monitoring and reporting in Afghanistan
reported 66 cases of recruitment and use of boys, some as young as 8 years of age.
Verification of such incidents remained a challenge, however, owing to the
prevailing situation of conflict and resulting security constraints.
24. During the reporting period, 47 children were reportedly recruited and used by
armed groups, notably the Taliban forces, including the Tora Bora Front, Jamat
Sunat al-Dawa Salafia and the Latif Mansur Network, in addition to the Haqqani
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network and Hezb-e-Islami. Most were used to manufacture and plant improvised
explosive devices and to transport provisions. At least 10 were recruited by armed
groups to conduct suicide attacks. On 8 September 2012, a 16-year-old boy was
killed while conducting a suicide attack at the entrance to the ISAF headquarters in
Kabul. During the attack, seven children were killed and two others injured. There
were also reports of cross-border recruitment of children by armed groups, including
the Taliban forces, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In several instances, children
in detention reported that they had received military training in madrasas in the
border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In February and September 2012, a
Taliban spokesperson rejected reports that the Taliban forces recruited, used or
abducted children.
25. The official age requirements for enlistment notwithstanding, the Afghan
National Police and the Afghan Local Police were reportedly responsible for
19 cases of underage recruitment in 2012. In May 2012, for example, a 14-year-old
boy was observed in police uniform in a police station in the city of Kandahar,
reportedly recruited by a relative. During the reporting period, the country task force
engaged in consultations with the Government to assess the presence of children
within the ranks of the national police and to prevent underage recruitment. Concern
also remained over the informal use of children for security-related tasks by the
Afghan national security forces, including the national police, the local police and
the army.
26. The country task force documented 189 cases of boys detained in juvenile
rehabilitation centres by the Afghan authorities in 2012. A further unknown number
of children were held in detention facilities of the national police and the National
Directorate of Security. The country task force expressed concern over continuing
reports of ill-treatment in those detention facilities, the public display of child
detainees in national media and the lack of documentation and follow-up on the
release of those children. The exact number of children held in the detention
facilities of the international military forces remained unknown. In July 2012,
however, the country task force received information that at least 90 children were
being held in such a detention facility in Parwan. On 25 March 2013, the facility
was transferred to the Afghan authorities. My Special Representative was also
informed by the legal counsel of Hamidullah Khan, a Pakistani male, that he had
been arrested in August 2008, aged 14 years, by forces of the United States near the
Afghanistan-Pakistan border and had been detained at Bagram Air Force Base
without formal charge, apparently for security reasons, for more than four years.
The United Nations has no access or additional information.
27. The country task force reported 18 incidents of abduction involving 67 boys.
Verified information attributed the cases to the Taliban, the local police and other
pro-Government militias. Children were abducted for the purposes of recruitment,
sexual abuse and also intimidation in cases in which families worked or were
perceived to be working for the Government or the international military forces. In
one case, on 29 August 2012, the Taliban abducted and beheaded a 12-year-old boy
in Kandahar Province in retaliation against his brother, an officer in the local police.
28. The country task force documented 1,304 conflict-related child casualties. Of
those casualties, 283 cases of killing of children and 507 cases of injuring were
attributed to armed groups, including Taliban forces. A total of 90 cases of killing of
children and 82 cases of injuring were attributed to pro-Government forces,
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including the Afghan national security forces and the international military forces.
The remaining cases, in which 116 children were killed and 226 injured, related to
explosive remnants of war, crossfire incidents and cross-border shelling.
29. The vast majority of the incidents resulted from attacks with improvised
explosive devices (399 child casualties) and suicide attacks, including by child
suicide bombers (110 child casualties). Children were also victims of explosive
weapons in populated areas, including mortar attacks, shelling and shooting between
pro-Government forces and various armed groups (397 child casualties), explosive
remnants of war (162 child casualties) and air strikes by the international military
forces (74 child casualties). Some of the incidents were acknowledged by ISAF.
Furthermore, artillery and mortar shelling from across the Afghanistan-Pakistan
border killed at least 1 child and injured 25 others.
30. The country task force received isolated reports of sexual violence against
girls and boys by members of armed groups, the Afghan national security forces and
the international military forces. While only five cases were reported during the
reporting period, sexual violence against children continued to be underreported
owing to stigmatization and fear of retaliation. Some boys held in detention on
charges relating to national security also reported sexual violence or threats of
sexual violence upon arrest by the Afghan national security forces or in detention.
At least one of those cases related to the practice of bachah-bazi (sexual abuse of
boys by men in a position of power). In this regard, it should be noted that a joint
team, comprising the Ministry of the Interior and the National Directorate of
Security, was established to detect and investigate such incidents.
31. The country task force documented 167 incidents affecting education, of which
49 per cent were attributed to armed groups, including Taliban forces, 25 per cent to
pro-Government forces and 26 per cent to unidentified perpetrators. Armed groups
conducted targeted attacks against schools, including using improvised explosive
devices and suicide attacks, burned schools and abducted and killed education
personnel. Armed groups were also responsible for acts of intimidation, threats
against teachers and pupils and the forced closure of schools. In 2012, the Taliban
issued five statements in which it denied attacking schools and announced that it
would set up a commission for education. The Taliban also issued a letter in which it
opposed girls’ education and threatened girls who continued to attend school,
however. Throughout the reporting period, the country task force verified 10 cases
of use of schools for military purposes, including 3 by armed groups and 7 by
pro-Government forces. It received reports of a further 30 incidents of attacks
against health facilities and health personnel, mostly carried out by armed groups.
Such cases include abduction of medical personnel and attacks on medical facilities
with improvised explosive devices.
32. The country task force verified 33 incidents of denial of humanitarian access,
largely attributed to armed groups, including the Taliban. In some areas, however,
armed groups also facilitated the provision of lifesaving health and other emergency
services, especially in areas not under the Government’s control.
33. In March 2012, the Government submitted its first progress report detailing the
steps taken towards implementation of the action plan on underage recruitment by
the national security forces, which it had signed with the United Nations in January
2011. In particular, the Ministry of the Interior reported the establishment of a
monthly monitoring and reporting system, public campaigns on birth registration
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and training of Afghan national security forces personnel on age assessment
procedures. It also provided information on training on child rights and prevention
of underage recruitment conducted in seven Afghan national police zones, in
addition to awareness-raising on gender-based violence and underage recruitment in
77 schools and 24 mosques. In parallel, the Ministry pursued efforts to prevent the
falsification of national identity cards through the development of a biometric
identity card system. Child centres established within national police recruitment
centres in Ghor, Badghis, Herat and Farah Provinces documented attempts to enlist
children into the national police and the army. Consequently, 122 underage recruits
were rejected in 2012. Those encouraging measures notwithstanding, sustained
engagement by both the United Nations and the Government is needed to build on
the momentum created by the signature of the action plan.
34. The prevailing security situation in Afghanistan and fragmentation of armed
groups continued to impede dialogue on the recruitment of children in 2012. The
interlinkages between armed groups in Afghanistan made identification of
perpetrators and their accountability for violations against children a challenge.
Dialogue at the community level, however, continued to prove partially successful,
especially with regard to the continuation of vaccination campaigns and the
reopening of schools in some parts of the country.
Central African Republic
35. The reporting period saw an overall decrease in the occurrence of grave
violations against children. Hostilities resumed in December 2012 between the
Government and the Séléka coalition,5 however, and, limited access
notwithstanding, the United Nations received alarming reports continuing into 2013
of recruitment and use of children by armed groups and pro-Government militias,
killing of children associated with those groups in the course of military operations
and sexual violence against children by armed groups. Although these developments
do not fall within the reporting period, the progress achieved and the violations
committed in 2012 need to be placed against the backdrop of the recent
deterioration of the security situation.
36. During the reporting period, the country task force documented 41 cases of
recruitment of children, of which 23 occurred in Haut-Mbomou and Mbomou
prefectures, 14 in Haute-Kotto prefecture, 2 in Nana Grébizi prefecture and 2 in
Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) appeared to be
responsible for most of the cases, closely followed by the Séléka coalition. In
December 2012, the country task force verified 11 cases of rerecruitment of boys by
the Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix fondamentale (CPJP
fondamentale) and the Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement
(UFDR), both part of the Séléka coalition, in Haute-Kotto and Bamingui-Bangoran
prefectures. Eight of those children had earlier been associated with UFDR and
three with CPJP and all had been separated from them by child protection actors
earlier in 2012. On 24 December 2012, the Central African National Police broke
into a reception centre in Bangui and detained 64 children formerly associated with
CPJP and UFDR, alleging that they were rebels. The children were paraded through
__________________
5 The Séléka coalition is composed of the Convention patriotique pour le salut du Kodro, the
Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix fondamentale, the Union des forces
démocratiques pour le rassemblement and the Union des forces républicaines.
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Bangui market and questioned by the national police. Following high-level
advocacy by the United Nations, they were eventually released. Owing to security
constraints, the country task force was unable to verify the presence of children in
the Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice in Birao (Vakaga
prefecture) and in the Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain in Kabo (Nana
Grébizi prefecture).
37. During the reporting period, the country task force documented 10 cases of
killing of children, as opposed to 88 in 2011. This decrease appeared to be linked to
the cessation of hostilities between CPJP and UFDR in 2012. During armed
confrontations on 23 January 2012 between the Central African and Chadian armed
forces on the one hand, and the Front patriotique pour le redressement (FPR)6 on
the other, four children were killed. Overall, the total number of child casualties in
2012 is estimated to be higher, given that the country task force was unable to verify
incidents that occurred during the crisis of December 2012 owing to security
constraints.
38. Incidents of sexual violence remained a concern throughout 2012. The country
task force verified 22 cases, of which 13 were perpetrated by members of FPR, who
raped several girls between 9 and 17 years of age in the villages of Damara and
Ngoukpe (Ombella-Mpoko prefecture). The country task force also received reports
of rape of girls in Bambari, Bria, Ndele and Bangui by the Séléka coalition in
December 2012. Between 2 and 5 February 2012, members of the Chadian army in
Ndele raped three 15-year-old girls and a 17-year-old girl during their return to
Chad after providing support to the offensive by the Central African armed forces
against FPR. Although the cases were reported to the Governments of the Central
African Republic and Chad, no action has been taken to date.
39. The number of attacks on schools and hospitals decreased, with 6 incidents
recorded in 2012, compared with 12 in 2011. In January 2012, for example, the
school in Ouadango (Nana Grébizi prefecture) was destroyed when a Chadian army
helicopter landed on it during a military operation against FPR. Two other schools
were used by CPJP in Yangoudrounja (Haute-Kotto prefecture) and Miamani
(Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture) as military outposts. Three health centres in Nana
Grébizi, Haute-Kotto and Mbomou prefectures were used by CPJP and medical
equipment there was looted. CPJP also continued to use the health centre in
Aigbando (Haute-Kotto prefecture), affecting the access to health services of more
than 1,000 children.
40. Humanitarian access was severely hampered, especially in Bamingui-
Bangoran, Basse Kotto, Ouham, Haute-Kotto, Mbomou, Haut-Mbomou and Vakaga
prefectures, owing to the presence of armed groups in those regions. During the
reporting period, the country task force recorded an increase in attacks by CPJP,
UFDR and the Séléka coalition against humanitarian organizations, with
18 incidents in Bamingui-Bangoran and Haute-Kotto prefectures between October
and December 2012. On 15 November 2012, for example, Chadian elements of the
tripartite force composed of military units from the Central African Republic, Chad
and the Sudan broke into a non-governmental organization compound in Birao
(Vakaga prefecture) and assaulted a humanitarian worker. It is estimated that some
__________________
6 The Front patriotique pour le redressement was formally dismantled in 2012. Its remnants,
however, continued to be active in the Central African Republic.
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395,200 children were deprived of humanitarian assistance in the affected areas
owing to security risks.
41. During the reporting period, CPJP failed to honour its commitment to
implement the action plan to end the recruitment and use of children signed by its
leadership in November 2011. The splintering of CPJP and a lack of internal
cohesion complicated implementation. Children continued to be recruited into the
ranks of CPJP and commanders opposed the release of children. During a
verification mission by the United Nations in November 2012, 30 children who had
been identified by the CPJP leadership for release were prevented from leaving the
group. On a separate occasion, on 7 December 2012, CPJP elements in Aigbando
prevented the United Nations from separating two girls, aged 14 and 17 years, who
had been forcibly recruited by CPJP elements.
42. The implementation of the action plan signed with the Armée populaire pour la
restauration de la République et la démocratie (APRD) was delayed owing to the
arrest of the APRD leadership on 6 January 2012. APRD had signed an action plan
in October 2011 and released and reintegrated some 1,300 children in 2009 and
2010. During the period under review, APRD was dismantled and all its elements
demobilized.
43. Although the release of children from the ranks of UFDR had begun in 2012,
further progress was limited. A first commitment to release all children remaining in
its ranks had been signed by UFDR with the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) in 2007. In November 2011, UFDR reiterated that commitment and
allowed the United Nations to verify the presence of children remaining in its ranks.
A formal action plan has yet to be signed. Difficulties in gaining access to CPJP and
UFDR in remote areas of Vakaga and Haute-Kotto prefectures also hindered the
verification and separation of children.
44. During the reporting period, 345 children (222 boys and 123 girls) were
separated from CPJP (157) in Bamingui-Bangoran, Haute-Kotto and Vakaga
prefectures; UFDR (170) in Haute-Kotto and Bamingui-Bangoran prefectures; and
escaped from LRA (18) in Haut-Mbomou and Mbomou prefectures. In addition, the
United Nations estimates that up to 35 children associated with FPR were
repatriated to Chad following the dismantling of that armed group in September
2012.
Chad
45. Notwithstanding progress in the implementation of the action plan and
although the national army of Chad did not recruit children as a matter of policy, the
country task force verified 34 cases of recruitment of children by the army during
the reporting period. In June 2012, a joint verification mission by the Government
and the United Nations identified 24 children in an army training centre. An
additional 10 cases were verified by the head of the army in the Moussoro training
centre in September 2012 in the framework of the action plan. All 34 children
appeared to have been enlisted in the context of a recruitment drive between
February and March 2012, during which the army gained 8,000 new recruits.
46. Following the repatriation of 362 former FPR combatants from the Central
African Republic, 26 children between 11 and 17 years of age were identified and
informally released on 12 October 2012 during a joint mission by the United
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Nations and the Ministry of Social Welfare. An additional 23 children were
identified by the International Committee of the Red Cross on 23 October 2012.
There were no reports of recruitment and use of children by the Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM) during the reporting period. In March 2012, the country task force
received allegations of recruitment of displaced children by unidentified armed
elements in Assoungha and Kemiti. These cases are yet to be verified.
47. With regard to the implementation of the action plan signed between the
Government and the United Nations in June 2011, my Special Representative
intensified dialogue with the Government to accelerate the implementation process.
In February 2012, the Government appointed technical focal points in the Ministry
of Defence and the Ministry of Social Welfare and, in May 2012, the Prime Minister
appointed his legal adviser as a high-level focal point to support implementation. In
addition, the army reiterated its commitment to facilitating access to the United
Nations for verification of military sites and issued a series of military directives
prohibiting underage recruitment, calling upon the Chief of Staff of the army, the
Director General of the National Gendarmerie and the Director General of the Garde
nationale et nomade to ensure their full and swift implementation.
48. Those positive steps notwithstanding, further measures are needed to
strengthen the screening mechanisms for recruitment by the army and procedures
need to be finalized to prevent the enlistment of children. While the issuance of
military directives concerning the prohibition of underage recruitment is consistent
with the action plan, such instructions need to clearly spell out sanctions for
breaches, as set out in the action plan. Furthermore, no investigations into
allegations of recruitment and use of children were undertaken, nor was disciplinary
action taken against recruiters.
49. The actions taken by the Government for the release, temporary care and
reunification of separated children, while encouraging, are not yet in line with the
commitments made in the action plan. For example, 18 of the 24 children identified
in Mongo were not part of a separation process involving the United Nations and
therefore could not benefit from reintegration assistance. Similarly, the 10 children
identified in the Moussoro training centre were released and reunited with their
families in N’Djamena without receiving reintegration support.
Côte d’Ivoire
50. Since the end of the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire in May 2011, the United
Nations has observed a decrease in the number of grave violations against children,
with 65 cases documented in 2012, as opposed to 336 in 2011. Of those 65 cases,
34 were attributed to the Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire and 31 to armed
elements, consisting of pro-Gbagbo elements and other militia groups operating
along the border.
51. The United Nations verified seven cases of recruitment and use of children, all
attributed to the national armed forces, during the reporting period. In April 2012,
for example, it verified the presence of four children between 14 and 16 years of age
at army checkpoints in the towns of Mahapleu, Tai and Duekuoe. In October 2012, it
also documented three cases of boys manning an army checkpoint near San Pedro.
The boys had been recruited by the army in 2011, when they were 17 years of age.
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52. The United Nations documented 9 cases of killing and 21 cases of maiming of
children in 2012. Of those cases, 14 were a result of unexploded ordnance, mostly
along the border with Liberia, and occurred during or following attacks carried out
by unidentified armed groups operating in those areas. Four cases of killing of
children were attributed to an attack perpetrated by armed youth groups in the
Nahibly camp for internally displaced persons in Duekoue in July 2012. In addition,
a child was killed during an operation by the national armed forces in Arrah and
another during an attack by an unidentified armed group in Paha-Tabou.
53. During the reporting period, the United Nations registered 21 cases of conflictrelated
sexual violence against children, of which 9 were perpetrated by the national
armed forces and 12 by unidentified armed elements. Such incidents were
particularly prevalent in the west of Côte d’Ivoire, where armed elements continued
to attack civilians, in particular women and girls, at checkpoints and during patrols.
54. The number of attacks against schools and hospitals significantly decreased
during the reporting period, with 7 verified cases in 2012, as opposed to 477 in
2011. The United Nations verified that the national armed forces used a health
centre, a primary school and a children’s community education centre in Grabou. In
addition, they erected checkpoints in the vicinity of four primary schools located in
Touba, Ziriglo, Tao-Zeo and Keibly, putting children at risk of attack by armed
elements.
55. A national child protection policy was finalized in 2012 and is pending
adoption by the Government. On 27 December 2012, the Chief of Staff of the
national armed forces designated a child protection focal point and committed
himself to developing an operational workplan to work with the United Nations to
prevent violations against children, in particular recruitment and use of children. A
national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration policy for former
combatants was adopted in August 2012, in which it was stated that efforts had been
made to discharge and reintegrate children. That commitment has not yet translated
into a clear implementation strategy, however. I encourage the Government to
develop such a strategy to ensure the full reintegration of any children identified in
the course of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
56. The resurgence of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
following the creation of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) in April 2012 resulted
in a marked increase in the number of grave violations against children. The M23
offensive stemmed from the defection of a significant number of commanding
officers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, affecting the
capacity of the Congolese security forces. The vacuum left by those troops
contributed to an overall climate of lawlessness and insecurity characterized by
widespread, systematic and violent attacks against civilians by a variety of armed
groups, including the fragmented constellation of self-defence militias commonly
known as Raïa Mutomboki, which, together with the Forces démocratiques de
libération du Rwanda (FDLR), was responsible for reciprocal retaliatory attacks.
57. In 2012, 578 children, including 26 girls, were recruited into armed forces and
armed groups. The main perpetrators were Mai Mai groups (263), including the Mai
Mai groups under the command of “Colonel Tawimbi” operating in the area of
Uvira (116), the Mai Mai groups under the command of “General Lafontaine” and
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former Patriotes résistants congolais (PARECO) elements (29), the Mai Mai
Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) of “Colonel
Janvier” (21) and other Mai Mai groups. Other perpetrators included FDLR (83),
M23 (65), the Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri/Front populaire pour la justice
au Congo (FRPI/FPJC) (52) and LRA (31). Some 80 per cent of the recruitment
cases in 2012 took place in North Kivu and South Kivu.
58. The country task force documented 20 cases of recruitment and use of children
by the national armed forces in 2012, including nine boys who were integrated into
the national armed forces from Mai Mai groups or recruited by former Congrès
national pour la défense du peuple elements who later defected to join the M23
offensive. In addition, 47 boys were arrested and detained by the Congolese security
forces for alleged association with armed groups, but were subsequently released
after strong advocacy by the United Nations. Most of the arrests took place in North
Kivu, mainly involving boys formerly associated with M23. The children were
detained by the national armed forces for up to seven months, with some reporting
ill-treatment in detention.
59. M23 was responsible for systematic recruitment and use of children. A total of
65 boys between 13 and 17 years of age, including 25 who claimed to be Rwandan,
escaped or surrendered from M23 between April and December 2012. A total of
21 of those boys, including 18 claiming to be Rwandan and 3 Congolese, said that
they had been recruited on Rwandan territory to fight in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo. While initially used as porters, most ended up on the battlefield as
combatants or escorts of commanders. Testimonies from former M23 combatants
suggested that hundreds of children remained in M23. They also reported a high
number of child casualties during clashes with the national armed forces and killing,
maiming and ill-treatment of young recruits within M23.
60. As a direct result of conflict-related violence, 154 children (including 86 boys
and 64 girls) were killed and 113 (including 76 boys and 35 girls) injured in 2012.
Between April and September 2012, Raïa Mutomboki killed and maimed children in
their houses with machetes during a series of violent attacks against the civilian
population in Masisi territory, North Kivu. A coalition composed of FDLR and
Nyatura opposing Raïa Mutomboki was reportedly responsible for 51 child
casualties. The national armed forces were responsible for 30 child casualties.
During clashes with M23 on 28 October in Sake, North Kivu, five children were
injured and two killed by mortars fired by the national armed forces. Other
perpetrators were Mai Mai groups (30 casualties), M23 (7 casualties), the Congolese
National Police (6 casualties) and LRA (2 casualties).
61. During the reporting period, 185 girls, most of whom were between 15 and
17 years of age, were subjected to rape or other forms of sexual violence. A total of
11 were under 10 years of age. More than half of the cases were perpetrated in the
Kivus. The national armed forces were responsible for 102 cases, including an
incident of mass rape. In November 2012, national armed forces elements raped
more than 100 female victims, including at least 24 girls, in Minova, South Kivu, as
they retreated following the fall of Goma to M23. In another mass rape incident in
June 2012, members of Mai Mai Simba raped 28 girls between 10 and 17 years of
age in Epulu, Orientale Province. A total of 81 other cases of sexual violence against
children were recorded in Orientale Province, mainly perpetrated by Mai Mai
elements (50, including 42 by Mai Mai Simba), FRPI (17) and FDLR (11).
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62. In 2012, the country task force documented 33 incidents affecting schools (18)
and hospitals (15). Most took place in North Kivu (16), South Kivu (11) and
Orientale Province (6). Six schools were looted or damaged in arson attacks by
armed groups. The national armed forces were responsible for the military use of 11
schools and FDLR for 1 school. In addition, 11 health providers were targeted
during the reporting period: 6 in North Kivu, 3 in South Kivu and 2 in Orientale
Province. The national armed forces were reportedly responsible for five incidents
of looting of medical facilities, while FDLR reportedly pillaged a health centre and
abducted a nurse who had denounced a rape perpetrated by FDLR elements. In two
separate incidents in July and October 2012, LRA looted two health centres in
Orientale Province.
63. During the reporting period, the country task force documented 256 incidents
of denial of humanitarian access. North Kivu was the most affected, with a total of
123 cases, mainly in and around Goma, Masisi and Rutshuru territories as a result of
clashes between M23 and the national armed forces. In South Kivu, 74 incidents
were reported, mostly in and around Bukavu, Fizi and Shabunda. Nine other
incidents occurred in Orientale Province. Although in most cases the perpetrators
could not be identified, 38 cases were attributed to armed groups, including FDLR,
Mai Mai groups and Raïa Mutomboki. Another 26 incidents were attributed to the
Congolese security forces.
64. On 4 October 2012, the Government and the United Nations signed an action
plan to halt and prevent the recruitment and use of children, in addition to sexual
violence against children, by the national armed forces and security forces. The
Government and the United Nations committed themselves to working through a
joint technical working group in four areas: the separation and protection of children
associated with armed forces and groups; response to child victims; prevention of
grave violations against children; and efforts to combat impunity for perpetrators.
Progress has been made in the facilitation of unimpeded access for the United
Nations to national armed forces battalions and detention centres, resulting in the
release of children associated with armed forces and armed groups, in addition to
the joint screening of new recruits. This exercise prevented 269 children from
joining the national armed forces in 2012. The integration of armed groups into the
national armed forces continued to represent a useful entry point for the release of
children. In October 2012, for example, 49 children were separated during a partial
integration of Nyatura elements into the national armed forces in North Kivu.
65. In 2012, 1,497 children (1,334 boys and 163 girls) were separated or escaped
from armed forces and armed groups. Most (1,453) were Congolese, with a further
40 Rwandans, 2 Ugandans (associated with the Allied Democratic Forces/National
Army for the Liberation of Uganda), 1 South Sudanese and 1 Central African (both
associated with LRA). Children escaped or were released from M23 (65 boys), Mai
Mai groups (458 boys and 28 girls), LRA (121 boys and 116 girls), FDLR (211 boys
and 1 girl), FRPI (121 boys and 10 girls), the national armed forces (96 boys and
5 girls), Nyatura (70 boys) and Raïa Mutomboki (48 boys). In 2012, 5,584 children
associated with armed forces and armed groups received support from the United
Nations, as did 5,022 child victims of sexual violence.
66. While the efforts of the Government to cease underage recruitment are
commendable, the lack of accountability for perpetrators of grave violations against
children remains of concern. More has to be done to ensure that adult perpetrators
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are duly prosecuted. Of the 185 cases of rape and sexual violence against children
by government security forces documented in 2012, only 40 alleged perpetrators
were arrested and 4 sentenced. A further 12 commanders involved in the Minova
mass rape incident were removed from their posts and handed over to justice.
Iraq
67. In 2012, the country task force reported 355 incidents of grave violations
against children. The most affected governorates were Baghdad, Kirkuk, Ninewa,
Diyala, Anbar and Salahaddin. Islamic State of Iraq/Al-Qaida in Iraq (ISI/AQ-I)7
was responsible for most of the incidents.
68. During the reporting period, the country task force reported 178 incidents of
killing and maiming of children, of which 123 were verified. A total of 412 child
casualties were recorded, including the killing of 102 children (63 boys and 39 girls)
and the injuring of 310 (176 boys and 134 girls) in waves of coordinated attacks
throughout the country, mainly using improvised explosive devices. On 3 July 2012,
in the Diwaniya district of Qadissiya governorate, an attack with an improvised
explosive device claimed by ISI/AQ-I killed 12 boys and 4 girls and injured 16 boys
and 6 girls.
69. The country task force also received reports of child recruitment by ISI/AQ-I,
mostly in Ninewa (in particular in Mosul) and Salahaddin governorates. In all
verified cases, the children were boys between 14 and 17 years of age who were
used for support functions such as transporting improvised explosive devices, acting
as lookouts and planting explosives. On 17 May 2012, in the Mosul district of
Ninewa governorate, the Iraqi security forces killed two boys aged 16 and 17 years
while they were reportedly planting a roadside bomb, a technique used by ISI/AQ-I.
70. Allegations were documented in Ninewa, Salahaddin and Anbar governorates
on the reported association of children with the Awakening Councils. These reports
indicated that boys were reportedly manning checkpoints after having been locally
recruited using false identification documents.
71. As at December 2012, 302 children, including 13 girls, were held in detention
facilities and had been indicted or convicted on terrorism-related charges under
article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (2005). These children, on average between
15 and 17 years of age, had been in detention for periods ranging from two months
to more than three years.
72. The prevailing security situation also affected schools and hospitals. During
the reporting period, education and health facilities were damaged by improvised
explosive devices and small arms fire, and personnel were targeted. The country
task force documented 42 incidents in Baghdad, Babil, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salahaddin
and Anbar governorates, of which 15 attacks against schools and 8 attacks against
medical facilities were verified. In addition, 19 education staff and 17 medical
personnel were killed or injured in 2012. In an incident on 24 September 2012 in
Anbar governorate, a car bomb detonated in front of Al-Kifah Primary School on the
first day of school, killing four girls and a boy and injuring six other children.
73. In 2012, the country task force also documented 14 cases of abduction of
children, involving seven boys and seven girls. Although the motives for most of
__________________
7 Al-Qaida in Iraq is the military component of the Islamic State of Iraq.
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these incidents remained unclear, a strong nexus between the abduction of children
and the funding of non-State armed groups in Iraq was observed. ISI/AQ-I was
allegedly responsible for most of the incidents. Although most cases related to
funding the activities of these armed groups, the abduction of a boy in Mosul in
March 2012 was allegedly linked to forced recruitment into Birds of Paradise, the
AQ-I youth wing.
74. The country task force further verified three incidents of denial of
humanitarian access during the reporting period. In an incident on 13 June 2012,
27 civilians were killed and dozens of others injured when a transport truck used for
the delivery of humanitarian supplies exploded in a camp for internally displaced
persons near Baghdad. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
75. High-level engagement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2011
notwithstanding, a formal government mechanism on grave violations against
children is yet to be established. I encourage the Government to establish such an
interministerial committee to discuss and follow up on child protection concerns
with the country task force.
Lebanon
76. The United Nations reported incidents of grave violations against children
resulting from clashes between armed groups in Lebanon and hostilities along its
borders. During the reporting period, the level and scale of armed violence affecting
children increased, in particular as a result of the impact of the Syrian conflict on
Lebanon. The United Nations documented 24 violations against children, most of
which involved killing and maiming, compared with 11 in 2011. Most affected were
the border areas between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic in the north and the
Bekaa valley, in addition to the area in and around Tripoli.
77. The United Nations received reports on the participation of children in armed
clashes between opposing political groups in Lebanon. In June 2012, for example,
four boys between 15 and 17 years of age were arrested for their involvement in a
protest against the national armed forces, following the harassment of a resident of
the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian camp in Tripoli. The United Nations also received
allegations of Syrian refugee children in border areas of Lebanon being pressured
into joining armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic. Anecdotal information
regarding possible association of children with armed militias, in particular in and
around Tripoli, was also prevalent.
78. The increasing number of Syrian refugees crossing into Lebanon created
growing threats of exposure of children to landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Cross-border shelling and armed clashes inside Lebanon posed new risks to
children. Such incidents resulted in the killing of five boys and a girl between
8 months and 15 years of age and the maiming of two girls and three boys between
11 and 15 years of age, mostly in Tripoli and Wadi Khalid, northern Lebanon.
79. In March 2012, armed clashes between rival Palestinian factions in front of a
school in the Ein el-Hillweh Palestinian camp, Sidon district, during school hours
led to the disruption of schooling. During the incident, children between 6 and
10 years of age were evacuated from the school. On various occasions in July,
August, November and December 2012, schooling was further disrupted in Beddawi
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Palestinian camp owing to armed clashes in the areas of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal
Mohsen in Tripoli.
Libya
80. In 2012, children in Libya remained affected by tensions that escalated into
armed confrontations, mainly in Bani Walid, Kufra, Sirte, Zliten and Sabha, in some
instances involving the use of heavy weapons. It should be noted that access to
conflict areas and affected populations remained extremely limited throughout the
reporting period and that security-related travel restrictions by the United Nations
continued to limit the gathering of information. Increased control by the
Government notwithstanding, many armed brigades continued to display a lack of
discipline and command structure, which led in some instances to grave violations
against children.
81. The United Nations received allegations of use of children by armed brigades
and observed children carrying weapons on several occasions. During the conflict in
Kufra in February 2012, for example, children were seen carrying weapons,
manning checkpoints and securing buildings with both the Zwaya and Tabu
brigades. In June 2012, the United Nations observed boys between 16 and 18 years
of age carrying weapons in Kufra.
82. Child casualties were reported as a result of armed confrontations among
brigades, and between brigades and the Libyan army or the Libya Shield brigade (an
auxiliary unit of the Libyan army). In accordance with the information received
from the United Nations and its partners, at least 12 children (8 boys and 4 girls)
were killed and 33 (29 boys and 4 girls) injured in crossfire or through the use of
heavy weaponry. In view of the lack of access to affected areas and the limited
disaggregated data, it is likely that the number of child casualties remains
underreported. In May and June 2012, the Kufra General Hospital registered
10 child casualties, including 2 children killed during armed confrontations between
the Zwaya and Tabu brigades. Incidents relating to explosive remnants of war also
led to 22 child casualties, mainly in Misrata, Zintan, Kufra, Sirte and Gharyan.
83. According to the Ministry of Education, five schools in Benghazi were
attacked while being used as polling stations. On 6 July 2012, one school used for
the elections was targeted by small arms fire and improvised explosive devices. On
28 July 2012, an improvised explosive device was dismantled at a school in
Abdelrwak, Buhdeima area, which was being used as a polling station. Schools were
also attacked when used as shelters for internally displaced persons. On 24 June
2012, in the Zwaya area of Kufra, a school sheltering 20 internally displaced
persons was hit by a rocket from the Tabu area, injuring at least five children.
84. During the reporting period, armed confrontations also resulted in damage to
health facilities. Sabha Central Hospital was attacked in April 2012 during the
fighting between Tabu brigades and an Arab brigade. In October 2012, a hospital in
Bani Walid was severely damaged and its equipment destroyed or looted by armed
brigades, including the Libya Shield, the Misrata Shield and the 28 May brigades,
during confrontations with the social council of Warfalla tribes. In view of the
limited security of the medical facilities in Sabha at the time of the fighting in
September 2012, combatants carried weapons inside the health facilities. On
24 March 2012, two individuals, including a nurse, were shot inside the hospital. On
11 September 2012, fighting between Alqmazfah Algdadfa tribesmen and the
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Supreme Security Committee, which is under control of the Ministry of the Interior,
took place inside the Sabha medical centre while patients were being treated. In
addition, the United Nations received allegations of threats against medical
personnel. On 21 September 2012, medical staff in Sabha protested against the
deterioration of the security situation in the hospital, claiming that several staff had
been attacked and others threatened.
85. The United Nations recorded several cases of hampering of access for
humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected areas, including through abduction,
attacks or threats against humanitarian personnel, in Kufra, Sabha, Benghazi and
Misrata.
Lord’s Resistance Army in the Central African region (Central African Republic,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda)
86. The United Nations continued to receive reports on grave violations against
children by LRA in the Central African region throughout 2012. Whereas
22 incidents were reported in the Central African Republic and 71 incidents in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, no incidents were reported in South Sudan in
2012. Even though no incidents have been reported in Uganda since 2006, Ugandan
troops continued to pursue LRA. These cases are, however, merely indicative of the
actual scope of grave violations against children, given that insecurity and poor
infrastructure continued to hamper the reporting of violations. With 416,000
internally displaced persons and 26,000 refugees triggered by LRA, the armed group
remained a serious threat to civilians in the region.
87. In the Central African Republic, 23 children were reportedly recruited by LRA
in the south-east of the country. During an LRA attack at a mining site in the town
of Nzako, Haute-Kotto prefecture, at least six people were killed, including several
children. Owing to limited access, however, the exact number of child victims could
not be verified.
88. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 58 children (23 girls and 35 boys
between 2 and 17 years of age) were abducted by LRA in 2012. In contrast to
previous years, they were used mainly as porters to carry looted goods, rather than
to participate in attacks. Children continued to be victims of LRA attacks, however.
In two separate LRA attacks, a girl and a boy were killed and a girl and three boys
injured in Haut Uélé prefecture between January and May 2012. A case in which a
girl was raped by LRA was documented in May 2012, while two other girls who
escaped from the group in 2012 reported having been raped while in captivity. In
total, 41 children (19 girls and 22 boys) escaped or were released from LRA during
the reporting period. Between January and October 2012, LRA also attacked two
health centres and three schools.
89. In South Sudan, no attacks on or grave violations against children by LRA
were reported in 2012. LRA remained a threat to civilians, however, operating from
bases inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African
Republic. Between January and December 2012, family tracing and reunification
efforts were undertaken for 48 children (34 girls and 14 boys) who were rescued
from LRA.
90. Uganda continued to play a major role in combating LRA with the
participation of 2,000 troops in the Regional Task Force set up by the African Union
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for that purpose. To implement its standard operating procedures on the repatriation
and handover of children separated from LRA, as agreed with the United Nations in
June 2011, the army received implementation training in Uganda in May and June
2012. The armed forces of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of
the Congo and South Sudan have yet to adopt standard operating procedures for the
handover of children who escape from LRA.
Mali
91. The serious deterioration of the security situation in Mali in 2012 was
characterized by a large number of grave violations against children by various
armed groups. At different points in time, armed groups active in northern Mali
formed shifting coalitions, involving joint military operations and co-location of
troops. On the basis of the limited information available, membership of these
armed groups has been extremely fluid, which presents a challenge when attempting
to establish command responsibility for the violations against children reported
throughout 2012. Although the prevailing situation of insecurity severely limited
access, the United Nations received numerous reports that armed groups, including
the Mouvement national de liberation de l’Azawad (MNLA), the Mouvement pour
l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO), Ansar Dine and Al-Qaida in the
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), were responsible for extensive recruitment and use of
children. Initial information indicated that hundreds of children, mainly boys
between 12 and 15 years of age, were enlisted during the reporting period. Children
were used by the groups to man checkpoints and conduct patrols. Shifting alliances
among armed groups resulted in the rerecruitment of children by different groups.
As MNLA progressively lost control over northern Mali to Ansar Dine and MUJAO,
some children shifted their loyalty to Ansar Dine, in particular those belonging to
the Kidal-based group of Iyad Ag Ghali.
92. Reports of abduction and forced recruitment of children notwithstanding,
many children allegedly joined armed groups for reasons of poverty or ethnic
affiliation. Talibé children, entrusted by their parents to marabouts, or religious
teachers, for Islamic instruction, were particularly vulnerable to recruitment, in
addition to children belonging to the Tuareg, Arab, Peuhl and Songhai ethnic
groups. MUJAO and Ansar Dine reportedly paid child recruits and their parents.
Children as young as 12 years of age were enticed by MUJAO with the promise of
receiving Koranic education. Children associated with MUJAO were seen standing
guard in a secondary school in Douentza and carrying out menial tasks in a
gendarmerie camp in Taoussa. MUJAO was reportedly also responsible for the
forced recruitment of 15 children between 13 and 18 years of age in Menaka,
following clashes in Konna, leading families to send their children to the Niger to
prevent recruitment.
93. Children, both boys and girls, were also associated with pro-Government
militias. For example, in the area of Mopti/Sévaré, which is controlled by the
Government, the United Nations received reports of recruitment of children by
Ganda Izo, Ganda Koy and the Forces de libération du nord. As some militias are
being integrated into the Armed Forces of Mali, there is an urgent need for
screening and separation of these children.
94. Children were also captured by the Malian armed forces during military
operations in northern Mali. At least four children allegedly associated with
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MUJAO were detained by the Malian authorities, one of whom was reported to have
been transferred to a juvenile rehabilitation centre. On 9 March 2013, French troops
captured five child combatants in the course of military operations and transferred
them to the Malian authorities. The children were immediately handed over to
UNICEF for interim care. While children are currently being automatically
transferred from the French armed forces via the Malian gendarmerie to UNICEF,
the need remains to formalize this arrangement through standard operating
procedures for the handover of children encountered during combat.
95. There is very limited information available for 2012 on the killing and
maiming of children. Nevertheless, 17 incidents were reported during 2012 in which
6 children were killed and 22 maimed by explosive remnants of war. During the
offensive, armouries of the national armed forces were pillaged, especially in
Timbuktu, and weapons and munitions were scattered in the vicinity of towns.
Armed groups also laid mines and left other explosive devices in northern Mali in
anticipation of military operations, resulting in the killing and maiming of children.
Between March and August 2012, 28 serious incidents were allegedly caused by
mines and explosive remnants of war in northern Mali, killing 24 children. It is
further alleged that children associated with armed groups were killed and maimed
during the French and Malian military campaign initiated in January 2013, including
during aerial bombardments. Some of those children were reportedly used as human
shields by armed groups. Concern also remained over inter-ethnic reprisals against
children of Arab or Tuareg origin, including by the national armed forces.
96. Sexual violence against girls by armed groups was reported to be widespread
and systematic in northern Mali (Timbuktu, Gao, Kidal and part of Mopti). In total,
211 cases of sexual violence (including rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, sexual
violence in places of detention and gang rape) by MNLA, MUJAO, Ansar Dine and
AQIM have been reported since January 2012. The United Nations gathered
information on cases of girls who had been raped by several members of armed
groups. Cases of forced marriage of women and girls by MUJAO, Ansar Dine and
AQIM were reported in all regions under their control. Parents were reportedly
coerced to hand over their daughters for marriage to members of those groups,
resulting in rape and sexual slavery. The girls were often raped repeatedly by several
men in the groups’ camps. Reports have also been received that girls from the Bella
ethnic group, a Tuareg caste considered to be inferior to the so-called “lightskinned”
Tuareg, were particularly vulnerable to abduction for purposes of sexual
abuse and exploitation.
97. The MNLA offensive and subsequent takeover of northern Mali by armed
groups had a devastating effect on children’s access to education. A total of 115
schools were looted, damaged, bombed, used for military purposes or contaminated
with unexploded ordnance. Armed groups reportedly interfered in the conduct of
classes, demanding that their interpretation of sharia law be taught. As at February
2013, 86 per cent of pupils remaining in the north still lacked access to education.
98. In October 2012, the Government established an interministerial working
group to prevent grave violations against children. The objectives of this entity
include public information campaigns to prevent recruitment and use of children and
joint verification missions with international partners to ascertain the presence of
children in self-defence militias. On 7 February 2013, an interministerial circular
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was signed on the prevention, protection and return to families of children
associated with armed forces and armed groups.
Myanmar
99. In 2012, there were encouraging commitments and actions by the Government
to prevent and end grave violations against children. The country task force,
however, continued to document violations during the reporting period. Most took
place during military clashes in Kachin and Shan States between the Tatmadaw Kyi
and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and between the national armed forces
and the Shan State Army North and the Shan State Army South. Other incidents
resulted from bomb explosions and unexploded ordnance in Kayin State and
Sagaing Region. To date, the country task force has remained constrained by
capacity, access and security impediments that presented a challenge for
comprehensive monitoring and verification.
100. While the number of cases of recruitment and use of children by the national
armed forces decreased because of prevention measures and strengthened
recruitment processes, recruitment and use of children remained of concern in 2012.
The number of complaints of underage recruitment by the national armed forces
increased from 236 in 2011 to 274 in 2012 as a result of enhanced awareness among
the national armed forces and the general public of recruitment and the channels for
raising such cases, including through the International Labour Organization (ILO)
forced labour complaint mechanism, local-level child protection groups, national
and international protection actors and direct approaches to military bases and
relevant ministries. The country task force also received information that children
had been deployed to the front line with exposure to both combat and non-combat
duties. Nine children recruited by the national armed forces were deployed during
the reporting period to Kachin State, where they were captured and detained by
KIA, which notified ILO early in 2012 and released them in January 2013.
101. In addition, the country task force received reports of association of children
with non-State armed groups. Verified reports indicated that children were present in
the ranks of KIA and the United Wa State Army (UWSA). One case in April 2012
involved the abduction of three boys of 14 years of age by KIA from a village in
Wine Maw township. The country task force also received information on the use of
boys by UWSA to man checkpoints and secure offices. Reports further alleged that
UWSA continued to require that one child in each family in the Wa autonomous
zones be sent to UWSA for what it termed “military service”. Children were also
reportedly present in the Karen National Liberation Army, the Karen National
Liberation Army Peace Council and the Karenni Army.
102. Children were also victims of landmines, unexploded ordnance, mortar and
grenade attacks and crossfire between the national armed forces and non-State
armed groups. Late in 2012, hostilities intensified between the national armed forces
and KIA in Kachin State, including air strikes and shelling by the national armed
forces, in addition to the use of improvised explosive devices by KIA. The country
task force verified that 13 boys and 4 girls between 3 and 17 years of age were
killed in five incidents in Kayin State, Kachin State and Sagaing Region. The
national armed forces and non-State armed groups (including the Karen National
Union/Karen National Liberation Army, the Karenni National Progressive
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Party/Karenni Army, the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army,8 UWSA and KIA)
also continued to use landmines to restrict the movement of people, hinder the
mobility of troops and mark areas of operations.
103. On 27 June 2012, the Government and the United Nations signed in the
presence of my Special Representative an action plan to halt and prevent the
recruitment and use of children by the national armed forces. Subsequently, a senior
national armed forces liaison officer was appointed to oversee its implementation
and a joint committee comprising the country task force and senior officials of the
national armed forces and government ministries was created. The country task
force and the national armed forces also developed detailed operational procedures
for the identification, verification and discharge of children.
104. Throughout September 2012, military focal points in the national armed forces
carried out training sessions on the action plan in each regional command, targeting
officers responsible for the identification and registration of children within their
battalions. The national armed forces also issued directives on the implementation
of the action plan and developed communication materials for distribution to the
military rank and file. In addition, the national armed forces launched a process of
identification and verification that led to the discharge of 42 children in September
2012. The national armed forces reported that, since October 2012, a board had been
established in each regional command to review the age of all new recruits. The
Commander-in-Chief also issued a directive in which he stated that recruiters of
children would face action under section 374 of the Myanmar Penal Code and
section 65 of the Defence Services Act. In that regard, the Government reported to
the country task force that, by the end of November 2012, 30 commissioned officers
and 154 non-commissioned officers had been subjected to disciplinary measures for
recruitment and use of children.
105. The country task force, however, remained concerned with regard to United
Nations access to national armed forces operational regiments. In December 2012,
the national armed forces informed the country task force that access to those
regiments would be subject to consideration upon completion of United Nations
monitoring of recruitment units and training facilities.
106. Pursuant to the action plan, the Government also committed itself to
facilitating processes to end child recruitment by non-State armed groups and to
facilitating the release and reintegration of all children within its sovereign territory.
During the reporting period, however, efforts to secure the signature of the action
plan and provision of support to identify and discharge children from the national
armed forces were accorded priority.
107. In 2012, a total of 97 underage recruits were discharged from the national
armed forces. Of those underage recruits, 42 were released under the framework of
the action plan during a discharge ceremony in September 2012, while 45 were
released under the ILO forced labour complaint mechanism. In October 2012, the
country task force submitted 25 new cases of underage recruitment received through
the ILO complaint mechanism to the national armed forces senior liaison officer for
verification under the action plan framework. In addition, the Government reported
__________________
8 The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army listed in my eleventh annual report (A/66/782-
S/2012/261) changed its name in 2011 to the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army as the armed
wing of the Klo Htoo Baw Karen Organization.
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that, in 2012, 538 potential new recruits had been rejected at the recruitment
screening stage for being underage.
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel
108. In 2012, Palestinian and Israeli children continued to be affected by the
prevailing situation of conflict. In the West Bank, the number of Palestinian children
killed and injured during demonstrations and violence by Israeli settlers remained a
serious concern. Throughout the reporting period, there were several escalations of
violence between armed groups in Gaza and Israeli forces that resulted in the killing
and injuring of Palestinian children and the injuring of Israeli children. During the
reporting period, 50 Palestinian children (40 boys and 10 girls) were killed and 665
(640 boys and 25 girls) injured in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East
Jerusalem, and 17 Israeli children were injured in Israel, marking a significant
increase compared with 2011.
109. In the West Bank, four Palestinian boys were killed and 552 Palestinian
children, including 16 girls, injured during the reporting period. Of the children
killed, two were victims of unexploded ordnance and two were shot by Israeli forces
during demonstrations. On 12 December 2012, a 17-year-old boy was shot and
killed at a checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Masharqa neighbourhood in the old city
of Hebron. Since mid-November 2012, an increase in the use of lethal force by
Israeli forces has been observed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
East Jerusalem, also affecting children. A total of 436 Palestinian children were
injured during demonstrations in clashes with the Israeli forces: 69 during military
operations involving live ammunition, physical assault, gas canisters, rubber-coated
metal bullets or tear gas inhalation; 39 as a result of settler violence; and 8 as a
result of unexploded ordnance. Although no children were killed by Israeli settlers
in 2012, 18 were injured as a result of physical assault, stone throwing or the use of
Molotov cocktails or live ammunition. A total of 21 children were injured as a result
of intervention by Israeli forces following clashes between Palestinians and Israeli
settlers.
110. In Gaza, 46 Palestinian children were killed during the reporting period, the
vast majority in November 2012 during an operation in Gaza codenamed “Pillar of
Defence”. During the first two weeks of November, armed violence escalated
intermittently as the Israeli forces attacked various targets inside Gaza and
Palestinian armed groups fired rockets into southern Israel. Between 14 and
21 November 2012, 32 Palestinian children were killed by Israeli air strikes. In three
other incidents, Palestinian children were allegedly killed by Palestinian rockets
aimed at Israel that fell short and landed in Gaza. Outside the November escalation,
another 11 children were killed in Gaza: 3 as a result of Israeli air strikes; 3 by
Israeli tank shells; 1 boy during an incursion into Gaza by Israeli forces; 1 boy as a
result of mishandling a weapon found at home; 1 boy while mishandling unexploded
ordnance; and 2 other children as a result of Palestinian rockets aimed at Israel that
fell short and landed in Gaza.
111. A further 113 children were injured in Gaza as a result of Israeli military
operations, during demonstrations or as a result of unexploded ordnance. In one
particular incident, on 30 March 2012, 23 boys were injured during demonstrations,
21 as a result of the use of live ammunition by Israeli forces and 2 owing to severe
tear gas inhalation.
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112. During the reporting period, 17 Israeli children were injured. In November
2012, during the escalation of violence in Gaza, Palestinian armed groups launched
rockets at southern Israel. On 15 November 2012, 14 Israeli children, including an
8-month-old baby, were injured. Three other Israeli children were injured inside the
West Bank. On 10 July 2012, two settler children were injured during clashes
between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in Al-Khalil neighbourhood of the old city
of Hebron. On 8 April 2012, a girl was injured when the vehicle in which she was
travelling was hit by an object thrown by an unidentified person on the outskirts of
Jerusalem.
113. On 3 June 2012, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was reportedly killed by an
Israeli air strike on a motorcycle on which members of the Abdul Qader Al-Husseini
armed group were travelling in Abasan, southern Gaza. On 21 February 2012, Israeli
forces reportedly used a Palestinian boy as a human shield. The 15-year-old boy
from Beit Ummar was taken from his home by Israeli forces and forced to walk in
front of a military jeep at which villagers were throwing stones, in violation of an
Israeli Supreme Court order forbidding the use of human shields. During the
reporting period, four other cases of attempted use of children by Israeli forces for
military intelligence purposes were reported in the Megiddo and Al-Jalame
interrogation sites. These cases involved Palestinian boys between 15 and 17 years
of age who were arrested and offered money, entry to Israel and a car or mobile
telephone in exchange for intelligence on activities in their villages.
114. In 2012, Palestinian children continued to be arrested and detained by Israeli
forces for alleged security offences and prosecuted in juvenile military courts. At the
end of December 2012, 194 boys and 1 girl, of between 12 and 17 years of age,
were in Israeli military detention for alleged security infractions. Of those children,
119 were being held in pretrial detention and 76 had been convicted and were
serving a sentence. According to the Israeli Prison Service, 73 child detainees were
transferred to prisons inside Israel during the reporting period. Such transfers
contravene article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
115. In 2012, in relation to those cases of military detention, 115 cases of illtreatment
were documented through affidavits taken by lawyers. All 115 Palestinian
boys reported being subjected to cruel and degrading ill-treatment by the Israeli
forces and the Israeli police, including but not limited to the practice of blindfolding
and painful restraint during arrest, transfer and interrogation; strip-searching; verbal
abuse; physical violence, including beating and kicking; and threats of violence. A
total of 21 boys were also held in solitary confinement for a period ranging from
1 to 20 days at Al-Jalame, Hasharon and Petah Tikva interrogation sites, in addition
to the Megiddo prison inside Israel.
116. On 1 August 2012, Israeli Military Order No. 1685 established that children
arrested and detained by the Israeli forces must be brought before a judge within
four days of arrest, instead of the previously allowed eight days. Another military
order, issued on 28 November 2012, which will enter into force in April 2013, will
further halve the length of pretrial detention, stipulating that children under 14 years
of age should be brought before a judge within 24 hours of arrest and children
between 14 and 18 years of age within 48 hours. Although this represents progress,
the duration remains double the maximum pretrial detention period for Israeli
children under Israeli juvenile law.
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117. In 2012, a significant number of attacks on schools and education facilities
continued to be reported in both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem. A total of 321 cases were reported in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in 2012, compared with 46 in 2011.
Seven attacks against Israeli schools were reported.
118. A total of 25 incidents of attacks on schools were reported in the West Bank in
2012. In 11 instances, the Israeli forces entered or attempted to enter school
premises during search operations, to remove Palestinian flags from the rooftops of
schools or for other unknown reasons, causing disruption to classes and sometimes
damage to schools. In another four instances, the Israeli forces fired live
ammunition or tear gas at schools. In a worrisome spike in incidents, on four
separate occasions, Israeli settlers from Yitzhar settlement threw stones at the school
in Urif (Nablus). In one particular instance, on 23 April 2012, the stone-throwing by
settlers triggered clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces and settlers from
the Yitzhar settlement, after which tear gas was fired at the Palestinians, injuring
eight children. In addition, on six occasions, Israeli forces also entered the Haj
Ma’zoz Al Masri Secondary School for Girls in Nablus to secure the area for Israeli
settlers during night-time religious events.
119. The vast majority of the incidents affecting schools in Gaza occurred between
14 and 21 November 2012, during the Israeli military operation. A total of 285
school buildings suffered damage as a result of Israeli air strikes on nearby
locations, including 60 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school buildings. Six UNRWA health centres
also suffered damage during the escalation in November.
120. In southern Israel, six school buildings were damaged by rockets launched by
Palestinian armed groups during the hostilities in November 2012. One additional
Israeli school in Beersheba was damaged on 11 March 2012 by rocket fire from
Gaza. No injuries to children were reported as a result of the incident, given that the
school had been closed that day as a precautionary measure.
Somalia
121. In 2012, the country task force documented 4,660 cases of violations against
children, of which 2,051 concerned recruitment and use of children (2,008 boys and
43 girls). Children were reportedly recruited by armed forces and armed groups
from camps for internally displaced persons, schools and villages. Al-Shabaab also
coerced teachers into enlisting pupils.
122. Al-Shabaab was the main perpetrator (1,789 cases of recruitment and use of
children), followed by the Somali National Armed Forces (179 cases). A total of 53
of those cases took place after the Transitional Federal Government signed an action
plan on 3 July 2012 to halt and prevent the recruitment and use of children.9 On
9 September 2012, five boys between 16 and 17 years of age were recruited by the
national armed forces in Beletweine district, Hiran Region. They were previously
associated with Al-Shabaab and had escaped to join the government forces. In
addition, it was reported that, in April 2012, a girl carried out a suicide attack at the
__________________
9 With the establishment of a federal parliament on 20 August 2012, the Transitional Federal
Government is now referred to as the Government of Somalia and its military forces as the
Somali National Armed Forces.
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National Theatre. Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a, a Government-allied militia integrated
into the national armed forces in 2012, was responsible for 51 cases of recruitment
and use of children. On 18 February 2012, six children between 15 and 17 years of
age were recruited by the militia in Beletweine district.
123. In 2012, the country task force verified 296 cases of killing of children (228
boys and 62 girls) and 485 cases of maiming of children (326 boys and 132 girls).
The killings were perpetrated by unknown armed groups (111), Al-Shabaab (94) and
the national armed forces (70). According to the World Health Organization, the
four major hospitals in Mogadishu treated weapons-related injuries of 230 children
under 5 years of age during the period under review. Most of the cases verified by
the country task force involved crossfire and mortar attacks. On 10 March 2012, for
example, stray bullets injured three children between 11 and 14 years of age during
fighting between Al-Shabaab and the national armed forces in Yurkud village,
Berdaale district, Bay Region. Children were also allegedly killed for spying. On
18 January 2012, a 15-year-old boy associated with Al-Shabaab was killed by
Al-Shabaab in Rabdhure district, Bakool Region, for allegedly spying for the
national armed forces. On 16 September 2012, the country task force received
allegations of ill-treatment of children implicating the national armed forces in
Afgoye district, Lower Shabelle Region. According to reliable sources, the national
armed forces arrested and detained 10 children on suspicion of being Al-Shabaab
members. It is alleged that they were subjected to ill-treatment and acts tantamount
to torture while in police custody. That information, however, could not be verified.
124. During the reporting period, the country task force received reports of 213
cases of sexual violence committed against 210 girls and 3 boys, mostly in central
and southern Somalia. The incidents were attributed to the national armed forces
(119), Al-Shabaab (51) and unknown armed groups (43). Following the end of the
transitional period and establishment of the new Government, the Government
issued a statement on 25 November 2012 in which it acknowledged that sexual
violence was being perpetrated by its national armed forces and committed itself to
ending the violations. My Special Representative will work with the Government to
decisively address the issue.
125. During the reporting period, Al-Shabaab (51) and the national armed forces
(14) were also responsible for attacks on schools. Al-Shabaab was responsible for a
further 11 attacks on hospitals in 2012 in Hiran (4), Lower Juba (4), Middle
Shabelle (2) and Middle Juba (1).
126. The country task force received information on 1,533 cases of abduction
(1,458 boys and 75 girls) during the reporting period. Most were reported in central
and southern Somalia and were perpetrated by Al-Shabaab (780) and the national
armed forces and allied militias (720). On 28 May 2012, for example, around
30 children between 12 and 17 years of age were taken into custody by the national
armed forces in Afgoye corridor, Lower Shabelle Region, on suspicion of being
members of Al-Shabaab. The country task force is following up on this incident.
Most of the southern and central parts of Somalia remained inaccessible, however,
owing to the volatile security situation.
127. In 2012, humanitarian access continued to be affected by attacks targeting
humanitarian workers, roadblocks and looting of humanitarian supplies, mainly in
southern Somalia. There were a total of 96 attacks on aid workers or their assets,
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27 incidents of aid interventions (aid diversions, lootings, confiscations or
sabotages) and 20 cases relating to denial of movement.
128. On 3 July 2012, the Transitional Federal Government signed an action plan to
end the recruitment and use of children, and, on 6 August 2012, another action plan
to end killing and maiming of children. Progress towards their implementation was
limited, however, owing to the election period and the appointment of the new
Government. The President nevertheless pledged his strong commitment to
implementing both action plans. The Government reported that it had issued strict
guidelines prohibiting the recruitment of children into the national armed forces and
that the implementation of the action plan was in the planning process.
129. In October 2012, the Government established, together with the United
Nations, a joint technical committee in charge of the coordination and
implementation of the action plans. On 7 and 8 October 2012, the country task force
held a validation workshop with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the
Interior to finalize standard operating procedures for the handling and release of
children who are captured, who surrender or who are otherwise separated from
armed groups and who find themselves in the custody of the national armed forces
or AMISOM. AMISOM efforts to reduce civilian casualties notwithstanding, slow
progress has been made in the implementation of the civilian casualty, tracking,
analysis and response cell. AMISOM has, however, instituted training on protection
of women and children as part of the predeployment training for all AMISOM
troops.
South Sudan
130. During the reporting period, the country task force verified the recruitment and
use of 252 boys between 14 and 17 years of age. Of those boys, 106 were associated
with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), 68 with militia allied to David
Yau Yau, Gabriel Tanginyang and Peter Gadet, 53 with militia allied to Hassan Deng
in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and 25 with militia allied to General James Kubrin
Ngare. Children associated with SPLA were identified in convoys protecting highranking
officials, wearing SPLA uniforms, during SPLA military recruitment drives
and in SPLA barracks.
131. The country task force reported that 18 boys and 5 girls were killed and
23 boys and 8 girls injured in Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile and Western Bahr
el Ghazal States during the reporting period. In two separate incidents in 2012, a
child was reportedly killed and a 6-year-old boy reportedly injured during clashes
between SPLA and militia allied to David Yau Yau in Jonglei State. In addition, in
April 2012, four children were injured by explosive remnants of war in Bentiu,
Unity State. The country task force also received reports of child casualties as a
result of aerial bombardments.
132. During the reporting period, the country task force obtained information on
eight cases of sexual violence affecting 12 girls. SPLA soldiers in Jonglei, Unity and
Western Bahr el Ghazal States were allegedly responsible for six of those incidents.
The country task force also reported the abduction of girls for sexual violence
purposes in the context of inter-communal conflict. For example, a girl in Pibor,
Jonglei State, was abducted by armed men of the Lou Nuer tribe, held in captivity
for several weeks and raped. In another incident in February 2012, two girls were
raped by unidentified armed men in military uniforms in Mayendit, Unity State.
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133. SPLA reportedly used 18 schools for military purposes, 13 of which were
already being so used since 2011. By the end of 2012, 15 of the schools had been
vacated. The military use of the schools reportedly affected more than 13,000
children. In October 2012, Juba Day Secondary School, in Central Equatoria State,
was closed for a week following a violent crackdown on student protests by the
South Sudan National Police Service using live ammunition.
134. In 2012, 129 children were abducted in the context of inter-communal
conflicts and a further 243 were documented missing. While 110 abducted children
were recovered in Jonglei State during the reporting period, the whereabouts of the
others remain unknown. In July and August 2012, two girls aged 10 and 13 years
were allegedly abducted by SPLA members in Jonglei State. Although the United
Nations inquired with SPLA about the cases, no feedback has been received to date.
135. The country task force received reports of at least 197 incidents of denial of
humanitarian access. Forceful entry into humanitarian compounds, harassment and
physical assault of humanitarian workers hampered the ability of humanitarian
actors to gain access to the civilian population. During the first quarter of 2012, nine
incidents of violence against humanitarian personnel by SPLA soldiers were
reported in Central Equatoria and Warrap States.
136. On 13 March 2012, my Special Representative witnessed the signing of a
revised action plan by SPLA as a renewed commitment to ceasing and preventing
the recruitment and use of children. Since the signature of the action plan, a national
committee, consisting of the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission, SPLA military judge advocates, the SPLA spokesperson
and the United Nations, has been established to implement the provisions of the
action plan.
137. A system of screening and early identification of children has been established.
Consequently, 421 boys and 29 girls who sought to voluntarily enlist in SPLA in
2012 were rejected. SPLA also issued a series of military orders to vacate schools
and to grant unimpeded access to the United Nations. The country task force was
granted access to 71 SPLA barracks during the reporting period. The Government
also initiated the development of civil registration and birth registration systems. Of
the 252 boys identified as associated with SPLA and militia groups, 230 were
released, reunited with their families and provided with reintegration support.
Sudan
Darfur
138. During the reporting period, the country task force recorded 31 cases of
recruitment and use of children: 11 by the Popular Defence Forces, 4 by the Central
Reserve Police, 3 by JEM, 2 by the Sudanese Armed Forces and 11 by unidentified
armed groups. Three boys between 14 and 17 years of age were abducted for
recruitment purposes by JEM in northern Darfur, but managed to escape and were
subsequently detained by the national armed forces before being released and
reunited with their families.
139. In 2012, 62 children (44 boys and 18 girls) were killed and 57 (42 boys and
15 girls) injured during hostilities in Darfur. Of those children, 27 were killed by
stray bullets during clashes between unidentified armed groups, 26 during air strikes
by the national armed forces and 9 by unexploded ordnance. The increase in the
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number of child casualties — 119 children in 2012 compared with 71 children in
2011 — is attributed to the escalation of violence between government forces and
armed groups during the reporting period, in addition to inter-ethnic fighting in
various areas of Darfur.
140. The country task force reported 36 cases of rape of girls between 5 and 17 years
of age in 2012. In areas under the Government’s control, several documented
incidents of rape were attributed to government forces, including the national armed
forces, the Central Reserve Police, the Popular Defence Forces, the police and the
Border Intelligence Forces. Perpetrators also included unidentified armed men.
These figures do not reflect the actual scope of sexual violence against children in
Darfur, given that access to some areas remained limited.
141. In 2012, movement restrictions for humanitarian actors on security grounds
continued to affect the delivery of assistance to children. Restrictions on movement
by road from El Fasher to El Daein, for example, heavily affected humanitarian aid.
On four separate occasions, refusal of clearance for humanitarian actors to gain
access to areas not under the control of the Government impeded the provision of
humanitarian assistance to children.
142. Among developments in the reporting period, a focal point to engage with the
country task force on child protection concerns was appointed by JEM in January
2012. Following further consultations, on 11 September 2012, JEM issued a
command order in which it prohibited the recruitment and use of children and, on
25 September 2012, it submitted to the United Nations a commitment to release
children and to report on progress made. In November 2012, the Sudan Liberation
Army/Abdul Wahid also issued a command order in which it prohibited the
recruitment and use of children. Sudanese Liberation Army/Historical Leadership
submitted two progress reports in which it outlined steps taken towards ending
recruitment and use of children. Although there were allegations of recruitment and
use of children by that armed group during the reporting period, they could not be
substantiated. Sudan Liberation Army/Free Will, JEM/Peace Wing and Sudan
Liberation Army/Peace Wing have been removed from the annexes to the present
report, since no information was available on recruitment and use of children by
these groups in 2012, nor that the groups were militarily active.
143. The Government informed the country task force that the Ministry of Defence
had approved the development of an action plan to end the recruitment and use of
children, which would apply also to other groups affiliated with the national armed
forces, including the Popular Defence Forces. That commitment was reiterated to a
United Nations technical mission that visited the Sudan in April 2013.
144. In January 2012, the Government established a national human rights
commission to monitor and investigate human rights and child rights violations. In
January 2012, the Police Commissioner created a national coordination mechanism
for family and children protection units. Efforts were also made by the police and its
Family Child Protection Unit to investigate cases of violations against children, an
exercise that resulted in the arrest of a number of alleged perpetrators. On 18 July
2012, for example, a court in Zalingei, Central Darfur, sentenced a soldier to
20 years’ imprisonment for the rape of an 8-year-old girl.
145. A list of 120 children released by Sudanese Liberation Army/Historical
Leadership was submitted in 2011 to the Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and
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Reintegration Commission and the United Nations. The registration process of these
children began in January 2013. In addition, the African Union-United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur provided training on child rights and child protection to
118 commanders and combatants of the Liberation and Justice Movement in
El Fasher and Nyala.
Three areas (South Kordofan, Blue Nile State and Abyei)
146. During the reporting period, 125 boys between 11 and 17 years of age were
reportedly recruited and used by armed forces and armed groups in South Kordofan
(31), Blue Nile State (46) and Abyei (48). Of those boys, 65 were reportedly
recruited by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), 12 by the
Popular Defence Forces and 48 by SPLA. In addition, the United Nations continued
to receive allegations of recruitment and use of children by SPLM-N in areas not
controlled by the Government. Verification of those allegations remained
impossible, however, owing to access restrictions.
147. In 2012, the United Nations received reports that 31 children had been killed
in Kadugli and 1 in South Kordofan/Abyei. In that regard, nine incidents of aerial
bombardments and shelling resulted in the killing of 10 boys and 10 girls, some
only a month old. Six incidents involving 15 children were attributed to the national
armed forces, while three other incidents were attributed to SPLM-N. Three boys
were killed and one maimed by unexploded ordnance. A total of 43 children were
reportedly injured in South Kordofan (42) and Abyei (1): 41 as a result of aerial
bombardments and shelling by the national armed forces and SPLM-N, 1 by
crossfire and 1 by unexploded ordnance.
148. Although the Government allowed United Nations national staff limited access
to the areas under its control for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, movement
of international staff outside the capitals of South Kordofan and Blue Nile State was
restricted. No humanitarian assistance could be delivered to children in areas held
by SPLM-N. The Government continued to impose restrictions on access for
humanitarian actors both in government-held and non-government-held areas in
Blue Nile State and South Kordofan. Verification of reports of grave violations
against children was impossible in areas not controlled by the Government.
149. In a verification process with the Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission, the United Nations supported the registration of
18 children formerly associated with armed groups, who were reunited with their
families and received reintegration support. An additional 42 children escaped from
an SPLM-N camp and were registered with the disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration programme in Blue Nile State. During the reporting period, SPLM-N
committed itself to engaging in dialogue with the United Nations to address the
presence of children within its ranks.
Syrian Arab Republic
150. The Syrian conflict has entered its third year. The situation for children has
deteriorated in all areas of concern. Among the well in excess of 70,000 people
estimated to have been killed to date, many thousands are children. Sizeable
numbers of children have been killed and gravely injured in shelling and fighting,
while thousands more have seen family members killed or injured or have lived
through shelling, missile firing and heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of their
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homes, schools and hospitals by the government forces, resulting in severe
psychological distress. The use of terror tactics by armed opposition groups, such as
car and other bombs, in civilian areas, including near schools, and the association of
children with such armed groups rose sharply over the reporting period.
151. Children in the Syrian Arab Republic continued to be killed, injured and
maimed by heavy artillery, air strikes, crossfire and explosive remnants of war as a
direct result of the conflict in incidents that occurred in Damascus, Homs, Dera’a
and Aleppo, among others. Refugee children inside the Syrian Arab Republic have
also been directly affected. Palestinian and other refugee children have been killed,
injured, forced to flee their homes and live in need in shelters for internally
displaced persons. Government air strikes and bombardment predominated in areas
controlled by the Free Syrian Army and other opposition groups. Government forces
and allied shabbiha militia continued incursions in areas of contested control. On
25 May 2012, government soldiers and shabbiha members reportedly entered
El Houleh village, Homs governorate, and killed 100 civilians, including at least
41 children. The local school, where people had sought refuge, was reportedly
bombed by government forces in July 2012, resulting in the death of two children.
152. The use of heavy weaponry and the alleged use of cluster munitions in heavily
populated areas resulted in child and other civilian casualties. In a village near
Ar Raqqah, survivors alleged that dozens of cluster munitions had been dropped on
their homes over a period of days in March 2013. A witness recounted seeing two
boys, aged 9 and 13 years, suffer injury and the loss of their hands and limbs when
they picked up unexploded cluster bomblets. Further reports were received of
cluster munitions being used in Hamah, Ar Rastan, Mohassan, Aleppo and Idlib.
Although government forces were allegedly responsible for most of those casualties,
opposition groups have also reportedly acquired and used heavy weapons against
the civilian population.
153. The United Nations also received reports of opposition armed groups engaging
in terror tactics, such as car and other bombings, near schools and in public places,
resulting in the death of and injury to children and other civilians. It was not
possible to attribute responsibility for specific incidents that led to child casualties,
owing to the nature of the operational structure of armed opposition groups in the
Syrian Arab Republic and the lack of access for the United Nations to carry out
investigations.
154. Detention, torture and ill-treatment of children for alleged association with the
opposition continued to be a worrying trend. In that regard, there were a number of
accounts of sexual violence against boys to obtain information or a confession by
the State forces, largely but not exclusively by members of the State intelligence
services and the Syrian Armed Forces. Child detainees, largely boys and as young as
14 years of age, suffered similar or identical methods of torture as adults, including
electric shock, beatings, stress positions and threats and acts of sexual torture. For
example, a 16-year-old boy from Kafr Nabl, Idlib governorate, reported witnessing
the sexual assault and killing of his 14-year-old friend while in detention. According
to witnesses, a number of children continue to be held as ransom for parents and
other relatives associated with opposition fighters to force them to turn themselves
in to the State authorities.
155. Information was received that the national armed forces used children as
human shields. In an incident in May 2012, the national armed forces reportedly
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raided the local primary school in As Safira, Aleppo governorate, took hostage
30 boys and 25 girls between 10 and 13 years of age and walked them in front of
their forces in order to flush out a local Free Syrian Army unit that had recently
taken the town. There were also a number of allegations of use of children between
15 and 17 years of age by shabbiha members in village incursions in Hamah
governorate in January 2013.
156. The United Nations has received a growing number of reports of use of
children by armed opposition groups, such as the Free Syrian Army. From accounts
received, child association with the Free Syrian Army is often linked to an older
relative facilitating recruitment or in instances in which the child has lost all
members of his or her family. It is also linked to the fact that there is no central
recruitment authority among the Free Syrian Army and that many forces are clanbased
or village-based. Consequently, children, on average between 15 and 17 years
of age, have been used in both combat and support roles, such as food and water
portering and loading bullets into cartridges. A former Free Syrian Army combatant
of Kafr Zeita village stated to the United Nations that children as young as 14 years
were largely used for loading bullets, delivering food and evacuating the injured.
Medical staff reported treating boys between 16 and 17 years of age injured in
combat who were associated with the Free Syrian Army. For example, a 16-year-old
boy receiving medical treatment for wounds suffered in the Salah-ad-Din
neighbourhood of Aleppo recounted that he had spent three months with a Free
Syrian Army unit. He had been injured in fighting against government forces in the
first week of March 2013. It should also be noted that accounts stated that some
Free Syrian Army units, including in Dayr Az Zawr city, had rejected children who
had approached them to join or had released associated children when so requested
by their families.
157. The United Nations received information suggesting that schools and hospitals
were targeted by the Government. Reports were also received of schools being used
and damaged by armed opposition groups. A total of 167 education personnel,
including 69 teachers, were reported to have been killed as at the end of February
2013, while 2,445 schools were reported to have been damaged. Some 2,000 schools
are being used as shelters for internally displaced persons. In some areas, children
have not attended school in more than 18 months. Palestinian children residing in
refugee camps in the Syrian Arab Republic are equally affected by the conflict. The
education system in particular has been severely affected. As at April 2013, 69 of
118 UNRWA schools were closed, with only 23,700 of more than 67,000 enrolled
pupils attending classes.
158. Reports indicated that schools continued to be bombed, shelled and raided by
government forces. On the other hand, several parties to the conflict were
responsible for using schools for military purposes. There are numerous incidents of
government forces entering schools and using them either as a temporary base or as
a detention facility. The Free Syrian Army allegedly used schools in a number of
areas as bases, makeshift hospitals and, in some instances, ammunition storage and
detention centres. In one example, Free Syrian Army elements in Kafr Zeita, Idlib
governorate, used two classrooms of the Al Shahid Wahid Al Jusef High School as
barracks for a number of days while children were attending classes.
159. The United Nations received further information that hospitals and makeshift
hospitals had been bombed and, in some cases, specifically targeted by government
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forces, allegedly because they housed wounded Free Syrian Army elements. Reports
have also been received of government forces entering hospitals and arresting young
men and boys suspected of being Free Syrian Army sympathizers. In one instance,
eyewitnesses stated that men and boys who sought assistance at the Kendi State
Hospital in Aleppo were arrested for association with the opposition before entering.
The hospital also housed a government sniper position. Attacks or threats of attacks
against medical personnel, in addition to reprisals for medically assisting those
suspected of links to the opposition, were also documented.
160. As noted in my report on sexual violence in conflict (A/67/792-S/2013/149),
United Nations monitors received credible allegations of sexual violence against
women and girls, in particular during raids conducted by the Syrian military in
Homs and other areas, but also in detention facilities or at checkpoints. The United
Nations is also concerned about allegations of abduction and rape of women and
girls by armed opposition groups in cities, villages and neighbourhoods perceived to
be in favour of the Government.
161. The conflict has also created an environment in which it has become extremely
difficult to reach affected populations for humanitarian purposes. Medical care
remained inadequate in contested areas, with many children succumbing to their
wounds for lack of proper or timely attention. Lastly, fighting continued to force
populations to leave their homes, with the latest United Nations figures indicating
that there are more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and
4.25 million persons displaced inside the country, half of whom are children.
162. My Special Representative was invited by the Government to assess first-hand
the conflict’s impact on children, to discuss strengthening the monitoring of grave
violations against children in the Syrian Arab Republic and to better advocate child
protection. During her visit, she met relevant ministers, the United Nations country
team, civil society members, internally displaced persons and children. In this
regard, I welcome the Government’s commitment to cooperating with the United
Nations in monitoring grave child rights violations and to establishing an
interministerial committee on children affected by conflict. The Government has
also informed my Special Representative that it will take measures to ensure the
education of displaced children and to rebuild destroyed or damaged school
facilities. My Special Representative was also able to reach out to Free Syrian Army
commanders in Homs and Rif Damascus governorates regarding their responsibility
to respect international humanitarian law and prevent association of children with
their forces. In addition, I am encouraged that my Special Representative received a
communication from the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition
Forces in which it committed itself to collaborating with the United Nations to halt
and prevent the recruitment and use of children.
Yemen
163. The signing of the transition agreement in Yemen, the Gulf Cooperation
Council initiative and implementation mechanism in November 2011 and the launch
of the political transition in February 2012 led to a decrease in the number of grave
violations committed against children. Nevertheless, hostilities between the
Government and Ansar al-Sharia/Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and
their effect on the civilian population remained of concern and resulted in grave
violations against children.
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164. In 2012, the United Nations verified 53 reports of recruitment and use of
children between 13 and 17 years of age. Of those cases of recruitment, 25 boys
were recruited by the government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces, the
Republican Guards, the newly integrated First Armoured Division, the military
police and the central security forces.10 Many children recruited by the national
armed forces were enlisted through brokers, such as military officers, family
members and local sheikhs, who further facilitated their recruitment through false
documentation and birth certificates. Some children reported fear of reprisal if it
became known that they had enlisted with false documentation. Children often
received a monthly stipend or retainer from the unit that recruited them.
165. The United Nations continued to face challenges in monitoring violations by
the Al-Houthi armed group operating in Sa’ada governorate. Reports of recruitment
and use of children could not be verified owing to security constraints.
Nevertheless, the United Nations could verify the use of three boys by Al-Houthi in
Hajja governorate, who were armed, manning checkpoints or “guarding” health
centres. With regard to association of children with pro-Government militias, the
United Nations documented the case of three children aged 13, 16 and 17 years,
respectively, who were recruited and used for checkpoint duty by the Popular
Resistance Committee in Abyan governorate. The recruitment and use of children by
Ansar al-Sharia appeared to have increased during the reporting period. Of the
19 children verified to be associated with Ansar al-Sharia, 2 boys were killed and
3 injured in combat. The others are believed to still be with the group.
166. In 2012, at least 50 children (45 boys and 5 girls) were reportedly killed and
165 (140 boys and 25 girls) maimed. Many child casualties related to landmines,
unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war. While in most of the incidents
the perpetrators remained unknown, some have been attributed to the national armed
forces, Ansar al-Sharia and AQAP. Five incidents were reported of drone strikes
allegedly targeting AQAP and Ansar al-Sharia in Abyan, Shabwa and Al Bayda
governorates, resulting in the killing of two boys and maiming of six boys and a
girl. In one such incident, a 16-year-old boy was killed by a drone strike allegedly
targeting an AQAP leader. A further 14 boys were killed, and 51 boys and 10 girls
maimed, by landmines or unexploded ordnance during the reporting period. Attacks
with improvised explosive devices killed 11 boys and maimed 16 boys and 1 girl.
Two children were killed while conducting a suicide attack.
167. An emerging concern with regard to Ansar al-Sharia is the sexual abuse of
boys associated with the group. The United Nations documented that three boys
recruited by the group had been subjected to sexual violence. The United Nations
further verified seven cases of forced marriage of girls between 13 and 17 years of
age in Abyan governorate with members of Ansar al-Sharia. In two of those cases, a
15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl were offered as “gifts” by their brothers to
leaders of Ansar al-Sharia in exchange for being allowed to join the group. The
number of forced marriages is likely to be underreported owing to stigmatization
and fear of reprisal.
__________________
10 On 19 December 2012, the President of Yemen issued a decree to define a new structure for the
armed forces, in effect abolishing the Republican Guards and the First Armoured Division. In
another decree, on 21 February 2013, the President declared the restructuring of the Ministry of
the Interior, which includes the renaming of the central security forces to the special security
forces.
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168. During the reporting period, the United Nations received reports of
165 incidents of attacks on schools, most of which occurred in Sana’a and Abyan
governorates. Ansar al-Sharia, the First Armoured Division and Al-Houthi were
responsible for the incidents. In 61 incidents, teachers and pupils were threatened or
intimidated. In another 57 incidents, schools were physically damaged by shelling,
aerial bombardments and improvised explosive devices. Such attacks mainly took
place during clashes between the Republican Guard and armed tribal groups, and in
hostilities between government forces and Ansar al-Sharia. Supporters of Ansar
al-Sharia also damaged schools and destroyed textbooks in an attempt to prevent the
reopening of schools. In addition, a United Nations-supported child-friendly space
providing psychosocial assistance to children in Sana’a was looted by the First
Armoured Division. An additional 36 incidents involved the military use of schools
for weapons storage, sometimes resulting in their closure.
169. A total of 11 attacks on hospitals were reported in Hajja and Aden. In Hajja,
Al-Houthi was responsible for nine incidents of intimidation of health personnel and
eight cases of military use of medical facilities, resulting in the closure of health
centres affecting some 5,000 children. The central security forces were responsible
for two incidents in Aden in which they forcibly entered hospitals in search of
patients and damaged the medical facilities.
170. The United Nations received reports of 33 incidents of denial of humanitarian
access affecting children. This figure included 16 incidents of hijackings of United
Nations or non-governmental organization vehicles; the abduction of 16 humanitarian
personnel; 5 cases of threats against or arrests of humanitarian personnel; and
physical attacks against humanitarian workers and their compounds.
171. Tangible progress was made in dialogue with the relevant parties on the
preparation and implementation of action plans to halt and prevent violations
against children. On 18 April 2012, the Minister of the Interior sent a letter to the
police and other relevant authorities in which he ordered the full implementation of
Police Commission Law No. 15 (2000), which stipulated 18 years as the minimum
age for recruitment, and the release of any children present in the ranks of the
government security forces. During an official visit to Yemen in November 2012,
my Special Representative met the President and other senior government officials,
in addition to the leadership of Al-Houthi and the First Armoured Division. During
her visit, the Government committed itself to developing an action plan to end the
recruitment and use of children. The leadership of Al-Houthi also agreed to enter
into a dialogue with the United Nations on the issue. In addition, the President
issued a decree to prohibit underage recruitment and immediately thereafter
established an interministerial committee to serve as liaison for the development of
an action plan.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
Colombia
172. In 2012, hostilities continued between the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias
de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), the Ejército de Liberación
Nacional (ELN) and the Colombian national army. On 18 October 2012, however,
peace talks were initiated between the Government and FARC-EP in Oslo.
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173. Widespread and systematic recruitment and use of children by non-State armed
groups was documented in 2012. Although the full scale and scope remain
unknown, around 300 cases of recruitment and use were reported by the country
task force in 23 of the 32 departments and in Bogotá. In 2012, the Colombian
Family Welfare Institute documented 188 children separated from FARC-EP,
37 from ELN, 34 from armed groups that emerged after the demobilization of the
Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia and 4 from the Ejército Popular de Liberación.
174. FARC-EP and ELN continued to recruit and use children. In February 2012, a
10-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, both wearing FARC-EP uniforms, were
found in Meta during a raid by the Colombian army. The country task force also
verified cases of recruitment and use by non-State armed groups that emerged after
the demobilization of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia. In March 2012, for
example, a 16-year-old boy was offered money to join the Ejército Revolucionario
Popular Anticomunista de Colombia (ERPAC) in Meta. In March and April 2012,
threats of recruitment of children by FARC-EP, ERPAC, Las Aguilas Negras, Los
Rastrojos and Los Urabeños were reported in the departments of Antioquia,
Cordoba, Guaviare and Meta. In Guaviare, the threats forced seven boys between
14 and 18 years of age into displacement.
175. Children were also killed and maimed during attacks carried out by non-State
armed groups or in crossfire between non-State armed groups or between non-State
armed groups and the Colombian security forces. In March 2012, for example, four
boys and four girls between 14 and 16 years of age were killed in the crossfire when
a FARC-EP camp in Meta was attacked by the Colombian army. In October 2012, a
13-year-old girl was killed and another girl injured by the army during an attack
against alleged members of FARC-EP in Cauca. In 2012, at least 52 children
(32 boys and 20 girls) were injured and 13 children (12 boys and 1 girl) killed by
anti-personnel mines or explosive remnants of war.
176. While underreported, girls continued to be victims of sexual violence
attributed to members of non-State armed groups. Girls associated with such groups
were often forced into sexual relations with adults and, allegedly, to have an
abortion if they became pregnant. In March 2012, a 16-year-old girl in Nariño was
raped several times by hooded members of an unidentified non-State armed group.
In July 2012, an 11-year-old girl was raped by a FARC-EP member in Valle del
Cauca. A large proportion of sexual violence is being perpetrated by so-called
criminal gangs (“Bacrim”). Since the Government does not acknowledge these
non-State armed groups that emerged after the demobilization process as actors in
the armed conflict, victims of sexual violence by them have faced major obstacles in
gaining access to benefits under the Victims’ Act (Act No. 1448 of 2011). Reports
have also been received of cases of sexual violence against children by members of
the Colombian security forces. In October 2012 in Nariño, members of the army
reportedly sexually abused at least 11 girls, most of them of Afro-Colombian
ethnicity, including an 8-year-old girl.
177. Teachers and pupils continued to be targeted and threatened by non-State
armed groups for preventing the recruitment of children. In September 2012, for
example, three teachers and a head teacher in Arauca were forced into displacement
following threats from an unidentified armed group. The military use of schools by
the army was reported in several departments. In July 2012, the army used a school
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for military purposes in fighting against FARC-EP in Cauca. The infrastructure of
the school was damaged and unexploded ordnance found in the vicinity.
178. Although Colombia, as a signatory State to the Convention on the Prohibition
of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on
Their Destruction, made significant efforts to eliminate landmines, contamination by
landmines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices continued to
cause mobility restrictions and complicate aid delivery in several departments,
including Cauca, Nariño, Norte de Santander and Putumayo. In the last-mentioned
department, for example, landmines laid by FARC-EP have intermittently confined
hundreds of civilians and prevented timely assistance from reaching an estimated
1,000 flood-affected families. Restrictions imposed by ERPAC, Las Aguilas Negras,
Los Rastrojos and Los Urabeños were also reported in urban areas of Antioquia,
Cordoba and Valle del Cauca departments. In 2012, more than 46,000 persons, of
whom some 30 per cent were children, were internally displaced in 18 departments,
affecting rural, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in particular.
179. Indigenous and Afro-Colombian children continued to be disproportionately
affected by all grave violations. Among the demobilized children assisted by the
Colombian Family Welfare Institute, some 8 per cent were indigenous, even though
indigenous children constitute just 1.55 per cent of the Colombian population.
180. The Government voluntarily accepted the monitoring and reporting mechanism
pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) on the condition that any
dialogue between the United Nations and armed groups would take place with its
consent. There was no contact or dialogue between the United Nations system and
non-State armed groups during the reporting period. A general agreement for the
termination of the conflict and the construction of a stable and lasting peace was
signed by the Government and FARC-EP in Havana on 26 August 2012, with
representatives of Cuba and Norway as guarantors. The issue of children and armed
conflict was absent from the agenda.
181. The Colombian Family Welfare Institute provided protection to 264 children
(67 girls and 197 boys) who had been separated from non-State armed groups.
Children separated from armed groups formed after the demobilization of
paramilitary organizations were not systematically referred to the Institute, efforts
by the Government of Colombia notwithstanding. Some children were referred to
the Attorney General for prosecution. All children, as victims, should be accorded
the same benefits and protection, regardless of the group that recruited or used them.
The lack of information on cases taken up by the Office of the Attorney General and
the limited number of prosecutions involving violations against children remained a
challenge. While at least 5,075 children were separated from non-State armed
groups by the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, to date there have been only
25 convictions for child recruitment, 3 under the Justice and Peace Act (Act No. 975
of 2005) and 22 through the Human Rights Unit of the Office of the Attorney
General. Efforts by the Government of Colombia notwithstanding, children
continued to face difficulties in gaining access to justice, while impunity for
violations against children remained a concern.
182. The early warning system operated by the Office of the Ombudsman prepared
a report on recruitment and use of children in Guania, Guaviare, Meta and Vichada
to identify the impact of the armed conflict on children and to promote prevention
and protection measures. In addition, in November 2012, the Ministry of Defence
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issued a law enforcement agencies protocol for the management of sexual violence
with emphasis on sexual violence in instances of armed conflict, in addition to an
operating charter for its implementation.
India
183. In 2012, the United Nations received reports of violations against children by
parties in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha States. Although
verification by the United Nations was not possible, the allegations are supported by
reports submitted to Parliament. Recruitment and use of children by Maoist armed
groups otherwise known as Naxalites, is alleged to have continued during the
reporting period. Reports alleged that the Naxalites resorted to large-scale
recruitment of children between 6 and 12 years of age into what they term
“children’s units” (Bal Sanghatans) in the affected states. Children were reported to
have performed various tasks, including fighting with crude weapons such as sticks
or acting as informants. Children as young as 12 years of age were reported to be
present in Maoist youth groups and allied militia, handling weapons and improvised
explosive devices. Children were reportedly not allowed to leave those associations
and faced severe reprisals, including the killing of family members, if they did so.
According to government sources, children were reportedly used as human shields
by the Maoist armed groups in confrontations with Indian security forces. In
Chhattisgarh, seven children were reportedly killed in the crossfire between the
Central Reserve Police Force and the Maoist armed groups in June 2012. Reports
also indicated that the Maoists destroyed school buildings. The destruction of 267
schools since 2006 by the Maoists, including 3 in 2012, was reported. The number
of schools destroyed over the past six years has raised concerns with regard to
children’s access to education. The Government has stated that it has adopted an
integrated approach to address the protection needs of children in areas of civil
unrest, especially relating to security, development and good governance.
Pakistan
184. In 2012, Pakistan continued to experience attacks by armed groups using terror
tactics and associated with the Taliban and/or Al-Qaida, including the Tehrik-i-
Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Province, Balochistan and urban centres. During the reporting period,
at least 91 children were reportedly killed and 137 injured in the course of
indiscriminate attacks on public places, largely attributed to TTP. A total of
51 children were reportedly killed by improvised explosive devices, roadside bombs
and suicide bombings, 26 by mortar attacks and 14 by landmines and unexploded
ordnance. On 24 November 2012, for example, at least four children were
reportedly killed in a roadside bomb attack on a procession in Dera Ismail Khan,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In addition, drone attacks were reported in the tribal
areas of Pakistan. No exact data were available on the number of child casualties in
those attacks. In one reported case, however, at least five children between 4 and
12 years of age were injured in a drone attack on 24 October 2012 in Tappi village,
North Waziristan Agency. The United Nations has no access to those areas to verify
the reports.
185. The recruitment, training and use of child suicide bombers by the Taliban,
including TTP, in the tribal border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained
a concern in 2012. On 4 May 2012, for example, a 15-year-old boy with explosives
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strapped to his body reportedly committed a suicide attack in a crowded market
place in Bajaur Agency, killing 26 persons and injuring 75. In another incident, on
20 November 2012, a 13-year-old boy from Khyber Agency who was wearing a
suicide jacket was reportedly apprehended and detained by the police, along with
his adult handler, while entering Peshawar. No exact figures are available on the
number of children currently in detention in Pakistan under security regulations. The
Government, however, reported that more than 1,150 boys had passed through
de-radicalization and skills development programmes in Malakand district, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Province. By the end of 2012, 40 children, including 23 new cases
from 2012, were continuing to reside in the Sabaoon rehabilitation and reintegration
centre for children taken into custody by the Pakistan security forces for alleged
association with armed groups.
186. During the reporting period, armed groups opposed to secular and girls’
education, including TTP, increasingly targeted schools, teachers and
schoolchildren, in particular girls, in attacks with improvised explosive devices and
drive-by shootings. A total of 118 schools, most of which were primary schools,
were reportedly damaged or destroyed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (77), the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (40) and Balochistan (1) in such armed attacks.
On 9 October 2012, TTP gunmen shot and seriously injured 14-year-old schoolgirl
Malala Yousafzai and two other schoolgirls who were returning from school in
Mingora, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Malala Yousafzai was known as a child
activist speaking out against the forced closure of girls’ schools by TTP in the Swat
valley. In respect of attacks against medical personnel, 11 health workers
administering polio vaccinations to children were killed and 4 more injured in
targeted attacks in 2012. Of those, 9 health-care workers, including a 17-year-old
girl, were killed in a series of attacks between 17 and 19 December 2012 in Karachi,
Peshawar, Charsadda and Sindh.
187. In 2012, the Government took policy and legislative steps towards better
protection of children, including the approval of a child protection policy for the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the extension of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Child Protection and Welfare Act (2010) to the Provincially Administered Tribal
Areas.
Philippines
188. During the reporting period, the country task force recorded 11 incidents of
recruitment and use of children, involving 23 boys and 3 girls between 12 and
17 years of age. That figure represents a decrease in 2012, given that there were
26 incidents affecting 33 boys and 21 girls in 2011. Of those cases, 2 were
reportedly recruited and used by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, 11 by the New
People’s Army (NPA), 11 by the Abu Sayyaf Group and 2 by the Armed Forces of
the Philippines.
189. That an action plan was signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and
the United Nations in 2009 notwithstanding, Front base commands continued to
provide training, weapons and uniforms to children and to use them as guides,
messengers and porters. In July 2012, a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were
recruited by the 103rd Base Command in Lanao del Sur Province, provided with
martial arts training and used for weapons maintenance. Although the United
Nations has no access to the areas under the control of the Bangsamoro Islamic
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Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
led by Commander “Kato”, the country task force continued to receive credible
reports that the armed group was actively training and providing weapons to
children.
190. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political wing
of NPA, continued to claim that it did not recruit children as combatants, but
admitted that it recruited, trained and used them for non-combat purposes. Children
continued to be killed and injured as a result of their affiliation with NPA in 2012.
On 26 August 2012, for example, the country task force verified the killing of a
17-year-old NPA fighter during hostilities with the national armed forces in
Paquibato district, Davao City.
191. The country task force also verified two incidents of recruitment and use of
children by the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu and Basilan, involving at least 11 boys
between 13 and 16 years of age. On 14 September 2012, for example, a 13-year-old
boy armed with an M-203 grenade launcher was killed during an armed encounter
with the national armed forces in Sumisip municipality, Basilan Province.
192. The United Nations remained concerned over the use of children by the
national armed forces as guides and informants during military operations. In a
verified case in July 2012, the Fifty-Seventh Infantry Battalion forced two boys
aged 12 and 13 years to serve as guides to locate an NPA camp in North Cotabato
Province. Upon notification of the incident, the national armed forces initiated an
investigation on 20 March 2013. During the reporting period, it was also observed
that the national armed forces continued to release names and pictures of children to
the media, labelling them as members of armed groups.
193. In 2012, the country task force documented 66 cases of killing and maiming of
children, of which 4 reportedly implicated the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,
3 NPA, 1 the Abu Sayyaf Group, 14 the national armed forces and 44 unidentified
perpetrators. As a result of the attacks, 29 children were reportedly killed and
37 reportedly injured. There were no clashes between the national armed forces and
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2012. Most cases involving the Front related to
internecine conflicts within Moro communities. During the reporting period, NPA
conducted high-profile attacks on the national armed forces, often at the cost of the
civilian population. On 1 September 2012, for example, NPA fighters of the
Merardo Arce Command threw a grenade at a military outpost in a civilian
community, injuring more than 50 persons, including 12 boys and 9 girls between
4 and 17 years of age.
194. In the course of their counter-insurgency campaign, the national armed forces
were reportedly involved in indiscriminate attacks on civilian residences where NPA
fighters were allegedly present. In a verified case, two boys aged 8 and 13 years
were killed and a 5-year-old girl injured when the Twenty-Seventh Infantry
Battalion strafed a house in Kiblawan municipality, Davao del Sur Province, on
18 October 2012. Following the incident, the national armed forces relieved and
restricted to their barracks an officer and 11 enlisted personnel, who, at the time of
writing of the present report, were undergoing pretrial investigation by the General
Court Martial.
195. In 2012, incidents continued to occur in which schools were damaged in the
course of hostilities. In July 2012, fighters from the Abu Sayyaf Group partially
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burned down Tipo-Tipo Central Elementary School in an effort to distract a military
pursuit by the national armed forces after skirmishes in Sumisip municipality,
Basilan Province. In August 2012, four schools were reportedly damaged by
crossfire during armed encounters between the national armed forces and BIFF in
Datu Unsay.
196. The military use of schools remained a concern. In four verified incidents, the
national armed forces stationed military units in public elementary schools in
Mindanao. In June 2012, the country task force verified that three units of the
national armed forces had established a detachment next to Salipongan Primary
School in Tugaya municipality, Lanao del Sur Province, resulting in the closure of
the school for two weeks.
197. Since the expiry of the action plan between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
and the United Nations in July 2011, after two years of implementation, the signing
of an addendum to extend the action plan remains pending. A significant delay in its
implementation notwithstanding, the Front continued to express commitment in
principle to the action plan. Recent progress in the peace talks between the Front
and the Government, which resulted in the signing in October 2012 of a framework
for a comprehensive peace agreement, may accelerate, with the support of the
international community, the full implementation of the action plan, including the
reintegration of children into civilian life. The framework agreement ensures
specific social protection mechanisms for vulnerable groups, with particular
emphasis on women and children in Bangsamoro areas.
198. In January 2012, a United Nations technical team met members of the NDFP
negotiating panel for an initial discussion on child protection concerns. NDFP
continued to deny that NPA had children in its ranks, but clarified its position that
children of 15 years of age and older might be assigned to NPA self-defence and
other non-combat units. On 29 June 2012, NDFP issued a unilateral declaration and
programme of action on the rights, protection and welfare of children, in which it
refuted the listing of NPA in the present report and rejected the application of the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement
of children in armed conflict to non-State armed groups and the Paris Principles.
The activities put forward in the declaration do not include provisions on United
Nations access and compliance monitoring.
199. I am pleased to note that the Government is finalizing the implementation of
the monitoring, reporting and response system to prevent and respond to specific
incidents of grave violations against children. The national armed forces are also
preparing draft guidelines on the conduct of operations inside or within the
immediate premises of schools and hospitals, which are expected to be launched as
an operational directive during the first half of 2013. In addition, with regard to the
use of children during military operations, the national armed forces have issued
directives prohibiting such use of children, assigning responsibility to commanders,
institutionalizing investigations and putting in place corrective measures.
Southern border provinces of Thailand
200. In 2012, efforts were made by the Government to protect children, who
nevertheless continued to be victims of indiscriminate attacks by armed groups in
the southern border provinces of Thailand: Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla.
As a result of those attacks, which included drive-by shootings and bombings in
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crowded public places, 5 children were reportedly killed and at least 48 injured
during the reporting period. In one instance, an 11-month-old boy was killed and a
10-month-old boy injured during a drive-by shooting at a tea house in Rangae
district, Narathiwat Province, on 11 December 2012. The coordinated bomb attacks
in Yala and Hat Yai of 31 March 2012 injured more than 300 civilians, including at
least 16 children. The Government is investigating the incidents.
201. During the reporting period, armed groups also continued to carry out targeted
attacks against schools and teachers. In 2012, at least 11 schools were partially
damaged or destroyed in arson attacks or attacks with improvised explosive devices.
On 24 September 2012, a bomb exploded at the entrance of Batu Mitrapap 66
School in Bacho district, Narathiwat Province, injuring two school directors. In
another incident, Bang Maruat School in Panare district, Pattani Province, was
burned down by militants on 29 November 2012. In addition, 11 incidents of
targeted attacks were documented in 2012, resulting in the killing of six teachers
and the injuring of eight others, with a worrisome spike in the final quarter of 2012.
On 22 November 2012, the director of the Tha Kam Cham School in Nong Chik
district, Pattani Province, was killed. As a result, the Confederation of Teachers of
Southern Border Provinces closed 332 schools in the region for 10 days. On
11 December 2012, militants entered Ban Ba Ngo School in Mayo district, Pattani
Province, and killed the school director and a teacher in front of the children. Some
1,200 government-run schools serving more than 200,000 schoolchildren in the four
provinces were closed again for two days for security reasons. In those incidents,
military personnel were also victims of the attacks. Since the attacks, the
Government has stepped up investigations and boosted security measures.
202. Concern remained over the issue of informal association of children with
village defence militias (Chor Ror Bor), who allegedly carry out duties similar to
formal adult members. In this regard, the Government put in place clear regulations
on the non-recruitment of children under the age of 18 years by those militias and
sent reminders to all provinces to adhere to the provisions of the policy. The
involvement of children in armed forces and armed groups remains to be explicitly
criminalized in national legislation. The Government is amending the Child
Protection Act of 2003 to explicitly criminalize the involvement of children with
armed forces and armed groups.
203. I welcome the fact that the Government and the United Nations country team
are engaging in dialogue on access to the southern border provinces to conduct
independent verification of and report on alleged violations against children,
including through minimum operating modalities. I encourage the Government to
strengthen that dialogue with a view to agreeing on the minimum operating
modalities to ensure the country team such access.
VI. Recommendations
204. I welcome the signing of action plans by the Governments of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and Somalia, in addition to the progress made by
other parties in releasing children. I strongly urge all parties to immediately cease
all grave violations against children, and those parties who have been listed in my
annual reports for recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children,
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sexual violence against children and/or attacks on schools and hospitals or protected
personnel, and who have not concluded action plans to do so without delay.
205. I note with appreciation that the number of action plans signed or under
negotiation continued to increase in 2012. I call upon the donor community to
enjoin a discussion to address the funding gaps for the implementation of these
action plans and associated monitoring.
206. I call upon Member States to allow independent access to the United Nations
for the purposes of monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children
and to facilitate contact between the United Nations and non-State armed groups for
dialogue, conclusion and follow-up on action plans in order to bring an end to
violations, in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council on children
and armed conflict. Such contact does not prejudge the political or legal status of
those non-State armed groups.
207. I am encouraged by the increasing engagement between Member States and
the United Nations at the country level for the better protection of children affected
by armed conflict. In particular, I should like to highlight the value of
interministerial committees as a successful partnership framework with Governments
to discuss and follow up on child protection commitments and to foster action plan
implementation. In that regard, I call upon Member States concerned to use
interministerial committees more widely in cooperation with the United Nations.
208. The toll on children of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic is unacceptable
and unbearable. Urgent measures must be taken immediately by the parties to
protect the lives and dignity of all children. I urge the Government immediately to
cease bombardments of civilian areas, including the use of long-range missiles,
artillery, air strikes and cluster munitions. The Government should be held
responsible for all grave violations committed by groups affiliated to it, including
the shabbiha and the intelligence forces. I also call upon the Government to put an
end to the detention and any form of ill-treatment, including torture, of children for
alleged association with the opposition. The use of terror tactics against the civilian
population can also not be tolerated. In this regard, I urge all armed opposition
groups to put an immediate end to these acts that cost the lives of children in the
Syrian Arab Republic and to end the recruitment of children.
209. I reiterate my call upon the Security Council to tackle the issue of persistent
perpetrators of grave violations against children, with the support of my Special
Representative. The Council may wish to consider:
(a) Reaffirming its commitment to dealing with persistent perpetrators by
requesting my Special Representative to brief it more regularly, devoting
consultations to persistent perpetrators and including child protection as a specific
issue of focus when undertaking relevant field visits;
(b) Continuing to consider the application of targeted measures and, in this
regard, reviewing information provided in my annual reports to expedite current
designation processes;
(c) Requesting its Working Group, in the light of recent discussions on
persistent perpetrators, to update its toolkit (see S/2006/724) to include adequate
mechanisms to deal with persistent perpetrators and, in this regard, to organize
regular sessions on persistent perpetrators and the implementation of action plans.
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210. I call upon the Council to continue to support the children and armed conflict
agenda by strengthening provisions for the protection of children in all relevant
mandates of United Nations peacekeeping, special political and peacebuilding
missions, including the deployment of child protection advisers.
211. I call upon the Council to strengthen provisions for the protection of children
in all relevant mandates, recognizing the country situations indicated herein that are
without a political or peacekeeping mission and for which responsibility for these
issues falls upon the Resident Coordinator.
212. In view of the continuing efforts of regional and subregional organizations in
conflict prevention, mediation and peace support operations, I call upon all those
organizations to further mainstream child protection considerations in their guidance
and policy development, mission planning, training of personnel and conduct of
peace support operations.
213. Compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law, with their
emphasis on special protection for children, remains key to preventing grave
violations against children. In this regard, I welcome the ratifications of the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement
of children in armed conflict during the reporting period, and I call upon Member
States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify this key legal instrument. I
encourage all States parties to the Convention and the Optional Protocol to
implement the recommendations by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and to
engage with the Committee and the wider United Nations system in this regard.
VII. Lists in the annexes to the present report11
214. In the annexes to the present report, nine new parties to conflict are listed for
recruitment and use of children: Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix
fondamentale, Convention patriotique pour le salut du Kodro and Union des forces
républicaines in the Central African Republic; M23 in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo; MNLA, MUJAO and Ansar Dine in Mali; the Free Syrian Army in the
Syrian Arab Republic; and Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen. The listing in my previous
reports of Mai Mai groups for recruitment and use of children has been changed into
the listing of APCLS under “Colonel Janvier”, Mai Mai “Lafontaine” and former
elements of PARECO, and Mai Mai “Tawimbi”. Six new parties are listed for sexual
violence against children: MNLA, MUJAO and Ansar Dine in Mali; M23 and Mai
Mai Simba “Morgan” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and the government
forces in the Syrian Arab Republic.
215. During the previous reporting period, all parties in Nepal and Sri Lanka were
delisted after full implementation of their action plans. In 2012, no further
violations were recorded by any party in those country situations. While JEM
remains listed under the Sudan section of the annexes, it has been removed from the
Chad section, given that the United Nations no longer has information indicating
that JEM is involved in violations against children on Chadian territory. APRD,
__________________
11 It should be noted that the annexes do not list countries as such. The purpose of the lists is to
identify particular parties to conflict that are responsible for specific grave violations against
children. In that regard, the names of countries are referred to only in order to indicate the
locations or situations where offending parties are committing violations.
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which signed an action plan with the United Nations in October 2011, released some
1,300 children from its ranks and was dismantled as an armed group in 2012. Since
it is no longer active, it has been removed from the annexes. Reference to the
self-defence militia supported by the Central African Republic has also been
removed, since it is no longer active. In the Sudan, Sudan Liberation Army/Free
Will, JEM/Peace Wing and Sudan Liberation Army/Peace Wing have also been
removed from the annexes, given that none remains militarily active.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of
the Security Council*,a
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Police.a This party has
concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
2. Haqqani networka,b
3. Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
4. Taliban forces, including the Tora Bora Front, the Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia
and the Latif Mansur Networka,b,d
Parties in the Central African region (Central African Republic, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda)
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP).a This party has
concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
2. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix fondamentale (CPJP
fondamentale), as part of the Séléka coalitiona
3. Convention patriotique pour le salut du Kodro (CPSK), as part of the Séléka
coalitiona
4. Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC)a
5. Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricain pour la justice (MLCJ)a
6. Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR), as part of the
Séléka coalition.a This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations
in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
7. Union des forces républicaines (UFR), as part of the Séléka coalitiona
__________________
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
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Parties in Chad
National Army of Chad.a This party has concluded an action plan with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC).a,c This
party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security
Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)a,c,d
3. Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri/Front populaire pour la justice au
Congo (FRPI/FPJC)a,c
4. Mai Mai Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS)
“Colonel Janvier”a
5. Mai Mai “Lafontaine” and former elements of the Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO)a
6. Mai Mai Simba “Morgan”c
7. Mai Mai “Tawimbi”a
8. Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23)a,c
Parties in Iraq
Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)/Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQ-I)a,b,d
Parties in Mali
1. Ansar Dinea,c
2. Mouvement national de liberation de l’Azawad (MNLA)a,c
3. Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO)a,c
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA)a
2. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)a
3. Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).a This party has sought to conclude
an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions
1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005), but the United Nations has been prevented from
doing so by the Government of Myanmar.
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Karenni Army (KA).a This party has sought to conclude an action plan with the
United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005), but the United Nations has been prevented from doing so by the
Government of Myanmar.
6. Shan State Army South (SSA-S)a
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7. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces.a This party has
concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
8. United Wa State Army (UWSA)a
Parties in Somalia
1. Al-Shabaaba,b
2. Somali National Armed Forces.a,b This party has concluded an action plan with
the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612
(2005).
Parties in South Sudan
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).a This party has concluded an action plan
with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and
1612 (2005).
Parties in the Sudan
1. Government forces, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Popular
Defence Forces (PDF), the Sudan police forces (Border Intelligence Forces and
Central Reserve Police)a
2. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)a
3. Pro-Government militiasa
4. Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahida
5. Sudan Liberation Army/Historical Leadershipa
6. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawia
7. Sudan Liberation Army/Mother Wing (Abu Gasim)a
8. Sudan Liberation Army/Unitya
9. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N)a
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
1. Free Syrian Armya
2. Government forces, including the Syrian Armed Forces, the intelligence forces
and the shabbiha militiab,c,d
Parties in Yemen
1. Al-Houthia
2. Ansar al-Shariaa
3. Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces, the First Armoured
Division, the military police, the special security forces, the Republican Guards and
pro-Government militiasa
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda
of the Security Council, or in other situations*
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)a
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP)a
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)a
2. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).a This party has concluded an action
plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004)
and 1612 (2005).
3. New People’s Army (NPA)a
__________________
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
United Nations A/68/878–S/2014/339
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
15 May 2014
Original: English
14-03673 (E) 010714
*1403673*
General Assembly
Sixty-eighth session
Agenda item 65
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Sixty-ninth year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2013,
is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2068 (2012), by which the
Council requested me to continue to submit annual reports on the implementation of
its resolutions and presidential statements on children and armed conflict.
2. The report highlights global trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on
children in 2013 and the main activities and initiatives with regard to the
implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and the conclusions of its
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. In follow-up to the previous report
(A/67/845-S/2013/245), it provides an update on the cooperation among partners to
the children and armed conflict agenda, including within the United Nations system.
3. In line with the resolutions of the Security Council on children and armed
conflict, the present report includes in its annexes a list of parties that engage in the
recruitment and use of children, sexual violence against children, the killing and
maiming of children, recurrent attacks on schools and/or hospitals and recurrent
attacks or threats of attacks against protected personnel, in contravention of
international law.
4. All information presented in this report has been documented, vetted, and
verified for accuracy by the United Nations. In situations where the ability to obtain
or independently verify information is hampered by factors such as insecurity or
access restrictions, it is qualified as such. The preparation of the report involved
broad consultations within the United Nations, at Headquarters and in the field, and
with relevant Member States.
5. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), and in identifying
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict is guided by the criteria found in international
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humanitarian law and international jurisprudence for determining the existence of an
armed conflict. In the implementation of her mandate, my Special Representative
has adopted a pragmatic and cooperative approach on the issue, with an emphasis on
humanitarian principles, aimed at ensuring broad and effective protection for
children affected by conflict in situations of concern. Reference to a situation is not
a legal determination, and reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal
status.
II. The impact of armed conflict on children
Trends and developments
6. Armed conflict continued to have a disproportionate impact on children.
Indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas or attacks directly targeting civilians,
through explosive weapons, air strikes or the use of terror tactics, took a worrisome
toll on children. In 2013, the United Nations observed a significant spike in the
killing and maiming of children in several situations, including in Afghanistan and
Iraq.
7. The reporting period witnessed a deepening of the conflict in the Syrian Arab
Republic, where intensifying hostilities led to widespread grave violations against
children and a worsening humanitarian crisis. In the Central African Republic, the
recruitment and use of children became endemic throughout 2013 and increased
with the surge in violence that has plagued the country since mid-September. With
the resumption of conflict in South Sudan, pro-Government and opposition forces
reportedly used children on a large scale and committed other grave violations.
8. The situation in northern Nigeria became of grave concern. While the
humanitarian situation affecting at least half of the population living in northeastern
Nigeria remained critical, the extremist group known as Boko Haram
intensified attacks on schools, resulting in the killing and maiming of children and
other grave violations.
9. The recruitment and use of children in conflict remained prevalent. More than
4,000 cases were documented by the United Nations in 2013, but thousands more
children are estimated to have been recruited and used. Impunity for grave violations
against children, in particular sexual violence, is common to several situations and
exacerbates even further the vulnerability of children. The detention of children for
alleged association with armed groups or on security charges, highlighted as a concern
in my previous annual report, continued in 17 of the 23 situations considered in the
present report.
10. These and other worrisome trends during the reporting period call for a
redoubling of efforts to better implement available tools to address the plight of
children affected by armed conflict. Concrete and pragmatic measures must lead the
way. The United Nations, and in particular my Special Representative, have sent a
strong message in 2013 that efforts are being made to step up to the challenge.
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“Children, Not Soldiers”
11. On 6 March 2014, my Special Representative and the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched the United Nations global campaign entitled
“Children, Not Soldiers” to end the recruitment and use of children by Government
security forces in conflict by the end of 2016. On 7 March, the Security Council
endorsed the campaign’s objectives in its resolution 2143 (2014).
12. The campaign will be implemented in close cooperation with the eight
Governments listed in the annexes to the present report for recruitment and use of
children, all of which have signed or committed to an action plan and endorsed the
campaign. The campaign aims at expediting the implementation of commitments to
end and prevent the recruitment and use of children through the development of
road maps identifying gaps and outstanding measures to be adopted by the
Governments concerned, with the support of the United Nations and partners.
Progress will be assessed against regular, joint reviews by the United Nations and
Governments concerned.
13. Enhanced coordination between the United Nations country task forces and
Governments concerned ensures that road maps identify remaining gaps and set
priority activities, benchmarks and detailed deadlines. Such efforts will allow for
expedited, yet context-specific and sustainable implementation of action plans. A
clear sequencing of activities and measures provides the basis for step-by-step
compliance assessments, reflecting the remaining challenges identified by both
signatories to action plans, thus ensuring a structured path to delisting for all parties
concerned. In that regard, the establishment of interministerial committees,
facilitating an all-inclusive government approach, is critical. I note with satisfaction
that the existing tools incorporated into this campaign, at this initial stage, have
already yielded results. For example, in Chad, through the joint efforts of the
Government and the United Nations system, 2013 marked a year of positive
progress. Since May 2013, based on a mutually agreed set of priority measures, the
Government and military authorities have intensified their efforts to reach
compliance with the engagements undertaken in the action plan signed with the
United Nations in 2011.
Engaging armed groups
14. As I emphasized in my message for the launch of the “Children, Not Soldiers”
campaign, the ultimate goal is to ensure that no child is associated with parties to
conflict — ever, anywhere. In that regard, it is important to note that the campaign,
while focusing on State actors, does not diminish the attention paid to non-State
actors. On the contrary, as described in the present report, and despite the ongoing
challenges in respect of access to and dialogue with non-State armed groups to end
grave violations against children, the number of public statements and command
orders issued by armed groups prohibiting the recruitment and use of children has
increased. That trend was observed in nine situations described in the report and
provides a basis for building momentum to address grave violations against children
by armed groups.
15. Fifty-one armed groups are included in the lists annexed to the present report.
Those parties are very diverse in nature and require different strategies of
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engagement, and the implementation of child protection commitments may vary
considerably. Advocacy strategies require the identification of specific incentives
based on the military structure, size, modus operandi and other characteristics of
armed groups. Taking those aspects into account, concrete commitments are then
identified by the United Nations and translated into activities and measures with the
armed group concerned, culminating in an action plan agreed on by both signatories.
16. Entry points for initial contact are chosen strategically in close cooperation
with all pertinent actors in a given situation. Peace processes, for example, have
provided strategic opportunities to reach armed groups that have already showed a
willingness to discuss political commitments. It is also crucial to mainstream the
children and armed conflict agenda into other forms and venues of engagement with
armed groups. Sensitization on the consequences of the military use of schools may
lead to a dialogue on how to end the use of children and the use of schools.
17. The Arms Trade Treaty adopted by the General Assembly in April 2013 is a
significant new instrument. Keeping armed groups from acquiring arms and
ammunition contributes to the protection of children in conflict situations.
Protecting education and health care in conflict
18. Attacks on schools and hospitals are a common feature in the majority of
situations covered in the present report. I welcome the guidance note on Security
Council resolution 1998 (2011) issued jointly by my Special Representative,
UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its timeliness was further underlined by
Security Council resolution 2143 (2014), in which the Council reiterated its concern
regarding attacks on schools and hospitals and requested enhanced monitoring of the
military use of schools. That practice, which deprives children of their basic right to
access to education and puts them at risk, was documented in 15 of 23 situations.
19. The guidance note provides conceptual clarity and technical advice, including
advocacy tools and an action plan template to end and prevent attacks on schools
and hospitals and protected personnel, as well as an operational strategy to deter the
use of schools. Therefore, it is not only a crucial tool for United Nations child
protection, education and health practitioners on the ground. It may also serve
Member States, regional and subregional organizations, or other pertinent actors as
guidance for advocacy with third parties, or may serve to develop additional binding
measures to better prevent attacks on schools and hospitals and to deter the military
use of schools in accordance with international law in that regard. As for other child
protection concerns, the protection of schools and hospitals should be introduced in
military planning and operating procedures at all times. Creating awareness and
mainstreaming at peacetime — setting in motion a cultural change — is crucial to
preventing violations in times of conflict.
Mainstreaming of the children and armed conflict agenda
20. I welcome the continued support and attention of the Security Council to the
children and armed conflict agenda in its thematic resolutions. I commend the
Council for mainstreaming that agenda in many of its country-specific and thematic
resolutions. It is also thanks to the Council’s initiative that the plight of children in
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conflict is better recognized today than ever before. Cooperation among United
Nations entities as well as with other partners from diverse thematic backgrounds
continues to be strengthened, for example, through the above-mentioned guidance
note on resolution 1998 (2011), as does the expertise of actors working for the
well-being and protection of children. In view of the latter, I welcome the Council’s
appraisal of the importance of training, in particular in view of the predeployment
child protection training for peacekeepers launched on 8 April 2014 by the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and the strengthening of the child
protection adviser capacity.
21. The present report could not have been produced without the Council’s
groundbreaking resolutions on children and armed conflict. In that regard, my
“Rights up front” initiative, which ensures that the mandated human rights
responsibilities of the Organization are fully integrated across its peace and security
work, also supports strengthened action on grave violations against children.
22. The United Nations continued to work with regional and subregional
organizations in the light of their increasing role in mediation, peacekeeping
operations and peacebuilding missions, as well as in the development of child
protection standards and best practices. On 17 September 2013, my Special
Representative signed a declaration of intent with the Peace and Security
Department of the African Union Commission, which is being implemented in
partnership with UNICEF. Through the expert advice of a child protection specialist,
the Peace and Security Department, with the support of the Office of my Special
Representative and UNICEF, is working to develop guidance and mainstream child
protection in the policies and activities of the African Union. I also welcome the
continued role of the European Union in addressing the impact of armed conflict on
children, including its outspoken support for and advocacy of the “Children, Not
Soldiers” campaign. The Office of my Special Representative continued to work
with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with regard to the
mainstreaming of child protection standards among the forces of its member States.
III. Information on grave violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
23. Although the recruitment and use of children remained underreported owing to
security constraints, the United Nations documented the recruitment and use of
97 children (all boys), as young as eight years of age. The majority of the children (72)
were reportedly recruited and used by armed opposition groups, including the
Taliban and the Haqqani Network. Nine of the children were recruited to conduct
suicide attacks. In one incident, in May 2013, a 15-year-old boy conducted a suicide
attack against an Afghan Local Police commander in Muqur district, Gazhni
Province, killing three local police officers and two civilians, and injuring
16 civilians. Children were also recruited to manufacture and plant improvised
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explosive devices, as combatants and for other roles, including as sex slaves. In one
particular case in Laghman Province, State authorities arrested 21 children, as
young as seven years of age, allegedly on their way to Pakistan for suicide attack
training by the Taliban. The Taliban rejected the allegations. According to the
Government, all the children were released and reunited with their families. The
recruitment and use of 25 children was attributed to the Afghan national security
forces, including 14 by the local police, 5 by the national police and 1 by the Afghan
national army. For example, a 12-year-old boy was killed when national police
elements forced him to check a suspicious looking object. One boy associated with
the Afghan national army in Kunar Province was used as a porter and was injured by
an improvised explosive device. In a positive trend, child protection units within
national police recruitment centres in the western region rejected 132 boys from
voluntary enlistment.
24. According to the Ministry of Justice, 196 boys were held in juvenile
rehabilitation centres across the country on national security-related charges,
including for alleged association with armed opposition groups as of December
2013. The United Nations remained concerned regarding several reports of alleged
ill-treatment and sexual abuse of child detainees. On 31 July 2013, the United
Nations was granted access to the Parwan Detention Facility to meet with 2 of the
70 boys who had been arrested by international military forces between December
2009 and May 2013 and had been detained in the facility under the authority of the
Government of Afghanistan at the time of the visit. Most of the children are
believed to be in detention without charges and without the opportunity to have
access to a court to assess the lawfulness of their detention.
25. At least 545 children were killed and 1,149 injured in 790 documented
incidents. Child casualties increased by 30 per cent in 2013 compared with 2012.
Armed opposition groups, including the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami, were
responsible for a majority (889) of the recorded child casualties. The use of
improvised explosive devices and suicide attacks, including by boys in at least two
instances, resulted in the killing of 229 children and in injury to 396 others. On
17 May, for example, two improvised explosive devices were detonated in Kandahar
city, killing a six-year-old boy and injuring 18 boys and a girl, as young as four. Pro-
Government forces, including international military forces, were responsible for the
killing of at least 81 children and injury to 125 others, mainly resulting from clashes
with armed groups. At least 120 of those casualties were caused by Afghan national
security forces, which, as part of the handover and transition of security
responsibilities to Afghan forces, has taken the lead in all operations since 18 June.
Thirty-seven children were killed and 19 others were injured in international
military air strikes. In addition, clashes between pro-Government forces and armed
groups resulted in 167 children killed and 432 injured, including by gun shots and
artillery and mortar shelling, for which it was not possible to verify a perpetrator.
Some incidents were acknowledged by international security forces. Finally, civilian
casualties resulting from drone strikes increased from 16 in 2012 to 59 in 2013,
including the killing of 2 children. For example, on 27 November, in Mohammad
Aqa district, Logar Province, a 10-year-old boy was killed in a reported drone strike
on the premises of Shahid Ghulam Sakhi High School.
26. Twelve incidents of sexual violence against 11 boys and five girls were
verified during the reporting period, including by the Taliban, the Haqqani Network,
and the national police. Sexual violence against children remains a feature of the
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conflict but continues to be underreported owing to a climate of impunity as well as
fear of reprisals and stigmatization. At least 15 boys detained by Afghan national
security forces on national security-related charges claimed to having been raped or
received threats of sexual violence upon arrest or in detention. Several reports on
the sexual abuse of boys by Taliban and Haqqani Network commanders were also
received, including from a 16-year-old boy formerly associated with the Haqqani
Network and arrested by the national police in December 2013. The practice of
bacha-bazi, the use of boys as sex slaves by men in positions of power, remained a
serious concern. The Government stated that any act of sexual violence against
children by elements of the Afghan national security forces was subject to criminal
investigation, and an educational programme to prevent the practice of bacha-bazi
was prepared in 2013 with the assistance of the national police.
27. Schools continued to be attacked by parties to conflict or indirectly damaged
in clashes. In at least 73 incidents, schools were attacked, resulting in the killing of
at least 11 children and in injury to 46 others. In some incidents, improvised
explosive devices were planted inside school premises by armed opposition groups.
Schools were also damaged by nearby suicide and improvised explosive device
attacks targeting public areas or Government and international military forces,
resulting in the killing of children. The Taliban also continued to issue threats
against girls’ schools and other schools. For instance, in May 2013, local Taliban
members in Nangarhar Province, issued a letter in which they threatened teachers
and children at a girls’ school with acid attacks if they continued to attend school.
Also in May, in Zabul Province, the Taliban forced the closure of 40 schools in
retaliation for Government action against the groups. At least 13 teachers were
killed or injured in 2013 and eight teachers were abducted by armed opposition
groups.
28. According to the Afghan Ministry of Education, approximately 115,000
children were affected by the temporary or permanent closure of 539 schools owing to
the security situation in the southern (482 cases), south-eastern (39) and western (18)
regions. In addition, the military use of schools by the Afghan national security
forces continued to put children at risk of attacks by armed groups and affect their
access to education in at least 15 documented incidents. For example, in October, in
Warduj district of Badakhshan Province, the Afghan national security forces
temporarily closed down three schools for use as forward bases and installed
artillery on the roofs. The Government states that orders have been disseminated to
all Afghan national security forces units to refrain from using schools or health
clinics as bases.
29. Incidents affecting access by children to health care included damage to
health-care facilities, the placement of improvised explosive devices within the
premises of clinics and hospitals, and forced entry into and looting of health-care
facilities. In addition, at least 39 health-care personnel were killed or injured,
abducted or intimidated. All the incidents were attributed to armed opposition
groups, except one incident of forced entry into a health-care facility and its
temporary use by international military forces and two incidents involving the
intimidation of health-care personnel and forced entry by Afghan national security
forces. The remaining incidents were attributed to armed opposition groups,
including the Taliban. Although the Taliban publicly supported polio vaccination
efforts in 2013, local factions in several provinces continued to restrict access for
vaccination campaigns.
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30. At least 30 children were abducted in 17 verified incidents, including 16
attributed to the Taliban and other armed opposition groups. Children were abducted
for their alleged involvement in spying on behalf of the Government or international
forces, for recruitment, sexual abuse and as reprisal against family members
working or allegedly supporting the Government or international forces. At least
10 boys abducted by the Taliban were executed, including 2 who were abducted on
23 May for alleged spying for the Afghan national security forces in Bati Kot
district of Nangarhar Province, as stated in a letter issued by the Taliban. Both boys
were tortured before they were killed. On 19 October, in Bala Buluk district, Farah
Province, in the only documented incident perpetrated by the local police, four boys
were summarily executed after being abducted and blamed for planting improvised
explosive devices for armed opposition groups.
31. At least 83 humanitarian staff were abducted and 35 were killed or injured by
armed opposition groups during the reporting period. Humanitarian access was also
affected by at least 23 incidents of attacks on or looting of humanitarian convoys
and facilities of humanitarian agencies.
32. I welcome the progress made regarding compliance with the action plan to end
and prevent the recruitment and use of children, including owing to the unimpeded
access granted to the United Nations for screening purposes and the continuing
build-up of child protection units within national and local police recruitment
centres. I encourage the Government of Afghanistan to redouble its efforts and
expedite the implementation of the action plan in line with the 15-point “road map
towards compliance”, drafted in August 2013 with the United Nations and the
assistance of the Office of my Special Representative. I note that the Government
submitted its third progress report in March 2014, in which it detailed the steps
taken towards the implementation of the action plan, and that international
organizations have offered to assist the Government in its obligations in that regard.
Central African Republic
33. Throughout 2013, the human rights situation worsened dramatically, with a
multiplication and shifting of alliances of armed groups: on the one hand, the
Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP), the CPJP fondamentale,
the Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC) and the Union des forces
démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR), which came to form, or were
associated in varying degrees with, the Séléka coalition; and the anti-Balaka, a local
defence militia, which emerged in the second half of the year in response to the
systematic attacks against the civilian population by the ex-Séléka coalition.
Starting in December 2012, the Séléka coalition advanced towards Bangui, seizing
the capital on 24 March 2013 and ousting President François Bozizé. Michel
Djotodia, one of Séléka’s leaders, declared himself the new Head of State.
34. On 13 September, Michel Djotodia dismantled the Séléka1 by presidential
decree. However, widespread abuses continued to be perpetrated between September
and December 2013 by ex-Séléka units that refused to disband and continued to
engage in systematic killings, rape and torture, and the looting and destruction of
villages.
__________________
1 Reference will be made to Séléka when the incidents took place prior to the dismantlement
(January to September) and ex-Séléka when incidents occurred after September.
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35. In response to the systematic exactions and attacks against civilians by
the ex-Séléka between September and November 2013, the anti-Balaka became
increasingly organized in different parts of the country. In some cases, the militias
were associated with elements of the former Central African Armed Forces.
Tensions between the Muslim and Christian communities were exacerbated by
increasing clashes between the ex-Séléka and the anti-Balaka.
36. On 5 December, anti-Balaka elements launched a coordinated attack against
ex-Séléka positions in Bangui, which triggered a wave of violence with grave
violations being committed by both sides.
37. Access by the United Nations remained severely restricted throughout 2013,
significantly disrupting the monitoring and reporting of grave violations against
children. Documented cases of grave violations are only indicative, therefore, of the
actual scale of violations that has occurred.
38. Both the anti-Balaka and the Séléka coalition, prior and after its
dismantlement, systematically recruited and used children. The United Nations
documented the recruitment and use of 171 boys and 17 girls, and estimates that
several thousand children have been and remain associated with the ex-Séléka and
the anti-Balaka. The progressive deterioration of the security environment also led
to the re-recruitment of children. For example, on 1 April, 41 children (36 boys and
5 girls), separated from CPJP in August 2012, were re-recruited by Séléka elements
in the north-eastern towns of Ndélé and Bria from a Transit and Orientation Centre.
In December, five boys previously separated from the ex-Séléka were re-recruited
by the anti-Balaka in Bangui.
39. Hundreds of children are estimated to have been killed or maimed by
machetes, firearms and other weaponry. The United Nations verified the killing of
27 children and the maiming of 115 others. Most documented incidents occurred in
the context of the unconstitutional change of power on 24 March 2013 and the
December attacks by the anti-Balaka on ex-Séléka positions in Bangui. The latter
resulted in the death of an estimated 1,000 civilians, including many children.
40. While the majority of the children were killed or maimed in the context of
clashes between the ex-Séléka and the anti-Balaka, targeted attacks against children
were also documented. In two separate incidents, in December 2013 and early
January 2014, six boys were beheaded by Muslim civilians in retaliation for attacks
by the anti-Balaka. On 2 December, 10 children were wounded in an anti-Balaka
attack against civilians in the town of Boali. In early 2014, grave violations
continued to be committed by both sides.
41. The United Nations has documented sexual violence against 20 girls, mainly
by the Séléka. For instance, on 29 July, an 11-year-old girl was raped by a Séléka
combatant in the town of Bossangoa. Weak monitoring capacity, fear of
stigmatization and a climate of impunity continue to heavily affect reporting on
sexual violence. Nonetheless, credible reports suggest that sexual violence by
Séléka combatants was part of a larger pattern of systematic violations committed
against civilians in areas under their control throughout 2013.
42. At least 36 schools and five hospitals were attacked by ex-Séléka. For
example, on 24 August, the Séléka burned down a school in Nana Gribizi Province
after school authorities refused to hand over their archives. On 5 December,
ex-Séléka combatants attacked the “Hôpital de l’amitié” in Bangui and summarily
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executed 10 patients. The hospital remained closed until 4 January 2014 and after
security provisions by the African-led International Support Mission in the Central
African Republic (MISCA) were put in place. In addition, at least 20 schools were
reportedly used as bases and barracks by the ex-Séléka throughout the Central
African Republic. Many schools remained closed throughout the Central African
Republic, after having been looted or used by armed groups, damaged by shelling or
destroyed by fire, causing a heavy impact on the right of children to education. A
group of anti-Balaka and former elements of the national armed forces were
observed using a school in Bangui following the 5 December attacks. The ex-Séléka
also used and looted health facilities in at least seven documented cases. For
example, from July to September, a Séléka unit established its base at the Ouandago
health-care centre in Nana Gribizi before leaving the centre as a result of
humanitarian advocacy efforts.
43. Owing to the security situation, humanitarian access was limited in large areas
of the Central African Republic. The United Nations documented specific cases of
denial of humanitarian access by the national armed forces in two incidents and by
the ex-Séléka in 22 incidents. For example, in February, the national armed forces
prevented international humanitarian non-governmental organizations from leaving
Bangui because of their alleged support of the Séléka. On 11 February 2013, the
Séléka prevented a United Nations plane from landing in Bria, preventing the
delivery of humanitarian assistance. The compounds of many international
non-governmental organizations were looted throughout the year.
44. On 26 November, the Ministry of Defence granted the United Nations
unconditional screening access to military barracks and cantonment sites in view of
the separation and reintegration of children associated with armed groups. The
transitional authorities reiterated such commitments following a visit by my Special
Representative in December. A total of 149 children were separated from the
ex-Séléka. The fluid command structure of the anti-Balaka, among other challenges,
was an obstacle to opening a structured dialogue. The United Nations continued to
engage with international forces, including Operation Sangaris and MISCA, on the
development of standard operating procedures for the separation and referral of
children associated with armed groups. In early 2014, a national disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration strategy was under revision by the transitional
Government. At the time of reporting, the United Nations was working closely with
the transitional authorities in that regard to ensure that the national strategy included
adequate provisions on the release and reintegration of children.
45. The abominable atrocities committed against children by armed groups and in
the context of the ongoing violence must stop and perpetrators must be held
accountable. I am deeply concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the
continued climate of lawlessness and impunity. In view of the re-establishment of
national security forces, the ongoing disarmament of the ex-Séléka and the
anti-Balaka must be accompanied by a thorough investigation of operational and
political chains of command responsible for grave violations against children.
Chad
46. The deployment of Chadian troops to the African-led International Support
Mission in Mali (AFISMA) prompted renewed momentum to accelerate the
implementation of the action plan signed in June 2011 to end and prevent under-age
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recruitment in the Armée nationale tchadienne. My Special Representative, jointly
with UNICEF, visited Chad in May 2013. On that occasion, the Chadian authorities
renewed their commitment to engage constructively with the United Nations to
expedite the implementation of the action plan, appointed a high-level focal point in
that regard and adopted a road map detailing 10 specific and time-bound measures
to be implemented in the short and long term to achieve compliance with the action
plan.
47. Since then, the Government of Chad, in cooperation with the United Nations
and other partners, has taken significant steps to fulfil its obligations. A central child
protection unit in the Ministry of Defence and one in each of the eight “defence and
security zones” were established to coordinate the monitoring and protection of
children’s rights and to implement awareness-raising activities. Between August and
October 2013, the Government and the United Nations jointly conducted screening
and age verification of approximately 3,800 troops of the armée nationale
tchadienne in all eight zones. Age verification standards had been previously
developed during a workshop organized by the United Nations in July. In addition,
between August and September 2013, a training-the-trainers programme on child
protection was attended by 346 members of the armée nationale tchadienne. A child
protection training module to be integrated in the curricula of the police and
gendarmerie and of the senior military school in N’Djamena was under development
at the time of reporting.
48. Since July 2013, troops of the armée nationale tchadienne to be deployed in
Mali started to receive predeployment training on child protection and international
humanitarian law, including 864 troops of the armée nationale tchadienne attending
child protection training at the Loumia training centre in December. The United
Nations stands ready to support further training initiatives for the troops, including
the systematic training of troops for international peacekeeping operations.
49. In October 2013, a presidential directive was adopted to confirm 18 years as
the minimum age for recruitment into the armed and security forces. It also
established age verification procedures and instructed that “penal and disciplinary
sanctions” would be taken against those violating the orders. The directive was
disseminated among the commanders of all eight “defence and security zones”,
including in the context of several training and verification missions. On 4 February
2014, the recruitment and use of children was explicitly criminalized through the
adoption of a presidential decree. I encourage the National Assembly to expedite the
consideration and adoption of the Child Protection Code, which will further
strengthen the protection of children in Chad. Finally, following the adoption in
May 2013 of the Law on the Organization of the Civil Registry, the United Nations,
in collaboration with the Government, undertook the late registration of 100,000
births in N’Djamena and is developing a two-year strategy for capacity-building in
civil registration.
50. While the efforts made by the Government to meet all obligations under the
action plan resulted in significant progress, a number of challenges remained to
ensure sustainability and the effective prevention of violations against children.
Chad should pursue comprehensive and thorough screening and training of its
armed and security forces to continue to prevent the presence of children, including
in the light of Chad’s growing involvement in peacekeeping operations. While no
new cases of recruitment of children were documented by the United Nations in
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2013 and no children were found during the joint screening exercises, interviews
confirmed that soldiers had been integrated in the past into the armée nationale
tchadienne from armed groups while still under the age of 18. Moreover, the
strengthening of operating procedures, such as those for age verification, which
ensure the accountability of perpetrators, and free and accessible birth registration,
should remain a priority for the Chadian authorities.
51. The security situation in neighbouring countries continued to affect children in
Chad. At the time of reporting, the crisis in the Central African Republic, border
porosity and weak State authority in the country had resulted in the inflow of
approximately 80,000 refugees, including unaccompanied children into Chad. In
May 2013, the United Nations received allegations of cross-border recruitment of
Chadian children by the Séléka. A significant number of children associated with the
ex-Séléka were reportedly crossing the border into the Central African Republic in
Tissi area. In June, five Chadian children separated from the Séléka were re-recruited
from a transit centre in Bangui, where they awaited repatriation to Chad and family
reunification. In addition, a significant influx of refugees from Darfur, the Sudan,
into areas contaminated with explosive remnants of war in Chad was recorded. On
28 June and 5 July, eight refugee children from Darfur, between 8 and 14 years of
age, were killed (two boys) or maimed (six girls) in two incidents involving
explosive remnants of war in Amboukoun, Tissi. I encourage the Chadian authorities
to continue to work closely with the United Nations to provide refugee children with
adequate protection and care.
Côte d’Ivoire
52. Despite the ongoing peace and reconciliation process and ongoing efforts
regarding the reintegration of ex-combatants, the overall child protection situation
remains of concern in the light of insecurity in some areas and a lack of accountability
for grave violations against children.
53. In 2013, the United Nations documented a total of 30 grave violations against
children perpetrated by the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI). Four
cases of recruitment and use of children by FRCI were documented. The children,
between 13 and 17 years of age, were manning FRCI checkpoints in Mankono and
M’bahiakro and, in one case, served as a cook.
54. Sexual violence against children remained the most recurrent violation. At
least 23 girls, between 11 and 17 years of age, were raped by FRCI elements (20)
and unknown armed elements (3) in the northern and western parts of the country.
Following advocacy by the United Nations, five FRCI elements were arrested, but
charges were reclassified to indecent assault. At the time of reporting, one of the
arrested FRCI elements had been prosecuted, and condemned to five years of
imprisonment and fined. The impunity and weak capacity of the national judicial
system to address sexual violence have hindered access to justice for victims across
the country, including in Abidjan. As a result of such gaps in institutional capacity,
but also owing to the fear of retaliation and stigmatization, out-of-court settlements
of rape cases remain frequent and to the detriment of the victims’ rights to access
justice and compensation.
55. The United Nations also verified five cases of military use of schools and
hospitals by FRCI. For example, a primary school in Dja-Kouakoukro was used by
FRCI for military purposes, preventing children from attending classes for two
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months. In addition, a health centre in Ranouinke had been used by FRCI since
2011. Following advocacy efforts, check points in the vicinity of three schools in
Touba were dismantled in March 2013.
56. My Special Representative visited Côte d’Ivoire from 26 to 30 October 2013.
During that occasion, she discussed with the national authorities the issue of
impunity for sexual violence against children and advocated for the removal of the
victim’s obligation to produce a medical certificate as a requirement for filing a
complaint and pressing charges against perpetrators.
57. A series of training and capacity-building sessions on child protection were
organized by the United Nations for the defence and security forces. In November, a
child protection cell was re-established within FRCI to liaise with child protection
actors and deal with child protection concerns. The draft national child protection
policy to address violence against children, assistance to child victims and the issue
of impunity was pending adoption by the Government at the time of reporting.
Furthermore, on 5 December, the Government adopted guidelines and procedures
for service providers for the prevention, referral of and response to grave violations
committed against children. Accountability for sexual violence against children and
improved access to justice and adequate services should be the priorities for
improved protection of children in Côte d’Ivoire.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
58. On 24 February 2013, as a result of international and regional mediation
efforts, the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region was signed in Addis Ababa by
the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 10 regional countries as well as four
international organizations. However, hostilities between the Forces armées de la
République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and the Mouvement du 23 mars
(M23) continued until the military defeat of M23 in November. In the northern part
of North Kivu, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) intensified attacks on FARDC
and the civilian population, prompting FARDC to respond with the support of the
United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (MONUSCO) in early 2014. In addition, the security situation in Katanga
Province also deteriorated in the last months of 2013, with systematic attacks on
villages by Mayi Mayi Kata Katanga.
59. The United Nations documented 910 children (783 boys and 127 girls), who
had been newly recruited and used by armed groups. Among them, 609 were
Congolese, 28 Rwandan, and 5 Ugandan, while the nationality of 268 children
remained undetermined. Almost half of the children were reportedly used as
combatants, but children were also used as porters, cooks, informants and in other
support roles. Most of the girls were subjected to sexual slavery. Armed groups
recruiting children included the Mayi Mayi Kata Katanga, Mayi Mayi Simba
“Morgan” and other Mayi Mayi groups (297 children), Nyatura (338), the Forces
démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) (47), M23 (38), Raïa Mutomboki (37),
Forces populaires congolais-Armée Populaire (FPC/AP) (ex-PARECO) (24), Forces
de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI) (22), Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo
libre et souverain (APCLS) (18), Union des patriotes congolais pour la paix (16),
Nduma défense du Congo (NDC)/Cheka (15) and other armed groups (58).
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60. With regard to preventing new child recruits into FARDC during the
comprehensive recruitment campaign in 2013, the United Nations separated
113 children, including 79 from training centres to which the United Nations was
granted unimpeded access under the action plan process.
61. At least 136 children were arrested and detained by FARDC for alleged
association with armed groups. Of these, 21 children formerly associated with M23
(13 Congolese and 8 claiming to be Rwandan) were arrested in North and South
Kivu and transferred to FARDC military intelligence headquarters in Kinshasa. All
children except for one were released following advocacy by MONUSCO.
62. At least 68 children were killed in 2013, compared with 154 documented cases
in 2012; and at least 96 were maimed, compared with 113 documented cases in
2012. Most casualties were attributed to Mayi Mayi groups. For instance, on
25 September 2013, in Bulende, North Kivu, NDC/Cheka elements killed six
children. In February 2013, Mayi Mayi Kata Katanga killed at least seven children
and maimed four others during an attack on Kabwele village, Katanga. Two fouryear-
old girls were locked into a hut and burned alive, while other children were
killed or maimed by arrows and bullets. M23 was responsible for 24 child
casualties, mainly during clashes with FARDC. On 11 December 2013, in an attack
by ADF in Beni Territory, 11 children, including a two-month-old girl, were
severely mutilated and killed with machetes. Finally, FARDC was involved in the
killing and maiming of 36 children, predominantly during clashes with armed
groups. For example, on 24 July 2013, three children were killed and four maimed
when FARDC launched rockets on M23 positions in Rumangabo, North Kivu.
63. The United Nations verified 209 cases of conflict-related sexual violence
against girls, some as young as 4 years of age. Mayi Mayi groups and FARDC were
identified as the main perpetrators with 91 and 43 verified cases, respectively. Mayi
Mayi Simba “Morgan” elements in Orientale Province raped 59 girls in 2013. For
instance, following the rape of 19 girls during an attack on 6 January 2013 in
Mambasa territory, 25 girls were raped on 5 February during an attack on
Bafwambaya village, Haut-Uélé territory.
64. Impunity for the perpetrators of sexual violence remained a concern. Of the
209 perpetrators identified, 66 were arrested and 36 were sentenced. Thirty-nine
FARDC elements and seven high-ranking officers were also accused of mass rapes
and other human rights violations committed in and around Minova, South Kivu, in
late November and early December 2012 and are currently undergoing trial before
the Operational Military Court of North Kivu Province.
65. The United Nations verified 95 attacks on schools. ADF were the most
recurrent perpetrators, looting 21 schools in Beni territory, North Kivu, followed by
FRPI, which looted and damaged 10 schools in Irumu territory, Ituri district. Other
incidents were attributed to FARDC, Mayi Mayi groups, including APCLS,
Yakutumba, and LaFontaine, FDLR, Raïa Mutomboki, Nyatura and M23. In
addition, 25 incidents of military use of schools were reported, including 13 cases
by FARDC. Forty-two attacks on hospitals were also documented, including the
looting of medical supplies and equipment, affecting the health care of at least 5,000
children in North Kivu and Orientale Province. Seventeen cases were attributed to
ADF, nine to FARDC, three to FRPI and two to M23. FARDC were urged by the
United Nations to take disciplinary measures against FARDC elements that attacked
or used schools or hospitals, as stipulated in the respective directive of 3 May 2013.
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66. Parties to the conflict abducted 147 children (70 girls and 77 boys) in 2013.
The abductees were mainly recruited as combatants, or subjected to sexual slavery
or forced labour in mining sites controlled by armed groups. The vast majority of
abductions occurred in Orientale Province (79) and in North Kivu (77). The most
notorious perpetrators were Mayi Mayi Simba “Morgan”, abducting 39 children
(27 girls and 12 boys), mainly for sexual slavery, followed by ADF (12 girls and
16 boys) and the FRPI (19 boys and 3 girls). FARDC reportedly abducted nine girls
and one boy, as young as six. FARDC elements in Bweremana, North Kivu, and a
group of presumed deserters from the same regiment were involved in two separate
cases involving the abduction and rape of a total of nine girls.
67. The United Nations documented 109 security incidents affecting humanitarian
access, of which 104 took place in the Kivus, attributed to the Raïa Mutomboki (16),
FARDC (14), M23 (4) and the Police nationale congolaise (4) as well as Mayi Mayi
and unknown armed groups. In 39 of these incidents, FARDC (12) or armed groups
(27) elements physically assaulted humanitarian workers on duty.
68. A total of 1,722 children (210 girls and 1,512 boys), recruited both in 2013 and
previous years, were separated from armed groups and armed forces in 2013. They
escaped or were released mainly from Mayi Mayi groups (635), Nyatura (354),
FDLR (140), Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) (19), M23 (83) and FARDC (10 in
addition to the 113 mentioned above). The United Nations, in close cooperation with
the Government of Uganda, was also following up on the status of 96 unaccompanied
children among M23 elements who fled to Uganda. Throughout 2013, UNICEF
partners have provided assistance to a total of 4,804 children (738 girls and 4,083
boys) formerly associated with armed groups and armed forces in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
69. In November, my Special Representative visited the Democratic Republic of
the Congo to assess the Government’s progress in the implementation of the action
plan. On 3 May, the Ministry of Defence issued a directive prohibiting the killing,
maiming and, recruitment of, and sexual violence against, children as well as the
military use of schools and hospitals, foreseeing disciplinary measures or military
prosecution. The same day, the Agence nationale de renseignement issued a
directive for children in detention for alleged association with armed groups to be
handed over to the United Nations. FARDC has designated child protection focal
points to work with the United Nations country task force in eastern Democratic
Republic of the Congo. Since its establishment in December 2012, the joint
technical working group in Kinshasa held 17 meetings and started a national
prevention campaign.
Iraq
70. 2013 was marked by a significant increase in the number of security incidents,
resulting in the killing of 7,818 civilians, including at least 248 children. This is the
highest number of casualties reported since 2008. The most affected governorates
were Baghdad, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Diyala, Anbar, Wassit and Salahaddin. The Islamic
State of Iraq (ISI) and Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQ-I) were allegedly responsible for most
of the documented incidents.
71. Reports from the governorates of Anbar, Ninewa and Salahaddin indicated the
continued association of children with various armed groups, including AQ-I. In
addition, continued reports were received on boys manning the checkpoints of the
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Awakening Councils under the control of the Ministry of Defence after having been
recruited locally with falsified identification papers. Reporting is limited due to
issues of access, insecurity in relevant areas, and the reluctance of authorities to
release information on perpetrators. I note that Iraqi law prohibits the recruitment of
children into Government forces and encourages its criminalization, in line with
obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
72. As at December 2013, according to the Government, at least 391 children,
including 18 girls, were being held in juvenile reformatory detention facilities (237),
prisons or police stations under indictment or conviction for terrorism-related
charges under article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (2005). The children had been
detained for periods ranging from two months to more than three years. Schools and
learning programmes were established in four juvenile detention centres in the
governorates of Baghdad, Thi-Qar and Basra with the support of the Ministry of
Education and UNICEF.
73. According to the Government, 335 children were killed and 1,326 others
injured in 2013. The United Nations, in 167 verified incidents, recorded 248 children
killed and 665 others injured, including as a result of improvised explosive devices
and in complex attacks. AQ-I was reportedly responsible for most of the incidents.
On 11 March 2013, in Dibis district, Kirkuk governorate, the explosion of a vehicleborne
improvised explosive device caused substantial damage to an adjacent
secondary school and injured 106 students (70 boys and 36 girls, between 13 and
17 years of age). Assassinations and raids targeting members of the Awakening
Council, police officers or military personnel and their families were also on the
rise, resulting in the killing of 13 children and the injuring of 18 others in direct or
indirect fire.
74. Twenty-seven attacks on schools and hospitals/medical facilities were
reported, of which five were verified. Most were a result of improvised explosive
devices placed inside or in the vicinity of schools and hospitals in the governorates
of Baghdad, Anbar, Diyala and Ninewa. On 6 October, in Qabak village (Ninewa
governorate), 15 children were killed and at least 112 injured by a vehicle-borne
improvised explosive device detonated in the playground of the primary school. The
head of the school and an unknown number of teachers were also killed. On
27 June, in Baquba district (Diyala governorate), five ambulances were destroyed in
the explosion of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device as they arrived to a
scene where many civilians, including children, had been killed and injured in a
previous improvised explosive devise attack on a popular café. No one claimed
responsibility for any of those incidents.
75. The United Nations also verified the killing or injuring of 13 education
personnel and 16 medical staff. In an incident in Diyala governorate, on 1 August, a
medical doctor was killed and his two children wounded in an improvised explosive
device attack against their house by AQ-I, reportedly because he refused to issue
falsified death certificates for the armed group. Threats against teachers, particularly
in Diyala governorate, are a growing source of concern. For example, in December,
flyers were spread in Diyala threatening English language teachers in primary and
secondary schools. No one claimed responsibility for the incident. At the same time,
a threat was publicized in social media targeting medical personnel and medical
facilities.
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76. On 28 November, in Wassit governorate, the 10-year-old son of a member of
the local human rights committee was abducted and found dead, with apparent signs
of torture. Owing to the sensitivity and suspicion involved in collecting information
on abduction cases from communities or authorities and the reluctance of families to
report to the police, abductions are believed to be underreported.
77. Interaction on child protection between the United Nations and the Iraqi
authorities continued at the national and local levels throughout 2013. However, it
remains a serious source of concern that the Government of Iraq is not adequately
addressing the impact of the ongoing conflict on children. I urge the Government to
take all measures to ensure an adequate response to the plight of children, including
through the adoption of laws criminalizing violations committed against children by
parties to the conflict. The United Nations in Iraq stands ready to further engage
with the Government in tackling the issue. Due attention must be given to the
detention of children under security charges. Legislative reform and appropriate
policies and programmes for the overall protection of children in armed conflict,
including the engagement of community, religious and tribal leaders, should also be
addressed. The implementation of a high-level Government interministerial
committee on children and armed conflict, as advocated for by my Special
Representative during her meetings with Government representatives during her
visit to Iraq in July 2013, would facilitate regular information-sharing on and
response to grave violations against children, as well as collaboration with the
United Nations in Iraq.
Israel and the State of Palestine
78. Palestinian and Israeli children continued to be affected by the prevailing
situation of military occupation, conflict and closure. Eight Palestinian children
(six boys and two girls) were killed and 1,265 were injured in the occupied
Palestinian territories in 2013. In the West Bank, an upsurge was observed in the
number of Palestinian children killed and injured by Israeli security forces during
clashes and as a result of violence by Israeli settlers. Eight Israeli children were
injured in the West Bank in incidents related to the presence of Israeli settlements,
while no Israeli children were killed in 2013.
79. In the West Bank, four Palestinian boys were killed by live ammunition,
including three during incursions by Israeli security forces into the Al Jalazun, Jenin
and Ayda refugee camps. Incursions into camps have increased by 60 per cent
compared with 2012. For example, on 7 December 2013, a 14-year-old Palestinian
boy was shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces near Al Jalazun, allegedly
while throwing stones at the soldiers. The Israeli authorities under the Military
Advocate General opened investigations in all four cases, which were under review
at the time of reporting. The 1,235 children injured in the West Bank constitute more
than double the number injured in 2012 (552). Of the 1,235, 961 were injured during
clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians during demonstrations,
183 during military operations, including search and arrest operations in villages or
camps, four as a result of unexploded ordnances, and 86 as a result of settler
violence, which saw a significant increase during 2013. During settler-related
incidents, 49 children were injured directly by Israeli settlers by physical assault and
stones or glass bottles thrown against Palestinian houses or cars. Of the
1,235 children injured in the West Bank, 155 were under the age of 12. Eight Israeli
children were injured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including as a result of
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stone throwing by Palestinians (seven) and, in one incident, live ammunition shot
towards the Psagot settlement.
80. In Gaza, most cases of killing and maiming Palestinian children occurred
between January and March 2013, following the November 2012 Israeli military
offensive “Pillar of Defence”. Three Palestinian children were killed, including two
boys in unexploded ordnance-related incidents and, on 24 December 2013, a threeyear-
old girl in a shelling by Israeli security forces of a building in Al Maghazi
refugee camp. Ten children were injured during military operations in Gaza,
including by live ammunition gun shots and tear gas canisters, and 20 others as a
result of unexploded ordnance incidents.
81. In 2013, Palestinian children continued to be arrested and detained by Israeli
security forces and prosecuted in juvenile military courts. By the end of December,
154 boys, between 14 and 17 years of age (including 14 under the age of 16) were
held in Israeli military detention for alleged security violations, including in pretrial
detention (106) and serving a sentence (48). The Government of Israel reported that
1,004 children were arrested by Israeli security forces in 2013; 349 were released
the same day and 655 were referred to the Military Advocate General. The United
Nations documented 107 cases of ill-treatment during arrest, transfer, interrogation
and detention, including against children below the age of 12 in five cases. All of
the 107 boys reported having been subjected to cruel and degrading ill-treatment by
the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli police, including painful restraint,
blindfolding, strip-searching, verbal and physical abuse, solitary confinement and
threats of violence. This number represents an estimated 15 per cent of the total
number of Palestinian children arrested and detained in the West Bank by Israeli
security forces in 2013. Fifty-one children reported being arrested at night and
45 children reported being arrested during clashes, demonstrations and at other
friction points. Reported use of physical violence against children, including with
sticks, increased with a majority of the cases reported in the first half of 2013. The
Israeli authorities received 15 formal complaints in 2013 related to the reported
abuse of Palestinian children during arrest, interrogation and detention. No cases
have resulted in dismissal, indictment or arrest to date. In addition, five cases of
threats of sexual violence were reported, compared with two cases in 2012. A higher
percentage of children were detained in prison facilities inside Israel (76 per cent,
compared with 63 in 2012) with at least three out of four children being transferred
outside the occupied Palestinian territory in contravention of the Fourth Geneva
Convention.
82. A regular bilateral dialogue between the United Nations at the field level and
the Military Prosecutor for the West Bank was ongoing at the time of reporting and
has produced a number of results, including an Israel Defense Forces agreement to
pilot test the use of summonses in lieu of night arrests. However, incidents have
occurred where children were threatened while being summoned, and other
summons were presented during night raids. I remain hopeful that the pilot process
will be fully implemented and provide adequate protection for children. In addition,
two Military Orders were issued in relation to children arrested and detained for
alleged security violations. The orders reduced the time a Palestinian child could be
detained prior to appearing before a military court judge for the first time; however,
the time periods provided in military law are still longer than what is provided to
Israeli children under Israeli law.
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83. Fifty-eight education-related incidents affecting 11,935 children were reported
in the West Bank, resulting in damage to school facilities, interruption of classes and
injury to children. Forty-one incidents involved Israeli security forces operations
near or inside schools, forced entry without forewarning, the firing of tear gas
canisters and sound bombs into school yards and, in some cases, structural damage
to schools. In 15 of the incidents, Israeli security forces fired tear gas canisters into
schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East (UNRWA), some during class hours, without forewarning. In a
majority of instances, schoolchildren and teachers were delayed or prevented from
going to school owing to checkpoints, areas closed for military operations or
exercises, military patrols in front of schools and preventive closures by the Israel
Defense Forces. In 32 cases, teachers and children were arrested inside the school,
at checkpoints or on their way to school. A further 15 incidents were related to
settler violence in the areas of Nablus, Qalqiliya, Jerusalem and Hebron. This
included physical assault of schoolchildren by settlers, absent or interrupted Israeli
security forces escorts to schools in areas prone to settler violence, the evacuation of
schools owing to the threat of settler attacks and sewage from Israeli settlements
intentionally flooding school grounds. According to the Government of Israel,
63 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel during 2013, resulting in school
interferences for 12,229 Israeli children. The ceasefire understanding between the
Government of Israel and Hamas resulted in a marked reduction of attacks on
schools in Gaza. One incident was reported on 25 December, when Israeli security
forces fired rockets damaging two schools. Shortages of construction materials in
September 2013 owing to Israeli restrictions halted the construction of
13 Government schools, postponed the construction of another 26 and, in
November, forced UNRWA to suspend the construction of 22 schools.
84. The Israeli blockade of Gaza since June 2007 continued to take a heavy toll on
the more than 80 per cent of Gazan families dependent on humanitarian assistance.
In 2013, 4,059 of 4,470 medical applications for children were approved; however,
409 applications, including for 215 boys and 194 girls, were delayed, usually as a
result of the denial or delay of a permit for the child’s parent. In one incident, the
application of a 16-year-old girl scheduled to receive cancer treatment in Israel was
delayed for 73 days. The recent movement restrictions imposed by the Government
of Egypt have also affected the access to medical referrals.
85. I commend the State of Palestine for acceding to the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict.
Lebanon
86. 2013 was marked by a significant increase in violence as a result of explosions
inside Lebanon and along its borders, as well as sectarian violence between factions
and communities, further exacerbated by the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic.
87. The United Nations continued to receive allegations of use of children in
sectarian clashes, specifically in the Tripoli neighbourhoods of Jabal Mohsen and
Bab al-Tebbaneh, and on children in Lebanon being pressured into joining armed
groups in the Syrian Arab Republic. The majority of allegations received concerned
Lebanese sectarian groups aligned with armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Regarding the allegations of the involvement of children in armed violence in
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Lebanon, I note the joint declaration by representatives of factions of the Palestinian
Liberation Organization and of the forces of the Palestinian National Coalition in
Lebanon, prohibiting the recruitment and use of children within their organizations.
88. Despite restricted monitoring access owing to the security situation, the United
Nations documented 56 incidents of violations against children, including the killing
of 11 children and injury caused to 21 others by landmines, unexploded ordnance,
cross-border shelling from the Syrian Arab Republic, sectarian armed clashes and
sniper fire.
89. The United Nations received confirmed information on 24 school buildings
sustaining damage during clashes between sectarian groups as well as between
sectarian groups and Government forces, specifically in Tripoli and in Sidon
between the Sunni radical faction of Sheikh Ahmad al-Asir and the Lebanese Armed
Forces in June. A total of 36 schools, namely in Sidon (20); Ein el-Helweh
Palestinian Camp (9); Nahr el-Bared Palestinian Camp (5); and el Beddawi
Palestinian Camp (2), were temporarily closed due to security threats and nearby
clashes, affecting more than 40,000 students.
90. With the large influx of refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic into Lebanon,
I thank the Government’s efforts to enrol more than 102,000 Syrian children in the
public school system. Moreover, UNRWA ensured access to education for more than
7,000 Palestinian refugee children from the Syrian Arab Republic in Lebanon.
However, up to 300,000 refugee children remain without access to education.
91. During her visit to Lebanon in July 2013, my Special Representative met with
senior members of the Government of Lebanon who committed to finalizing the
ratification process of the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in
armed conflict, which was pending in parliament. In late 2013, the Minister of
Social Affairs publically called on all concerned actors in Lebanon to take concrete
steps to end and prevent all violations against children in armed conflict. In view of
the impact of armed conflict, including the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, on
Lebanese children and refugee children in Lebanon, I urge the Government of
Lebanon to follow up on the commitment made to my Special Representative and
the call by the Minister for ratification of the Optional Protocol.
Libya
92. The situation for children in Libya remained precarious in 2013, with political
tensions escalating into armed confrontations in al-Ajailat, al-Shagiga, Ghadamis,
Tripoli, Benghazi and Sabha, sometimes involving the use of heavy weapons. The
United Nations continued to experience difficulty in gathering information owing to
lack of security and a full monitoring mandate. Notwithstanding attempts by the
Government to increase its control, many armed brigades under the nominal control
of the Government continued to display a lack of discipline and command and
control, leading in some instances to grave violations against children.
93. The United Nations documented the killing of 14 children (12 boys and
2 girls) between 4 and 17 years of age, and the injury of five others (four boys and
one girl) in crossfire and improvised explosive device incidents or as a result of
heavy weaponry. For example, in April in al-Shagiga, Nafousa Mountains, a fouryear-
old boy from the Mashashiya tribe was killed by a rocket hitting the family
home during a clash between the Mashashiya and Zintan tribes. In three separate
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incidents in Benghazi on 30 July, 3 August and 3 November, four boys, between
2 and 15 years of age, were killed in improvised explosive device attacks against
their fathers, who were security officers. In Tripoli on 15 November, members of a
Misratah brigade stationed in the Ghargour neighbourhood of Tripoli opened fire on
protestors. During the ensuing clashes in Tripoli, at least 46 people were killed,
including a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, and 516 others were injured,
including an unknown number of children.
94. Seven incidents of attacks on hospitals were recorded by the United Nations in
Benghazi and Sabha, including explosions, the targeting of medical staff and
shooting inside medical facilities by armed militias. For example, on 30 July, in
Benghazi, armed men broke into a secure ward in the city’s Al-Hawri hospital to
carry out a revenge killing, shooting one man dead. In Benghazi, on 13 May, an
improvised explosive device exploded in front of Al-Jalaa hospital, killing a
14-year-old boy and two adults as well as wounding up to 30 others. On 27 August,
two out of three hospitals in Benghazi closed down owing to staff protesting against
violence, following the beating of nurses, stabbing of doctors and smashing of
equipment by armed elements. In addition, in May 2013, a device was detonated
inside a school in the al-Salmani neighbourhood of Benghazi by unknown
perpetrators without casualty. In October 2013, also in Banghazi, another explosion
took place in al-Alwiya al-Hura school.
95. The United Nations continued to visit detention facilities where children were
held, including six Tawergha boys 16 years of age in al-Wihda prison in Misrata,
held since 2011 without charges. I call upon the Government of Libya to expedite
the review of such cases by the competent judicial authorities as a priority.
Lord’s Resistance Army (Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the
Congo and South Sudan)
96. Despite continuing reports of sporadic attacks and abductions of children by
LRA across the LRA-affected region, LRA has morphed into smaller cells and appears
to have changed its modus operandi owing to the military pressure of the African
Union regional task force. However, the instability in the Central African Republic
and South Sudan could heighten the risk of an LRA resurgence in those areas. Attacks
by LRA in 2013 largely took place in remote areas in the north-eastern region of Haut-
Kotto prefecture of the Central African Republic, and in the Uélé districts of Orientale
Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations recorded 353,000
persons, among them many children, displaced in areas affected by LRA.
97. During the reporting period, four boys were reportedly recruited by LRA in the
Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a
drastic decrease in reported cases compared to previous years. In addition, two girls
were killed by LRA elements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
98. Abductions of children by LRA remained stable with 65 cases reported from
the south-eastern region of the Central African Republic (47) and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo’s Haut-Uélé district (18). The children were used for looting
and the transport of pillaged goods and released within a short period of time. It is
important to note that children, in particular girls, abducted or recruited by LRA are
regularly subjected to sexual violence.
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99. In 2013, 177 children were separated from LRA, including 121 Congolese,
47 Central Africans, 8 Ugandans and 1 South Sudanese. UNICEF and partners were
supporting a transit centre in Yambio, South Sudan, where children received
psychosocial counselling and medical services together with ongoing family tracing.
Mali
100. In 2013, the United Nations monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave
violations against children was established in Mali following the listing of Ansar
Dine, the Mouvement national pour la liberation de l’Azawad (MNLA), and the
Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO) in the annexes
of my previous annual report. Favourable political and security developments
occurred in Mali during the second half of 2013, including the signing of the
Ouagadougou Preliminary Agreement and the successful holding of presidential and
legislative elections, which contributed to a significant decrease in the cases of
grave violations recorded. However, armed incursions by MUJAO into the northern
regions of Kidal and Gao continued, putting children formerly associated with
armed groups at risk of re-recruitment. Humanitarian and monitoring access to
northern Mali remained severely limited due to security and capacity constraints.
101. All armed groups in the North, including Al-Qaida au Maghreb Islamique,
Ansar Dine, MNLA and MUJAO perpetrated grave violations against children. The
United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 57 children, all boys as young as
11 years of age. Most of the boys were recruited in the first half of 2013 by MUJAO
and the MNLA and were used in combat, to man checkpoints and in support roles.
Reportedly, families, imams and community leaders have facilitated the recruitment
of children into armed groups. Children entrusted by their parents to marabouts
were particularly vulnerable, and religious schools often served as places for
indoctrination and recruitment.
102. The detention of children formerly associated with parties to conflict remained
a concern. By December, the United Nations had verified the detention of
24 children under security charges after separation from armed groups by the Forces
armées et de sécuritées du Mali during military operations. Despite the signing of a
protocol on the release and handover of children between the Government of Mali
and the United Nations on 1 July, nine boys remained detained in Bamako under
security charges at the time of reporting. The United Nations continued to follow up
on this issue, in particular on children detained before the signing of the protocol.
103. Children constitute more than half of the documented casualties of explosive
remnants of war in Mali with at least six killed and 51 others injured in 2013. In
addition, children were killed and maimed in attacks by armed groups, including
through the use of terror tactics. For example, on 23 October, a six-year-old boy was
killed in a suicide attack on a checkpoint of the United Nations Multidimensional
Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
104. As of December, 147,425 students returned to 769 reopened schools in Gao,
Kidal and Timbuktu; the regions that were most affected by the conflict. During the
height of the conflict in 2013, all 1,418 schools in northern Mali were closed for an
extended period. Access to education was also restricted owing to the use of schools
by the military. For instance, on 14 November, 30 MNLA elements established a
front post in a high school in Kidal town.
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105. On 7 February 2013, an interministerial circular was signed by relevant
ministers, outlining their commitment to end and prevent the recruitment of children
and to ensure appropriate reintegration provisions. In addition, an initial 600 MSDF
elements were trained on child protection by the United Nations. On 7 August 2013,
the Government of Mali accepted the joint verification mechanism proposed by
MINUSMA to conduct physical and administrative screening of elements of the
Forces armées et de sécuritées du Mali .
106. I encourage the Malian authorities to swiftly operationalize this joint
mechanism and to ensure that specific procedures for the separation and
reintegration of children associated with armed groups and forces are included in the
development of the national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.
Myanmar
107. The recruitment and use of children by parties to conflict continued to be a
concern in 2013. The United Nations received complaints of 37 children newly
recruited into the Tatmadaw, including a 12-year-old boy, and 196 others previously
recruited. Children used by the Tatmadaw continued to be deployed to the frontline
as combatants and in other roles, in particular in Kachin State.
108. The number of reported arrests of children under charges of desertion from the
Tatmadaw increased in 2013. Of 98 boys associated with the Tatmadaw, who were
reported under the International Labour Organization (ILO) complaint mechanism,
40 were documented as absent without leave. Of the 40, 10 children were arrested
and detained for alleged desertion. Four of the children were released from
detention and discharged, including two in January 2014. In addition, children were
arrested because of their alleged association with armed groups. For example, in
Kachin State, a 16-year-old displaced boy was taken by the Tatmadaw on suspicion
of being a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldier. He was released after being
used as a porter for weapons for two days.
109. Armed groups also continued to recruit and use children, including the Karen
National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karen National Liberation Army Peace
Council. Several cases of children associated with KIA and KNLA were reported
and verified. One boy was separated from KNLA upon advocacy by ILO. In a single
incident in December 2013, the KIA forcibly recruited an unknown number of
children from among 50 people. Thirty-two people had been released by the end of
the reporting period. The remaining villagers, save one, were released in early
January. Lack of access prevented the verification of reported use of children by the
Shan State Army South, the Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army
(KNPP/KA) and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA). Approximately
20 children suspected of association with the United Wa State Army (UWSA) were
observed by the United Nations in northern Shan State. On a positive note, the
United Nations began to re-engage with armed groups listed for recruitment and use,
including KNLA and KNPP/KA. KNPP proactively approached my Special
Representative and subsequently the United Nations in Myanmar with a letter to
renew previous engagements on the issue.
110. At least seven children were killed and six others injured in sporadic fighting
between the Tatmadaw and KIA in Kachin and northern Shan States, including air
strikes by the Tatmadaw. In addition, a two-month-old boy was injured by a grenade
during a clash between the Tatmadaw and the KNLA on 16 March in Papun district,
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Karen State. Also in Karen State, Hpa-an district, on 27 April, a newborn baby and
an 18-month-old girl were injured in shelling during a clash between the Tatmadaw
and the DKBA. Although it could not be verified whether parties to conflict
continued to use landmines, limited efforts at demining, marking and signing
continued to put children at risk. During the reporting period, four boys, between 13
and 17 years of age, were killed by landmines in Kayin and Kachin States and five
boys, between 10 and 16 years of age, were injured by landmines in Kachin and
Northern Shan State. In addition, the communal violence in Rakhine State continued
to preoccupy child protection actors.
111. During clashes between the Tatmadaw and KIA from October to November
2013, several schools were reportedly damaged in Kachin State and several others
were closed. From late December 2012 until mid-February 2013, schools in Laiza,
Kachin State, remained closed owing to fighting between KIA and the Tatmadaw.
Allegations of schools being damaged by the Tatmadaw in Shan State could not be
verified because of denial of access to the area. In November 2013, Tatmadaw
troops, reportedly to minimize civilian casualties, surrounded a Boarding School in
Mansi Township, Kachin State, forcing over 300 schoolchildren to flee. In addition,
in Kachin and northern Shan State, mine fields laid by the Tatmadaw and KIA in
close proximity to schools and hospitals remained a concern.
112. Several reports of sexual violence against children by Tatmadaw soldiers were
received in 2013, including the alleged gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in northern
Kachin State. In February 2014, a Tatmadaw soldier was sentenced to life
imprisonment by a civilian court for the rape of a seven-year-old girl in northern
Shan State.
113. Humanitarian access to areas affected by armed conflict improved during the
reporting period but remained restricted in certain areas, including areas beyond
Government control in Kachin and Kayin States. Humanitarian access to such areas
was only granted in June, September and November, when seven humanitarian
cross-line missions assisted over 23,000 people.
114. Access for monitoring purposes covered under the action plan with the
Government of Myanmar improved during the reporting period but remained
limited. An initial eight monitoring visits were allowed to selected operational
Tatmadaw units in the second half of 2013. On 29 May, the United Nations and
representatives of the Government conducted a joint midterm review on progress
and challenges in the implementation of the action plan. In November, the Security
Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict conducted a field visit to
Myanmar, welcoming the Government’s respective progress and stressing the need
for continued efforts under the framework. In that regard, I welcome Myanmar’s
renewed commitment to the extended action plan in early 2014.
115. In 2013, 178 children, in one case as young as 12, were separated from the
Tatmadaw, including 134 under the framework of the action plan and 15 through the
ILO forced labour complaint mechanism. At the time of reporting, 197 other
complaints of child recruitment shared by the United Nations were under review by
the Government. Reports on the recruitment of children by the Tatmadaw received
through the action plan complaints mechanism established in November 2012
increased significantly towards the end of the reporting period owing to a
nationwide awareness campaign in consultation with the Government. I commend
the ratification of ILO convention 182 (1999), prohibiting the worst forms of child
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labour, including the recruitment and use of children. The United Nations in
Myanmar stands ready to support the implementation of the action plan and to
further engage with armed groups to end and prevent child recruitment. In that
regard, I am encouraged by the ongoing peace talks between the Government and
several non-State parties listed for the recruitment and use of children.
Somalia
116. The United Nations documented the recruitment and use of 1,293 children,
including by Al-Shabaab (908), the Somali National Army and allied militia (209),
and Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama’a (ASWJ) (111). The remaining cases were attributed to
the Somaliland Armed Forces (15) and to unknown armed elements (36).
Al-Shabaab continued its campaign for the recruitment of children and youth. For
instance, on 24 January, Al-Shabaab recruited six boys, as young as 12, in a Koranic
school in south-west Baidoa. In separate incidents, 19 children, as young as 15,
were recruited during dedicated campaigns in Bardhere district, Gedo region, and
Jilib district, Middle Juba region. Al-Shabaab uses children in various roles,
including as combatants and to gather intelligence. Of particular concern are
14 cases of association of children with the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) in various capacities, including to man checkpoints and as cooks. The
United Nations has been regularly engaging with AMISOM leadership with a view
to addressing these cases and enhancing the mainstreaming of child protection.
117. The arbitrary arrest and detention of 1,009 children by the national army,
including during operations against Al-Shabaab, remained a grave concern in 2013.
In 11 cases, girls who had been arrested were also raped. Upon advocacy by the
United Nations, 41 children detained by the national army for alleged association
with Al-Shabaab were released in 2013.
118. At least 237 children were reportedly killed (179 boys and 58 girls) and
494 children were injured (383 boys and 111 girls) in 2013. The national army and
allied militias were reportedly responsible for 334 child casualties (98 killed and
236 injured), followed by unknown armed groups (83 killed, 174 injured),
Al-Shabaab (47 killed, 67 injured), AMISOM (7 killed, 14 injured), ASWJ (two
killed, one injured), and the Puntland and the Somaliland forces (one child each
injured). Child casualties mainly resulted from crossfire during clashes and
indiscriminate shelling. Thirty children were killed and 51 others injured in incidents
involving improvised explosive devices. In one incident, in December, a 16-year-old
boy was executed by the Al-Shabaab for attempted desertion.
119. In 154 incidents of sexual violence, 152 girls and 2 boys were raped, including
by unknown armed elements (65), members of the national army and allied
militias (49), Al-Shabaab (31), ASWJ (7) and the Somaliland forces (2). Twenty of
the girls were subjected to sexual violence in the context of forced marriages
following recruitment into Al-Shabaab. The rape of 21 children in 19 separate
incidents by national army and unknown armed elements inside internally displaced
persons camps was a particular concern since the camps were supposed to be a safe
place for displaced children.
120. Fifty-four attacks on schools and 11 attacks on hospitals by the national
army (28), Al-Shabaab (18), unknown armed groups (7) and ASWJ (1) were
documented. Four of the attacks on schools by Al-Shabaab and an unknown armed
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group resulted in the recruitment of 34 boys. In addition, Al-Shabaab used schools
for recruitment campaigns.
121. In 2013, 863 boys and 237 girls formerly associated with armed forces or
groups were enrolled in reintegration programmes in Mogadishu, Merka, Guriel,
Dhusamareb and Afgoye districts. The United Nations also continued to engage with
the Federal Government of Somalia to ensure the implementation of the two action
plans to end and prevent the recruitment and use and the killing and maiming of
children by the national army. With the establishment of the United Nations
Assistance Mission (UNSOM) in July, one Child Protection Adviser was deployed
to further support the process. In addition, a working group on children and armed
conflict, comprising representatives of the Government, the United Nations,
non-governmental organizations, and the donor community, was established in
Mogadishu and reviewed standard operating procedures for the handover of children
formerly associated with armed forces and groups before adoption by the
Government in March 2014. Furthermore, I welcome the commitment of the Federal
Government of Somalia to become party to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and its Optional Protocols, in particular in respect of the involvement of
children in armed conflict, and urge the Government to ratify them.
South Sudan
122. Before the most recent crisis, the Government of South Sudan had made
tangible progress in addressing grave violations against children and implementing
an action plan to end the recruitment and use of children. Such progress included
issuing command orders to stop recruitment and use of children within the Sudan
People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), undertaking joint verification visits with the
United Nations to SPLA barracks, and regular training of SPLA troops. On
15 December 2013, fighting erupted between factions of SPLA aligned with the
Government and former Vice-President Riek Machar Teny, reversing the initial
progress made under the action plan.
123. The United Nations received credible information on grave violations against
children by both pro-Government forces and opposition forces aligned with Riek
Machar Teny. Thousands of children were reportedly mobilized in Upper Nile and
Jonglei States by the Nuer ethnic group aligned with opposition forces, also known
as the “White Army”. Thousands of children were killed or maimed, raped,
displaced or orphaned. Attacks on schools and hospitals and their military use by all
parties were also widespread, depriving children of access to education and health
care and adding to the humanitarian crisis. Although the United Nations was able to
verify limited numbers of violations against children by all parties to conflict,
documented cases remained only indicative at the time of reporting and further
verification was ongoing. In the hospitals of the United Nations Mission in South
Sudan (UNMISS) in Juba and Malakal alone, 110 children received treatment for
conflict-related injuries. Since the United Nations was still verifying information
regarding ongoing violations at the time of reporting, the cases reported below are
limited to the period before the events following 15 December 2013.
124. Before the crisis, the United Nations verified the recruitment and use of
162 children, all boys and mostly between 14 and 17 years of age. Of the 162
children, 99 were associated with SPLA, 3 with South Sudan national police
services and 35 with militia allied to David Yau Yau in Jonglei, and 25 were
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mobilized from Lou Nuer tribe to conduct community policing in Jonglei State.
Children associated with SPLA were identified in military barracks, wearing SPLA
uniforms as well as undergoing military training in conflict areas. In addition,
reports of the recruitment and use of 133 children were pending verification at the
time of reporting.
125. Sixty-three children were killed and 83 injured prior to the December crisis.
Child casualties resulted from clashes between SPLA and armed groups, from intercommunal
conflict in Jonglei, and from five separate incidents involving explosive
remnants of war in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Unity States.
126. The United Nations verified information of seven cases of sexual violence
affecting seven girls. Individual SPLA soldiers in Central Equatoria, Eastern
Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, Upper Nile and Western Bahr-el-Ghazal States
were allegedly responsible for the incidents.
127. During the reporting period, 26 new incidents of military use of schools and
hospitals by SPLA (19), South Sudan national police services (6) and non-State
actors (1) were documented, affecting the access to education of approximately
13,000 children. By 15 December, seven schools remained in use by SPLA, in
contravention of the military order of 14 August 2013. The increased use of schools
by SPLA also resulted from lessened cooperation with the United Nations following
changes in SPLA leadership in January 2013. In addition, the United Nations
verified the looting and burning of two hospitals located in Budi county, Eastern
Equatoria State, resulting from clashes between cattle rustlers and Government
forces. Militias allied with David Yau Yau allegedly burned another health centre in
Pochalla County, Jonglei State.
128. As a result of inter-communal conflict, the United Nations received reports of
250 children abducted during the reporting period. The abduction of children
continues to take place during cattle raiding and attacks at night where the sole aim
is to abduct children.
129. The United Nations also received reports of at least 24 incidents of denial of
humanitarian access, including forceful entry into humanitarian compounds,
harassment and physical assault of humanitarian workers that hampered the ability
of humanitarian actors to access the population in dire need of assistance.
130. As far as the latest crisis is concerned, the United Nations repeatedly
advocated against the involvement of children in the ongoing conflict, and was in
the process of collecting and verifying information of violations against children
since the beginning of the crisis. Discussions between the United Nations and all
parties were ongoing in that regard. I commend all efforts taken by the Security
Council, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and
other regional actors to address the renewed escalation of conflict in South Sudan. I
call upon all parties to immediately put an end to the unacceptable scale of violence
against children and to ensure that perpetrators will be held accountable.
Sudan
Three areas (South Kordofan, Blue Nile State and Abyei)
131. The security situation in Blue Nile and South Kordofan remained volatile
owing to continued fighting, primarily between Government forces and the Sudan
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People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N). Grave violations against children
also resulted from fighting in West, South and North Kordofan between the
Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), a coalition of
SPLM-N, the Justice Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Army
factions of Minni Minawi, (SLA-MM) and Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW). The security
situation and access restrictions continued to have an impact on the ability of the
United Nations to verify information, although access to Government-controlled
areas slightly improved.
132. The United Nations recorded the recruitment and use of 42 children in South
Kordofan and Blue Nile, including 2 by the SAF. Both boys, 13 and 14 years of age,
were recruited in Blue Nile and remained associated with SAF at the time of
reporting. Of the 40 children recruited and used by armed groups, 14 children, all
boys, some as young as 12, were recruited by the Popular Defence Force (PDF) in
Blue Nile (5 boys) and South Kordofan (9). At least 26 children (19 boys and
7 girls) were recruited and used by SPLM-N, including 10 (5 boys and 5 girls), as
young as 12, escaping from an SPLM-N camp in Mandi, South Kordofan. Sixteen
children (14 boys and 2 girls) were recruited by SPLM-N in Upper Nile State, South
Sudan. Three of the children reported to have received military training in Blue Nile
after having been recruited in South Sudan in April. The cases confirm previous
allegations about the cross-border recruitment of children between South Sudan and
the Sudan.
133. At least six children were killed in clashes, including between SAF and SRF,
and between SPLM-N and the Central Reserve Police (CRP). In addition, 10 children
were injured in mortar attacks by CRP (3) and SPLM-N (7). Furthermore, unexploded
ordnance-related incidents resulted in at least six children being injured in Blue
Nile, and six children reportedly killed and nine others injured in a single incident in
Um Baraka, South Kordofan.
134. Sexual violence against children in the three areas continued to be
underreported in 2013 owing to limited monitoring capacity and victims’ fear of
stigmatization. The United Nations documented the rape of three girls, between
14 and 17 years of age, by pro-Government militias in two separate incidents in Abu
Zabad, South Kordofan, on 19 November.
135. In the only documented attack on a school, on 19 November 2013, a mortar
shell by SPLM-N hit the yard of El Manar primary school for boys in Kadugli,
South Kordofan, injuring a 10-year-old boy.
136. Access to Abyei via Kadugli, South Kordofan, was for the first time granted in
September, but was quickly disrupted owing to intensified fighting between SAF
and SPLM-N. No humanitarian access has been allowed in the non-Government
controlled areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan since the conflict broke out in
2011.
137. The United Nations organized child protection training and orientation for
131 SAF and PDF officers. Nine children released by PDF in Abugibaiha, Talodi,
and Kalogi, South Kordofan, and the 10 children who fled from the SPLM-N camp
in Mandi, were reintegrated with support from the United Nations. Although the
SPLM-N had expressed its intention to enter into dialogue with the United Nations
to address grave violations against children in 2012, lack of access didn’t allow any
follow-up.
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Darfur
138. The security situation in Darfur deteriorated owing to sporadic clashes
between Government forces and armed groups as well as due to inter-communal and
tribal clashes, including over natural resources. The increased mobilization and
arming of children by communities further exacerbated the risk of the re-recruitment
of demobilized children. The United Nations, in conducting monitoring in
conjunction with the African Union through the United Nations Assistance Mission
in Darfur (UNAMID), was able to verify four cases of recruitment by SAF and 14
by border guards, and received reports of 17 children allegedly recruited by SAF,
border guards and SLA-AW. Challenges in monitoring and reporting in areas
beyond Government control clearly limited the documentation and verification of
child recruitment in Darfur.
139. The United Nations documented the killing of 91 children (71 boys and
20 girls) and injury to 98 others (64 boys and 34 girls). Forty-three children were
shot and killed and 32 others injured during clashes between Government forces and
armed groups as well as during inter- and intra-ethnic fighting. At least 31 children
were killed and 14 others injured in SAF air strikes. Incidents involving explosive
remnants of war also continued to be a major concern, killing 17 children and
injuring 52 others.
140. At least 62 girls were raped in 40 separate incidents. Most cases were
perpetrated by unknown armed elements, some of whom were wearing military
uniforms. However, in three cases alleged perpetrators were identified as
Government forces and, in one case, elements of SLA-MM. Government Police
arrested a member of the Central Reserve Police for the rape of a 6-year-old girl on
17 October, and two Government Police officers were identified among the six men
raping a 16-year-old girl on 5 February near the Al Meglis area of El Geneina, West
Darfur. Sexual violence remained underreported owing to fear of stigmatization and
reprisals by perpetrators as well as out-of-court settlements.
141. In three SAF air strikes on three schools in Dursa village, Central Darfur, in
Um Dadeti, South Darfur, and in Tabit, North Darfur, all three schools sustained
major damage and six schoolchildren were injured. In addition, between 15 and
17 April, unknown armed elements looted schools in Labado, East Darfur, following
fighting between SAF and SLA-MM.
142. Fifteen cases of abduction of children were documented in Donkey Dreisa and
in Hamada forest, South Darfur (12 cases), Labado and Muhajeria, East Darfur (2),
and in Jabel Amer, West Darfur (1). For instance, in Labado and Muhajeria, a
15-year-old girl was abducted by pro-Government militia along with her 18-year-old
sister, was used as a porter and was raped before being released.
143. The Government of the Sudan took some positive steps to end the recruitment
and use of children. On 21 July, the Government enacted a law raising the age of
recruitment into PDF from 16 to 18 years and establishing 18 as the minimum age
for joining the national reserve service and the national service. I am encouraged by
the ongoing discussions between the United Nations and the Government of the
Sudan with a view of finalizing a draft action plan to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children. Progress was also made on dialogue with
JEM/Jibril Ibrahim, SLA-MM and SLA-AW, which issued command orders
prohibiting child recruitment within their ranks, and with Sheik Musa Hilal, who
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issued a similar order to nomadic communities under his leadership. Furthermore,
405 children formerly associated with armed groups and forces, including with the
disbanded SLA-Historical Leadership, received reintegration support.
Syrian Arab Republic
144. The conflict and violence in the Syrian Arab Republic reached unprecedented
levels during 2013. Intense bombardments by Government forces on oppositioncontrolled
or disputed areas, increased operations by a growing number of armed
groups in constantly evolving coalitions as well as the expansion of the control of
Islamist groups in northern Syrian Arab Republic led to massive grave violations
against children. Hundreds of civilians, including many children, were killed during
the chemical attack on Damascus suburbs in August.
145. Numerous armed groups are reportedly recruiting and using children in the
Syrian Arab Republic, including several FSA-affiliated groups, the Kurdish People
Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS),
Jhabat al-Nusra, and other armed groups. All of the groups actively recruit and use
children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as
combatants. Reports indicated that the recruitment of children or pressure to join
armed groups also occur among refugee populations in neighbouring countries.
Most children associated with FSA-affiliated groups, as young as 14 years of age,
indicated that they had received weapons training and 4,000 to 8,000 Syrian pounds
pay per month. For instance, a 14-year-old boy who joined the al-Murabiteen
battalion of the Falloujat Houran FSA brigade in Bosra al-Sham, Dara’a
Governorate, reportedly received a 15 days of weapons training in al-Lajat valley
close to Bosra al-Sham. In June 2013, two brothers, 16 and 17 years old, joined the
FSA-affiliated Majd al-Islam brigade in Dara’a, where they cleaned weapons and
performed security duties. YPG reportedly trained children with adults near
Al-Qamishli, al-Hassakeh governorate and used them at checkpoints and in combat.
For instance, a 14-year-old boy reportedly recruited in September 2013 was trained
in Rassalein, al-Hassakeh governorate, and used in hostilities. Islamist groups such
as ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra or Ahrar al-Sham also recruited and used children. A
15-year-old boy reportedly joined Ahrar al-Sham in Mayadin, Deir ez-Zor
governorate, in March 2013 and continued to be associated with the group at the
time of reporting. A 16-year-old boy reportedly joined Jabhat al-Nusra around April
2013 and stayed with the group for three months. ISIS reportedly used children as
young as eight in hostilities. Children fighting with ISIS are reportedly paid like
adults (35,000 Syrian pounds, approximately $200) and undergo both weapons and
jihadist indoctrination training.
146. Adults and children released from detention reported that children were still
present in detention facilities and suffered treatment tantamount to torture. For
instance, a 17-year-old boy accused of participating in anti-Government
demonstrations was arrested by Government forces in March 2013, detained in
Homs, and subsequently for three months in the Damascus Political Security
Detention Centre, where he was repeatedly beaten and forced to remain in stress
positions. The boy reported that other children were present in the detention centre.
Children were also reportedly arrested and detained in October 2013 during the
temporary evacuation of over 1,000 civilians from al-Moaddamiyeh besieged area in
Rif Damascus. The Government stated that no children were detained during the
evacuation. Several cases of arrest or detention may amount to enforced
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disappearances. For instance, the whereabouts of two boys, 16 and 17 years old,
reportedly detained by the Syrian Air Force Intelligence in Aleppo in May and June
2013 for alleged cooperation with the opposition remained unknown at the time of
reporting. Approximately 1,500 detainees, including children, are reportedly held in
the ISIS main detention centre in al-Raqqah. No disaggregated data on children was
available. According to the Government, all detained children under 18 are
prosecuted in accordance with juvenile law. In addition, the Government states that
numerous amnesty decrees have been issued.
147. More than 10,000 children are estimated to have been killed since the outset of
the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic and the killing and maiming of children has
increased exponentially in 2013. Government forces continued to indiscriminately
shell civilian-populated areas, in particular in Homs and Aleppo, but also in Deir
ez-Zor, Idlib, Damascus and Al-Raqqa governorates. The use of barrel bombs by
Government forces in Aleppo city in December alone led to hundreds of children
killed and injured. Children also continued to be killed in ground offensives by
Government forces. On 29 January, during the “Al-Queiq river” massacre in Bustan
al-Qasr district of Aleppo, at least 10 children were reportedly among those
summarily executed. Other massacres were reportedly committed by Government
forces in several villages in the Al-Sfera area, south of Aleppo, between April and
June. For instance, on 21 June, in Mazrat al Rahib village, at least three children
were reportedly summarily executed along with at least 58 men. In early May, a
high number of children were reportedly among the hundreds of civilians killed and
burned by Government forces in Ras al-Nabaa district of Baniyas town and
al-Bayda village.
148. Armed groups also continued to kill and maim children, including through the
use of terror tactics and during ground operations throughout the Syrian Arab
Republic. For instance, during Eid al-Fitr in July, at least 13 children were killed in
a mortar shelling on areas of Zahra, besieged by Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and
ISIS/Land Liwa al-Tawhid. On 4 August, the end of Ramadan, armed groups,
including Ahrar al-Sham, ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jaish al Muhajireen wal-Ansar and
Suquor al-izz, allegedly killed more than 200 persons, of whom at least 18 were
children, including during executions of entire families in Latakia governorate
during the “Barouda” offensive. On 10 September, Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar
al-Sham allegedly attacked villages in eastern Homs, killing more than 30 civilians
of which half were women and children.
149. While sexual violence against boys and girls in Government-controlled
detention facilities has been documented previously, an increasing number of
women and girls reported to the United Nations that they were subject to repeated
sexual harassment at Government checkpoints. Government forces also reportedly
abducted young women and girls in groups at checkpoints or in transport and
released them a few days later in their village, intentionally exposing them as
victims of rape and subjecting them to rejection by their families. Allegations of
sexual violence against boys and girls by Jabhat al-Nusra and other unidentified
armed groups were also received. For example, a boy of unknown age and his father
were allegedly raped by several members of Jabhat al-Nusra. In another incident, a
15-year-old girl in Al Qoseir was reportedly gang-raped by unidentified armed
elements and subsequently killed by family members for “having lost her sanity”
following the event. The general fear of sexual violence by parties to the conflict
continued to be stated as a reason for which Syrian families flee the country.
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150. An increasing number of mosques hosting schools have reportedly been
shelled during indiscriminate bombardments or directly targeted by missiles. For
instance, on 30 July, Government forces shelled the Hamza mosque, recognized as a
girls’ school, in Anadan area, north of Aleppo. Nine girls, all younger than 10 years
of age, and four female teachers were reportedly killed. ISIS control of school
curricula, forcing teachers to introduce their ideology, was a growing concern.
According to the Government, armed groups systematically targeted schools, with
more than 3,000 being partially or completely destroyed. Hospitals and field clinics
also continued to be damaged in targeted and indiscriminate shelling. For instance,
in early November, in al-Bab district of Aleppo, Government forces shelled an
opposition-run hospital twice, reportedly killing one doctor and two nurses. In
March, an FSA brigade attacked the national hospital in Dara’a. According to the
Government, 63 hospitals and 470 health centres have been targeted by armed
groups. Doctors and medical personnel have also been killed or abducted for ransom
by ISIS in northern Syrian Arab Republic. For instance, the whereabouts of two
doctors reportedly arrested by ISIS in mid-December 2013 remained unknown at the
time of reporting. As at March 2014, 68 of 118 UNRWA schools have been closed
owing to conflict. Of 67,000 Palestine refugee children registered in UNRWA
schools, 41,500 are currently attending classes. Fourteen UNRWA schools operated
as shelters for displaced Palestine refugees and Syrians.
151. The abduction of civilians, including children, became an increasingly
prevalent feature of the Syrian conflict, mainly committed by ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra
or Ahrar al-Sham. Allegations of mass abductions, sometimes followed by summary
executions, including against minority communities, were also received. For
instance, a 16-year-old boy was reportedly executed after a month and a half in the
custody of Ahrar al-Sham. Approximately 50 children were also reportedly among
the 200 persons abducted by several armed groups during the “Barouda” offensive,
in August 2013 in Latakia governorate.
152. Active denial or intentional restriction of humanitarian access by all parties to
the conflict remained a serious concern. As at 9 January 2014, 242,000 people were
estimated to be living in besieged areas. Homs Old City, Darayya, al-Yarmouk
Palestinian camp, Moadamiya al-Sham, Eastern Ghouta, including Douma, Arbin,
Zamalka and Kafr Batna, were besieged by Government forces. Other localities, like
Zahra and Nubul, were besieged by a coalition of Liwa al Tawhid, Ahrar al-Sham,
ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra. All besieged areas were cut off from all humanitarian
assistance for months in 2013. Increasing reports were received of civilians,
including children, dying in areas under siege. In addition, humanitarian access to
areas controlled by extremist groups, in particular by ISIS in northern Syrian Arab
Republic, was severely impeded and the seizure of goods, as well as abduction and
killing of humanitarian personnel was a repeated concern.
153. My Special Representative visited the Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring
countries to assess the conflict’s impact on children and discuss the strengthening of
the monitoring of grave violations and measures to end and prevent violations by all
parties. In 2013, the Government criminalized the recruitment and use of children
by armed forces and groups, and on 23 September announced the establishment of
the Inter-ministerial Committee on Children and Armed Conflict. My Special
Representative also engaged with representatives of the Syrian National Coalition
on their commitments in relation to the protection of children in armed conflict. I
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also note the command order issued by General Command for YPG on 4 October
2013 condemning and prohibiting the recruitment of children.
Yemen
154. The reporting period was marked by the beginning of the National Dialogue
Conference and by a decrease in hostilities between the Government and Al-Qaida
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)/Ansar al-Sharia. The security situation remained
volatile in the South, due to the activities of the secession movement led by
Al-Hirak, opposing the Transitional Government and the Conference. In August
2013, tensions resurfaced between the Salafists and the Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah in
the North, resulting in the siege of Dammaj, Sa’ada governorate, by Al-Houthi/
Ansar Allah.
155. The United Nations verified the recruitment of 106 children, all boys between
6 and 17 years of age. The Salafists recruited 57 boys to fight against the Al-Houthi/
Ansar Allah in Dammaj, Sa’ada governorate. Children were mainly recruited during
recruitment drives in mosques and marketplaces in the southern governorates of
Abyan, Aden, Al Dhale, Amran, and Lahj and, in a few cases, received military
training. While 22 of the 57 boys were pulled out by family members and returned
home, at least 2 were killed in combat and 2 remained in Dammaj at the time of
reporting. Thirty-two boys were observed manning Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah
checkpoints, carrying firearms and inspecting vehicles in Sa’ada and Amran
governorates. One boy, 11 years old, reported having received two months of
military and ideological training. Reluctance of victims’ families to expose
themselves by reporting on violations by the Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah remained a
challenge to monitoring. Finally, 14 children were recruited by AQAP/Ansar
al-Sharia in Abyan governorate and three boys were used by the Al-Islah party and
the Popular Committee, a locally rooted resistance group, which aligned with the
Government to fight AQAP/Ansar al-Sharia in Abyan. In addition, 10 children
recruited prior to the reporting period, including due to falsified identity documents,
continued to be used in support roles by the Yemeni Armed Forces in 2013.
156. Nine boys were arbitrarily detained by the Popular Committee for alleged
association with AQAP/Ansar al-Sharia in 2013. After the Government regained
control over Abyan in June 2012, the Popular Committee served as a de facto police
force, “arresting” and “rehabilitating” suspected AQAP/Ansar al-Sharia elements,
including children.
157. At least 36 children were killed and 154 others maimed. Child casualties
occurred mainly in the governorate of Sa’ada, but also in 12 other governorates
throughout Yemen. Most child casualties resulted from gunshots (17 killed and
63 injured) and shelling (10 killed and 56 injured) during clashes between armed
groups and between armed groups and Government forces. For example, since
August, the clashes in Dammaj between Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah and the Salafists
resulted in at least 20 child casualties. At least five children were injured in attacks
using terror tactics, including incidents involving improvised explosive devices and
one suicide attack. Another 20 child casualties were attributed to the “civil
disobedience movement” initiated by Al-Hirak in southern Yemen and at least
10 children were injured in clashes between armed tribes. Explosive remnants of
war continued to pose a threat to children, killing and maiming at least 28 in 2013,
including in Abyan, Sa’ada, and Aden governorates. Finally, on 9 June, one boy was
killed in a drone attack in Al-Jawf.
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158. Thirty-five attacks on schools, on protected personnel, or threats against
protected personnel were documented in 2013. For example, on 27 December, the
national armed forces shelled a school where a funeral was held, resulting in more
than 30 casualties, including 2 boys killed and 10 boys injured. Four attacks on
schools in Amran, for example the damage to Aisha primary school in crossfire,
resulted from clashes between Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah and the Salafists. Al-Hirak
was responsible for the majority of documented incidents, in particular threats
against protected personnel. For instance, Shamsan school, in Aden governorate,
was forcibly entered by Al-Hirak youth groups, destroying the gate, and demanding
closure of the school and support for the civil disobedience movement. In a separate
incident, in Sa’ada governorate, a timed improvised explosive device was detected
inside a school and detonated safely.
159. The United Nations documented the military use of four schools by both
Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah and the Salafists, including as military barracks and during
clashes in Sa’ada, Amran and Aden governorates, resulting in the closure of the
schools since October 2013. One school in Amran was used by the national armed
forces as barracks from 19 January to 1 March 2013. Also in Amran, four schools
were used and destroyed by armed elements of the Al-Osimat and Qaflat Uthar
tribes.
160. Six attacks on hospitals and protected personnel were documented, including
the partial destruction of four hospitals during a complex attack by AQAP/Ansar
al-Sharia on 5 December in Sana’a, resulting in the death of 57 people and injury to
186 others. Two hospitals were partially destroyed in crossfire between Al-Houthi/
Ansar Allah and the Salafists. Government forces were responsible for damage to a
hospital and attacks on protected personnel in the context of dispersing Al-Hirak
elements in Al Dhale’e and Hadramaut governorates.
161. Twenty-two incidents of denial of humanitarian access and attacks on
humanitarian personnel were verified, mainly attributed to unknown armed groups
and, in some cases, to Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah and Government forces. Of particular
concern was the abduction of 11 humanitarian personnel in seven incidents. Two
United Nations staff remained abducted at the time of reporting. From October to
November, humanitarian access to Dammaj and three IDP camps was denied by
Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah during clashes with the Salafists.
162. Following the visit of my Special Representative in November 2012 and the
Government’s commitment to address grave violations against children in Yemen,
dialogue on an action plan to end and prevent the recruitment of children by the
national armed forces continued in 2013. On 1 January, the Government established
an interministerial committee, which, by July, had developed and endorsed a draft
action plan. At the time of reporting, despite its adoption by the Cabinet on
4 September 2013, the action plan was pending signature owing to ongoing
discussions regarding monitoring access. Meanwhile, the United Nations continued
to promote relevant legal reforms and advocated, in the context of the National
Dialogue Conference, for 18 as the minimum age for recruitment. In October, an
implementation plan to accelerate birth registration was launched by the
Government, addressing an existing loophole in recruitment mechanisms.
Furthermore, the United Nations continued to engage in dialogue with Al-Houthi/
Ansar Allah at the time of reporting based on a draft action plan to end and prevent
the recruitment and use of children.
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B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
Colombia
163. Following the signing of the “General Agreement for the end of the conflict
and the construction of a stable and lasting peace” in August 2012, ongoing talks
between the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP) and the Government of Colombia achieved important progress on the
issues of rural development and political participation. While the issue of children
and armed conflict was not included in the agenda, both the third item, on “End of
the conflict”, and the fifth item, on “Victims”, constitute opportunities to take into
account child protection concerns. This is a positive development, I commend the
ongoing efforts in the context of the peace talks and encourage the parties to
continue to work in this direction towards a political solution. Furthermore, in the
context of the peace talks, the Colombian Vice-President has specifically called on
FARC-EP to respect minimum humanitarian standards, including by releasing
children associated with them and by ending recruitment and use.
164. Hostilities between FARC-EP, the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) and
the Colombian Armed Forces intensified in particular in the departments of Cauca,
Choco, Nariño, Antioquia, Arauca, Santander and Putumayo. Extensive
displacement triggered by such hostilities continued to increase children’s
vulnerability, especially those of Afro-Colombian and indigenous origin. At least
110,000 people suffered from severe mobility restrictions in 2013, mostly as a result
of hostilities but also confinement, contamination by explosive remnants of war, and
security restrictions imposed by armed groups having an impact on access to
humanitarian assistance and basic services. By the end of December, at least 24,862
people remained confined in 10 departments, with indigenous and Afro-Colombian
people affected disproportionally.
165. Although the recruitment and use of children remained underreported in
Colombia, the United Nations verified 81 cases of recruitment and use of children
by armed groups in 25 departments and in Bogotá, including 58 children by
FARC-EP and 17 by ELN. In July 2013, eight cases of recruitment of indigenous
children by FARC-EP were documented in the department of Cauca. In December,
in Antioquia, a 15-year-old boy was recruited by FARC-EP during a declared
ceasefire. Furthermore, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute documented
342 children (114 girls and 228 boys) separated from armed groups in 2013,
marking a significant increase, compared with 264 children separated in 2012.
Among these children, 261 had been recruited by FARC-EP, 65 by ELN, 15 by
armed groups that emerged after the demobilization of the paramilitary group
Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, and 1 by the Ejército Popular de Liberación.
166. At least 43 children were killed and 83 maimed during attacks by armed
groups. Four children were killed and 10 maimed in clashes between armed groups
or between the national armed forces and armed groups. For example, in August, a
14-year-old boy was killed in crossfire when FARC-EP attacked a police station in
Putumayo. Furthermore, 11 children were killed and 28 maimed by anti-personnel
mines or explosive remnants of war.
167. While underreported, girls and boys continued to be victims of sexual violence
attributed to members of armed groups and in some cases by the national armed
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forces. Between January and October 2013, five cases of sexual violence against
children by armed groups and 17 cases (two boys and 15 girls) by the national
armed forces were referred to the National Institute of Forensics. Furthermore,
information gathered by the United Nations and the Colombian Ombudsman Office
indicate a pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse of girls and women in mining
zones where armed groups are operating. Sexual violence also continued to be
perpetrated by armed groups that emerged after the demobilization of the
paramilitary groups. Since these groups are not considered actors of the armed
conflict by the Government, and although children may also benefit from support by
the State’s Family Defenders as victims of violence, they continue to face obstacles
in exercising their rights as protected under the Victims Law.
168. During 2013, the United Nations identified 26 education-related incidents
resulting in damage to schools or suspension of classes. For example, in April 2013,
a school in Arauca used as shelter by FARC-EP was damaged during clashes
between the armed group and the national armed forces. In February 2013, the
national armed forces used a school for military purposes while fighting against
FARC-EP in Putumayo, putting school premises and children at risk often resulting
in the suspension of classes. In November, during an armed lockdown by FARC-EP
in Antioquia, at least six schools were closed, affecting approximately 3,000
children. Teachers continued to be targeted, with five teachers reportedly killed by
unidentified armed groups and others subject to threats by armed groups in six
different departments. The involvement of children in several civic-military
activities by the Ministry of Defense and the national armed forces, prohibited by
the Child Protection Code (Law 1098 of 2006), was reported in several departments.
169. The Government of Colombia has voluntarily accepted the monitoring and
reporting mechanism pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) on the
condition that any dialogue between the United Nations and armed groups would
take place with its consent. Constructive dialogue between the Government and the
United Nations system, both at the political and technical levels, is ongoing. The
establishment and implementation of policies to protect children from recruitment
such as the Presidential Human Rights Programme is an encouraging development
to ensure the protection of children affected by the conflict in Colombia.
170. A total of 342 children who had been separated from armed groups were
referred to the Colombian Family Welfare Institute. Some children, in particular
those separated from the armed groups formed after the demobilization of paramilitary
organizations, were referred to the Attorney General’s Office for prosecution in
accordance with the Law on Childhood and Adolescence (8 November 2006)
(Codigo de la Infancia y Adolescencia, Ley 1098). However, the children continued
to face difficulties in benefitting from the same rights and protection as children
recruited by other armed groups. All children, as victims, should be accorded the
same benefits and protection, regardless of the group that recruited or used them.
171. The number of prosecutions for violations against children and information on
cases taken up by the Office of the Attorney General remained limited. While the
Colombian Family Welfare Institute attended to at least 5,417 children separated
since 1999 from armed groups, to date there have been 69 convictions for child
recruitment, including 5 under the Justice and Peace Law of 2005 (of which 2 in
2013), and 64 by the Human Rights Unit of the Office of the Attorney General (of
which 14 in 2013). Additionally, there have been convictions by regional offices of
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the Attorney General. Despite such efforts, children continued to face difficulties in
gaining access to justice, and impunity for violations against children remains a
concern.
India
172. The recruitment and use of children, as young as 6 years of age, by Maoist
armed groups in India, also known as Naxalites, continued in 2013. Although no
disaggregated data on the number of children associated with armed groups in India
was available to the United Nations, independent estimates indicate that at least
2,500 children are associated with armed groups in Naxal-affected areas. Notably,
Naxalite recruitment also continued to affect girls and women. According to the
Ministry of Home Affairs, boys and girls between 6 and 12 years of age were
recruited into specific children’s units (called bal dasta and bal sangham) in Bihar,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha States. The children were used as spies and for
fighting with crude weapons, such as sticks. At the age of 12, children associated
with Naxalites are reportedly transferred to age-specific units and receive military
training in weapons handling and the use of improvised explosive devices.
According to Government sources, children also continued to be placed in front of
combat units as human shields. In Naxalite recruitment campaigns, targeting poor
communities, parents are forced to offer boys and girls to the armed groups under
the threat of violence, including killing and torture. Similarly, children are
reportedly threatened with the killing of family members should they escape or
surrender to security forces.
173. The recruitment and use of children remains to be criminalized by law. Of
particular concern were several reports on the treatment of children allegedly
associated with armed groups. As the Indian National Commission for Protection of
Child Rights stated in its “Protocols for police and armed forces in contact with
children in areas of civil unrest”, children arrested under security legislation are
often detained with adults, not tried through the juvenile justice system and deprived
of their right to due process of law.
174. Although no disaggregated data on children killed or maimed in clashes
between Maoist armed groups and Government security forces were available, at
least 257 civilians, 101 security forces elements and 97 Naxalite members were
killed in 2013 in 998 incidents. Taking into account the use of children as human
shields by the Naxalites, the United Nations is concerned about the killing and
maiming of children in hostilities.
175. The reported presence of girls within Naxalite ranks also raises concerns
regarding sexual violence against children. According to the Government, based on
statements of several women formerly associated with Naxalite groups, sexual
violence, including rape and other forms of abuse, is a practice in some Naxalite
camps.
176. Attacks on schools by Naxalites have continued to affect access by children to
education in affected areas. Three schools were reportedly attacked by Naxalites in
2013. For example, on 15 June, up to 50 Naxalite fighters attacked and blew up a
middle school in Bhulsumia village, Bihar. In that regard, continued reports on the
military use of schools as barracks and bases or the deployment of Government
security forces in the vicinity of schools remained a concern. For example, in an
incident in Latehar district, Jharkhand, on 16 March, approximately 20 Naxalite
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fighters reportedly attacked a school, beat up teachers and destroyed a boundary
wall under construction. Last, according to some reports, schools in Chhattisgarh
were also used for the recruitment of schoolchildren by armed groups.
Nigeria
177. Conflict in the north-eastern region of Nigeria has resulted in serious
violations against children. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, also
known as Boko Haram,2 was created in 2002 in Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern
Borno State. Its objective is to overthrow the Government and create an
Islamic State governed by sharia law. Since July 2009, the extremist group has been
carrying out targeted attacks against police, religious leaders, politicians, and public
and international institutions, including a suicide attack on a United Nations
building in Abuja in 2011, and indiscriminately killing civilians, including children.
178. The security and humanitarian situation in the north-eastern region
deteriorated throughout 2013. The activities of Boko Haram and the military
response have led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people within
Nigeria and to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and the Niger. A joint humanitarian
assessment mission in September by the Nigerian authorities (National Emergency
Management Agency), the United Nations and the Nigerian Red Cross, estimates
that about 5.9 of the 11 million Nigerians who live in the north-eastern states have
been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, including 4 million in Borno State.
179. Humanitarian access to affected communities and for monitoring and verifying
incidents of grave violations against children has become increasingly difficult, in
particular since the closure of Maiduguri airport following an attack by Boko Haram
in December 2013. Between May and December 2013 alone, at least 1,200 people
were killed in 48 Boko Haram-related attacks in the States of Adamawa, Borno and
Yobe.
180. The United Nations received reports of the recruitment and use of children as
young as 12 by Boko Haram. Children are allegedly used for intelligence purposes,
tracking movements of the security forces, transporting guns and taking part in
attacks, including the burning of schools and churches.
181. Hundreds of children were killed or maimed by Boko Haram in bomb and gun
attacks against anyone who supported democracy or so-called Western values. In
September alone, 491 persons were killed in nine attacks, including an unknown
number of children. For example, on 17 September 2013, Boko Haram attacked
Benisheikh, killing at least 161 people, mainly civilians.
182. Of particular concern were the targeted attacks on schools by Boko Haram,
which were on the increase in Yobe and Borno States since October 2012 and
throughout 2013, resulting in the killing of at least 100 children and 70 teachers. For
example, in March 2013, at least 11 schools in Borno State were attacked resulting
in the killing of at least seven teachers and three children. In June, two secondary
schools were attacked in Yobe and Borno States, resulting in the killing of seven
schoolchildren and two teachers in Yobe and eight boys and two girls in Borno. In
July, a Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, publicly stated that they would burn
__________________
2 Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad in Arabic means “people committed to
propagating the Prophet’s teachings and jihad”. It is also known as Boko Haram, which means
“Western education is a sin” in local Hausa language.
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schools and kill teachers and the group claimed responsibility for an attack on 6 July
on a secondary school in Mamudo, Yobe State, killing at least 29 children and one
teacher, some of them burned alive. Also in July, a government secondary school in
Yobe State was attacked by armed elements at night while the schoolchildren were
sleeping. Sections of the school and dormitory were set ablaze and escaping
students were shot. The reported number of casualties ranged between 18 and 42. In
the most fatal attack on children in 2013, on 29 September, Boko Haram elements
entered and opened fire in the male dormitory at the College of Agriculture in
Gujba, Yobe State, killing 65 students and wounding 18 others.
183. Boko Haram also targeted and killed education and medical personnel. For
example, on 9 April, suspected Boko Haram members killed four officials of the
Borno State Feeding Committee, which runs a primary and secondary school
feeding programme, while they were on an inspection tour of schools in Dikwa
town, Borno State. In February, three foreign doctors were reportedly killed in
Potiskum and 10 female health workers were killed in attacks on polio vaccination
centres in Kano.
184. The escalating violence and recurrent attacks on schools severely disrupted the
right of children to education, with 15,000 children in Borno State reportedly having
to stop attending schools between February and May 2013. The health-care system
in Borno State has also reportedly collapsed, with most medical personnel fleeing in
fear of being attacked by Boko Haram. These trends of attacks on schools and the
killing and maiming of children continued in early 2014. For instance, on
25 February 2014, 59 schoolchildren in the College of Buni Yadi, a secondary
school in Yobe State in north-east Nigeria, were reportedly shot or burned alive.
185. The Government of Nigeria responded to the threat posed by Boko Haram with
the deployment of a joint task force comprising military, police, immigration and
intelligence officers in June 2011. In May 2013, the Government declared a state of
emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, following which armed clashes
between the joint task force and Boko Haram escalated in the context of the joint
task force counter-insurgency operations. The United Nations received reports of
14 children in Borno State, between 9 and 13 years of age, and 21 children in Yobe
State who had been reportedly arrested in the context of such operations. The United
Nations welcomes their release in May 2013 as part of the amnesty programme
announced by the Government and calls on the Government to do its utmost to
uphold its obligations to prevent the arbitrary arrest and detention of children and to
ensure respect for the fundamental principles of the right to a fair trial, including in
the context of a State emergency and of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
186. Furthermore, vigilante groups, commonly referred to as the “Civilian joint task
force”, which emerged to protect their communities from Boko Haram,
progressively armed themselves with machetes and guns, and were observed
manning checkpoints in support of the joint task force. According to the
Government, the “Civilian joint task force” is not part of the Government forces and
the activities of the groups are of concern since they operate outside of the rule of
law, chain of command and accountability of the security forces.
187. The United Nations has denounced the attacks in north-eastern Nigeria and has
called upon the authorities to launch prompt and thorough investigations to hold
perpetrators accountable. The United Nations also takes note of the commitment of
Nigeria to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law, to protect the
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rights of children and to protect children from conflict-related violence, including
through its existing national legislation and policies. I urge the Nigerian authorities
to continue to support the independent National Human Rights Commission to
implement its far-reaching and robust mandate to monitor and report on grave
violations in the affected areas. I welcome the Government’s commitment to help to
facilitate access for human rights monitors and humanitarian actors to the northeast.
Pakistan
188. The recruitment of children by armed groups in Pakistan, including reportedly
for use as suicide bombers and bomb planters, remained a grave concern in 2013.
For example, in March, the police arrested 11 children, between 10 and 17 years of
age, who were allegedly used by the United Baloch Army to plant improvised
explosive devices. All the children were held in the government of Balochistan
security facility awaiting trial at the time of reporting. No exact figures could be
established on the number of children used by armed groups, in particular in the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas. However, on 24 October, 21 children, between
7 and 12 years of age, allegedly proceeding to Pakistan for military training by the
Taliban were detained by Afghan security forces in Nuristan Province. The Taliban
rejected those allegations.
189. Although exact figures of child casualties were not always available in 2013,
improvised explosive device blasts were reported to have killed at least 18 children
and injured 76 others, particularly in the Provinces of Balochistan and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. For example, a twin suicide attack on 22 September at the All Saints
Church in Peshawar city, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killed 81 people, including
an unknown number of children. A splinter group of the Tehrik-i-Taliban, the
Tehrik-i-Taliban-Jandullah, claimed responsibility. In another attack, on 20 June
2013, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque in Quetta, Balochistan,
followed by a remote-controlled improvised explosive device explosion after
civilians and rescue workers had reached the site, killing at least 28 persons,
including 3 children, and injuring 65 others. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility.
On 16 February, in a suicide attack by an unknown group in a marketplace near the
Hazara town of Quetta, 92 people were killed and 254 injured, including at least
45 women and 28 children. In addition, attacks by armed assailants, mainly in
Balochistan and the city of Karachi, caused the death of 7 children and injured 16.
Armed clashes between the security forces and armed groups and between armed
groups themselves in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas resulted in the death
of one child and the injury of four.
190. Targeted attacks on schools, teachers and schoolchildren have continued,
mainly carried out by the Tehrik-i-Taliban and aligned local groups, with 78 attacks
reported to the United Nations. The highest number of attacks on schools occurred
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (51), followed by the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (19). In one incident, on 30 March, a school principal was killed and
eight students, between 5 and 10 years of age, were injured when two men on a
motorcycle hurled hand grenades and opened fire in a primary school in Karachi.
Twenty-six attacks targeted female educational institutions. In January 2013, armed
elements reportedly killed five female teachers and two health workers returning by
bus from a community project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. On 26 March, a
female teacher was executed in the presence of her 13-year-old son on her way to
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school by two unidentified armed elements in Khyber Agency, Federally
Administered Tribal Areas. On 5 September, a bomb blast outside the Government
Girls’ Primary School in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, allegedly
carried out by the local Taliban, injured 13 female students below the age of 10.
Several schools, in particular girls’ schools, also received threats by armed groups
resulting in closures. For example, on 15 April, a Taliban faction led by Hafiz Gul
Bahadur threatened boys and girls if they violated his ban on five schools in
Miranshah, North Waziristan. The United Nations also received reports that Pakistan
security forces were using Government school buildings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas to launch operations against
armed groups.
191. Attacks on polio workers continued, resulting in the killing of several polio
workers and eight police workers providing escort. On 21 November, 11 teachers
and local volunteers were abducted from a private school in Khyber Agency after
polio vaccinations had taken place in the school. The abduction was allegedly
carried out by the Lashkar-e-Islam group, and the victims were released after a few
days unharmed. Hospitals and medical clinics were also targeted. At least four
people were killed, including at least one hospital staff, and five injured in a suicide
bomb attack on a hospital in Bajaur tribal area on 20 April. On 15 June, at least
25 civilians were killed and many others wounded in a coordinated attack claimed
by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi on a bus with female university students and, subsequently,
the Medical Complex in Quetta, where casualties of the first attack received
treatment.
192. The Government took steps towards strengthening its child protection policy
and legislative framework, including the approval of a Balochistan child protection
policy and the vetting and submission to the Cabinet of a child protection act for
Balochistan; formulation of rules of business for the Child Protection and Welfare
Commission in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and for the Child Protection Authority in
Sindh; and the appointment of a Child Rights Commissioner at the federal level and
in all provinces of Pakistan. I encourage the Government of Pakistan to continue its
efforts to better protect children. My country team in Pakistan stands ready to
support the Government in this regard.
Philippines
193. Children continued to be used by all armed groups, including by the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed an action plan with the United
Nations in 2009, the New People’s Party (NPA), the Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF), Abu Sayyaf and the independent MILF splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF). The latter two increasingly engaged in fighting in 2013 in
opposition to the peace process between the Government and MILF. For instance, at
least seven boys between 14 and 17 years of age were used as combatants and
porters by MNLF in their attack on Zamboanga City in September, resulting in the
death of two boys. At least 150 civilians, including 13 girls and 19 boys were used
as human shields in the operation. With regard to Government forces, one case of
the use of a 12-year-old boy as an informant for the police was verified.
194. The United Nations remained concerned regarding the continued reports of
arrest, detention and public exposure of children by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines for alleged association with armed groups. In June, three internally
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displaced boys from Maguindanao Province, between 16 and 17 years of age, were
arrested, detained and ill-treated by elements of the national armed forces for
alleged membership with BIFF. The interrogation and reported abuse took place in a
nearby school building. In another case, a 14-year-old boy was arrested in
Zamboanga, detained and handcuffed for almost two weeks under the allegation of
being an MNLF member. Another two boys were arrested on 22 July by the national
armed forces in Loreto town of Agusan del Sur Province for alleged association with
NPA. Medical reports support that they were ill-treated in military custody.
195. At least 20 children (4 girls and 16 boys) were killed and 22 others injured
(6 girls and 16 boys) in 33 separate incidents. Most child casualties resulted from
clashes between the national armed forces and armed groups, including with MNLF
in Zamboanga City in September, as well as in factional fighting within armed groups.
For instance, in February and April, a series of clashes between two MILF factions
in North Cotabato and Maguindanao resulted in the death of at least three boys and
the injury of a 12-year-old girl. In another incident, on 3 April, an 8-year-old boy
died and two more boys, between 12 and 13 years of age, were wounded in
Compostela Valley Province in AFP gunfire. While the national armed forces
alleged that the casualties resulted from a clash with NPA, their families denied such
an incident and filed a murder case against the elements of the national armed
forces.
196. Armed clashes also continued to have an impact on access by children to
education in affected areas. For instance, in July, clashes between BIFF and the
national armed forces resulted in the suspension of classes for 5,883 children in
three municipalities of Maguindanao Province. Owing to tensions between MILF
and MNLF in June, schools were closed in two villages in Matalam municipality of
North Cotabato Province, affecting 398 students. In September, when MNLF
clashed with the AFP in Zamboanga City, three schools were completely destroyed
in fires.
197. Education and health-care personnel were also targeted by armed groups. For
instance, on 23 September in Midsayap Municipality of North Cotabato Province,
BIFF used the Malingao Elementary School as a defence posture, holding
approximately 1,500 adults and children hostage, and abducted nine teachers in the
course of their retreat. On 18 May, Abu Sayyaf abducted a medical worker from the
health centre in Jolo municipality, Sulu Province.
198. On 15 July, the national armed forces issued guidelines on the conduct of
activities in schools and hospitals. I am encouraged by the reported removal of some
national armed forces units from schools upon advocacy by the United Nations in
regular meetings with the Government’s monitoring, reporting and response
mechanism, and encourage continued implementation of the guidelines. Military
camps in or in the vicinity of schools and health clinics affect the right of children
to education and health care and put them at risk of attacks.
199. Peace talks between the Government and MILF were ongoing throughout
2013. A comprehensive peace pact towards the new Bangsamoro entity, including
provisions on the demobilization of MILF forces, was signed on 27 March 2014.
The United Nations continued to engage with MILF on the action plan, to which
MILF signed an addendum on extension on 29 April 2013. A technical support
mission conducted by the Office of my Special Representative and UNICEF in May
resulted in the development of an operational plan outlining practical steps towards
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action plan implementation. However, MILF had not formally responded to
communications by the United Nations in the Philippines at the time of reporting. I
again urge MILF to continue its collaboration with the United Nations and
encourage the Government of the Philippines to continue to provide support in that
regard.
Southern border provinces of Thailand
200. Despite the unprecedented announcement of a “general consensus on the peace
dialogue process” between the Government of Thailand and “people who have
different opinions and ideologies from the State”, including the National
Revolutionary Front (BRN), on 28 February 2013, armed violence continued to
affect the southern border provinces of Thailand.
201. The United Nations received reports of the recruitment and use of both girls
and boys as young as 14 years of age by armed groups, including BRN. The children
are allegedly used mainly as informants and lookouts to track movement of the Thai
security forces. Concerns also persist over the informal association of children with
village defence groups (Chor Ror Bor). According to the Government, local
Government officers in relevant provinces were instructed to raise awareness and
monitor the implementation of regulations issued by the Government to address the
concern of the informal association of children with the Chor Ror Bor. The
involvement of children in armed forces and armed groups remains to be explicitly
criminalized by law. Furthermore, the United Nations continued to receive
worrisome information regarding the administrative detention of children for
alleged association with armed groups. According to the Government, the Criminal
Procedural Code and the Juvenile and Family Court and Juvenile and Family
Procedure Act of 2010 are applied to child suspects in order to protect their rights
and to assure orderly separation, reintegration and assistance. The United Nations
looks forward to an update on the implementation of those commitments.
202. Credible sources indicate that at least 316 improvised explosive device attacks
were reportedly carried out in Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, and Yala Provinces,
including 35 improvised explosive device attacks during the last two weeks of
Ramadan. In April 2013 alone, 45 people were reportedly killed and 79 others
injured in 298 incidents, including bombings and drive-by shootings. Although
exact figures on child casualties were not always available, the United Nations
received reports of 7 children killed and 37 injured in such incidents. For example,
on 21 March 2013, a 9-year-old boy was killed and 14 people wounded when a
bomb was reportedly detonated in an ice cream shop in Pattani Province. Among
several reported child casualties resulting from drive-by shootings, a 2-year-old boy
was severely wounded when his father was killed on 11 December 2013.
203. Armed groups continued to target schools and teachers, although the United
Nations was not able to attribute them to specific parties. At least seven teachers and
three education-related personnel were killed, as confirmed by the Thailand
Ministry of Education. On 23 January, a teacher was executed by two gunmen in a
school cafeteria in front of dozens of children, including his 7-year-old daughter, in
Narathiwat Province. Classes were suspended for several days in 12 schools in
Pattani Province, after the killing of a teacher in a targeted drive-by shooting in
August. Schools were also affected by attacks, including by at least three
improvised explosive device attacks on Government security forces deployed to
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protect schools, putting schoolchildren and protected personnel further at risk. In
one attack in Yala Province, on 10 September, two soldiers were killed and a
12-year-old schoolboy injured on school premises.
204. In my previous annual report, I welcomed the fact that the Government and the
United Nations country team were engaging in dialogue on access to the southern
border provinces to conduct independent verification and report on alleged
violations against children, including through minimum operating modalities. While
the Government has continued to facilitate programmatic visits, I regret that no
progress has been achieved on the issue of access for monitoring and verification,
and I strongly urge the Government to move forward with the country team to
facilitate independent access in that regard.
IV. Recommendations
205. I am deeply concerned about the grave violations outlined in the present report
and call upon all parties to immediately cease to commit, and take all measures to
prevent, all grave violations against children, and to take all necessary measures to
make violators accountable.
206. I strongly urge all parties listed in the annexes to the present report engaged in
the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, sexual
violence against children and/or attacks on schools and hospitals or protected
personnel to immediately cease all grave violations against children and to enter
into dialogue with the United Nations to develop and implement action plans.
207. I welcome the positive engagement of Member States within the scope of the
campaign “Children, Not Soldiers”, to end the recruitment and use of children by
Government security forces in conflict by 2016 and call on them to continue with
determined and tangible steps with a view to finalizing the development and
implementation of action plans. In that regard, I call upon the donor community to
assist in addressing funding gaps for the implementation of action plans and
associated activities.
208. I welcome the progress made by some non-State armed groups in releasing
children or issuing commitments to better protect children, including the prohibition
of child recruitment in command orders and declarations.
209. I call upon Member States to allow independent access to the United Nations
for the purposes of monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children
and to facilitate contact between the United Nations and non-State armed groups for
dialogue, conclusion and follow-up on action plans in order to bring an end to
violations, in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council on children
and armed conflict. Such contact does not prejudge the political or legal status of
those non-State armed groups.
210. I note with deep concern the continued attacks on and the military use of
schools and the impact on children in that regard. In line with applicable
international humanitarian law, and in accordance with Security Council resolution
2143 (2014), I encourage Member States to consider adopting, as a priority,
additional concrete measures to deter the military use of schools.
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211. I am also concerned about the detention of children in situations of armed
conflict, in particular in the context of counter-terrorism activities, and call for
urgent measures to address this growing and worrisome trend.
212. I welcome the leadership and important contribution of regional and
subregional organizations to conflict prevention, mediation and peace support
operations. I call on them to further mainstream child protection considerations in
their guidance and policy development, mission planning, training of personnel and
conduct of peace support operations.
213. I call upon the Council to continue to support the children and armed conflict
agenda by strengthening provisions for the protection of children in all relevant
mandates of United Nations peacekeeping, special political and peacebuilding
missions, including the deployment of child protection advisers.
214. I call upon all Member States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and its three Optional Protocols. I also call
upon all States parties to these instruments to fully implement the recommendations
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
V. Lists in the annexes to the present report
215. Compared with the past year, eight new parties are included in the annexes to
the present report. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ADF, NDC/Cheka and
the Mayi Mayi Kata Katanga are listed for the recruitment and use of children.
NDC/Cheka are also listed for the killing and maiming of children and ADF for
recurrent attacks on schools and hospitals. In South Sudan, SPLA in Opposition and
the White Army are identified as perpetrators of the recruitment and use of children
and the killing and maiming of children. Furthermore, SPLA has additionally been
listed for the killing and maiming of children. Nigeria was introduced as a situation
of concern in the present report owing to the continued, systematic attacks on
schools and the killing and maiming of children by Boko Haram, which is listed for
those violations. In the Central African Republic, local self-defence militias known
as the anti-Balaka are listed for their widespread involvement in the recruitment and
use and the killing and maiming of children. In addition to the new parties on the
lists, FRPI in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, already listed for the
recruitment and use of, and sexual violence against, children, is also listed for
recurrent attacks on schools and hospitals. The Mayi Mayi Simba “Morgan”, already
listed for sexual violence against children, are also listed for their recruitment and use.
216. Other changes in the list resulted from the fragmentation of previously listed
parties or other changes in the landscape of armed conflict in respective situations.
The following are separately listed in the present report for the recruitment and use
of children: BIFF, formerly part of MILF in the Philippines; pro-Government
militias in Yemen, including the Salafists and the popular committees; and ASWJ in
Somalia, whose factions continued to have varying degrees of relationships with the
Government forces. In the Syrian Arab Republic, armed opposition groups were
treated under the FSA umbrella in previous annual reports. Owing to continuously
shifting alliances, the emergence of new structures and strengthened reporting,
Jhabat al-Nusra, ISIS, Ahrar al-Sahm and YPG were identified as separate
perpetrators of the recruitment and use of children in 2013. Jhabat al-Nusra and ISIS
are also listed for the killing and maiming of children. In the Central African
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Republic, the ex-Séléka, already mentioned in the annexes of my previous report,
are now listed separately with associated armed groups for all four violations.
217. The Chadian armed forces were delisted from the annexes in the present report
in view of full compliance with the action plan. I am looking forward to reporting
on the sustainable efforts made by the Government in my report on children and
armed conflict in Chad and in my next annual report. Finally, armed groups that
were no longer active in 2013 and were removed from the annexes include the
SLA-Historical Leadership, SLA-Mother Wing (Abu Gasim), and SLA-Unity in the
Sudan; as the Mayi Mayi Tawimbi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and,
the Convention patriotique pour le salut du Kodro, the Mouvement des libérateurs
centrafricain pour la justice and the Union des forces républicaines in the Central
African Republic.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the
Security Council*
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Policea,•
2. Haqqani Networka,b
3. Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
4. Taliban forces, including the Tora Bora Front, the Jamat Sunat al-Dawa Salafia
and the Latif Mansur Networka,b,d
Parties in the Central African region (Central African Republic, Democratic
Republic of the Congo and South Sudan)
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Ex-Séléka coalition and associated armed groupsa,b,c,d
a. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix (CPJP)•
b. Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix fondamentale
(CPJP fondamentale)
c. Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC)
d. Union des forces démocratiques pour le rassemblement (UFDR)•
2. Local defence militias known as the anti-Balakaa,b
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)a,d
2. Forces armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC)a,c,•
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)a,c,d
4. Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI)a,c,d
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
• This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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5. Mayi Mayi Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS)
“Colonel Janvier”a
6. Mayi Mayi “Lafontaine” and former elements of the Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO)a
7. Mayi Mayi Simba “Morgan”a,c
8. Mouvement du 23 mars (M23)a,c
9. Mayi Mayi Kata Katangaa
10. Nduma Defence Coalition (NDC)/Chekaa,b
11. Mayi Mayi Nyaturaa
Parties in Iraq
Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)/Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQ-I)a,b,d
Parties in Mali
1. Mouvement national de liberation de l’Azawad (MNLA)a,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO)a,c
3. Ansar Dinea,c
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA)a
2. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)a
3. Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA)a
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Karenni Army (KNPP/KA)a
6. Shan State Army South (SSA-S)a
7. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forcesa,•
8. United Wa State Army (UWSA)a
Parties in Somalia
1. Al Shabaaba,b
2. Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ)a
3. Somali National Armya,b,•
Parties in South Sudan
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)a,b,•
2. Opposition armed groups, including former SPLA in oppositiona,b
3. White Armya
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Parties in Sudan
1. Government forces, including the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Popular
Defense Forces (PDF) and the Sudan police forces (Border Intelligence Forces
and Central Reserve Police)a
2. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)a
3. Pro-Government militiasa
4. Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahida
5. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawia
6. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N)a
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
1. Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamia,b
2. Free Syrian Army (FSA) — affiliated groupsa
3. Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and the Shabbiha
militiab,c,d
4. Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS)a,b
5. Jhabat Al-Nusraa,b
6. People Protection Units (YPG)a
Parties in Yemen
1. Al-Houthi/Ansar Allaha
2. Al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula (AQIP)/Ansar al-Shariaa
3. Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces, the First Armoured
Division, the Military Police, the special security forces and Republican
Guardsa
4. Pro-Government militias, including the Salafists and Popular Committeesa
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda of
the Security Council, or in other situations*
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)a
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo
(FARC-EP)a
Parties in Nigeria
1. Boko Haramb,c
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)a
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)a
3. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)a,•
4. New People’s Army (NPA)a
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
• This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/69/926*–S/2015/409*
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
5 June 2015
Original: English
15-06098* (E) 120815
*1506098*
General Assembly
Sixty-ninth session
Agenda item 64
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Sixty-ninth year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2014,
is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2068 (2012), by which the
Council requested that I continue to submit annual reports on the implementation of
its resolutions and presidential statements on children and armed conflict.
2. The report highlights recent global trends regarding the impact of armed
conflict on children and provides information on grave violations committed against
children in 2014. The main activities and initiatives with regard to the
implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and the conclusions of its
Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict are outlined. In line with the
resolutions of the Council pertaining to children and armed conflict, the report
includes in its annexes a list of parties that engage in the recruitment and use of
children, sexual violence against children, the killing and maiming of children,
attacks on schools and/or hospitals and attacks or threats of attacks against protected
personnel, in contravention of international law.
3. All information presented in the present report and its annexes has been
documented, vetted and verified for accuracy by the United Nations. In situations
where the ability to obtain or independently verify information is hampered by such
factors as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such. The preparation of
the report and its annexes involved broad consultations within the United Nations,
at Headquarters and in the field, and with relevant Member States.
4. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), and in identifying
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict is guided by the criteria found in international
humanitarian law and international jurisprudence for determining the existence of
an armed conflict. Reference to a situation is not a legal determination, and
reference to a non-State party does not affect its legal status.
* Reissued for technical reasons on 4 August 2015.
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II. Addressing the impact of armed conflict on children
A. Trends and developments
5. There were unprecedented challenges in 2014 with regard to the protection of
tens of millions of children growing up in situations affected by conflict. In
particular, children in several countries affected by major crises, namely, the Central
African Republic, Iraq, Israel/State of Palestine, Nigeria, South Sudan and the
Syrian Arab Republic, were exposed to the most egregious violations. This added to
existing violations against children in protracted conflicts, such as in Afghanistan,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. Most recently, the security
situation in Yemen deteriorated further with reports, in April 2015, of significant
numbers of child casualties.
B. Abductions as an increasing trend
6. Mass abductions of civilians, including children, have become an increasingly
prevalent feature of conflict in many situations described in the present re port. The
abduction of children had primarily been a precursor to other violations, such as
killing and maiming, recruitment and use, or sexual violence. In many instances,
abducted children were also arbitrarily detained by Governments and armed groups.
While these trends continued in 2014, armed groups abducted children in greater
numbers and increasingly used abductions as a tactic to terrorize or target particular
ethnic groups or religious communities.
7. In Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, over one thousand girls and boys were
abducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In one incident in the
Syrian Arab Republic, ISIL abducted approximately 150 young boys on their way
home from having taken school exams in Aleppo. They were released from captivity
after a few months, during which they were physically abused, indoctrinated and
made to observe violent practices. Towards the end of the year, ISIL issued a
document justifying its sexual slavery of Yezidi girls abducted in Iraq. In Nigeri a,
Boko Haram abducted hundreds of women and girls in major attacks in Chibok and
across the country’s north-eastern region. Video statements released by Boko Haram
indicated that the abductions were in retaliation against the Government for the
detention of relatives and served as punishment for schoolchildren attending
Western-style schools.
8. The information contained in the present report demonstrates that the increase
in the frequency and scale of abductions has resulted in greater protection needs for
children. The children require safe release, family tracing, medical, psychological
and legal assistance and facilitation of voluntary repatriation in the context of crossborder
abductions.
9. The long-term consequences of abductions are of concern. Dominic Ongwen
of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) was transferred to the International Criminal
Court in January 2015. Abducted by LRA in 1989 on his way to school, Dominic
Ongwen rose to the rank of major at 18 years of age. His transfer to The Hague
25 years later is a reminder of the long-term consequences of such violations.
10. Rising concerns about abductions were highlighted by Member States in the
March 2015 open debate of the Security Council on children and armed conflict. In
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the light of those concerns, my Special Representative will explore new ways to
respond to the increasing occurrence of abductions. I call upon the Security Counc il
to expand the tools available to child protection actors to gather information and
report on the abduction of children, including through adding abductions as a trigger
violation for listing within the annexes of this report.
C. Responses to extreme violence
11. Extreme violence rose to unprecedented levels in 2014, leading to a dramatic
increase of grave violations against children. Children have been disproportionately
affected and were often the direct targets of acts of violence intended to in flict
maximum casualties, terrorize entire communities and provoke worldwide outrage.
12. A tactic of extremist groups is the targeting of schools since they
fundamentally object to the goal of universal education for children because they
are an emblematic target. In other instances, schools located in areas controlled by
extremist armed groups have had their curriculum changed to reflect the groups ’
ideology.
13. The military responses to the threat caused by extreme violence have also
raised serious child protection concerns. In a number of situations where extreme
violence is prevalent, military operations led by regional or international coalitions
or by neighbouring countries have resulted in the killing and maiming of children.
Children have also been subjected to sexual violence and recruited and used by
pro-Government militias.
14. An area of particular concern related to the response to extreme violence is the
deprivation of liberty of children due to their alleged association with extremist
groups. Children have been detained on suspicion of being associated with an
extremist group without review of the lawfulness of the deprivation of liberty. These
children should be treated primarily as victims and their rights protected at all times.
At a minimum, Member States should ensure that procedures or trials are consistent
with international juvenile justice standards, with deprivation of liberty as a
measure of last resort.
15. The reintegration of children recruited and used in extreme violence rais es
new challenges. Reintegration has always required significant and long -term
resources. However, the impact of exposure to the severity of the violence
committed in 2014 across a number of situations will cause particularly serious and
long-term distress. Comprehensive programmes are needed to address the
reintegration needs of these children. Only through concerted action will it be
possible to establish measures to mitigate the harm done to them.
16. Responding appropriately to extreme violence is comp lex, but it is imperative
that all responses be conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian
law, refugee law and human rights law. These international legal obligations are the
minimum that must be in place in all national, regional and international responses
to security threats. The Security Council, African Union, European Union, League
of Arab States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, coalition Member States and
individual Member States should ensure that responses include specific mi tigating
measures for the protection of children. I also encourage all concerned Governments
to ensure that the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations against
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children, are criminalized, allegations of violations investigated and perpet rators
held to account. It is also critical that military operations be complemented by
efforts to address the root causes that lead to the emergence of extremist groups.
Recognizing and addressing social deprivation and alienation of communities,
strengthening efforts to grant access to education and other key social services will
contribute to isolating the leaders of extremist groups through delegitimizing their
discourse and reducing the numbers who willingly enlist.
D. Engagement with non-State actors
17. Forty-nine armed groups are listed in the annexes to the present report because
they have committed grave violations against children. Engaging with that group of
actors is inherently challenging, given their variety, number and often changing
nature. The emergence of extremist groups has compounded the challenge.
Notwithstanding those limitations, the United Nations has sustained dialogue with
armed groups in several situations of conflict during the period under rev iew with
the aim of ending and preventing violations, negotiating the separation of children
and facilitating their reintegration. As a result of that engagement, the leadership of
a number of armed groups have issued command orders to prohibit and sanctio n
child recruitment and use and other grave violations against children.
18. Engaging with armed groups requires a case-by-case approach. My Special
Representative has utilized engagements with mediators, special envoys and
regional organizations to integrate the protection of children into peacemaking
initiatives, such as the Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in the Central
African Republic, which was signed in Brazzaville in July by parties to the conflict
in the country. This approach has contributed to gaining commitments from a
number of non-State actors to end the recruitment and use of children and prevent
other grave violations throughout the reporting period.
19. However, the nature of many armed groups listed in the annexes to the present
report, combined with limitations on the access of the United Nations, presents
challenges for monitoring commitments. While it is commendable when an armed
group pledges to better protect children, such commitments need to be translated
into concrete and verifiable actions that make a difference in children’s lives.
20. With child protection partners in the field, my Special Representative will
continue to identify opportunities to engage in dialogue with armed groups, obtain
concrete commitments and sign action plans. The sustained and complementary use
of multiple tools is needed to accelerate progress in compliance by armed groups
with international child protection standards. In order for those tools to be effective,
Member States should allow independent access to the United Nations in order to
facilitate monitoring and reporting.
E. “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign
21. In March, my Special Representative and the United Nations Children ’s Fund
(UNICEF) launched the campaign “Children, Not Soldiers” to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children by government security forces by the end of 2016.
The campaign generated wide support from Member States, United Nations and
civil society partners and provided opportunities for the countries involved to have
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an exchange on experiences and best practices. In the campaign’s first year,
progress was steady. Six of the seven countries concerned — Afghanistan, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen —
have signed or recommitted to action plans. I encourage the Sudan to sign an action
plan with the United Nations.
22. A first country, Chad, fully complied with the measures detailed in its action
plan, and its armed forces were delisted from the annexes to the present report in
2014. Other Governments have enacted laws to criminalize underage recruitment,
released children from army ranks, conducted national awareness campaigns, and
developed and implemented age-assessment mechanisms.
23. Throughout the coming year, my Special Representative will continue to reach
out to Member States concerned with the campaign, the international community,
regional organizations and all relevant partners to mobilize political, technical and
financial support to address challenges faced by countries in the implementation of
their action plan. This is necessary in order to put in place mechanisms strong
enough to safeguard the progress accomplished to protect children from recr uitment
if a new crisis strikes. In the campaign’s second year, United Nations efforts and
advocacy will be directed to encourage all countries concerned with the campaign
that have not yet done so to criminalize and prosecute the recruitment and use of
children. Accountability remains far too rare, even in countries that have
criminalized the recruitment of children.
24. Putting in place strong age-assessment procedures for troop screening and
recruitment is another challenge faced by most countries invol ved in the campaign.
It is an essential, yet often difficult, step to execute accurately, especially in
countries lacking well-established national birth registration systems.
25. The release of children found in the ranks of national security forces is a n
essential step, and must be followed by adequate and properly resourced
reintegration services that also take into account the particular needs of girls.
Resources must be available for community-based programmes that provide
psychosocial assistance and help children build their future through educational and
vocational opportunities.
III. Information on grave violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
26. The Government of Afghanistan faced sustained security challenges in the
reporting period, most notably following the presidential electio ns. In my previous
annual report, I highlighted the significant spike in the killing and maiming of
children in Afghanistan. In 2014, the reported number increased by 48 per cent, to
2,502 child casualties.
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27. The United Nations documented the recruitment and use of 68 children
(65 boys, 3 girls) of which 22 were verified (all boys), one each by the Afghan
National Police and the Afghan local police and 20 associated with the Taliban and
other armed groups. This marks a decrease in child recruitment and use in
Afghanistan compared with 2013, when 97 children were reportedly recruited and
used. However, owing to widespread underreporting, these figures do not accurately
reflect the situation. In a worrisome trend, the Taliban continued to recruit children
to carry out suicide attacks and to plant improvised explosive devices, and used
them in active combat and as spies. For example, on 9 February, a 14 -year-old
suicide bomber detonated explosives near an Afghan National Security Forces
checkpoint in Sharan district, injuring six civilians and five national police officers.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
28. The pilot child protection units in the national police in four provinces
reportedly prevented 156 children from enlisting, indicating a potential for a large
and beneficial impact if such units are replicated across the country. In addition, the
local police reported 55 cases of rejected underage applicants.
29. As at December, according to the Ministry of Justice, 258 boys were held in
juvenile rehabilitation centres across the country on national security -related
charges, including association with armed groups. Of 105 child detainees
interviewed by the United Nations between February 2013 and December 2014,
44 reported having been subjected to ill-treatment or torture.
30. The increase in child casualties included at least 710 children killed and 1,792
injured in 1,091 separate incidents. Armed groups, including the Taliban and the
Hizb-e-Islami, were responsible for 1,343 child casualties (392 killed, 951 injured),
Afghan national security forces for 396 (126 killed, 270 injured), and international
military forces for 38 (24 killed, 14 injured). Cross-border shelling from Pakistan
resulted in 57 child casualties (5 killed, 52 injured). The United Nations was unable
to attribute 668 child casualties (163 killed, 505 injured), particularly in incidents of
crossfire.
31. Ground engagements were the leading cause of child casualties, resulting in
the killing of 311 children and injury to 920 others, nearly double the number in
2013. Attacks with improvised explosive devices by armed groups caused 664 child
casualties. Suicide attacks resulted in 214 child casualties, up by 80 per cent
compared to the previous year. Explosive remnants of war killed or maimed
328 children. Air strikes by international military forces resulted in 38 child
casualties, including eight from drone strikes.
32. In nine incidents, eight boys and six girls reportedly were victims of sexual
violence. Of these, five cases, affecting four girls and two boys, were verified. Four
verified incidents were attributed to the national police, and one incident to a
pro-Government militia commander. On a positive note, regarding accountability, a
local police member from Laghman Province was sentenced in March to 10 years of
imprisonment for sexual assault and attempted rape of a seven -year-old boy.
33. Schools were attacked in 163 verified incidents, including 29 attacks or threats
of attack against protected personnel and 28 incidents of placement of improvised
explosive devices inside school premises. Several attacks were related to the use of
schools as polling stations. A total of 94 incidents were attributed to the Taliban and
other armed groups, 1 to international forces and 68 incidents that could not be
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attributed. Girls’ education was particularly targeted by the Taliban, including the
distribution of leaflets with serious threats against students, intimidation of female
teachers, attacks on school personnel for not complying with the Taliban’s demand
to close schools, and attacks on students on their way to school. At least 469 Afghan
schools remained closed because of insecurity.
34. At least 10 health-care personnel were killed and 14 were abducted. Health
facilities continued to be attacked directly or as collateral damage. A total of
38 verified incidents were attributed to armed groups, including 13 to the Taliban,
and 4 to the Afghan national security forces, including forced entries into health
facilities in search of alleged armed group elements.
35. The United Nations verified 11 cases of military use of schools by the
Taliban (3), Afghan National Army (3), the local police (3), the national police (1),
and other Afghan national security forces units (1), as well as 3 incidents of military
use of hospitals by the national police and the Taliban.
36. Twenty-four boys and two girls were abducted in 17 separate incidents,
resulting in the killing of at least four boys by the Taliban, the rape of two girls by
the local police, and the rape of a boy by a pro-Government militia. Overall, the
Taliban abducted 15 boys, accusing them of being Government spies.
37. The United Nations verified 72 of 83 reported incidents affecting humanitarian
access to children. There were 125 abductions of humanitarian personnel, the killing
and injuring of 41, and 9 attacks on humanitarian convoys, including 2 United
Nations convoys. Armed groups, notably the Taliban, were responsible for 85 per
cent of all verified incidents, including intimidation of humanitarian personnel.
38. In a welcome development, in July, the Government officially endorsed a road
map for compliance with the action plan to end and prevent child recruitment into
its security forces. Significant progress was made on three of five priority actions,
in particular the adoption of a presidential decree criminalizing child recruitment by
Government security forces, which came into effect on 2 February 2015.
Furthermore, the Ministry of the Interior issued and disseminated a directive
prohibiting the use of children at national police and local police checkpoints,
including in support roles, stating that the perpetrators would be sanctioned. Efforts
also continued to strengthen age assessment procedures and disseminate gui dance to
recruitment units.
39. Despite the progress achieved, significant efforts are needed by all actors to
fully implement the action plan. The lack of services for children rejected from
recruitment or released from active service remained a significant concern.
Moreover, I urge the Government of Afghanistan to address widespread impunity
for violations of children’s rights, particularly within the national police and local
police, and investigate the allegations of torture. I condemn the grave violat ions
committed against children by armed groups, including the Taliban, the Haqqani
Network and Hezb-i-Islami and urge them to immediately end all grave violations
against children.
Central African Republic
40. The situation of children in the Central African Republic worsened as fighting
between armed groups, including anti-Balaka and ex-Séléka, and attacks targeting
civilians continued. In line with its mandate, the United Nations Multidimensional
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Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) supported consultations to revitalize
an inclusive reconciliation and political dialogue which resulted in the cessation of
hostilities agreement, including commitments to end violations against children,
signed in Brazzaville in July.
41. The United Nations verified 464 cases of new recruitment, including 446 by
anti-Balaka (86 girls, 360 boys) and 18 boys by ex-Séléka. However, violations are
thought to be largely underreported because of lack of access and limited
monitoring capacity on the ground.
42. The period was characterized by a sharp increase in the number of documented
cases of killing and maiming of children as young as three months old, with
146 killed (109 boys, 37 girls) and 289 injured (182 boys, 107 girls). A total of 58 of
the killings were attributed to ex-Séléka, 49 to anti-Balaka, and 20 to unidentified
armed men. Children were caught in crossfire, hacked to death with machetes and
killed or injured by bullets. For example, in January, four boys between 9 and
10 years of age were beheaded by ex-Séléka in retaliation for an attack against
Muslim community members in Bangui. Between January and February,
22 children, including 9 girls, were killed during attacks by anti-Balaka against
ex-Séléka and Muslim communities. In August, Muslim youths associated with
ex-Séléka attacked the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bambari, killing 20 children and
injuring 4.
43. Rape and other forms of sexual violence against children continue to be of
great concern. The rape of 405 girls and 1 boy, between the ages of 7 an d 17, were
documented throughout the country;; 205 by ex-Séléka, 187 by anti-Balaka, 12 by
unidentified persons and 2 by the national police. Sexual violence incidents
remained largely underreported. Also of concern is the fact that the leadership of
both anti-Balaka and ex-Séléka did not take action against identified alleged
perpetrators of rape against children when cases were reported to them.
44. The United Nations interviewed several boys following allegations of repeated
acts of sexual violence by elements of “Operation Sangaris” in and around the M’Poko
camp for displaced persons in Bangui between December 2013 and May 2014. Their
national authorities have opened an investigation that is ongoing. The victims have
been provided with necessary assistance by the United Nations and local partners. It is
of the utmost importance that the perpetrators be held responsible.
45. Both anti-Balaka and ex-Séléka looted schools and hospitals and threatened
health personnel, students and teachers. The United Nations documented nine
attacks on schools, including four attributed to anti-Balaka, four to ex-Séléka.
46. Five other schools were temporarily used by the International Support Mission
to the Central African Republic and “Operation Sangaris” and later vacated . The
United Nations also verified nine attacks against hospitals. In addition, many
schools and hospitals that were looted, destroyed or damaged in 2013 remained
closed.
47. Thirty-four abductions of children (22 boys, 12 girls), some as young as
3 years of age, were verified, marking a decrease compared with 2013, in particular
because of the decline of LRA attacks in the Central African Republic. Sixteen
abductions were attributed to anti-Balaka, eight to LRA and two to ex-Séléka. In
some cases, children were specifically targeted for ransom or as retaliation against
communities.
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48. A total of 80 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified in
Bangui and the east of the country, including 42 attributed to anti-Balaka, 18 to
ex-Séléka, and 20 to unidentified armed men. Incidents included shooting and
stone-throwing at vehicles, carjacking, attacks on staff at their residences and
looting of offices.
49. The United Nations engaged with the anti-Balaka and ex-Séléka leadership to
identify and separate children associated with those groups. Efforts resulted in the
separation of 2,807 children (2,161 boys, 646 girls) between the ages of 8 and 17,
including 2,347 from anti-Balaka and 446 from ex-Séléka.
50. Dialogue was also initiated with the military chains of command of two
ex-Séléka factions: the Rassemblement patriotique pour le renouveau de
Centafrique (RPRC) and Union pour la paixen la Centrafrique (UPC), resulting in
the issuance of command orders by the military leadership of both factions to end
the recruitment and use of children. In follow-up to this development, UNICEF
provided training to over 400 combatants and officers from both factions. In
addition, sensitization workshops were organized for anti-Balaka in Bangui and
other south-eastern localities.
51. The collapse of the judicial system and other core functions of the State
resulted in widespread impunity allowing grave violations against children to be
committed on a large scale. To address the situation, MINUSCA was mandated
under Security Council resolution 2149 (2014) to assist the transitional authorities
to arrest and bring to justice those responsible for war crimes and crimes against
humanity. The Ministry of Justice and MINUSCA signed a memorandum of
understanding establishing urgent temporary measures to restore law and order and
fight impunity. In this context, two anti-Balaka members who allegedly raped a
14-year-old girl in November in Bangui were arrested by MINUSCA police and
handed over to the national gendarmerie for investigation. As at April 2015, the two
individuals were awaiting trial.
Chad
52. The Chadian National Army was delisted from the annex of the previous
report (A/66/782-S/2012/61) following the full implementation of the action plan to
end the recruitment and use of children, signed with the United Nations in 2011.
During the reporting period, no recruitment or use of children by the national army
was reported. The United Nations continued to provide support to the Government
of Chad, with a particular focus on training, age assessment mechanisms and birth
registration.
53. As part of ongoing follow-up, the Government signed a protocol agreement in
September with the United Nations regarding the handover of children associated
with armed forces or groups. The protocol includes provisions that secure the
handover of children to child protection actors, regardless of their country of origin,
and ensures adequate protection of children held in detention. Prior to the
development of the protocol, 44 children associated with ex-Séléka in the Central
African Republic had entered Chad and been arrested. Following joint collaboration
among the United Nations, the Government of Chad and a national
non-governmental organization (NGO), the children were released and handed over
to child protection actors for family reunification and social reintegration. The
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protocol is also a valuable tool for the handover of children detained in the context
of operations against Boko Haram.
54. A total of 346 national army troops attended child protection sessions and
completed the training of trainers. Predeployment training of Chadian peacekeepers
continued and a total of 864 soldiers took part before their deployment to the United
Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. An additional 1,500 troops were trained in
Lumia prior to their departure for Mali.
55. Instability in the surrounding countries of the Central African Republic, Libya
and the Sudan, as well the threat posed by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin
area, continued to have an impact on Chad. More than 150,000 people fled the
Central African Republic and thousands of Nigerians, the majority of whom were
children, arrived in Chad to escape the conflict. The children, often separated from
their families, had experienced distress and were in need of special care. This
spillover also affected border communities where child protection services are
scarce and the risk of recruitment by armed groups is high. I call upon all
stakeholders and the donor community to put in place adequate monitoring and
protection mechanisms in southern Chad and in the Lake Chad Basin region to
prevent and end violations.
56. I welcome the sustained efforts of the Government of Chad to enhance the
protection of children and prevent new violations. The adoption of a Child
Protection Code and the Criminal Code would further strengthen the legislative
framework. In the context of the Government’s participation in peacekeeping
operations and in military operations against Boko Haram, I encourage the
Government to continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring respect and compliance
with international humanitarian and human rights law. In the of the progress made
in the implementation of the action plan, the situation of Chad will be removed from
the report as of 2016.
Côte d’Ivoire
57. More than three years after the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, the
security situation continued to improve, although marked with sporadic inc idents of
armed attacks, banditry and other violent crimes, particularly along the border with
Liberia. The United Nations verified 18 cases of rape and other forms of sexual
violence committed by Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire elements against girls
aged 2 to 17, mostly in the western part of the country. Since 2007, when the last
parties to the conflict were delisted from the annex to my report, the protection of
children has continued to improve. In the light of that development, the situation of
Côte d’Ivoire will be removed from the report as of 2016.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
58. The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remained volatile
and witnessed major political and security developments, including a series of
military operations against armed groups. Since October, the Allied Democratic
Forces (ADF) increased their attacks against civilians in Beni Territory and
committed a series of massacres.
59. The United Nations documented 241 new cases of recruitment (223 boys,
18 girls), while a large backlog of children separated by national partners is still
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under verification. Recruitment was carried out by Forces démocratiques de
libération du Rwanda (FDLR) (63), Nyatura (32), Rayia Mutomboki (19), Union des
patriotes congolais pour la paix (UPCP) (17), Forces de résistance patriotiques en
Ituri (FRPI) (16), LRA (13), Nduma Defence Coalition/Cheka (NDC/Cheka) (13),
Mayi Mayi Alliance pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) (7) and other Mayi
Mayi groups (61). Seventy-five per cent of those cases occurred in North Kivu. At
least 57 children were used as combatants. Of the 18 girls, 8 were victims of sexual
violence. One 17-year-old boy was recruited and used in combat by the Forces
armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) in Rutshuru Territory.
He was separated during a screening by the United Nations in a FARDC training
camp in Bas-Congo in April.
60. Despite two Government directives, children continued to be arrested and
detained for their association with armed groups. The United Nations secured the
release of 121 children (110 boys, 11 girls) from FARDC, police and military
prosecutor detention centres. Forty per cent of the children reported being subjected
to ill-treatment during detention.
61. A total of 80 children (52 boys, 28 girls) were killed and 92 maimed (48 boys,
44 girls), mostly during violent attacks by armed groups targeting civilians. Thirty -
eight per cent of child casualties occurred during brutal attacks by ADF in Beni
Territory, in which at least 250 persons, including 35 children, were massacred with
machetes, knives, hammers or axes. In another significant incident, inter -ethnic
violence between the Bafuliru and Barundi/Banyamulenge in June claimed the lives
of at least 12 children, including two babies, in Mutarule. Forty children (16 boys,
24 girls) were respectively killed and maimed by explosive remnants of war.
62. The United Nations documented 334 cases of rape and other forms of sexual
violence (332 girls, 2 boys), a significant increase compared with 2013. State agents
perpetrated 30 per cent of the documented violations (99). The remaining cases
were perpetrated by Mayi-Mayi Simba (50), FDLR (39), Nyatura (24), Rayia
Mutomboki (23), FRPI (22), APCLS (14), and other armed groups (63).
63. Twenty-two schools were attacked and twelve were used for military purposes,
affecting over 31,000 children. In Shabunda Territory, ten schools militarily used by
the FARDC (four) and Rayia Mutomboki (six) were destroyed or looted and their
materials burned during clashes in April. Other schools were attacked by ADF,
FDLR, UPCP and other armed groups. Nineteen hospitals were also attacked or
looted by the FARDC (8), Rayia Mutomboki (2), and ADF (2), NDC/Cheka (2),
APCLS (2) and unidentified armed groups (3). Following advocacy by the United
Nations, two schools used by FARDC to host FDLR surrenders were vacated in
September.
64. Armed groups abducted 108 children (65 boys, 43 girls), 55 per cent out of
whom were below the age of 15, mostly in Orientale (59) and North Kivu (30). The
main perpetrators were LRA (34), ADF (20), Mayi Mayi Simba (18), Rayia
Mutomboki (17) and other armed groups (19). At least 11 abductees were used as
combatants and 22 girls were subjected to sexual slavery.
65. Seven incidents of denial of humanitarian access were documented in North
and South Kivu, perpetrated by ADF (3), FARDC (1) and other armed groups (3).
Three NGO staff members and one United Nations staff member were killed and
two humanitarian workers abducted by ADF. Challenges to humanitarian access
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persist, owing mainly to a volatile security situation, increased criminal activities
and ongoing military operations.
66. At least 1,030 children were separated from armed groups (973 boys, 57 girls).
Most of them children had been recruited in 2013 (441) and 2012 (220), and 31 per
cent were below the age of 15 at the time of their recruitment. A total of
166 children were separated from FDLR, 140 from Nyatura, 124 from Rayia
Mutomboki, 97 from FRPI and other armed groups (503). In relation to the response
on sexual violence, UNICEF partners assisted 863 child survivors of sexual
violence, a major decrease from 2013, owing largely to lack of funding.
67. In August and September, FARDC, with support from the United Nations
Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
conducted “Opération sauvetage” to provide medical evacuation and assistance to
ADF dependants abandoned following military operations. A total of 71 persons,
including 60 children, were rescued. Forty per cent of them had been used as
combatants and are receiving reintegration support. Some had sustained bullet
wounds and all were severely malnourished.
68. Despite security challenges and instability, the Government consistently
demonstrated its commitment and ownership with regard to the implementation of
the action plan signed with the United Nations in 2012 to end the recruitment and
use of children, by funding and chairing joint coordination mechanisms and
ensuring their decentralization to conflict-affected provinces. The Vice-Prime
Minister/Minister of Defence also submitted to the United Nations two progress
reports on the implementation of the action plan. In July, the President, Joseph
Kabila appointed Jeannine Mabunda Liyoko as his Personal Adviser on sexual
violence and child recruitment. With United Nations support, the Government also
conducted awareness-raising activities. From 30 November to 4 December, the
Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict visited the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and travelled to Kinshasa and Goma. The
Working Group welcomed the progress made by the Government in implementing
the action plan and encouraged it to sustain its efforts, particularly aspects relate d to
the fight against impunity and sexual violence.
69. Progress was made in the fight against impunity with the arrest and
prosecution of 61 individuals (46 FARDC, 10 Police nationale congolais, 5 leaders
of armed groups). Thirty-five were convicted and received sentences ranging from
two years to life imprisonment, including Lieutenant Colonel Bedi Mobuli
Engangela, alias “106” and General Jerome Kakwavu, two of the five high -ranking
FARDC officers. All but one were convicted for the crime of sexual vio lence against
children. Four armed group leaders are currently awaiting trial, including on charges
of child recruitment. FARDC Brigadier General Goda Supka Emery was indicted by
the High Military Court in Kinshasa with crimes against humanity and war crim es,
including the recruitment of children. The President also promulgated an Amnesty
Law in February, excluding the crimes of recruitment of children and sexual
violence from amnesty.
70. I welcome these positive developments and encourage the Government of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to sustain its efforts to end and prevent all
violations against children.
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Iraq
71. The deadliest year in Iraq since 2007 was 2014. The United Nations received
reports of systematic and widespread violations of international law, including
executions and targeted killings, abductions, sexual violence and forced recruitment
of children in the large swaths of territory in the country controlled by ISIL and
associated armed groups. Beginning in June, an international coalition led by the
United States of America conducted airstrikes on ISIL positions in support of the
Government. Fighting between the Iraqi Security Forces, including its associated
militias and Peshmerga forces, and ISIL and its associated armed groups, included
the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas by all parties, resulting in a sharp
increase in the killing and maiming of children. Notwithstanding significant
underreporting, 880 incidents of grave violations against children were reported, of
which 711 were verified, marking a significant increase compared to 2013.
72. The United Nations verified the recruitment of at least 67 boys by ISIL in nine
incidents. Children reportedly continued to patrol alongside adults and to man
checkpoints in Ninewa, Salah al-Din, and Diyala governorates. On 5 September, in
Salah al-Din, ISIL forcibly recruited 40 boys during Friday prayers. An unknown
number of children were recruited by the pro-Government Popular Mobilization
Forces in all conflict areas, as well as in Baghdad and Basra. Children wearing
military uniforms and carrying weapons were spotted daily alongside those groups.
For example, the United Nations witnessed children in the Hurriya area of Baghdad
patrolling with militia convoys in July. Boys as young as 10 years old were
recruited and used by self-defence groups supporting Iraqi security forces in the
town of Amerli, Salah al-Din. Children, including girls, were reportedly associated
with Yezidi self-defence groups fighting alongside Kurdish Peshmerga and
Turkmen-based self-defence groups in Ninewa and Kirkuk, and with Sunni tribalbased
militias supporting ISF in Ramadi. The lack of clear recruitment procedures,
including age verification and disciplinary measures by Iraqi authorities remains a
cause of grave concern. It is of concern that the draft National Guard law that was
presented to the Council of Representatives in early March includes exceptions
related to the age of recruitment, which would allow children associated with the
pro-Government militias to join the National Guard.
73. As at December, at least 391 children, including 16 girls, held in detention
facilities, were indicted or convicted of terrorism-related charges for their alleged
association with armed groups under the Anti-Terrorism Act (2005). At least eight
children, including two girls, were detained by Kurdistan Regional Government
authorities under the Anti-Terrorism Law 3 (2006). Detention periods ranged from
two months to more than three years.
74. The United Nations recorded the killing of 679 children (121 girls, 304 boys,
254 of unknown gender) and injury to 505 others (111 girls, 282 boys, 112 of
unknown gender) in 498 incidents (of which 356 could be verified), representing the
highest number of documented child casualties since the establishment of the
monitoring and reporting mechanism in 2008. At least 87 children were killed and
211 injured in improvised explosive device and suicide attacks. On 2 September in
Salah al-Din, 16 children (5 girls, 11 boys), between 8 and 16 years of age, were
killed and 8 children (3 boys, 5 girls) were injured in an Iraqi security forces
airstrike targeting ISIL. On 17 June, in Ba’qouba district, Diyala, the Shi’ite militia
Al Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq raided Al-Mafraq police station, killing 52 detainees,
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including 4 boys. On 22 August, in Sa’diya district, Diyala, 16 boys, as young as
8 years of age, were killed by armed elements, allegedly from the Popular
Mobilization Forces, during Friday prayers in the Musaba Bin Umeir mosque. In
June, the advance of ISIL increased constraints on the delivery of humanitarian
assistance, often with devastating effects on children. For example, sources
indicated that, in August, at least 45 Yezidi children besieged on Sinjar Mountain by
ISIL died from shortages of food and water.
75. A total of 67 attacks on schools and protected personnel and 51 attacks on
hospitals and protected personnel were reported, of which 84 were verified,
resulting in the killing of 56 children and injury of 42. Twenty-eight schools were
the targets of improvised explosive devices, including when they were being used as
polling stations during parliamentary elections in April. In addition, 10 incidents of
attacks or threats of attacks on teachers by ISIL were reported. Another 23 schools
in Anbar, Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Diyala were affected by military use by ISF and
ISIL and by the fighting between the two sides and supporting militias. Three
schools were militarily used by ISIL in the Anbarand Diyala governorates, two by
ISF in Salah al-Din and one by Peshmerga forces in Mosul. For example, on
11 November, in Beiji, Salah al-Din, the vacated Industrial High School was
demolished by improvised explosive devices allegedly planted by ISIL since it had
been previously used as a military base by the Iraqi security forces.
76. Al-Fallujah General Hospital in Anbar governorate alone was subjected to
shelling in 17 separate attacks. In four incidents, hospitals were targeted by
improvised explosive devices. In the Ninewa and Kirkuk governorates, at least two
doctors were targeted by ISIL for refusing to treat injured fighters. For example, on
3 March, in Kirkuk, an improvised explosive device targeted the home of a
physician previously threatened by ISIL, injuring his two children and 13 other
civilians. At least seven hospitals in Salah al-Din, Ninewa, and Kirkuk were used by
ISIL and pro-Government militias to treat their injured.
77. At least 1,297 children (685 girls, 612 boys) were abducted in 320 incidents,
marking the highest number since 2008 and despite significant underreporting.
Almost all incidents were perpetrated in August by ISIL against the Yezidi
community in Sinjar. Children were taken in groups with their families and detained
in schools, prisons and airports. Girls above the age of 12 were separated from their
families and either sold in ISIL-controlled areas in Iraq and the Syrian Arab
Republic, or retained, including for sexual slavery. The men and boys were
allegedly forced to convert to Islam and join ISIL. Multiple sources in the Syrian
Arab Republic reported in December that Yezidi girls had been moved to Raqqa to
be sold as sex slaves. The number of Yezidi children abducted is indicative of
targeting by ISIL of minority communities, with Turkmen, Shabak and Christian
children also reportedly abducted in large numbers. Lack of access to conflictaffected
areas or the fear of families in reporting abductions of children seriously
impeded the documentation of cases.
78. United Nations interactions with national and local authorities on child
protection continued despite the deterioration in the security situation and political
instability. However, it remains a serious source of concern that the Government of
Iraq is not responding to the disproportionate effect of armed conflict on children.
Urgent measures are required in relation to the detention of children under terrorism
charges, legislative reform, including the criminalization of the recruitment and use
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of children, the association of children with the Popular Mobilization Forces, as
well as the implementation of policies and programmes for the rehabilitation of
children affected by conflict. The United Nations stands ready to support the
Government and encourages the establishment of a formal interministerial
committee to facilitate regular information-sharing on and the response to grave
violations against children.
Israel and State of Palestine
79. In 2014, the security situation significantly deteriorated in the State of
Palestine with another escalation of hostilities in Gaza and a significant increase of
tensions throughout the West Bank, with devastating impacts for children.
Palestinian and Israeli children continued to be affected by the prevailing situation
of military occupation, conflict and closure.
80. The reporting period saw a dramatic increase in the number of children killed
and injured, especially in Gaza. At least 561 children (557 Palestinian;; 4 Israeli)
were killed and 4,271 injured (4,249 Palestinian;; 22 Israeli).
81. In the West Bank, 13 Palestinian boys, aged 11 to 17 years, were killed.
Twelve were killed by Israeli security forces live ammunition (11) and “sponge
round” bullets (1) during demonstrations and military search and arrest operations,
and one boy was killed by settlers. On 15 May, two Palestinian boys, aged 16 and
17 years, respectively, were shot and killed with live ammunition during clashes
with Israeli soldiers near Beituniya checkpoint. Reports indicate that the children
killed by the Israeli security forces did not appear to have posed a lethal threat. On
19 March, a 14-year-old boy was fatally shot by the Israel security forces when
crossing the West Bank Barrier. In another example, a ten-year-old Palestinian boy
was fatally shot in the back with live ammunition by the Israeli security forces in
Al-Fawwar camp. The Government of Israel reports that investigations were or are
being carried out on these cases.
82. On 13 June, three Israeli youths, two of whom were 16-year-old children, were
abducted, and on 30 June, their bodies were found near Halhul in northern Hebron.
The Government of Israel reported that three Hamas members were identified as
suspects, two of whom were killed during a fire fight with the Israeli security
forces. It was also reported that hundreds of Palestinians were arrested in the West
Bank during large search operations carried out by the Israeli security forces
between 13 and 30 June. On 2 July, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was abducted in
Shu’fat and burned alive in apparent retaliation for the kidnapping and killing of the
Israeli youths. Three Israeli civilians, two of them under the age of 18 years, were
arrested and charged.
83. Of the 1,218 children injured in the West Bank, more than half were under the
age of 12 and 91 per cent were injured during confrontations in Hebron and East
Jerusalem, with 231 of them hit by live ammunition and 530 by rubber -coated
bullets.
84. Violence committed by Israeli settlers, and related incidents involving the
Israeli security forces, remained high, resulting in the injury of 63 Palestinian
children. For example, on 18 April, a group of settlers shielded by the Israeli
security forces reportedly attacked the Urif Secondary School for Boys near Nablus,
which resulted in the injury of 12 students from stones, bullets and a gas canister.
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The school was attacked in four instances, reportedly by Israelis living in the Yizhar
settlement.
85. Sixteen Israeli children, (14 boys and 2 girls) were injured in the West Bank as
a result of stones and Molotov cocktail thrown and shots fired at vehicles by
Palestinians.
86. In Gaza, civilians, including children, have borne the brunt of the third major
military offensive in Gaza in six years, namely, “Operation Protective Edge”. In
Gaza, in the 50-day period between 8 July and 26 August, at least 540 Palestinian
children were killed (340 boys and 200 girls between the ages of 1 week and
17 years, with almost 70 per cent of that number being younger than 12 years). The
number of child casualties exceeds the combined number of Palestinian children
killed during the two previous escalations. Hundreds of homes, some of which
belonged to alleged members of armed groups, were directly hit by Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli bombardments resulted in the destruction of or severe damage to
residential properties, schools and hospitals, causing civilian deaths and injuries.
This is in addition to reports of Palestinian civilians and civilian objects being
directly hit in circumstances where there was allegedly no rocket fire or armed
group activity in the vicinity. This raises serious concern over the observance of the
rules of international humanitarian law concerning the conduct of hostilities,
including the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality.
87. On average, between 8 July and 26 August, more than 10 children were killed
daily in Gaza. More than 80 per cent of them were killed between 17 July and
5 August during the ground incursion by the Israeli security forces. At least
13 children in Gaza were reportedly killed as a result of rockets fired by Palestinian
armed groups towards Israel that fell inside Gaza.
88. At least 2,955 Palestinian children were injured in Gaza. Preliminary estimates
indicate that up to 1,000 of them will be permanently disabled. Apart from the July-
August Israeli military operation, another 76 children were injured.
89. On 16 July, four children, 9 to 11 years of age, were killed on a beach in Gaza
City. According to eye witnesses and video footage, one child hid in an empty
building and was killed by an air strike. The other three children were hit by a shell
fired from the sea, which killed them and injured two others. No military targets
could be identified in the apparently calm area and no rockets had been fired
towards Israel from that location at that time.
90. On 20 July, an Israeli air strike hit a residential building in Bani Suhaila,
killing 25 family members, including 19 children and 3 pregnant women. Surviving
family members testified that they had received no prior warning from the Israeli
security forces. The Military Advocate General opened a criminal investigation.
91. Palestinian children were also killed in drone strikes. On 10 July, a five -yearold
boy was hit by a missile fired by a drone in Deir Al Bala h. On 23 July, a drone
killed a nine-year-old boy seeking shelter in Beit Lahiya. At the time of the attacks,
there were no reports of military activity near the homes.
92. The indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups from
populated areas in Gaza towards Israeli population centres endangered both the
civilian population in Israel and the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. This raises
concern over the observance of the rules of international humanitarian law on the
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conduct of hostilities, particularly the principles of distinction and precaution. On
22 August, a four-year-old Israeli boy was killed by mortar shelling in Sha’ar
Hanegev region. At least six Israeli children between 3 months and 17 years of age
were reportedly gravely injured as a result of rocket fire from Gaza. In addition,
159 children were injured on the way to shelters, 33 were injured by building debris,
and 18 were injured in traffic incidents after the activation of warning sirens. In
addition, on 22 October, a three-month-old Israeli baby, among others, was killed
when a Palestinian man deliberately drove his car into a light rail train station in
East Jerusalem.
93. Allegations of nine instances of child recruitment and use by Palestinian
armed groups, including by the Al-Qassam Brigades, were reported. The following
five cases were verified: on 21 July, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was injured and
captured during an ambush by the Al-Qassam Brigades on Israeli forces near
Kibbutz Nir Am/Erez. Two boys aged 17 years were killed in targeted attacks by
Israeli drone strikes in Jabaliya and Khan Younis on 12 and 14 July, both reportedly
associated with Palestinian armed groups. On 22 July, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy,
reportedly recruited by the Al-Qassam Brigades, disappeared and his family was
informed of his death on 26 July. A video shows the boy giving his last statement,
including his full name. On 2 August, a 17-year-old boy who was reportedly used by
the Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in the shelling of his home by Israeli security
forces. A video uploaded by Al-Qassam Brigades shows him undergoing military
training and giving his last testament.
94. On 23 July, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was taken from his home near Khan
Younis by the Israeli security forces and forced at gunpoint to search for tunnels.
The boy reported being interrogated, abused and used to extract information about
Hamas members.
95. Palestinian children continued to be arrested and detained by the Israeli
security forces and prosecuted in juvenile military courts. According to the Israeli
Prison Service, 151 children between 14 and 17 years of age were in Israeli military
detention for alleged security violations at the end of December. A monthly average
of 188 children were in Israeli military custody.
96. The United Nations obtained the affidavits of 122 Palestinian children from the
West Bank, who had been detained by the Israeli security forces, in which they stated
that they had been subjected to ill-treatment, such as beatings, being hit with sticks,
being blindfolded, being kicked and being subjected to verbal abuse and threats of
sexual violence. At least 700 children were arrested in East Jerusalem, 70 of whom
were under the age of 13 years. The United Nations received 18 affidavits from
Palestinian children reporting ill-treatment by the Israeli police and the border police.
97. Since February, IDF Central Command for the West Bank have implemented a
pilot summons procedure to halt the practice of night arrests and tackle some of the
protection issues. There are concerns regarding the delivery of summonses at night,
arrests following appearance at police stations and reports of violations during the
interrogation process.
98. In Gaza, between 8 July and 26 August, at least 262 schools wer e damaged in
Israeli air strikes. Three public schools were completely destroyed and at least 23
were severely damaged. In addition, 274 kindergartens were damaged.
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99. Of the 83 school buildings of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) that were damaged owing to Israeli
airstrikes and shelling nearby, 7 being used as shelters were hit either directly or by
air strikes or shelling, resulting in the death of at least 42 persons, including
16 children, and in the injury of about 230 persons. In May, the United Nations
shared a list of its facilities with the Government of Israel, which was further
discussed with government entities in July. During hostilities in July and August,
UNRWA provided the Israeli authorities with real-time information identifying
installations that were being used as designated emergency shelters and places of
temporary refuge. Despite such information, on 24 July, the UNRWA Beit Hanoun
Elementary Coed A and D school, which at the time was sheltering some 450
internally displaced persons, was hit by IDF mortar fire, resulting in the death of at
least 12 persons, including 6 children, and in the injury of more than 90 others. The
location of the school had been provided to Israeli authorities by United Nations
staff on 12 separate occasions over the seven days leading up to the incident,
including the day of the incident itself. Intense military activity was reported in the
vicinity of the school prior to, but not at the time of, the incident. IDF launched a
criminal investigation.
100. On 30 July, artillery projectiles struck the UNRWA Jabalia Elementary Girls A
and B School, killing at least 17 persons, including one United Nations staff
member, and injuring 99 persons sheltering inside. The school’s coordinates had
been formally conveyed to the Israeli authorities on at least 28 occasions over a
14-day span, including the night before the incident.
101. On 25 August, two Government schools were attacked and destroyed by air
strikes. In addition to the July and August incidents, seven instances of attacks on
schools were reported throughout the rest of the year.
102. During its routine inspections, UNRWA discovered that weapons or weapons
components had been placed by Palestinian armed elements in three vacant UNRWA
schools in Gaza.
103. In the West Bank, in 21 cases, the Israeli security force entered and used
schools. On five occasions in the West Bank, UNRWA school premises were entered
without the permission of the United Nations.
104. On 10 November, the Secretary-General decided to establish a United Nations
Headquarters Board of Inquiry into ten incidents in which death or injury occurred
and damage was done to, or weaponry was found at, United Nations facilities during
the conflict.
105. Between 8 July and 26 August, 17 of the 32 hospitals in Gaza were damaged
by Israeli air strikes or shelling. One hospital and 58 primary health clinics were
destroyed. For instance, on 21 July, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital was directly hit
numerous times, killing three persons and injuring 40. Reportedly, no warning of the
attack was given. The Israeli security forces claimed that the target was a cache of
missiles in the hospital’s immediate vicinity. That attack raises concerns about
observance of the special protection accorded to hospitals under international law.
106. Three hits on schools were recorded in Israel by rockets fired from Gaza by
Palestinian armed groups, resulting in damage to the school facilities, with no
fatalities.
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107. The blockade of Gaza since June 2007 continued to take a heavy toll on
humanitarian assistance for more than 80 per cent of the families in Gaza. It has
impacted the provision of health services, which suffered from a lack of adequate
equipment, instruments and essential medicine. The Erez checkpoint with Israel and
the Rafah crossing with Egypt, serving 1.7 million people, remain the only two
humanitarian access points.
108. The Military Advocate General requested the IDF fact-finding and assessment
mechanism to examine a number of “exceptional incidents” that occurred during the
Gaza crisis. As at April 2015, the Military Advocate General had conducted an
initial examination of more than 100 incidents and opened criminal investigations
for 13. Since the focus of the Mechanism is on “exceptional incidents”, concerns
remain over its not addressing failures to ensure respect for international law at the
policy level and the State’s duty to investigate all incidents, policies or tactics that
may violate international law.
109. The Israeli and the Palestinian authorities have an obligation to ensure that
allegations of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are
promptly, effectively, independently, and impartially investigated, and that those
responsible are brought to justice.
110. Israel has repeatedly claimed that its military operation in Gaza was in response
to rocket fire into Israel and that it was conducted in full compliance with its
international obligations. However, I am deeply alarmed at the extent of grave
violations suffered by children as a result of Israeli military operations in 2014. The
unprecedented and unacceptable scale of the impact on children in 2014 raises grave
concerns about Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law, notably the
principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in attack, and respect for
international human rights law, particularly in relation to excessive use of force. It is
of particular concern that “Operation Protective Edge” was the third major Israeli
military operation in Gaza within six years. The cumulative impact on children and
the civilian population in general of these military operations, and the ongoing
military occupation in the State of Palestine, is devastating. As indicated earlier in the
present report, the number of Palestinian children killed (557) is the third highest in
2014, after the number of children killed in (a) Afghanistan (710) and (b) Iraq (679),
and before the number of children killed in (c) Syrian Arab Republic (368) and
(d) Darfur (197). The number of schools damaged or destroyed in the State of
Palestine (at least 543) was the highest recorded number of all situations in 2014.
111. I urge Israel to take concrete and immediate steps, including by reviewing
existing policies and practices, to protect children, to prevent the killing and
maiming of children, and to respect the special protections afforded to schools and
hospitals. An essential measure in that regard is ensuring accountability f or
perpetrators of alleged violations. I further urge Israel to engage in a dialogue with
my Special Representative and the United Nations to ensure that there is no
recurrence in grave violations against children.
Lebanon
112. Lebanon was heavily affected by insecurity and the existing trends of
improvised explosive device attacks, urban clashes and cross-border shelling from
the Syrian Arab Republic continued. Direct attacks by armed groups on the
Lebanese Armed Forces resulted in violent clashes, particularly in the Arsal, Bekaa
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governorate and in the Tripoli, North governorate. The United Nations collected
credible information on children as young as 14 years of age who had joined armed
factions in Palestinian camps and armed parties operating in the Syrian Arab
Republic, particularly in border areas. The United Nations also received verified
reports of at least 25 boys arrested by the Lebanese armed forces during
anti-terrorism raids, mostly conducted in Arsal and Tripoli bet ween August and
December, and kept in pretrial detention together with adults under military
jurisdiction for national security offences. In mid-January 2015, the children were
transferred to the area of the prison hosting children.
113. According to consistent reports from different sources, at least 17 boys and
three girls were killed and four boys injured, mostly by gunshots or stray bullets,
during armed clashes in urban areas. Six of them, three Lebanese and three Syrian,
were reportedly killed during shelling by the Syrian Air Force on Arsal on
17 January. A 15-year-old Syrian refugee boy was summarily executed by al-Nusra
elements in Arsal in June.
114. School facilities and learning activities were affected by armed violence,
particularly in Tripoli surrounding areas, where 97 schools were used as shelters,
depriving at least 20,000 students of education. Sporadic incidents of armed
violence also affected the provision of humanitarian assistance.
115. As a result of an increase in the identification of children associated with
armed groups, relevant authorities, civil society and the United Nations carried out
advocacy to ensure that the children received support, including access to protection
and reintegration programmes. In that context, I welcome the signing by the
Government of a workplan to prevent and respond to the association of children
with armed violence and encourage that the provisions be fully implemented.
Finally, I urge Lebanon to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict which it signed
in 2002.
Libya
116. The security situation in Libya deteriorated sharply in 2014, particularly in the
fourth quarter of the year. Internal armed conflicts erupted in various parts of the
country, including in its two largest cities, Tripoli and Benghazi. Humanitarian and
monitoring access remained severely limited owing to security reasons and relief
operations were suspended almost entirely following the relocation o f United
Nations international staff out of the country.
117. Although no verified information on the recruitment and use of children was
available, concerns persisted over the association of children with armed militias.
Furthermore, in May, during “Operation Dignity” in eastern Libya, forces loyal to
General Khalifa Haftar allegedly detained dozens of males, possibly also children,
based on their nationality, political or religious affiliation. This reportedly included
a 17-year-old boy, who had allegedly been detained with three other youths, and
who was tortured and died in custody in Benghazi.
118. The United Nations received numerous reports of indiscriminate shelling by
all parties to the conflict, as well as of the deliberate destruction of homes i n
Warshafana and Benghazi. Following the escalation of the conflict in May, the
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United Nations received reports of about 30 children killed across the country, but
the actual number is likely to be underreported.
119. The shelling of hospitals in Tripoli and Benghazi severely affected children’s
access to health care. Both the Al-Afya Hospital and the Tripoli Medical Centre
were hit by shells in July and August, respectively. In November, four medical staff
were reportedly abducted from the Hawari General Hospital but managed to escape,
while another was shot dead, resulting in the resignation of many staff.
120. Reports of the use of schools and hospitals by armed groups were also a cause
for concern. For instance, in Benghazi, Ansar al-Shari’a reportedly took control of
the General Hospital and placed snipers on the roof. Many schools in eastern Libya
had been closed since May due to the security situation, including those hosting
internally displaced persons.
121. In the West, armed groups, either affiliated with the Libya Dawn coalition or
rival armed groups from Warshafana or Zintan, abducted children in the aftermath
of the fighting in Tripoli, as well as during the fighting in Warshafana. In addition,
human rights defenders reportedly received threats from armed groups that their
children would be abducted and killed if they did not stop their work.
Lord’s Resistance Army (Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the
Congo and South Sudan)
122. During the reporting period, LRA was in survival mode but continued to
engage in attacks on civilians, looting and kidnapping. A total of 13 children were
recruited, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Abduction of children in
LRA-affected countries remained the most significant violation. A total of 42 cases
were reported in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. However, many of those children were released immediately after being
used to carry looted items. Others were held in captivity by LRA for three to four
days before either being released or escaping. The United Nations continued to
provide psychosocial assistance and support to family reunification in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and
Uganda for the 180 children and young mothers who escaped or were released by
LRA. The absence of long-term reintegration programmes for child returnees
remained a challenge to the sustainability of those efforts. Owing to the dec rease in
LRA activity, the present section will be removed from the 2016 report if the current
trends continue, and the violations will be reported in the relevant country sections.
Mali
123. Owing to repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement signed by the
Government of Mali and the two coalitions of armed groups — the Coordination
and the Platform — the security situation deteriorated considerably in northern
Mali, especially after the resumption of hostilities in Kidal in May. In that context,
the monitoring and verification of violations against children remained difficult and,
therefore, violations are estimated to be underreported.
124. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 84 children within the
ranks of Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawad (MNLA), Haut Conseil
pour l’unité de l’Azawad (HCUA), Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad (MAA)-Sidati,
MAA-Ould Sidi Mohamed and Groupe d’autodéfense Touaregs Imghad et alliés
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(GATIA) in the regions of Kidal, Timbuktu, Gao and Mopti. In addition, allegations
were received indicating that hundreds of children are currently associated with
armed groups and engaged in hostilities, but the information could not be verified.
125. In accordance with the protocol on the release and reintegration of children
associated with the armed forces and armed groups of 1 July 2013, four children
detained under security charges were released. However, nine children remained in
detention in Bamako for alleged association with armed groups, some for as long a s
two years. In June, the Ministry of Justice appointed a focal point to work with the
United Nations on this issue.
126. The killing of nine children and the injuring of 23 were verified. Explosive
remnants of war claimed all but one life and injured 21 c hildren in the Mopti, Gao
and Kidal regions. The widespread use of explosive remnants of war is of great
concern since armed groups have left behind many remnants that have contaminated
areas, mostly around Gao.
127. Thirty-eight incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence against girls
were perpetrated by MNLA (6), Malian Defence and Security Forces (4) and
unidentified armed elements (28) in Gao and Timbuktu regions. Reporting on sexual
violence remained challenging, owing to fear of reprisals, lack of medical and
judicial capacity and services in certain areas and preference for settlements outside
judicial proceedings.
128. The United Nations verified one attack against a school in the Gao region in
May. There were 20 cases of military use of schools, mainly attributed to MNLA
and to joint troops of MNLA, HCUA, MAA-Coordination, and Coalition du peuple
de l’Azawad. Nearly 60 per cent of the schools militarily used are located in Gao,
while the others are in Kidal, Timbuktu, and Mopti. In the region of Kidal, almost
all schools remained closed. Peacekeepers of the United Nations Multidimensional
Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali used three schools in Gao city, Ansongo
Cercle and Tabankort. In December, the Gao vocational school was vacated and the
United Nations is currently refurbishing it. The use of one health centre by MNLA
since March was documented in Ménaka, in the Gao region.
129. Reports of abduction of girls aged 12 to 16 years by unidentifie d individuals
were also received, mostly in the context of clashes between the Peulh and Dogon
communities.
130. Twenty-four incidents of denial of humanitarian access severely affecting the
delivery of humanitarian assistance were verified but the perpetrators could not be
identified.
131. Despite some initial progress made to address impunity for violations against
children, slow restoration of state authority, including the reestablishment of a
functioning judiciary in northern Mali, remained of great concern. Moreover, at
least two suspected perpetrators of sexual violence were released from detention
without being charged, as part of confidence-building measures within the
framework of the peace negotiations.
132. The United Nations engaged with armed groups, such as MAA-Ould Sidi
Mohamed and GATIA in Tabankort, MNLA and HCUA in Kidal, the leadership of
the Coordination des mouvements et forces patriotiques de résistance II (CMFPR -II)
in Timbuktu, and the joint troops of MNLA and MAA-Sidati in Ber. The latter
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engagement resulted in the signing of local command orders that prohibit all six
grave violations against children. In September, the United Nations also conducted a
screening of the MAA-Sidati and MNLA joint troops stationed in Ber, and identified
five children aged between 15 and 17 years and two young adults who had been
recruited as children. In line with advocacy efforts by my Special Representative on
Children and Armed Conflict, I call upon all parties involved in the inter -Malian
peace process to take into consideration specific provisions to end and prevent
violations against children in the peace agreement and its implementation.
Myanmar
133. Armed clashes between Government armed forces (Tatmadaw) and ethnic
armed groups continued in Kachin, Northern Shan and, to a lesser extent, in Kayin
State. By December, growing tensions between the Government and armed groups
were negatively affecting progress towards a national ceasefire agreement. In
October, four Karen armed groups, including the Karen National Liberation Army
and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army formed the Kawthoolei Armed Forces
Alliance, allegedly in response to increased Tatmadaw operations.
134. A total of 357 cases of child recruitment and use by the Tatmadaw were
reported through the Country Task Force-operated phone line, the forced labour
complaint mechanism of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and
community monitoring. At least 27 of the children, as young as 14 years of age,
were newly recruited in 2014. Children were either enlisted owing to economic
circumstances and family problems, or were deliberately tricked or forced into
joining. The Government-led awareness campaign launched in November 2013
resulted in an increase in reports to the United Nations of child recruitment.
135. The United Nations received reports that children were deployed to the front
line as combatants and in support roles and reported 15 such cases to the Tatmadaw,
after which nine children were discharged and the others removed from the front
line. A total of 389 boys and young males recruited as children were released from
the Tatmadaw. Those released received reintegration assistance from the United
Nations and its partners in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare.
136. Detention of children as “deserters” remained a concern. Of the 53 documented
cases of children escaping from the Tatmadaw, 13 were arrested on charges of
desertion, with cases increasing towards the end of the year. The United Nations
also received a worrisome report of a 16-year-old boy who had allegedly committed
suicide while associated with the Tatmadaw in a battalion in Kayah State.
137. In addition to children recruited into the formal ranks of the Tatmadaw, several
incidences of informal association of children were recorded, including as porters
and scouts. For example, a 12-year-old boy from Chin State was approached by a
soldier and taken to eastern Shan State where he was forced to carry out camp
management tasks for five months. In Rakhine State, two battalions have been using
a 16-year-old boy for support duties one day per week under abusive work
conditions since he was 11. Up to 50 children were used by the same battalions.
138. Children also continued to be recruited by armed groups, including through
abductions. For example, the United Nations verified five reports of children
associated with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). On 12 March, two girls,
aged 15 and 16 years, were abducted by two KIA elements in Mansi Township.
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After four days in captivity, they were asked to join KIA in support roles. In another
incident, a 12-year-old boy was allegedly used as a combatant by KIA and was
injured during a firefight with the Tatmadaw in Namkhan. Owing to access issues
and limited capacity, the United Nations was largely unable to monitor the presence
of children in armed groups.
139. Three children were injured in Kachin and northern Shan States and one child
was reportedly killed in crossfire. For example, on 29 July, two boys, aged 16 and
17 years, were injured in shelling during clashes between the Ta ’ang National
Liberation Army and the Tatmadaw. According to a credible report, on 28 July, a
16-year-old boy was allegedly killed by the Tatmadaw because of his perceived
association with the KIA in northern Shan State.
140. In the absence of a peace agreement, demining and marking explosive
remnants of war remained impossible and children continued to be maimed and
killed. For example, a 17-year-old boy stepped on a landmine in Kayin State and
lost his right leg and injured his left leg seriously. In Mansi township, the KIA
allegedly used civilians and internally displaced persons to clear areas of landmines.
Of particular concern are landmines laid by the Tatmadaw and KIA in close
proximity to schools in Kachin and northern Shan States.
141. The United Nations verified the rape of a 14-year-old mentally challenged girl
in northern Shan State by a Tatmadaw private who was initially convicted by a
military tribunal for neglecting his duty. Following pressure from civil society, the
case was transferred to a civilian court, which sentenced the soldier to 13 years in
prison for raping a minor.
142. The Tatmadaw continued to use a vacated school building in Bhamo, Kachin
State. Also in Kachin, the Alen Bum boys’ dormitory in Laiza was used by
KIA-affiliated militia elements as a training facility during summer. After advocacy
by the United Nations, KIA instructed the militia to vacate the school and
committed itself in writing to prohibit its military use.
143. Humanitarian access to areas outside of Government control in Kachin and
northern Shan States improved compared to the previous reporting period, but
remained severely restricted, owing also to administrative delays. Twenty -eight
cross-line missions provided assistance to approximately 30,000 persons.
144. Positive steps have been taken by the Government to advance the
implementation of the action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of
children. This included the regular discharge of children from the Tatmadaw, regular
review meetings with the United Nations to expedite discharges, strengthened
training efforts to sensitize Tatmadaw troops and, in September, the endorsement of
a workplan for full implementation of the action plan. In January, the United
Nations was granted monitoring access with 72-hour notice to the Border Guard
Forces and experienced increased access to Tatmadaw facilities in 11 monitoring
visits. The Government and ILO have also been actively cooperating to eli minate
forced labour, including recruitment and use, by 2015. Despite progress made,
children continue to be present in the Tatmadaw ranks. I urge the Government to
take action to prevent recruitment and to exercise due diligence to ensure that
children escaping from the Tatmadaw are not arrested as “deserters”. Prevention of
child recruitment, as well as oversight mechanisms at all stages of the recruitment
process, need to be strengthened urgently.
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Somalia
145. The security situation remained extremely volatile, particularly in southcentral
Somalia, leading to displacement of more than 80,000 persons. The reporting
period witnessed a gradual build-up of joint operations by the Somalia National
Army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), driving Al-Shabaab
out of key towns in southern and central regions.
146. A total of 1,870 violations against children were documented, affecting
1,482 boys and 250 girls, with 806 out of 893 incidents verified. While the numbers
represent a substantial reduction compared with 2013, the decline is largely
attributable to the reduced capacity and access to verify incidents.
147. The recruitment and use of 819 children (779 boys, 40 girls) by Al-Shabaab
(437), national army and allied militia (197), Ahl Al-Sunna wal-Jama’a (109) and
other armed elements (76) was documented. Of particular concern was the ongoing
recruitment and use of children by clan militias. Al-Shabaab sustained a campaign
of recruitment targeting children and youth in mosques and schools, for example,
recruiting 82 children in mosques or during religious events. Reports were also
received of five boys used by AMISOM in support functions.
148. The detention of children in Somalia remained a concern, with 286 children
(277 boys, nine girls) detained by the national army and other security forces (229),
Al-Shabaab (44) and other armed groups (4). Seven of the nine girls were kept in
Al-Shabaab custody. Of the children detained by government security forces, many
were arrested following house searches and security operations and most were
released a few days after the arrest. Of concern is the situation of children held at
the Serendi rehabilitation centre in Mogadishu, whom my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict met during her visit in August. The children have
been deprived of their liberty, as they are not free to leave the centre. The
Government must ensure that any child deprived of his or her liberty for alleged
association with armed groups is treated primarily as a victim and handed over to
child protection actors.
149. Some 340 incidents of killing and maiming were documented affecting
520 children (393 boys, 127 girls) perpetrated by the national army and allied
militia (193), Al-Shabaab (96), and other armed elements (231). Children have been
killed in crossfire, sometimes during joint national army/AMISOM operations and
in suicide attacks. Targeted attacks against the national army, AMISOM and
prominent Federal Government of Somalia officials also led to large numbers of
civilian casualties, including children. Al-Shabaab carried out public executions,
including of children, as punitive measures and to instil fear. One boy and one girl
were executed on suspicion of being spies for the Federal Government or AMISOM.
Seventeen children were reported killed and maimed during military operations by
AMISOM.
150. The monitoring and reporting of rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children remained a challenge, among other things, because of the victims ’
fear of stigmatization. A total of 70 incidents affecting 76 girls were reportedly
committed by the national army and allied militia (24), Al -Shabaab (19) and other
armed groups (33). Girls in internally displaced persons camps were particularly
vulnerable to sexual violence and forced marriage. At least 13 documented incidents
of abduction resulted in rape and forced marriage. In one particularly tragic incident
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in April, a 14-year-old female internally displaced person was abducted, raped and
then killed by unknown armed men.
151. Seventeen schools were subjected to attacks by Al-Shabaab (eight), the
national army and allied militia (six), and unknown armed elements (three). One
school was also severely damaged in shelling by AMISOM. Al -Shabaab continued
to use schools for recruitment and disrupted learning for hundreds of children
including by distributing jihadist booklets for teachers and conducting
indoctrination lectures. Incidents targeting protected personnel were also
documented such as the detention of two teachers by Al-Shabaab for declining to
refer their students to religious classes. Four schools were used for military
purposes by the national army (three), later vacated, and Al-Shabaab (one). It was
also reported that AMISOM used a school for military purposes during a few days
in December.
152. Four hospitals were attacked by unknown armed groups (3) and Al-Shabaab
(1) and incidents affecting related-personnel were documented. In one incident,
Al-Shabaab abducted a health worker to provide medical care to its wounded
fighters. Other incidents included improvised explosive device attacks against two
hospitals resulting in the deaths of two doctors and two boys.
153. A total of 133 children were abducted, by Al-Shabaab (97), the national army
and allied militia (25), and unknown armed groups (11). More than half of the
children abducted by Al-Shabaab were used to increase its numbers ahead of joint
national army/AMISOM operations.
154. Fifteen incidents of denial of humanitarian access were reported, the majo rity
by unknown armed groups, and 3 each by Al-Shabaab and the national army.
155. My Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict visited Somalia in
August to assess the situation of children affected by conflict, engage with the
Federal Government of Somalia on the implementation of the two action plans
signed in 2012 to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children and advocate
for the strengthening of the legal framework for the protection of children.
156. Coordination mechanisms between the United Nations, the Federal
Government of Somalia, AMISOM and other partners were established to facilitate
the implementation of the action plans. Significant steps were also taken with the
signature of standard operating procedures for the handover of children separated
from armed groups in February and the establishment of a child protection unit at
the national army headquarters. Moreover, a mobile national army/United Nations
team screened over 1,000 soldiers and the Barre Aden Shire “Hirale” militia that
surrendered in anticipation of integration into the national army. No children were
found during the screening exercises. The United Nations provided training on child
protection to more than 8,000 national army soldiers, in collaboration with the
European Union Training Mission in Somalia and AMISOM. In addition, following
United Nations advocacy, the AMISOM Force Commander issued a directive to
reinforce accountability and compliance with children’s rights during operations.
157. Following the listing of Ahl Al-Sunna wal-Jama’a for the recruitment and use
of children, the United Nations initiated dialogue with the group and discussed steps
towards the formulation of a commitment to halt and prevent continuation of the
practice.
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158. The United Nations also supported the reintegration of 500 children (375 boys,
125 girls) through community-based programmes. Reintegration activities included
provision of psychosocial assistance, “back-to-school” support programmes and
vocational training.
159. In December, in a positive legislative development, the Federal Parliament
adopted a law ratifying the Convention of the Rights of the Child. The law was
signed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on 20 January 2015. I welcome the
progress made by the Federal Government of Somalia and I encourage it to sustain
all its efforts to better protect children in Somalia, including by finalizing the
ratification process of the Convention and to take steps to ratify its Optional
Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
South Sudan
160. The political landscape in South Sudan changed dramatically in the wake of
heavy fighting that broke out in Juba on 15 December 2013. Although the onset of
the conflict was sparked by political issues, an ethnic dimension quickly evolved
and had devastating effects for children. There was a large increase in the number of
violations in 2014, with a total of 514 verified incidents affecting 16,307 children. A
detailed account of the effects of the armed conflict on children in South Sudan is
available in my recent report to the Security Council, covering the period from
1 March 2011 to 30 September 2014 (S/2014/884).
161. Eighty-one incidents of recruitment and use of children were verified,
affecting 617 children (612 boys, 5 girls). The majority were associated with the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) (310) and the Sudan People’s Liberation
Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) (108), but also with the South Sudan National
Police Service, the South Sudan Wildlife Service, the South Sudan Liberation Army
(SSLA), the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army-Cobra Faction (SSDM/A-CF),
the White Army and armed groups allied to Gabriel Tanginye. Unverified large
numbers of children have also been observed with the Johnson Olonyi armed group,
whose troop integration into SPLA was pending completion as at April 2015, and
with other unidentified armed actors. Children were at risk of recruitment in refugee
and internally displaced persons camps, protection of civilian sites and in their own
communities. Given the challenging security situation and safety concerns for
children, it has not always been possible to verify information. Last, as reported in
the section of the present on the Sudan, in January and February, 64 boys, aged
14 to 17 years, were reportedly recruited by the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM) in Unity State, South Sudan. Fifty-five of those cases were verified.
162. Ninety children were verified killed and 220 injured. There was also a
disturbing increase in the incidents of killing and maiming of children reported to
the United Nations that could not be verified. One report identified up to 490 bodies
of children in mass graves found around Bor following heavy fightin g at the start of
the conflict. Some of the reported incidents suggest that children were summarily
executed. For instance, following the fighting in Rubkona and Bentiu towns in
April, two boys were found dead with their hands tied behind their back outsid e a
mosque that was used by civilians seeking protection. The affiliation of the
perpetrators is unknown but the incident occurred during an exchange of fire
between SPLA and SPLA-IO.
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163. In another incident, the United Nations received testimonies from boys aged
14 to 17 years in Juba who had been detained by security forces and subjected to
inhumane and degrading treatment, such as beatings and being urinated upon,
during interrogations about ethnic affiliation and involvement in the conflict.
164. Rape and other forms of sexual violence were reported, with a total of
22 incidents verified affecting 36 children (4 boys and 32 girls) by SPLA (24), JEM
(4), SPLA-IO (1) and unknown perpetrators (7). In April, when SPLA-IO took
control of Bentiu, hate speech calling upon persons to kill and commit sexual
violence against non-Nuers and foreigners was broadcast on local radio.
165. There were seven incidents of attacks on schools, including looting, and
60 involving military use. Thirty-four schools in use, some before the reporting
period, were vacated following United Nations advocacy;; as at December,
33 reportedly remained in use by numerous armed actors, affecting access to
education for approximately 11,000 children. A total of 22 incidents of attacks on
medical clinics and health centres were also verified. In one incident in April,
Bentiu Hospital was attacked by SPLA-IO, and medical staff, patients and civilians
seeking protection inside the hospital, were killed.
166. Thirty-four incidents of abduction were verified affecting 147 children
(52 boys, 95 girls). The United Nations received worrisome reports of large -scale
abductions, including up to 105 children (29 boys, 76 girls) by SPLA -IO in Malakal
in February. As at April 2015, abductions continued in large numbers.
167. One hundred and ninety-nine incidents of denial of humanitarian access were
verified, representing a large increase from 2013. Incidents included forceful entry
into compounds, looting, seizure of assets and harassment of humanitarian workers.
168. No incidents of LRA attacks involving children were reported in South Sudan.
However, a total of 43 children either escaped or were rescued from the group.
Twenty-eight of them have since been reunified with their families, while the rest
remain in the interim care centre in Yambio, Western Equatoria State, pending
family tracing and reunification.
169. Family tracing and reunification remained a challenge, owing partly to limited
access or no access for child protection actors to some areas. Rapid response
missions were occasionally conducted to provide basic, life-saving assistance to
children in hard-to-reach areas. During a meeting with my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict, the leader of the South Sudan Democratic
Army — Cobra Faction (SSDM/A-CF), David Yau Yau, acknowledged that he had
recruited children and declared himself ready to release them. As at April 2015, over
750 children had been released to the United Nations and were receiving interim
care, psychosocial support and education service.
170. My Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict visited South
Sudan in June to assess the impact of the conflict on children and engage with
national authorities. During her visit, the President committed to i ssuing a decree
criminalizing the recruitment and use of children and to issuing command orders to
stop the military use of schools. My Special Representative also witnessed the
signature of the recommitment by the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs t o the
action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. The
recommitment also included stopping and preventing sexual violence, the killing
and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. In August, a
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workplan to implement the agreement was endorsed. In October, the Government
and the United Nations launched the campaign entitled “Children, Not Soldiers” at
the national level. Following extensive advocacy, the Government and the United
Nations also established a joint high-level committee on children affected by armed
conflict. In May, the leader of SPLA-IO also signed a commitment agreement with
my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to end violations
against children.
171. As at the end of 2014, neither the Government nor SPLA-IO had made any
progress in implementing their commitments. On the contrary, reports of violations,
particularly recruitment and use and abduction of children, continue unabated. I call
upon all parties to the conflict in South Sudan to stop all violations against children
and to take all necessary measures, including through prompt and thorough
investigations and prosecution, to hold perpetrators to account. I urge the
Government of South Sudan to take concrete measures and fully implement the
action plan and the recommitment agreement signed in June. I also urge SPLA -IO to
implement the commitment that its Chair signed with my Special Representative in
May.
Sudan
Three areas
172. Conflict continued in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where large areas
remained inaccessible, especially those under the control of armed groups. After
several months of political deadlock, fighting intensified during the first quarter of
2014. The Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-
North (SPLM-N) resumed talks in November in Addis Ababa under the auspices of
the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel, but negotiations were
suspended indefinitely by early December.
173. In April and December, the Government launched two phases of its “Decisive
Summer” campaign to regain control of areas controlled by SPLM -N. This resulted
in new waves of mass displacement. Tribal fighting was also observed, particularly
in West Kordofan, with one verified incident in November of clashes breaking out
among members of two Misseryia sub-clans in which at least 40 children were
reportedly killed or injured. The disputed area of Abyei also witnessed continuing
tensions.
174. The United Nations verified the recruitment of 60 boys aged 14 to 17 years by
the JEM (55) and SPLM-N (5). All but 3 of them occurred during a forced
recruitment campaign in refugee settlements in Unity State in South Sudan.
Unverified information was received about an additional 9 boys recruited by JEM in
that same period. Although no new recruitment cases by Sudanese Armed Forces
were verified, the United Nations received credible information of recruitment and
use of children by the Popular Defence Forces. Large areas of those states were
inaccessible, which limited United Nations ability to monitor allegations in order to
reflect the full extent of violations.
175. At least 12 incidents (2 verified) were reported, in which 62 children, aged 5
to 17 years, were killed or maimed. A boy was killed in the SPLM -N shelling of
Kadugli in May and another boy died in an explosive remnants of war incident.
Twenty-eight children (9 girls, 19 boys) were reportedly killed and 32 injured
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(7 girls, 25 boys) in the shelling by the armed forces of SPLM -N-controlled areas.
A further 42 children were reportedly killed or maimed as a result of tribal clashes.
176. Four boys, all South Sudanese refugees, were abducted by Arab men in
El Muglad locality, West Kordofan, and kept in captivity for approximately six
months. They were released and reunified with their families in August following
negotiations by the Sudan Police Family and Child Protection Unit.
177. One school and two hospitals run by NGOs were severely damaged in aerial
bombardments by the armed forces on SPLM-N-held territories, affecting access to
education and medical care for over 75,000 children. In one instance, six persons
were injured and the hospital’s emergency room and pharmacy were destroyed. The
United Nations also received credible information regarding the military use of
three schools by the armed forces in South Kordofan.
178. Access to Government and SPLM-N-controlled areas remained very
challenging, even though there was a slight improvement compared with 2013. For
the first time, the United Nations was granted limited access to Kurmuk and Bau
localities in Blue Nile. Access to Abyei through Kadugli continued to be difficult.
Darfur
179. Darfur continued to experience intermittent fighting between Government
forces and non-signatory armed groups, with a spike from January to May and in
December, following the launch of the Government’s “Decisive Summer” military
offensive using the rapid support forces. Intertribal and intratribal clashes in which
children were involved intensified. In that context, the verification of violations
against children remained difficult.
180. The country task force on monitoring and reporting verified three boys
recruited and used by the armed forces and three by unidentified militias, a marked
decrease compared with 2013. However, allegations of the recruitment of children
continued to be received. In March, eyewitnesses reported the presence of boys
between 15 and 17 years of age during a rapid support forces parade in Nyala, South
Darfur. Another report mentioned that an estimated 37 children were seen carrying
machine guns in El Daein, East Darfur.
181. Moreover, 197 children (135 boys, 62 girls) were killed (65) and maimed
(132), by cross-fire during fighting between government forces and armed groups
and in aerial bombardments by the armed forces. In addition, 15 children were
killed and 29 injured by explosive remnants of war.
182. Forty-eight incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence affecting
60 girls were verified and attributed to the armed forces (15), the rapid support
forces (10) and unidentified armed men (35). In most cases, girls were raped during
attacks on their villages or when performing daily activities. Verifying cases of
sexual violence remains a challenge due to fear of reprisals, mistrust in law
enforcement and judicial authorities, and social stigma. In addition, the requirement
by law to prove rape as a crime before the provision of medical care deters
survivors and families from seeking help. When they do so, criminal law provisio ns
may be interpreted in such a way that the survivor is accused of adultery. In cases
where perpetrators are identified, families of victims often settle cases outside
judicial proceedings.
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183. Furthermore, the United Nations received allegations of the rape of
200 women, including children, by the armed forces in Thabit, North Darfur, in
October. On 9 November, UNAMID conducted a mission to investigate the
allegations, which could not be verified, as security personnel were present during
UNAMID interactions with the community. UNAMID has since continued to face
restrictions in its effort to access Thabit.
184. Ten schools were severely damaged, destroyed or looted during fighting
between Government security forces and armed groups and in aerial bombardments
by the armed forces. Eight incidents of attacks, looting and destruction of hospitals
were reported. One school used militarily by the armed forces in South Darfur was
also verified.
185. Eight incidents of abduction of 13 children (10 boys, 3) were r eported and
attributed to the rapid support forces (4), border guards (3), armed forces (1) and
unidentified militias (5). Children were used in support functions or labour and
sometimes were sexually abused.
186. Denial of humanitarian access and the imposition of restrictions on movements
continued to impede efforts to reach affected communities, including children.
187. On 6 August, the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi established an
operational mechanism to end recruitment and use of children, following a
command order issued in December 2013. UNAMID engaged in dialogue with tribal
leaders and communities, which resulted in the adoption of a community -based
strategic plan to end use of children in intercommunal violence in October. It
followed the issuance of a command order by the leader of the Mahameed clan of
the Northern Rezeigat. On 26 November, UNAMID, UNICEF and the Sudan
commission on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration launched the Darfur -
wide campaign entitled “No Child Soldiers — Protect Darfur” in Masseriah, North
Darfur. Training and awareness-raising activities on child protection were also
conducted with civil society, religious and tribal leaders, state -level government
personnel and the armed forces.
188. Limited progress was observed in holding the perpetrators of violations
against children accountable. Twelve cases of arrest were documented by the
country task force on monitoring and reporting, of which 4 resulted in prosecution
and 1 in a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for rape.
189. I urge the Government of the Sudan to finalize and sign the action plan to
address recruitment and use of children by its security forces.
Syrian Arab Republic
190. Conflict continued at unprecedented levels across the Syrian Arab Repu blic,
resulting in massive violations against children. The United Nations verified
2,107 grave violations by all parties to the conflict in major urban and rural areas.
ISIL has taken over large parts of the country and used public brutality and
indoctrination to ensure the submission of communities;; children were specifically
targeted. The United Nations had limited capacity to verify information in the areas
under the control of ISIL. Sieges and bombardments of civilian areas continued,
particularly by Syrian Government Forces, which also hampered the verification of
incidents.
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191. The recruitment and use of children in combat has become commonplace in
the Syrian Arab Republic. While actual numbers are expected to be higher, the
United Nations verified that 271 boys and 7 girls had been recruited and used by
groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) (142), Kurdish People ’s
Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) (24), ISIL (69) and al-Nusra Front (ANF) (25). In
77 per cent of the cases, children were armed or used in combat and almost one fifth
were under 15 years of age. Boys associated with armed groups were commonly
between 14 and 17 years of age, with 17 verified cases under the age of 15. In many
cases, children were paid to fight for salaries of up to $400 per month. The payment
of relatively large salaries by ANF, FSA, and in particular ISIL, created an incentive
for children and their parents under difficult economic circumstances.
192. Fragmentation of FSA resulted in localized and variable recruitment, training
and salary practices. During armed battles, children were used for fighting,
attending to the wounded or for recording events for propaganda purposes.
193. YPG/YPJ continued to recruit and use boys and girls, including children
younger than 15 years, reportedly taking them to indoctrination and training camps.
For example, in March, a 13-year-old girl was taken to Ras al-Ayn for military
training and the requests by her parents to see her were refused. In most cases,
children were used in combat roles, and repeated allegations of “conscription”
policies targeting children were levelled against YPG/YPJ.
194. Reports of the recruitment and use of boys by ISIL and ANF increased
significantly. In 25 per cent of verified cases, boys were under the ag e of 15,
including some as young as 8 years of age. ISIL reportedly established at least three
child training camps in Raqqa, and hundreds of boys as young as 10 years of age
were imprisoned in Aleppo, forced to attend indoctrination seminars and promised
salaries, mobile phones, weapons, a martyr ’s place in paradise and the “gift” of a
wife upon joining ISIL. In training and using children for combat roles, ISIL has
violated international humanitarian law and perpetrated war crimes on a mass scale.
Children were also recruited as suicide bombers and used to perpetrate extreme
violence. For example, in July, four boys fighting with ANF in Dar ’a participated in
the beheading of four Syrian Government Forces soldiers.
195. A number of pro-Government groups, including Hizbullah, also reportedly
recruited children in small numbers. Five boys joined the Popular Committee to
support Syrian Government forces in al-Midan, Damascus. Children were also used
as human shields and for forced labour. In November, children were among the
civilians reportedly forced at gunpoint to be in front of the Syrian Government
forces tanks entering the town of al-Sheikh Meskin to secure the Dar’a-Damascus
highway.
196. Detention of children by Syrian authorities continued, with 38 veri fied cases
(31 boys, 7 girls), including 15 who were subjected to torture. Children were
arrested at checkpoints and schools. For example, in a verified incident in July, a
14-year-old boy from Homs, who had been detained in the State Security Centre,
confessed under torture to carrying weapons and attacking checkpoints.
197. Indiscriminate attacks launched in civilian populated areas continued to cause
widespread killing and maiming. The United Nations verified the killing of
368 children (184 boys, 66 girls, 118 gender unknown) by Syrian Government
forces (221), ISIL/ANF (44), FSA-affiliated groups (24), international coalition
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airstrikes (4) and unknown parties (75). There were 771 cases of children maimed
(420 boys, 142 girls, 209 gender unknown) by Syrian Government forces and
pro-Government groups (336), FSA-affiliated groups (296), ISIL and ANF (19),
YPG/YPJ (1) and unknown parties (119) across the country. Actual numbers are
believed to be much higher.
198. Armed groups killed and maimed children by firing mortars mainly in
Government-controlled areas. For example, a 7-year-old boy and a teacher were
killed and 56 children injured in a mortar attack on the Al -Manar Armenian Catholic
School in Damascus in April. Vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and
suicide attacks by armed groups accounted for almost one fifth of child casualties.
In April, 69 children were killed and injured in a double vehicle -borne improvised
explosive device attack in a Government-controlled neighbourhood of Homs.
199. The public brutality and extreme violence perpetrated by ISIL also targeted
children. For example, in July, a 15-year-old boy accused of adultery was publicly
executed in Manbij, with his parents forced to watch and his corpse left on display
for three days. In November, civilians were forced to participate in the stoning of a
14-year-old girl in Dei-ez-Zor. ISIL reportedly encouraged children to participate in
public brutality, including holding decapitated heads for public display or playing
“football” with them.
200. Aerial bombardment of civilian areas accounted for over 90 per cent of
children documented killed and maimed by Syrian Government forces. In an attack
in April by Syrian Government forces on the Ein Jalout primary school in Aleppo,
33 children were killed and 40 injured. Barrel bombs accounted for almost one third
of child casualties inflicted by Syrian Government forces, including 6 children
killed in June in al-Shajara internally displaced persons camp, Dar ’a. Children
continued to be killed during ground operations by pro-Government groups. For
instance, in July, three children, aged 10 to 14 years, fleeing Suweida were killed by
Popular Committee fighters. Children also continued to fall victim to explosive
remnants of war.
201. The United Nations received 18 reports of sexual violence against children by
ISIL (9), Syrian Government forces (5), Popular Committees (2), FSA (1) and the
Kurdish police (1), of which 11 were verified. Forced marriage of girls to foreign
fighters became common in ISIL-controlled territory. In July, the father of a
14-year-old girl in Aleppo was tortured for three days until he agreed to have his
daughter marry an Egyptian ISIL “Emir”. ISIL issued guidance on the treatment of
sex slaves, including children, and Yazidi girls abducted in Iraq were moved to and
sold in Raqqa. Allegations of sexual violence against children by Syrian
Government forces and pro-Government groups continued, with doctors reporting
treating raped girls requesting abortions. In January, a 13-year-old boy was
“arrested” at a checkpoint by the Popular Committee in Suweida and repeatedly
raped over the course of three days.
202. According to the Ministry of Education, 889 schools had been fully (379) or
partially (510) damaged by end-2014. The United Nations verified 60 attacks on
education facilities by Syrian Government forces (39), ISIL (9), FSA (1), and
unidentified parties (11). For example, in October two explosions near the
Al Makhzomi and Al Mouhdetheh primary schools in Akrama, Homs City, killed
29 children and maimed 27. Families repeatedly reported being too scared to send
their children to school. The military use of schools also continued, with nine
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verified cases: YPG/YPJ (4), FSA (3) and ISIL (2). ISIL appropriated schools for
child indoctrination, and in late 2014 all schools in ISIL -controlled Aleppo, Dei-ez-
Zor and Raqqa were closed pending adoption of a “modified” curriculum.
203. By December, 413 medical facilities tracked by the United Nations were
partially or fully damaged, while 823 were only partially functioning or not
functioning due to shortage of staffing, equipment or use for other purposes. Eighty -
six attacks on health facilities and 178 medical personnel killed were reported. The
United Nations verified 28 attacks on health facilities and personnel by: Syrian
Government forces (17), ISIL (9) and unidentified parties (2). For example, in May,
a rocket attack on an FSA field hospital in an abandoned school in Jasem, Dar ’a
resulted in the death of two children and four medical personnel.
204. Abductions became a prominent tool used by ISIL. The United Nations
verified that ISIL abducted and/or imprisoned 463 children, including for use in
prisoner exchanges and for recruitment purposes, a number of whom were tortured.
In May, 153 Kurdish boys aged 13 to 17 years were abducted in Manbij, Aleppo,
while returning home from their school exams. Armed groups also arbitrarily
detained children for alleged “criminal” offenses.
205. By January 2015, 212,000 persons remained under siege, 163,500 of them by
Syrian Government forces and 26,500 by armed groups, and subjected to starvation.
Children attempting to escape besieged areas were killed by snipers or in
minefields. In January, an 11-year-old boy was killed by a sniper while attempting
to leave al-Nashabiya, Rural Damascus. Attacks by armed groups on civilian
infrastructure left millions of persons, including children, without access to water
and electricity. Administrative blockages and refusals to allow certain items on
inter-agency convoys, including surgical supplies, were common and threats and
attacks on humanitarian personnel and facilities continued.
206. There were several meetings between the United Nations and the
Government’s Interministerial Committee on Child Protection, and an expert level
group of government and United Nations officials was established to strengthen
engagement. In May, the United Nations provided training materials to support the
Commission for Family Affairs in conducting child rights orientation for Syrian
Government forces;; however, this has yet to be implemented. Legislative Decree 22,
adopted in June, granted an amnesty for children associated with armed groups, and
the Government committed to diverting those children to rehabilitation programmes.
However, cases of children detained by Syrian Government forces were verified by
the United Nations throughout the year. In all circumstances, children are entitled to
benefit from the special status of juveniles in conflict with the law, in conformity
with international humanitarian and human rights law.
207. The political and military leadership of both YPG/YPJ and the FSA Supreme
Military Council publicly committed to ending child recruitment and use, enforcing
disciplinary measures and issuing command orders to that effect. However, the
recruitment and use of children by both groups following these commitments
continued and was verified by the United Nations.
Yemen
208. During the reporting period, the security situation deteriorated significantly in
the northern governorates where Al Houthi/Ansar Allah (hereinafter Ansar Allah)
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expanded its presence. Armed clashes took place between the Yemeni Armed Forces
and Islah-backed pro-Government tribal militias and tribal armed groups, against
Ansar Allah and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The situation in the
southern governorates also remained tense and armed clashes took place in
Al Dhale’e. A mass offensive was conducted by YAF against AQAP and Ansar
Al Sharia’, and clashes continued in Aden between Al Hirak (a southern cessation
movement) supporters and the security forces. As at April 2015, an international
coalition had launched airstrikes against Ansar Allah, which reportedly resulted in a
significant number of child casualties.
209. The United Nations verified a significant increase from 2013 of recruitment
and use of children, with a total of 156 boys recruited and used between the ages of
9 and 17. The majority (140) of cases were perpetrated by Ansar Allah with a highly
visible presence. The United Nations observed and documented armed children
manning checkpoints, being present on armed vehicles and guarding buil dings.
Following Ansar Allah’s expansion into the capital in September, distinguishing
between members of YAF and Ansar Allah became increasingly challenging,
particularly at checkpoints. Eleven boys between the ages of 16 and 17 were
recruited and used by Islah-backed tribal militias aligned with the Government or
Salafists, all except two of them in the frontlines. An additional four boys were
verified as joining tribal armed groups in Al Bayda governorate.
210. The numbers of child casualties increased significantly from the previous
reporting period, with 74 children (56 boys, 18 girls) killed and 244 (176 boys,
68 girls) maimed. Child casualties due to mines and other explosive devices more
than doubled, with 10 children killed and 54 maimed. Ansar Alla h was targeted and
attacked, including by two suicide bombings that killed 14 and injured 25 boys. A
total of 14 children were killed and 30 maimed by six improvised explosive devices,
including an attack on an Ansar Allah checkpoint. Another 10 children w ere killed
and 37 injured due to shelling, and 2 boys and 3 girls were maimed as a result of
aerial bombings, including one drone strike on 29 September in Al Jawf, which
maimed 1 boy and 2 girls.
211. Nine boys were detained by Ansar Allah as they reportedly conducted “law
enforcement operations”. Six other incidents of detention by Ansar Allah were also
verified involving six boys. four of whom were detained for their alleged
association with Islah, and one because of his father ’s association with Islah.
212. The United Nations verified 35 attacks against schools. For example, all
10 schools attacked in Amanah Al Asimah governorate were destroyed during
clashes that took place in September between Ansar Allah and YAF and
pro-Government tribal militias. Nine attacks were attributed to YAF and eight to
Ansar Allah. In many cases schools were forced to close completely.
213. The United Nations verified 13 attacks against hospitals by Ansar Allah and
YAF, which severely hampered the provision of medical services. For example, on
21 January, a hospital in Al Dhale’e district was shelled by YAF, resulting in the
death of a 45-day-old boy and injury to his 2-year-old sister while they were trying
to escape the shelling with their father.
214. Ninety-two schools were verified as being used for military purposes by armed
forces and groups with the majority of schools being used by Ansar Allah for
providing accommodation or as weapons’ storage. In response to that trend, the
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Ministry of Education and Governorate Education Offices, supported by the United
Nations, established task forces on education in emergency, which vacated at least
25 schools used by Ansar Allah.
215. In total, 43 denials of humanitarian access were verified. In a positive
development, a United Nations staff member kidnapped by an unknown armed
group was released in November after 13 months in captivity.
216. On 14 May, in a ceremony attended by my Special Representative for Children
and Armed Conflict, the Government of Yemen signed an action pla n with the
United Nations to end and further prevent the recruitment and use of children by
YAF. Within a month after the signing ceremony, follow-up mechanisms were
established in accordance with the action plan. In a welcome development,
following engagement by the United Nations with the Constitutional Drafting
Committee, the draft constitution issued in January 2015 includes the prohibition of
voluntary recruitment of all persons under the age of 18. The final version of a draft
action plan to end the recruitment and use of children by Ansar Allah was endorsed
by their Human Rights and Civil Society Office, which was reportedly shared with
the office of Abdul Malik Badrealdeen Al Houthi. Since the eruption of violence in
early 2015 all progress on actions plans and on ending violations has been put on
hold.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
Colombia
217. In 2014, peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP)
continued in Havana. The conclusions on the three first items of the agenda, “Rural
development”, “Political participation” and “Illicit drugs”, were shared publicly and
discussions began on item five, “Victims”. The latter opened up the opportunity to
raise specific concerns on child protection, in particular with regard to the
recognition of the rights of child victims. At the request of the negotiating parties,
the United Nations and the National University of Colombia organized regional and
national forums to collect the views of victims and proposals. On those occasions,
many national and international actors advocated for child protection concerns to be
raised at the negotiating table. In December, the FARC-EP and the Government
started talks about de-escalating the conflict, including issues related to child
recruitment and a ceasefire. I commend the sustained efforts to put an end to the
conflict and encourage all parties to take further concrete steps to protec t children
and guarantee lasting improvements for children’s rights, including under item
three, “End of conflict”.
218. Despite the ongoing peace process, hostilities between FARC -EP, the Ejército
de Liberación Nacional (ELN) and the Colombian Armed Forces continued and
intensified in some parts of the country, causing displacement and often putting
children at risk of recruitment and sexual violence. As at December 2014, there
were some six million persons registered as internally displaced persons,
approximately 35 per cent of whom were children. Afro-Colombian and indigenous
communities were particularly affected. Violence committed by post -demobilization
groups and other local armed groups was an important trigger of displacement, both
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in urban and rural areas. In addition, about 500,000 persons suffered from severe
mobility restrictions to access basic services and assistance, as a result of the sharp
increase in attacks against civilian infrastructure committed throughout 2014,
mostly by ELN (52 per cent) and FARC-EP (22 per cent).
219. The United Nations verified 343 cases of recruitment and use of children by
armed groups in 22 departments and in Bogotá. The Colombian Family Welfare
Institute documented the separation of 277 children, the majority of whom had
escaped from armed groups. A total of 198 children had been recruited by FARC -EP,
52 by ELN, and the remaining by post-demobilization groups and other armed
groups. In addition, the Ombudsman Office issued at least 36 risk reports on
recruitment in 20 departments.
220. On 12 February 2015, FARC-EP announced that it had raised the recruitment
age to 17 years. While I take note of that positive development, I wish to recall that
the Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by Colombia in 1991 stipulates
that a child means every human being below the age of 18, and that its Optional
Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, ratified in 2005, prohibits
armed groups from recruiting children under the age of 18 and provides that th e
State party should prevent such recruitment and use.
221. At least nine children were killed and 60 were maimed, mostly in landmine
incidents. Children, predominantly girls, were also victims of sexual violence
attributed to armed groups, including post-demobilization groups, and in some cases
to members of national armed forces. Furthermore, sexual exploitation and abuse of
girls by members of armed groups in mining zones continued. The United Nations
received reports of the detention in Bolivar of three persons charged with selling
girls for sexual purposes to armed groups and to mine workers.
222. There were 12 reported cases of schools damaged in crossfire, anti -personnel
mines and explosive remnants of war, as well as 11 cases of military use by part ies
to the conflict. In May, the armed forces found 76 gas cylinders stored by FARC -EP
in a school in Cauca, ready to be used in combat, thereby putting schoolchildren at
risk. In addition, the presence of units of the armed forces near or in front of scho ols
during class hours put school premises and children at risk. Within the reporting
period, teachers were also subject to threats by FARC-EP, ELN, Autodefensas
Gaitanistas de Colombia/Los Urabeños and Los Rastrojos and three teachers were
killed by unidentified armed groups.
223. Despite its prohibition by the National Child Protection Code (Art. 41,
para. 29, of Law 1098 of 2006), the involvement of children in civic -military
activities organized by the armed forces continued in several parts of the cou ntry.
For example, in July, in Cauca, the armed forces carried out a civic -military activity,
inviting more than 500 persons;; the recreational activity for children was carried out
by the armed forces psychological operations team. The Committee on the Rig hts of
the Child has previously shared its concerns with regard to civic -military activities
organized by the armed forces inside schools and in the community. In its recent
report on prevention of the recruitment of children and adolescents, issued in
December 2014, the Ombudsman Office also requested the Ministry of Defence, the
armed forces and the police to refrain from carrying out the campaigns with
children. I echo those concerns and call upon the armed forces to refrain from
involving children in any military activities that may place them at risk of being
targeted by armed groups.
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224. Since 1999, at least 5,694 children have been separated from armed groups
and benefitted from the Colombian Family Welfare Institute programme. With
regard to protection and assistance provided to children separated from armed
groups as stipulated in the National Child Protection Code and the Victims Law, all
children, as victims, should be accorded equal protection, regardless of the group
that recruited or used them. In some cases, however, children who had been
separated from armed groups, mostly those associated with post-demobilization
groups, were referred to the Office of the Attorney General for prosecution without
benefitting from the Institute’s programmes for protection and assistance.
225. Since 1999, there have been 193 convictions for child recruitment, including
under the Justice and Peace Law of 2005 and by the Human Rights Unit of the
Office of the Attorney General, as well as by regional and local cour ts. In June, a
new bill for the protection of victims of sexual and gender -based violence in
conflict was approved. I welcome that major step, which was taken to harmonize the
national legislation with international standards.
India
226. The recruitment and use of children as young as six years of age by armed
groups, including the Naxalites, continued. According to the Ministry of Home
Affairs, Naxalites in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha States recruited
boys and girls between 6 and 12 years of age into specific children’s units. They
were used as informers and taught to fight with crude weapons, such as sticks. At
the age of 12, children associated with Naxalites are reportedly transferred to
specific units, where they receive training in weapon handling and the use of
improvised explosive devices.
227. In Naxalite recruitment campaigns targeting poor communities, parents are
forced to offer children under the threat of violence. Similarly, children are
reportedly threatened with the killing of family members should they escape or
surrender to security forces. In August, in Lakhisarai district, Naxalites reportedly
made demands of children from families, resulting in up to 100 girls and boys,
between 10 and 15 years of age, joining the group. In West Singhbhum, government
security forces reportedly arrested an armed group element for the recruitment of
11 children aged 9 to 13 years, including 5 girls, on their way to a training camp.
The recruiter allegedly stated that his commander had specifically asked for girls.
According to the Government, based on the statements of several women formerly
associated with Naxalite groups, sexual violence is common in the camps. Violence
and the use of schools as recruitment grounds affected access to education for
children in Naxalite areas.
228. The United Nations also received reports of the recruitment and use of
children in Assam and Manipur States. Children were reportedly lured into joining
armed groups in the face of the lack of livelihood alternatives, but were also
abducted and forcibly recruited, including through coercion of family members and
the threat of violence. Concerns persist over allegations of detention of children in
violence-affected states, including for alleged association with armed groups.
229. I am concerned by the Government reports of the use of children as human
shields and in combat roles by the Naxalites. The period under review reportedly
saw an increase in Naxalite violence, resulting in the killing of 89 civilian s and
48 security personnel in 429 incidents in the first quarter alone. Concerns also
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persisted over the killing and maiming of children in north-eastern states. For
example, in Assam, on 23 December, in four seemingly coordinated attacks, the
National Democratic Front of Bodoland allegedly killed around 75 civilians,
including at least 18 children.
Nigeria
230. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), commonly known as Boko
Haram, continued and intensified its attacks on the civilian population in the three
north-eastern states of Nigeria (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe). High-profile attacks
were also conducted in other parts of the country: Kano, Gombe and Bauchi States,
and the Federal Capital Territory. The group’s tactics began with hit-and-run attacks
targeting government officials, security forces, detention centres, religious figures
and, increasingly, schools and children, and have evolved into take -and-hold
attacks, controlling large swaths of territory. The pace and intensity of att acks
resulted in the displacement of over 1 million persons, the majority being women
and children. Since June, Nigerian security forces increased their operations against
Boko Haram, in conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force and other
pro-Government vigilante groups. Boko Haram activities have progressively
expanded beyond Nigeria’s borders into Cameroon, Chad and the Niger and have
prompted a regional response to address the threat posed by the group.
231. In December, the United Nations in Nigeria formally established a country
task force on children affected by armed conflict to monitor and report on violations
against children following the listing of Boko Haram in my previous annual report
(A/68/878-S/2014/339). The verification of incidents remained challenging, due to a
severe lack of access to affected areas.
232. Increased reports were received on the recruitment and use of boys and girls
by Boko Haram in support roles and in combat. Children were also used as human
shields to protect Boko Haram elements. Another alarming trend observed since
July was the growing number of girls used as suicide bombers in populated urban
centres. For example, in July, four teenage girls were reported to have carried out a
series of suicide attacks attributed to Boko Haram in Kano. A 13 -year-old girl from
Adamawa State was reportedly rescued at a checkpoint in Katsina State while
carrying a belt with explosives. The United Nations also received reports of children
joining CJTF and other vigilante groups, voluntarily or forcibly, and being used to
man checkpoints, gather intelligence and participate in armed patrols. It was
reported that some of the civilians, including children, who had voluntarily joined a
particular side sometimes had done so in order to avoid the suspicion that they were
associated with, or sympathetic to, the other side.
233. The killing of civilians, including children, by Boko Haram continued and
sharply increased during the period under review. It is estimated that at least
7,380 persons were killed in 255 incidents (5,083 in Borno, 893 in Adamawa, 517 in
Yobe and 887 in other states). Data on the age and status of the victims is not
available and therefore, the exact number of children killed and injured remains
unknown. Children were killed and maimed during Boko Haram raids on villages,
in targeted attacks in public places, in clashes between Boko Haram and the
Nigerian security forces and as a result of suicide bombings. Children were also
killed by Boko Haram in their schools. Education authorities in the north -east
recorded the killing of 314 school children between January 2012 and December
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2014. In February, 59 secondary schoolboys were shot or burned to death in their
dormitory during a night-time attack in Buni Yadi, Yobe. In November, a suicide
bomber disguised in a school uniform killed at least 47 school children and injured
117 others in Potiskum, Yobe. In addition, 26 incidents of suicide attacks were
reported, in the states of Borno (nine), Kano (eight), Yobe (five), Gombe (two),
Bauchi (one), and in the Federal Capital Territory (one). The suicide attacks
reportedly involved 45 suicide bombers and claimed the lives of at least
688 persons, including over 200 persons at the Grand Mosque in Kano.
234. Worrisome allegations were received of other violations against civilians,
including children, by Government armed forces, CJTF and vigilante groups,
including extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention and torture.
235. Boko Haram targeted schools and teachers perceived to provide a “Western”
curriculum. School facilities were attacked, looted and destroyed, teachers and
students were killed, threatened and abducted. According to education authorities, a
total of 338 schools were destroyed and damaged, and at least 196 teachers killed
between 2012 and 2014. A number of specific incidents where children were
targeted and killed are outlined in paragraph 230 above. Continuing threats in all
three north-eastern states led to reduced access to education, closure of schools,
teachers leaving and the withdrawal of children from schools. The United Nations
received reports of health centres also looted and destroyed. Access for polio health
workers was increasingly reduced, due to growing insecurity.
236. Since 2009, Boko Haram has reportedly been responsible for the abduction of
at least 500 young women and girls from their homes or schools and while
travelling on roads in the affected States. The abduction of 276 girls from their
school in Chibok, Borno, in April 2014, represented the largest single incident of
abduction attributed to the group. Of the 276 abductees, 57 managed to escape.
Incidents continued to be reported and, in September, over 100 young women and
girls were abducted from villages during attacks in Adamawa State. The
whereabouts of the Chibok girls and the other abductees remain unknown.
According to accounts from escapees, they were subjected to forcible religious
conversion, physical and psychological abuse, forced labour a nd forced marriage to
Boko Haram fighters. The group’s stated motives for abductions include retaliation
against the Government for detention of relatives and punishment of schoolchildren
for attending Western-style schools.
237. My Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict visited Nigeria in
January 2015 to assess the impact of the conflict on children, support the roll -out of
the monitoring and reporting mechanism and engage with the Government,
including sharing her concerns regarding the allegations on violations committed by
government forces, CJTF and vigilante groups. During the visit, the Special
Representative met with civilian and military authorities at the highest level, who
expressed readiness to cooperate with the monitoring and reporting mechanism
through the establishment of a Federal-level interministerial committee and statelevel
committees on children in the three affected states. In January 2015, the
Minister of Justice issued an advisory reiterating the prohibition of recru itment and
use of children. In response to the number of schools affected by the conflict and
following the abduction of the Chibok girls, the Government also launched the
“Safe Schools Initiative” aimed at providing remedial education and piloting 10 safe
education facilities in the three affected states.
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238. The threat of Boko Haram to regional stability prompted neighbouring
countries to react by conducting joint operations and coordinating efforts through a
Multinational Joint Task Force composed of troops from Lake Chad Basin countries
and Benin, and whose deployment was authorized by the African Union Peace and
Security Council on 3 March 2015. Given the high numbers of children recruited or
abducted by Boko Haram, it is of great concern that abductees or children
associated with the group will be heavily affected in the course of military
operations. In December, Cameroonian security forces reported the dismantling of
an almajiri school near the border with Nigeria, where 84 boys aged between 4 and
17 years were found in the presence of instructors allegedly affiliated with Boko
Haram. In April 2015, the boys were reportedly placed in a facility run by the
Ministry of Social Welfare in northern Cameroon.
239. I urge the Government of Nigeria to take all necessary measures to protect
children affected by the security situation and investigate the allegations of
violations by its security forces as part of the military operations against Boko
Haram and bring the perpetrators to justice. I also call upon regional countries
participating in military operations against Boko Haram to carry out their operations
against the group in compliance with international humanitarian, refugee and human
rights law and to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of children
and minimize the impact of the conflict on them. I welcome the fact that child
protection provisions have been included in the Multinational Joint Task Force
concept of operations. I reiterate that depriving children of their liberty should only
be a measure of last resort and that children who are detained should be treated
primarily as victims and handed over to child protection actors as soon as possible.
Pakistan
240. Pakistan continued to face significant security challenges, posed in particular
by armed groups and extremist groups, with schools being particularly targeted.
Hundreds of civilians were killed or injured in dozens of attacks. In response, the
Government launched a major offensive in North Waziristan in June to reduce t he
capacity of armed groups to strike within the country. In one of the most alarming
incidents of the reporting period, on 16 December, nine gunmen stormed the Army
Public School in Peshawar, firing on pupils and staff indiscriminately, and utilizing
improvised explosive devices and hand grenades to maximize casualties. At least
132 boys, as young as 8 years of age, and several teachers and other staff members
were killed. At least 133 persons were injured, the vast majority of them children.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the assault, stating
that it was an act of revenge for the ongoing offensive in North Waziristan.
241. Although exact figures of child casualties were not always available, sectarian
violence and hundreds of indiscriminate attacks, including by improvised explosive
devices and suicide bombers, continued to affect children in several areas, with
Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces most affected. In February, for
example, in Peshawar, a suicide bomb in the crowded Koocha Risaldar area near
Qissa Khawani bazaar reportedly killed 10 persons, the majority of whom were
women and children, and injured 48 others.
242. Armed groups continued to regularly attack educational institutions. At least
40 secular schools were reportedly attacked, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and in Balochistan Province. In
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January, for example, a suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up outside the gates
of a school in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing a 14-year-old boy who
was trying to prevent the attacker from entering the school. In February, an
improvised explosive device exploded outside school gates in Karak, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Province, reportedly injuring 13 children and the school principal. In
the wake of the December 16 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, all
educational institutions across Pakistan were closed for a period of three to four
weeks, thereby disrupting education.
243. Attacks on polio workers by TTP-affiliated and other armed elements
continued unabated in 2014, resulting in the killing of at least nine such workers and
several police and security personnel providing escorts for the conduct of polio
campaigns. For example, in January, three persons were reportedly killed and two
others injured by four armed elements in Karachi. In Balochistan, on 26 November,
four polio workers, including three women, were reportedly shot dead and three
other members of the polio vaccination team were wounded by two gunmen on a
motorcycle. On 9 December, in Faisalabad, Punjab, a schoolteacher volunteering in
a polio vaccination campaign was reportedly shot by armed elements on a
motorcycle. The Taliban splinter faction Jundullah claimed responsibility for the
attack.
244. Interaction on child protection between the United Nations and the Pakistani
authorities continued throughout 2014. For example, with United Nations support,
the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan approved a comparatively substantial budgetary
allocation for the establishment of child protection services. One area of concern is
the reports of detention of children for alleged association with armed groups and
on national security charges. In January 2015, the Parliament of Pa kistan passed a
constitutional amendment on the establishment of military courts for a duration of
24 months, wherein civilian suspects accused of acts of terrorism will be tried.
Military courts are inappropriate forums for hearing cases involving childre n since
they do not fully recognize the special status of juveniles in conflict with the law. I
urge the Government to ensure that any children arrested for their alleged associated
with armed groups or under security charges are treated primarily as victi ms. In all
circumstances children are entitled to benefit from the special status of juvenile in
conflict with the law in conformity with international human rights law.
Philippines
245. In March, the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF)
signed a comprehensive agreement on the Bangasamoro that includes a transition
plan on normalization towards the eventual decommissioning of the MILF
Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). The Government also continued to
enhance the monitoring, reporting and response system to institutionalize the
response to child rights violations. Meanwhile, the emergence of breakaway armed
factions and localized community feuds involving armed elements continued to
affect children. As at March 2015, intensive fighting was continuing between the
Government and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Abu Sayyaf
Group (ASG).
246. Noting that child recruitment is mostly likely underreported since communities
are apprehensive about sharing information for fear of reprisals, the United Nations
verified the recruitment and use of seven boys, as young as 9 years of age, by the
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New People’s Army (NPA) and ASG, marking a decrease from the 20 verified cases
in 2013. For example, among the five boys recruited and used by ASG was a 9-yearold
boy who was used as a weapons porter for approximately 18 months. After
escaping, he was shot dead. ASG had previously told his family that the boy would
be killed if he left. The recruitment of two boys by NPA, aged 15 and 16 years, was
reported by their parents. The municipal police launched an investigation but the
recruiter remained at large and an arrest warrant was issued.
247. Local communities continued to note that armed groups, including NPA and
reportedly ASG, approached civilians including children, for recruitment purposes,
offering them shelter, food, access to education or offering to support communities.
In response, parents reportedly sent their children to urban centres for their
protection.
248. On 3 July, a 14-year-old boy and his father were arrested by members of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines in Maguindanao, allegedly on suspicion of the
father being affiliated with BIFF. The whereabouts of the father and the boy were
unknown at the end of 2014, although an investigation was launched by the
Regional Human Rights Commission of the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao.
249. The United Nations verified the killing of 13 children and the injury of
26 others in 22 separate incidents. In one incident, on 28 July, seven children were
killed and six others, as young as 3 years of age, were wounded by ASG when their
vehicle was ambushed. Ten incidents resulted from armed forces operations against
BIFF and retaliatory attacks. One boy was killed and four children (two girls, two
boys) were injured in armed clashes in the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao resulting from conflicts involving MILF or Moro National Liberation
Front commanders.
250. In five separate incidents, clashes between the armed forces and BIF F and
between national police and NPA resulted in damage to schools, followed by
suspension of classes. On 2 January, BIFF used a primary school in North Cotabato
in operations against the armed forces and set the school on fire upon withdrawal.
Concerns also persisted over threats made against teachers by ASG. In addition, the
United Nations verified the military use of six schools and one hospital by the
armed forces, mainly during operations against BIFF.
251. In June, the MILF leadership reappointed a panel to engage with the United
Nations on a roadmap to expedite implementation of the action plan to end and
prevent the recruitment and use of children and took a number of important steps,
notably that of appointing focal points in all of its base and front commands,
displaying command orders prohibiting the recruitment and use of children,
including sanctions against perpetrators, facilitating orientations on the roles and
responsibilities of BIAF members vis-à-vis the action plan, and submitting progress
reports to the United Nations every two months. MILF has also guaranteed
unhindered access for action plan-related activities, including verification exercises.
252. In partnership with the Bangsamoro Development Agency, the United Nations
has established 16 community-based child protection networks in conflict-affected
communities in Mindanao to strengthen their capacity to prevent and respond to all
forms of child rights violations.
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253. The armed forces, through their Human Rights Office, and in line with my
recommendations to better protect children affected by the armed conflict in the
Philippines (S/2013/419), continued to finalize a strategic framework to protect
children during military operations. Some of these have already been implemented,
including the guidelines on the conduct of activities in schools and hospitals.
254. I commend the progress made by MILF and urge it to identify all children
associated with BIAF to ensure their separation in line with the action plan. I
encourage both the Government of the Philippines and MILF to continue their
sustained engagement to ensure the success of the peace process, which the United
Nations stands ready to support.
Thailand
255. Armed violence in southern Thailand continued, with armed groups launching
attacks against civilian targets and engaging in sporadic fighting with Government
security forces. Peace talks between the Government and armed groups, facilitated
by Malaysia, began in 2014.
256. The United Nations continued to receive reports on the recruitment and use of
children by armed groups. Children reportedly received military training and were
used as lookouts, informers and combatants. For instance, a 14-year-old boy
allegedly associated with an armed group was reportedly killed in a gunfight with
civil defence forces in Narathiwat Province in August. Concerns persist over the
informal association of children with civil defence groups providing security for
transportation routes, teachers and schools. Reports also continue regarding the
administrative detention of children for alleged association with armed groups.
257. The United Nations received reports of 57 incidents in Pattani, Yala and
Narathiwat that resulted in the killing of 23 children and maiming of 65. The
incidents included shootings and improvised explosive device attacks. For example,
on 3 February, three boys, between 6 and 11 years of age, were reportedly killed by
gunshots during a targeted attack on their family by armed ele ments.
258. Armed groups continued to target teachers and education personnel, often
using brutal threats and acts. According to the Ministry of Education, six teachers,
one education personnel and 10 students were killed in 2014, while three teachers,
one education personnel and 15 students were injured. In a worrisome example, in
March, insurgents shot a teacher while she was riding a motorcycle to work at
Tabing Tingi Community School. The assailants reportedly then poured gasoline on
her body and set it on fire. A leaflet, with the words “This attack is in revenge for
the killing of innocent people,” was found nearby.
259. In line with that trend, in November, banners threatening teachers were found
in several parts of Yala. Soldiers and police who have been providing security
escorts for teachers in the affected region have also come under fire. In November,
18 members of an armed group launched an attack on a security escort, killing four
soldiers and injuring two others. In October, eight schools in t he provinces of
Pattani and Narathiwat were burned at night. No group claimed responsibility for
the attacks. However, according to some reports, it was retaliation by a National
Revolutionary Front-led armed group for attacks by the Royal Thai Army. The
Government arrested eight persons in October, who reportedly confessed to carrying
out the attack.
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260. In May and August, for the first time since the escalation of violence in 2014,
three hospitals were attacked in Pattani and Songkhla. In one attack, a parked
motorcycle exploded and set fire to adjacent areas in the bombing at the Khok Pho
hospital, resulting in serious injury to a 3-year-old girl.
261. In my previous two annual reports, I welcomed the fact that the Government
and the United Nations country team were engaging in dialogue on access to the
southern border provinces to conduct independent verification and report on alleged
violations against children. I am concerned that progress has still not been achieved
on the issue of access for monitoring and verification, and again strongly urge the
Government to facilitate independent access.
IV. Recommendations
262. I am deeply concerned at the increase of grave violations outlined in the
present report and call upon all parties to immediately end, and take all
measures to prevent, grave violations against children.
263. Accountability is crucial to preventing grave violations, and I urge
Member States to place it at the core of national and international responses to
violations.
264. I call upon Member States to ensure that their response to threats to peace
and security are conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian
law, refugee law and human rights law. Member States should ensure that
responses include specific mitigating measures for the protection of children.
265. I strongly urge all parties listed in the annexes to the present report who
have not yet done so to enter into dialogue with the United Nations to agree on
and implement measures to end grave violations and assist victims.
266. I call upon Member States to allow independent access to the United
Nations for the purposes of monitoring and reporting on grave violations
against children.
267. I also call upon Member States to facilitate contact between the United
Nations and non-State armed groups for dialogue and follow-up on action plans
in order to bring an end to violations. Such dialogue does not prejudge the
political or legal status of those non-State armed groups.
268. I urge Member States to consider alternatives to the deprivation of liberty
or prosecution of children for their alleged or actual association with armed
groups or as part of counter-terrorism measures. At a minimum, Member
States should ensure that procedures or trials are consistent with international
juvenile justice standards and the principle of the best interests of the child.
269. The recruitment and use of children by extremist groups pose new
challenges with regard to their protection, rehabilitation and reintegration. I
encourage Member States to highlight and address the need for prevention and
appropriate measures to rehabilitate those children recruited and used,
including education programmes and vocational training, in compliance with
the principle of the best interest of the child and respecting the child’s primary
status as a victim.
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270. I encourage Member States, regional organizations, international
mediators and special envoys to continue including child protection provisions
in peace negotiations and agreements.
271. I welcome the leadership and contribution of regional and subregional
organizations in the protection of children. I call upon regional and subregional
organizations to continue integrating child protection considerations in their
policies, planning of peace support operations, training of personnel and
conduct of operations.
272. I call upon all parties to respect the civilian character of schools and cease
attacks against them and attacks and threats of attacks against students and
teachers.
273. I call upon the Council to expand the tools available to child protection
actors to gather information and report on the abduction of children, including
through adding abductions as a trigger violation for listing in the annexes of
the present report.
274. I also call upon the Council to continue to support the children and armed
conflict agenda by strengthening provisions for the protection of children in all
relevant mandates of United Nations peacekeeping, special political and
peacebuilding missions. I also welcome and encourage the inclusion of grave
violations against children as criteria for sanctions in Security Council
committees.
275. I welcome the engagement and progress made so far regarding the
“Children, Not Soldiers” campaign. I call upon all Member States to continue
to mobilize political and financial support to ensure that progress achieved is
institutionalized and durable.
276. I again urge all Member States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify
the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its three Optional Protocols.
V. Observations
277. The present report clearly lays out the egregious violations to which children
were subject during the reporting period in countries affected by conflict. In several
situations, in particular the Central African Republic, Iraq, Israel/State of Palestine,
Nigeria, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, children were affected to a
degree which is an affront to our common humanity. The facts as presented in the
body of the present report speak for themselves and should shock our collective
conscience.
278. I am more convinced than ever that the United Nations and Member States
must continue to give the protection of children affected by armed conflict the
highest priority. Their plight should be the primary reason not to start conflicts and
the primary reason to end them.
279. Determining responsibility for the killing and maiming and other grave
violations against children raises the question of intention, although what is relevant
is respect for international legal obligations and the impact on children. T he case
has been made by some parties to conflict that targeting children was never a policy
or practice and that it was merely the unintended consequence of military action. In
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2015, however, the case has been made in such a way that the integrity of the listing
mechanism established by the Security Council to protect children has been
threatened. This is deplorable.
280. I would like to put all parties to conflict on notice that those that engage in
military action resulting in numerous grave violations against children will,
regardless of intent, find themselves under continued scrutiny by the United
Nations, including in future reports relating to children and armed conflict. Member
States must re-examine existing policies and practices to stop and prevent grave
violations against children. Member States must also be held to account and they, in
turn, must hold perpetrators accountable.
281. I call upon all Member States not to lose sight of the vital objective at stake
here: protecting children — a moral imperative and a legal obligation. Member
States therefore must ensure that all avenues to protect children affected by armed
conflict are identified and pursued. I urge all the parties to conflict identified in the
report to work with my Special Representative to prevent future grave violations
against children.
VI. Lists in the annexes to the present report
282. There are no new parties listed in the report. In the Central African Republic,
local defence militias known as the anti-Balaka, already listed for recruitment and
use and killing and maiming of children, are now listed for sexual violence against
children. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Allied Democratic Forces
(ADF), who were already included in annex I for the recruitment and use of children
and for attacks on schools and hospitals, are listed for the killing and maiming of
children. In Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)/Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQ-I) are now
listed for sexual violence against children under the name Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL), in addition to the three other listed violations. In the Syrian Arab
Republic, the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) are further listed for sexual
violence against children and attacks on schools and hospitals, also unde r the name
ISIL. In Nigeria, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), also known as
Boko Haram, is now additionally listed for the recruitment and use of children,
having been previously listed for killing and maiming and sexual violence against
children.
283. Other changes in the list resulted from the fragmentation of previously listed
parties or other changes in the landscape of armed conflict in respective situations.
In the Central African Republic, the situation remains complex and fluid. Som e
factions listed in 2014 under the “ex-Séléka coalition and associated armed groups”
disappeared, while others emerged. For the current listing, the umbrella “ex -Séléka
coalition and associated armed groups” is used. In the Syrian Arab Republic, Jhabat
Al-Nusra is now listed as Al-Nusra Front (ANF).
284. In a unilateral declaration made in Nairobi on 12 December 2013, the M23
announced the end of its rebellion and its transformation into a political party, and
was removed from annex I. In relation to Yemen, given the constant changing nature
of the situation, no changes have been made to the annexes from the previous
report, but changes may be made in future years.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of
the Security Council*
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Policea,•
2. Haqqani Networka,b
3. Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
4. Taliban forces, including the Tora Bora Front, the Jamat Sunat al -Dawa Salafia
and the Latif Mansur Networka,b,d
Parties in the Central African region (Central African Republic, Democratic
Republic of the Congo and South Sudan)
1. Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)a,b,c
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Ex-Séléka coalition and associated armed groupsa,b,c,d
2. Local defence militias known as the anti-Balakaa,b,c
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)a,b,d
2. Forces armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC)a,c,•
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR)a,c,d
4. Front de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FRPI)a,c,d
5. Mayi Mayi Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS)
“Colonel Janvier”a
6. Mayi Mayi “Lafontaine” and former elements of the Patriotes résistants
congolais (PARECO)a
7. Mayi Mayi Simba “Morgan”a,c
8. Mayi Mayi Kata Katangaa
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
• This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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9. Nduma Defence Coalition (NDC)/Chekaa,b
10. Mayi Mayi Nyaturaa
Parties in Iraq
1. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)a,b,c,d
Parties in Mali
1. Mouvement national de liberation de l’Azawad (MNLA)a,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO) a,c
3. Ansar Dinea,c
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA)a
2. Kachin Independence Army (KIA)a
3. Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA)a
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Karenni Army (KNPP/KA)a
6. Shan State Army South (SSA-S)a
7. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forcesa,•
8. United Wa State Army (UWSA)a
Parties in Somalia
1. Al Shabaaba,b
2. Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ)a
3. Somali National Armya,b,•
Parties in South Sudan
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)a,b,•
2. SPLA in Oppositiona,b
3. White Armya
Parties in Sudan
1. Government security forces, including the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the
Popular Defense Forces (PDF) and the Sudan Police Forcesa
2. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)a
3. Pro-Government militiasa
4. Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahida
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5. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawia
6. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N)a
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
1. Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamia,b
2. Free Syrian Army (FSA) — affiliated groupsa
3. Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and the Shabbiha
militiab,c,d
4. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)a,b,c,d
5. al-Nusra Front (Jhabat Al-Nusra)a,b
6. People Protection Units (YPG)a
Parties in Yemen
1. Al-Houthi/Ansar Allaha
2. Al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula (AQIP)/Ansar al-Shariaa
3. Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces, the First Armoured
Division, the Military Police, the special security forces and Republican Guardsa,•
4. Pro-Government militias, including the Salafists and Popular Committeesa
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda
of the Security Council, or in other situations*
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN)a
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)a
Parties in Nigeria
1. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad also known as Boko Harama,b,d
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)a
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)a
3. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)a,•
4. New People’s Army (NPA)a
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
• This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/70/836–S/2016/360
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
20 April 2016
Original: English
16-06499 (E) 260516
*1606499*
General Assembly
Seventieth session
Agenda item 68
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Seventy-first year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2015,
is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2225 (2015). It highlights
recent global trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on children and provides
information on grave violations committed against children in 2015. The main
activities with regard to the implementation of relevant Council resolutions and the
conclusions of the Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict are
outlined. In line with the resolutions of the Council, the annexes to the report
include a list of parties that engage in the recruitment and use of children, sexual
violence against children, the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools
and/or hospitals and attacks or threats of attacks ag ainst protected personnel,1 and
the abduction of children.
2. All the information provided in the present report and its annexes has been
vetted for accuracy by the United Nations. In situations in which the ability to
obtain or independently verify information is hampered by such factors as insecurity
or access restrictions, it is qualified as such. The preparation of the report and its
annexes involved broad consultations within the United Nations, at Headquarters
and in the field, and with relevant Membe r States.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), and in identifying
situations that fall within the scope of her mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict has adopted a pragmatic approach on the issue, with
an emphasis on humanitarian principles aimed at ensuring broad and effective
protection for children. Reference to a situation is not a legal determination and
reference to a non-State actor does not affect its legal status.
__________________
1 Under Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014), protected persons are
considered to be teachers, doctors, other educational personnel, students and patients.
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II. Addressing the impact of armed conflict on children
A. Trends and developments
4. Serious challenges for the protection of children affected by armed conflict
continued throughout 2015. The impact on children of our collective failure to
prevent and end conflict is severe, and the present report highlights the increased
intensity of grave violations in a number of situations of armed conflict. Those
violations are directly related to the denigration of the respect for international
humanitarian and human rights law by parties to conflict.
5. Protracted conflicts had a substantial impact on children. In the Syrian Arab
Republic, the five-year conflict has caused the deaths of more than 250,000 people,
including thousands of children. In Afghanistan in 2015, the highest number of child
casualties was recorded since the United Nations began systematically documenting
civilian casualties in 2009. In Somalia, the situation continued to be perilous, with
an increase of 50 per cent in the number of recorded violations against children
compared with 2014, with many hundreds of children recruited, used, killed and
maimed. In a most troubling example, in South Sudan, children were victims of all
six grave violations, in particular during brutal military offensiv es against
opposition forces.
6. In Yemen, a particularly worrisome escalation of conflict has been seen. The
United Nations verified a fivefold increase in the number of children recruited in
2015 compared with the previous year. This compounded a sixfold increase in the
number of children killed and maimed in the same period. These alarming trends
continued into early 2016.
7. Attacks on schools and hospitals were prevalent in 2015, linked to the
increasing use of air strikes and explosive weapons in popu lated areas. Armed
groups particularly targeted girls’ access to education, although attacks on schools
and hospitals were also carried out by government forces. Member States should
consider, where necessary, changes in policies, military procedures and l egislation
to protect schools and hospitals.
8. The proliferation of actors involved in armed conflicts was a particular
concern. Cross-border aerial operations conducted by international coalitions or
individual Member States, especially in populated are as, resulted in highly complex
environments for the protection of children. Indiscriminate aerial bombardments
have hit medical and education facilities and crowded markets, causing child
casualties. The many actors involved in hostilities posed challenges for monitoring
and reporting and to the efforts of the United Nations to engage with parties to
conflict to prevent child casualties.
9. In its resolution 2225 (2015), the Security Council expressed grave concern
regarding the abduction of children in si tuations of armed conflict and requested
those parties to armed conflict that engaged in patterns of abduction of children to
be listed in the present report. Abductions continued to be perpetrated on a wide
scale by Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and
the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), with the number significantly increasing in
Afghanistan and South Sudan.
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10. The reporting period was marked by most disturbing cases of sexual
exploitation and abuse committed by United Nations peacekeepers and civilians and
non-United Nations international forces. Sexual exploitation and abuse by those
entrusted to protect civilians is particularly egregious. I have initiated a robust
response to allegations against United Nations personn el, following the
recommendations of the external independent review panel on sexual exploitation
and abuse by international peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic. I
am pleased that the Security Council, through its resolution 2272 (2016), en dorsed
my decision to repatriate military or police units when there is credible evidence of
widespread or systemic sexual exploitation or abuse by those units and asked the
United Nations to gather and preserve evidence of incidents in peacekeeping
operations. The measures represent important steps in ensuring that there is
accountability for those who commit these atrocious acts.
11. Notwithstanding the significant concerns relating to the protection of children
affected by armed conflict, progress has be en made. The momentum generated by
the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign remained strong. In particular, continued
commitment by Governments towards their action plans was demonstrated in
Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar. The S udan, the
only campaign country without a written commitment, in March 2016 signed an
action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by its security
forces. Information on progress is included in the country -specific sections of the
present report. In the light of the upcoming final year of the campaign, my Special
Representative, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other
stakeholders will increase their efforts to support the implementation of actions
plans in place with government forces.
12. There was also strong engagement with a number of listed non -State armed
groups. Engaging the plethora of non-State armed groups in existence is complex,
and a multifaceted approach is necessary, taking into consideration the operation al
environments. Political dialogue and peace and ceasefire negotiations represent
opportunities to reach out to parties to conflict regarding the protection of children.
The early consideration of children’s protection needs in negotiations is vital, and
engagement with parties to conflict on issues such as the release and separation of
children can also provide a starting point for discussions. The United Nations
engaged strongly during the reporting period with non -State armed groups, both
inside and outside peace processes, from the Central African Republic, Colombia,
Mali, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Sudan and the Sudan. Progress in this regard
is also reflected in the country sections of the present report.
B. Reducing the impact of violent extremism on children
13. Children have been significantly affected by violent extremism in recent years
and were often the direct targets of acts intended to cause maximum civilian
casualties and terrorize communities, including by depicting children as
“executioners” or forcing them to be suicide bombers. The distribution of violent
images and videos on social media placed the plight of children caught in the
middle of these conflicts at the forefront of the world’s collective consciousness.
Acts of violent extremism are abhorrent and Member States have obligations to
ensure that their responses comply with international law to ensure that civilians are
protected from these groups. The Security Council has emphasized that efforts to
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counter extreme violence must be carried out in full compliance with international
humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law.
14. It is noted herein that some military responses against non -State armed groups
perpetrating violent extremism raised challenges for the protection of children. In
some cases, State-allied militia and vigilante groups have been mobilized and used
children in support roles or even as combatants. Children caught in the middle of
operations have been killed and maimed and their homes and schoo ls destroyed,
raising concerns about compliance with international law. When responding to
violent extremism, Member States should ensure that their rules of engagement take
into account that children may be living in areas under the control of armed group s
or may be used on front lines following their abduction or recruitment.
15. As noted in my Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism (see
A/70/674), dated 24 December 2015, purely military and security appr oaches have
not proved effective in addressing violent extremism. Violent extremism does not
occur in a vacuum. It is necessary to identify and address its root causes and
catalysts, such as protracted conflict without hope of resolution, political
grievances, the alienation of communities, the lack of good governance, poverty and
the lack of education and socioeconomic opportunities. Action is required by
individual Member States, regional organizations and the broader international
community, including by mobilizing resources, building resilience and
strengthening protective environments for children. A new and compounding
challenge is the regular use of propaganda on social media to recruit children and
young people. I urge Member States to strengthen pro grammes to prevent the
recruitment of children through social media.
16. The effective reintegration of children formerly associated with groups
perpetrating violent extremism should be a priority. However, in Member States’
response to violent extremism, children are often systematically treated as security
threats rather than as victims, and are administratively detained or prosecuted for
their alleged association. Depriving children of liberty following their separation is
contrary not only to the best interests of the child, but also to the best interests of
society as a whole. This approach further complicates efforts to reintegrate children,
given that it separates them from their families and can also lead to the creation of
community grievances.
C. Children displaced by armed conflict
17. Armed conflict has resulted in forced displacement, with an ever -growing
number of people fleeing in search of protection. In the Syrian Arab Republic, more
than 4.8 million people have fled the country and 6 .5 million have been internally
displaced since the beginning of the conflict; nearly half of them are children. In
Nigeria, as at the end of December, more than 1.8 million people had been
internally displaced, including in excess of 1 million children, a nd more than
200,000 were refugees in neighbouring countries. In South Sudan, some 200,000
civilians, mainly women and children, remained in United Nations sites for the
protections of civilians at the end of 2015. In Gaza, 44,479 children remain
displaced as a result of the escalation of hostilities in 2014.
18. Those figures represent a very small fraction of the total number of children
displaced by conflict, many of whom are unaccompanied or separated from their
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families and caregivers during displacement. Those children are at a high risk and
were victims of grave violations inside and arou nd camps or other areas where they
sought refuge. It is noted herein that, in contexts such as South Sudan, the Sudan
and the Syrian Arab Republic, parties to conflict took advantage of the vulnerability
of displaced and refugee populations to recruit chil dren and commit other crimes,
including sexual violence and abduction.
19. States of origin, transit and destination have a responsibility to ensure
appropriate protection for displaced children and to avoid aggravating their
vulnerability, including through equal access to health care, high-quality education
and psychosocial support. The failure to accord priority to the rights and needs of
children affected by armed conflict will only increase the cost of rebuilding society
once peace has been achieved.
20. Conflict prevention must be the goal of the international community.
Sustainable peace is the only way to reduce conflict -related displacement, and
increased efforts should be made to identify long -term solutions that will reduce and
mitigate the root causes of conflict. In the short term, action is urgently required to
alleviate the plight of the many children currently displaced by armed conflict. I
encourage Member States to respect the rights of displaced and refugee children and
to provide them with the necessary support services, keeping in mind the best
interests of the child.
III. Information on grave violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
21. Children were disproportionately affected by the intensifying conflict in
Afghanistan. The number of child casualties verified by the Unite d Nations has
risen by 14 per cent since 2014 and reached the highest number ever recorded. One
in four civilian casualties in 2015 was a child.
22. The number of verified cases of recruitment and use of children more than
doubled compared with 2014. A total of 116 cases (115 boys, 1 girl) were
documented during the reporting period, of which 48 were verified. Thirteen
verified recruitment cases were attributed to the Afghan National Defence and
Security Forces: five to the Afghan Local Police; five to the Afghan National Police;
and three to the Afghan National Army. The majority of verified cases were
attributed to the Taliban (20) and other armed gro ups (15). The Taliban continued to
recruit children for combat and suicide attacks. There is continuing concern about
allegations of cross-border recruitment of children and of use of religious schools in
Afghanistan and Pakistan for child recruitment and military training by the Taliban
and other armed groups (see S/2015/336, para. 21).
23. As at 31 December, the Ministry of Justice reported that 214 boys had been
detained in juvenile rehabilitation centres on c harges relating to national security,
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including association with armed groups. In addition, 166 detainees arrested as
children were being held at the Parwan detention facility for security -related
offences; 53 of those were under 18 years of age. I am conc erned about children
being held in a high-security facility for adults for extended periods without due
process, and about reports of the consistent use of solitary confinement for children.
24. The United Nations verified 1,306 incidents resulting in 2,8 29 child casualties
(733 killed, 2,096 injured) — an average of 53 children were killed or injured every
week. Of the casualties, 42 per cent (339 killed, 850 injured) were attributed to
armed groups, including the Taliban, groups affiliated with ISIL and Hezb-i-Islami,
and 23 per cent (177 killed, 471 injured) to the Afghan National Defence and
Security Forces and pro-Government militias. A total of 55 child casualties were
attributed to international forces, the majority of which were caused by air strike s
(21 killed, 20 injured), and cross-border shelling (3 killed, 9 injured). A third of
child casualties (937) could not be attributed to a specific party. The leading causes
of child casualties remained ground engagements (55 per cent), improvised
explosive device attacks (19 per cent) and explosive remnants of war (13 per cent).
The number of casualties relating to air strikes by Afghan and international forces
almost doubled in 2015.
25. The United Nations received 11 reports of sexual violence, affectin g nine boys
and six girls. One incident involving a boy recruited and sexually abused by the
Taliban in the northern region was verified. Concerns remain regarding the cultural
practice of bachah-bazi (“dancing boys”), which involves the sexual exploitatio n of
boys by men in power, including Afghan National Defence and Security Forces
commanders.
26. Attacks on schools and protected personnel continued to be verified, including
the killing, injury and abduction of education personnel. Of 132 verified incide nts,
82 were attributed to the Taliban, 13 to ISIL -affiliated groups, 11 to undetermined
armed groups, 1 to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and 23 to the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces and pro -Government militias; 2 incidents could not be
attributed to any party. The emergence of ISIL -affiliated groups in the east had an
impact on access to education and led to the closure of 68 schools, affecting more
than 48,751 children in Nangarhar Province.
27. Verified attacks on hospitals and health per sonnel (125) significantly increased
compared with 2014. In the attacks, at least 63 health -care personnel, including
vaccinators, were killed or injured, 66 abducted and 64 intimidated and assaulted. A
total of 75 incidents were attributed to the Taliban; 14 to ISIL-affiliated groups; 1 to
TTP; 19 to undetermined armed groups; 14 to the Afghan National Defence and
Security Forces and pro-Government militias; and 1 to international forces. For
example, 49 medical staff were killed or injured in an air strik e by international
forces on the Médecins sans frontières hospital in Kunduz on 3 October.
28. In a positive development, in May, the Government signed the Safe Schools
Declaration, aimed at protecting education facilities from military use during
conflict. The use of schools by parties to the conflict continued, however, with 24
cases attributed to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and 11 to
armed groups (Taliban (4), ISIL-affiliated group (7)). The United Nations also
verified 10 incidents of military use of hospitals.
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29. The verified number of children abducted more than tripled compared with
2014. A total of 92 children (74 boys, 4 girls and 14 of unknown sex) were abducted
in 23 incidents, including incidents linked to the killing of se ven children and sexual
violence against a child. The abductions of 69 children were attributed to the
Taliban (two killed), 3 to ISIL-affiliated groups (all killed) and 12 to undetermined
armed groups. An incident involving eight children remains unattrib uted.
30. The United Nations received reports of 93 incidents of denial of humanitarian
access (75 verified). Humanitarian personnel were abducted (100), killed (9) and
threatened and intimidated (14 incidents), while five humanitarian convoys were
attacked. Of the verified incidents, 76 (78 per cent) were attributed to armed groups,
including the Taliban, and 10 to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces
and pro-Government militias, while 7 cases could not be attributed.
31. The United Nations welcomes the measures taken by the Government in
meeting its obligations under the action plan, including criminalizing underage
recruitment by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, the endorsement
of national age assessment guidelines and the inau guration of three new child
protection units within Afghan National Police recruitment centres, bringing the
total to seven. Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice granted the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan unimpeded access to all juvenile rehabilitation
centres.
32. In February 2016, my Special Representative visited Afghanistan. She
commended the strong commitment of the Government and the important progress
made to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Afghan Nationa l
Defence and Security Forces, and discussed gaps and challenges to be addressed.
Critical elements are the nationwide expansion of child protection units in Afghan
National Police recruitment centres, the implementation of national age assessment
guidelines in all Afghan National Defence and Security Forces recruitment and a
general prohibition on child recruitment and use in the Child Law. I am concerned,
however, about the lack of oversight mechanisms for Afghan Local Police
recruitment, especially in the light of allegations of informal recruitment of
children. Reintegration programmes and alternatives for children are also important,
given that poverty is a driver of recruitment. Regarding the deprivation of liberty of
children on charges relating to na tional security, I urge the Government to consider
alternatives to detention and ensure that children are always treated in accordance
with their best interests and juvenile justice standards.
33. Further analysis of the six grave violations is provided in my country report on
children and armed conflict in Afghanistan, issued on 15 May 2015 ( S/2015/336).
The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted its
conclusions on Afghanistan in February 2016, and I urge all parties to take action to
address the recommendations set out therein.
Central African Republic
34. There were significant political developments in the Central African Republic
in 2015, including the holding of the Bangu i Forum on National Reconciliation in
May, a constitutional referendum in November and the first round of presidential
elections in December. A new outbreak of violence erupted in September between
former Séléka elements, anti-balaka elements and members of the former Central
African military, which critically affected children. A detailed account of the effects
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of armed conflict in the country is available in my recent report to the Security
Council, which covers the period from January 2011 to December 20 15
(S/2016/133).
35. The United Nations documented 40 cases of child recruitment and use, more
than half of which were by LRA (21) and over a quarter by the former Séléka
faction, Union pour la paix en Centrafri que (UPC) (13). Children were used as
combatants, messengers, informants and cooks. Girls were also used as sex slaves.
In addition, the United Nations documented the presence of an undetermined
number of children manning checkpoints and barricades alongsi de armed
individuals reportedly sympathetic or affiliated to anti -balaka and former Séléka
elements, when violence erupted in Bangui in September. On several occasions,
suspected anti-balaka elements used children as shields as they fired at United
Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African
Republic (MINUSCA) forces. Furthermore, the military leader of a former Séléka
faction, Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique, acknowledged having 43
children in his group. The United Nations engaged with him for their release, but
without further cooperation.
36. There was a fall in the number of documented child casualties compared with
2014, with 62 children killed and 185 maimed, mostly during the violence in
September sparked by the beheading of a 16-year-old boy. The ensuing violence
claimed the lives of 28 children and injured 31. Anti -balaka elements were
responsible for killing 28 children and former Séléka factions for 8, while 26
children died in crossfire or in incide nts involving explosive remnants of war.
37. Sexual violence remained prevalent, with 70 cases documented, although the
number of verified cases significantly decreased compared with 2014. Incidents were
mainly attributed to former Séléka factions, in part icular UPC, but also to anti-balaka
elements and armed individuals of Fulani origin. A small number of incidents were
reported to the police, but did not result in investigation or prosecution.
38. In the context of already fragile education and health -care systems, 19 attacks
on schools and 12 on hospitals were verified, the majority by anti -balaka and former
Séléka elements (UPC and Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique
factions). A nurse was killed in Bambari in March by anti -balaka elements who had
accused her of spying. Two suspects were arrested and handed over to the police,
but no action had been taken as at the time of writing (March 2016). Furthermore,
16 schools were used for military purposes, 14 of them by former Séléka faction s.
In a positive development, the Government signed the Safe Schools Declaration.
39. A total of 52 children were verified as having been abducted: 25 by LRA, 15
by anti-balaka elements and the remainder by unidentified armed men. More
allegations involving LRA were received but could not be verified. While the
children abducted by LRA were used as porters or looters or for sexual purposes,
abductions by anti-balaka elements were mainly for ransom.
40. Humanitarian access remained a major concern, with 14 0 verified incidents
affecting humanitarians. Unidentified armed individuals or alleged affiliates of
anti-balaka and former Séléka elements, often for financial gain, systematically
impeded the provision of humanitarian assistance.
41. The United Nations continued to engage with some former Séléka factions,
local anti-balaka commanders and other armed groups. That interaction culminated
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with the signing of an agreement by 10 armed groups on 5 May, on the margins of the
Bangui Forum on National Reconciliation, to end and prevent the recruitment and use
of, and other grave violations against, children. Since the agreement was signed,
1,446 children have been separated from armed groups and space has opened for the
United Nations to discuss commitments to end grave violations, especially with a
number of the former Séléka factions. With regard to the anti -balaka, the United
Nations engaged with local commanders, which led to the separation of children.
42. In total, 2,679 children were separated from armed gro ups: almost 89 per cent
from anti-balaka elements and 10 per cent from former Séléka elements. UNICEF
and its partners developed community-based approaches to reintegrate the children.
43. Allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against children by M INUSCA
military and police personnel were recorded, including four from the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, one each from Burundi, the Congo, Gabon and Morocco and
two by unknown perpetrators. As at December, investigations were continuing
regarding seven allegations, with one involving personnel from Morocco and one
involving personnel from the Democratic Republic of the Congo found to be
unsubstantiated. Three allegations were also reported against members of the
Sangaris force and contingents of the Eu ropean Union-led peacekeeping force in the
Central African Republic. Furthermore, many new allegations involving personnel
of the Sangaris force and MINUSCA were received in 2016 and were being
investigated at the time of writing (March 2016).
Democratic Republic of the Congo
44. The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ituri,
North Kivu and Tanganyika) remained volatile in 2015 and was marked by military
operations by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces
armées de la République démocratique du Congo — FARDC) against the Forces
démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), the Allied Democratic Forces
(ADF), the Forces de résistance patriotiques en Ituri (FRPI) and other armed groups.
The situation also deteriorated owing to the activities of armed groups and
intercommunal clashes. The United Nations verified 2,549 violations against
children, a significant increase compared with 2014. Nearly 40 per cent were
attributed to FDLR. Children took t he opportunity of military operations to escape
from armed groups, resulting in a spike in the number of separated children.
45. The United Nations verified the new recruitment of 488 children (26 girls), of
whom 30 per cent were under 15 years of age whe n recruited. This is more than twice
the number of documented cases in 2014. Of the recruitment and use, 89 per cent
occurred in North Kivu, and almost half of the children were recruited by FDLR
(219), followed by Raia Mutomboki (89), Nyatura (69) and oth er groups (111). In
July, 10 boys who had been recruited in 2013 and 2014 were separated from FARDC
and reported that they had participated in military operations in North Kivu in the
year of their recruitment. The United Nations engaged with FARDC, which indicated
that it had suspended the suspected commanding officers and initiated an
investigation, which was continuing at the time of writing (March 2016).
46. FARDC handed over 139, and the Congolese National Police 8, children
formerly associated with armed groups to the United Nations. Ten other children
were handed over after they had been detained by FARDC, notwithstanding the two
government directives prohibiting the holding of children for alleged association
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with armed groups. Some had been detained for a few months, but one boy had
allegedly been detained for more than a year. At the time of writing (March 2016),
the United Nations had identified at least 22 children who were being held without
charge in Angenga prison after being encountered in mil itary operations.
47. At least 80 children were killed and 56 maimed, with most incidents occurring
in North Kivu and Ituri. ADF (20), FRPI (19) and FDLR (14) were the main
perpetrators among armed groups. A total of 29 children were killed and maimed by
FARDC and 9 by the Congolese National Police. Fourteen casualties were attributed
to military operations or clashes among armed groups and nine were the result of
explosive remnants of war.
48. The United Nations verified 254 child victims of sexual violen ce. Armed
groups were responsible for the majority of incidents, in particular FRPI (67), Raia
Mutomboki (33) and Mayi Mayi Simba (27). FARDC was responsible for 68 cases,
the Congolese National Police for 19 and the National Intelligence Agency for 2. A
total of 42 FARDC and 11 Congolese National Police elements were arrested
following the incidents.
49. Twenty-six attacks on schools (22) and hospitals (4) were verified. The Twa
self-defence group destroyed 10 schools in Tanganyika Province in clashes wit h the
Luba. The remaining attacks were perpetrated by Nyatura (4), FDLR (2) and other
armed groups (5). Regarding hospitals, ADF was responsible for two attacks and
LRA and FDLR for one each. Most notably, an attack by ADF on Eringeti hospital
in Beni territory on 29 November resulted in at least 31 casualties.
50. Notwithstanding a directive issued in 2013 by the Ministry of Defence
prohibiting the practice of military use of schools, 20 schools were used by FARDC.
Following advocacy by the United Nations, however, 13 were vacated. Ten schools
were also used by armed groups.
51. A total of 195 reports of abductions were received. Sixty -eight verified cases
were attributed mainly to Raia Mutomboki, FRPI and ADF. Girls were reported to
have been raped while in captivity, and some 40 per cent of the children are still
missing. LRA continued to abduct children; 102 new reports were received in 2015.
52. Two cases of denial of humanitarian access by Raia Mutomboki were
documented in Shabunda territory (South Kiv u). In addition, at least 127 incidents
of intimidation of and direct attacks on humanitarian organizations and staff were
recorded in North Kivu.
53. Military pressure and radio messages encouraging children to escape
contributed to 2,045 children being separated from armed groups, which is twice the
number separated in the previous year. Children were separated from FDLR (891),
but also from Raia Mutomboki, Nyatura, FRPI, Nduma Defence of Congo/Cheka
and other armed groups. Ten boys were also separated from FARDC in 2015. Six
Burundian boys allegedly recruited in a refugee camp in Rwanda were separated. A
report released by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in November 2 demonstrated the
plight of girls associated with armed groups. In 257 cases, children associated with
armed groups were separated from FARDC bases (Kitona and Kamina) far from
__________________
2 MONUSCO, “Invisible survivors: girls in armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo from 2009 to 2015 ”, 25 November 2015.
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where they had been encountered, which delayed and complicated family
reunification. In response, the United Nations advocated adherence to agreed
principles to separate children where they are encountered by FARDC.
54. Throughout 2015, the Government maintained its commitment to
implementing the action plan signed with the United Nations in 2012, i ncluding
through the work of the President’s personal adviser on sexual violence and child
recruitment. In September, the Minister of Defence endorsed a road map outlining
pending activities for the full implementation of the action plan. To accelerate the
process, three new provincial joint technical working groups were established. The
United Nations provided technical support and screened more than 17,000 FARDC
troops. However, it remains a concern that FARDC may not be able to identify
minors without assistance, as was the case with the children identified by the United
Nations in 2015. It is important that, as part of the implementation of the road map,
the standard operating procedure on age assessment, drafted in August, be adopted
and implemented country-wide.
55. Efforts continued by the Government to hold the perpetrators of grave
violations accountable. At least 68 individuals, including high -ranking officers of
FARDC and the Congolese National Police, were arrested, with 37 receiving
sentences of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for sexual violence against girls.
Moreover, in August, an FARDC officer was arrested for the alleged recruitment and
use of children. Seven leaders of armed groups were arrested on similar charges,
including the former FRPI leader, Justin Matata Wanaloki, alias “Cobra Matata”.
56. I encourage the Government to continue its efforts to implement the action
plan by institutionalizing procedures, adopting and disseminating the standard
operating procedure on age verification asse ssment and sustaining its commitment
to combating impunity.
57. Allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of children involving members of
MONUSCO military contingents from South Africa and the United Republic of
Tanzania were being investigated at the time of writing (March 2016). Two other
incidents involving military personnel from Benin and South Africa were
substantiated.
Iraq
58. Military operations against ISIL intensified, especially in the governorates of
Anbar, Baghdad, Kirkuk, Ninawa and Salah al-Din. The governorates of Baghdad
and Diyala witnessed the main concentration of ISIL attacks. The impact on
civilians and civilian infrastructure was devastating. My report on children and
armed conflict in Iraq (S/2015/852) provides information on the period from
January 2011 to June 2015. Limited access, especially with the intensification of
conflict, and fear of retaliation impeded the monitoring and reporting of grave
violations. The figures presented below are considered to be underreported.
59. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 37 children (36 boys and
1 girl). Of the cases, 19 were attributed to ISIL (including 18 boys from Halabjah,
Sulaymaniyah governorate), 6 to the Kurdish Workers Party and other Kurdish armed
groups and 12 to groups under the umbrella of the popular mobilization forces. Cases
of child recruitment by the popular mobilization forces, which since April 2015 have
been under the authority of the Prime Minister, included the coercion of eight boys to
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go to a military training camp and the recruitment of four boys who were killed while
fighting ISIL in Bayji, Salah al-Din governorate. Another 174 incidents of child
recruitment (169 by ISIL, 3 by the Kurdish Workers Party and 2 by the popular
mobilization forces) were reported but could not be verified. Recruitment by ISIL was
reported in the Anbar and Ninawa governorates, and child soldiers were portrayed in
social media, including as executioners.
60. As at December, at least 314 children (256 boys and 58 girls), including 23 in
the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, remained in detention on charges under the
Anti-Terrorism Law (2005), including for alleged association with armed groups.
61. The killing and maiming of children remained the most reported violation. The
United Nations recorded 268 incidents, resulting in 809 child casualties (338 killed
and 471 injured). Of those incidents, 152 were verified, including the killing of 203
children (125 boys, 32 girls and 46 of unknown sex) and injury of 314 (182 boys, 96
girls and 36 of unknown sex). The majority (74 per cent) of child casualties were
recorded in the second half of 2015, as military operations intensified in the Anbar,
Ninawa and Salah al-Din governorates. A total of 63 per cent of casualties occurred
during military operations and engagements involving ISIL, the Iraqi security forces,
including the popular mobilization forces and the Peshmerga, tribal elements and the
international coalition against ISIL. There were 76 recorded improvised explosive
device attacks targeting public areas and Iraqi security personnel.
62. The United Nations received reports of sexual violence against girls, in
particular against members of the Yezidi community and other minority groups, in
ISIL-controlled areas. Specific cases of rape and sexual violence remained difficult
to verify, however.
63. The United Nations documented 90 incidents of attacks on schools and
education personnel (68 verified). The majority (62) resulted from continuing
fighting in Anbar, and schools were targeted by improvised explosive devices in
three incidents in Baghdad and Diyala. Teachers and students were directly targeted
in 24 incidents. On 9 December, ISIL tortured and killed a female teacher in Nina wa
for refusing to use the ISIL curriculum. Three schools in the governorates of Anbar
and Salah al-Din were used for military purposes (two by ISIL and one by Iraqi
security forces).
64. Ten attacks on health facilities were reported, of which seven were attributed
to air strikes in Anbar. In addition, 26 attacks on medical personnel were recorded,
with 18 staff killed, 10 abducted and 2 injured in the governorates of Baghdad,
Diyala, Ninawa and Salah al-Din.
65. The United Nations received many reports o f abduction of children, primarily
by ISIL. In two incidents in June and September, more than 1,000 children were
reportedly abducted by ISIL from Mosul district. In another nine incidents, 12
children (10 boys and 2 girls) were allegedly abducted by unkno wn perpetrators
owing to family affiliations.
66. Incidents were documented of internally displaced persons being prevented
from fleeing conflict to access safety and basic services. For example, in December,
1,600 internally displaced persons from Anbar were stopped from crossing the
Bzeibiz bridge between Anbar and Baghdad and some were abducted, reportedly by
elements of the popular mobilization forces.
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67. In collaboration with the United Nations, the Kurdistan Regional Government
established a task force on justice for children to follow up on children in conflict
with the law, including those detained on charges relating to national security. I
welcome the efforts by the Government to identify preventive measures to counter
child recruitment by ISIL, but am concerned about continued reports of recruitment
and use of children by the popular mobilization forces, which now fall under the
Government’s responsibility. I urge the Government to put in place age verification
and screening, and to criminalize and ensure accountability for child recruitment
and use.
Israel and State of Palestine
68. In 2015, the situation was marked by heightened tensions that translated into
widespread violence, especially in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the
second half of the year. The detrimental impact of grave violations and an
increasingly violent and oppressive environment continued to mark the lives of
children. Palestinian and Israeli children were affected by the prevailing situation of
military occupation, conflict and the blockade.
69. In 2015, 30 Palestinian children (25 boys and 5 girls) were killed and at least
1,735 injured (1,687 boys and 48 girls), predominantly in the West Bank, including
East Jerusalem.
70. A total of 27 Palestinian children (23 boys and 4 girls) were killed in the West
Bank, almost double the number killed in 2014. Most of the killings took place in
the fourth quarter of 2015. Twenty-five deaths were attributed to Israeli forces, one
to Israeli settlers and one to both Israe li forces and settlers. The number of
Palestinian children injured also increased, predominantly as a result of clashes with
Israeli forces and military-led operations. In the fourth quarter of 2015, 121
stabbing attacks against Israelis were carried out b y Palestinians, including minors.
From October to December, 14 Palestinian children involved in or suspected of
stabbing attacks were shot dead by Israeli forces. I have repeatedly condemned the
stabbings and other attacks. In addition, a number of the inc idents raise concerns
about the excessive use of force and unlawful killing, given that there are
indications that the children posed no imminent or immediate threat to life that
would justify the use of lethal force. For example, on 25 October, a 17 -year-old girl
was stopped at a checkpoint in Hebron, searched and shot at least five times. The
Israeli authorities alleged that she had attempted to stab a police officer, yet an
eyewitness stated that she had held her hands in the air and had posed no threat.
71. Violence by Israeli settlers and related incidents involving Israeli forces
resulted in the injury of 54 Palestinian children (45 boys and 9 girls), with 20 cases
of direct injury by settlers. An 18-month-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli
settlers in an arson attack on 31 July that also claimed the lives of his parents and
seriously injured his 4-year-old brother. Two Israelis, including a minor, were
charged in relation to the crime.
72. A total of 13 Israeli children (9 boys and 4 girls) wer e injured by Palestinians.
An Israeli girl who had sustained critical injuries in 2013 in a car accident involving
stone-throwing by Palestinians died of complications. Furthermore, it was reported
that a 17-year-old Israeli male had been shot dead in Nove mber.
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73. In Gaza, three Palestinian children were killed by Israeli forces. Two boys
were killed near the fence with Israel and one girl was killed in an air strike. In
addition, 65 boys were injured, predominantly in the access -restricted areas along
the fence with Israel and at sea.
74. Limited information is available about the recruitment or use of children. The
Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades reportedly ran a military camp for 25,000 children
and young people between 15 and 21 years of age in Gaza fro m 25 July to 5 August.
On 30 August, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine reportedly held a
graduation ceremony during a camp for girls, which included training in weapons.
75. An increased number of Palestinian children were arrested and det ained by
Israeli forces and prosecuted by juvenile military courts in the West Bank. In East
Jerusalem, 860 Palestinian children were arrested, including 136 between 7 and 11
years of age, under the age of criminal responsibility. The monthly average numbe r of
children held in Israeli custody, according to the Israel Prison Service, increased by
15 per cent compared with 2014. A worrisome development was the recommencement
of administrative detention of children, which had not been used in East Jerusalem
since 2000 and elsewhere in the West Bank since 2011. Between October and
December, six children were placed in administrative detention by the Israeli
authorities. The United Nations and partners continued to document cases of ill -
treatment of children by Israeli forces during their arrest and detention in the West
Bank and East Jerusalem.
76. In the West Bank, attacks on schools and protected personnel, and a pervasive
environment of violence, harassment and intimidation, continued to have an impact
on children’s access to education. The United Nations documented 283 incidents
relating to education, including 96 cases of schools coming under fire during
military-led operations and clashes, 46 attacks and threats of violence against
students and teachers by Israeli security forces and settlers, and 62 instances of
interference with education owing to the closure of schools or the arrest and detention
of staff and students. In Gaza, of the 262 schools and 274 kindergartens damaged or
destroyed during the hostilities in 2014, 96 per cent of non-United Nations schools,
all United Nations schools and 65 per cent of kindergartens have been repaired or
rebuilt through the assistance of humanitarian organizations and donors.
77. Ten incidents of interference with health care were documented in the West
Bank, with half involving the Makassed hospital in East Jerusalem. Incidents
included the forced closure of clinics, search-and-arrest operations and Israeli
security forces entering hospitals to obtain files and interro gate medical staff,
resulting in the disruption of medical services. In addition, the Palestine Red
Crescent Society reported that more than 131 paramedics and volunteers had been
wounded and 76 ambulances damaged while undertaking their work in the West
Bank and that access by medical teams to sick and wounded persons had been
denied or delayed by Israeli security forces on 70 occasions.
78. In my previous report (A/69/926-S/2015/409), I urged Israel to take concrete
and immediate steps to protect children, schools and hospitals, in particular by
ensuring accountability for alleged violations. Of the 190 cases of alleged violations
of international humanitarian law during the hostilit ies in Gaza in 2014 referred to the
Israeli Defense Forces Fact-Finding Assessments Mechanism, the Israeli Military
Advocate General has indicted three soldiers for looting and theft. Investigations into
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numerous incidents, including the killing of four ch ildren on a beach in Gaza City on
16 July 2014, were closed without criminal or disciplinary proceedings.
79. I am concerned that actions have been taken by the Government of Israel in
2015 that further restrict the rights of Palestinians, including child ren. For example,
the Knesset passed temporary amendments to the Penal Code to increase the
maximum sentence for throwing stones to 20 years, and the State Prosecutor
directed that all prosecutors should seek the detention of suspects charged with
stone-throwing until the end of legal proceedings. I also reiterate my concerns
regarding the practice of punitive demolitions of the homes of Palestinians accused
of attacking Israelis, which have rendered their families and neighbours, including
children, homeless.
Lebanon
80. Children were affected by intensified clashes in the Bekaa governorate and the
Ein el-Hillweh Palestine refugee camp, bombings in Tripoli and Beirut and violence
along the border with the Syrian Arab Republic and the Blue Line with Isr ael.
81. The United Nations continued to document cases of recruitment and use of
children by local and foreign armed groups, including of boys between 15 and 17
years of age who were sent to the Syrian Arab Republic. The majority of incidents
were related to the Nusrah Front; however, children were reportedly also recruited
by other armed groups, including Hizbullah, supporting the Syrian government
forces. Furthermore, the United Nations documented the recruitment and use of
boys and girls between 15 and 17 years of age by Palestinian armed factions and
other armed groups within Lebanon. Reportedly, boys were used to man checkpoints
or as guards, while girls were used in support roles.
82. As noted in my previous report (A/69-926-S/2015/409), I am concerned that
children are held in pretrial detention under military jurisdiction on charges relating
to national security. Fifteen boys (between 14 and 17 years of age at the time of
their arrest) were still detained as at the end of 2015.
83. The United Nations verified 14 cases of child casualties relating to explosive
remnants of war in southern Lebanon (2 killed, 9 injured), stray bullets during
Hizbullah mourning ceremonies (1 killed, 1 injured) and crossfire (1 injured).
84. During violence between armed factions in the Ein el -Hillweh refugee camp in
August, six United Nations schools and two medical facilities were damaged by
crossfire and four United Nations schools were used by armed elements.
85. I commend the Government on its intensified efforts to implement the
workplan to prevent and respond to the association of children with armed violence
in Lebanon, signed in August 2014. I once again urge Lebanon to ratify the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict, which it signed in 2002.
Libya
86. Protracted fighting continued in Benghazi, and sporadic armed clashes
occurred in Ajdabiya, Darnah, Kufrah, Sabha, Sir te, Tripoli and the oil crescent.
Groups pledging allegiance to ISIL expanded and gained territory in central Libya.
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Access for monitoring continued to be restricted by insecurity, and United Nations
international staff were located outside the country.
87. The recruitment and use of children by armed groups was reported. For
example, groups affiliated with ISIL reportedly operated training camps south of
Sirte, with a graduation ceremony for 85 children under 16 years of age reportedly
held in December. It has been reported that children have been exposed to sexual
violence during their association with armed groups.
88. At least 60 children were reportedly casualties of indiscriminate shelling of
residential areas, air strikes, suicide bombings and crossf ire, the majority in
Benghazi. Summary executions of children were also reported, with groups
affiliated with ISIL allegedly beheading a 17 -year-old boy in Hawarah in May.
89. In Benghazi, 40 schools were reportedly damaged or destroyed, including
through indiscriminate shelling. The United Nations also documented a case of
military use of a school as a detention facility by the Darnah Mujahideen Shura
Council. Attacks on hospitals and medical personnel continued. The Benghazi
medical centre was shelled at least four times, and four medical personnel were
reportedly killed on duty in an ambulance on 6 May. The abduction and killing of
medical personnel by armed groups, including groups affiliated to Operation
Karamah, was documented in Ajdabiya, Benghazi an d Darnah.
90. In the context of the breakdown of law and order, there was a rise in the
abduction of children by armed groups, militias and criminal organizations. For
example, the body of a 16-year-old boy, reportedly abducted by militias affiliated
with Operation Karamah, was found in Benghazi in December.
91. In June, an armed group believed to belong to the Magarha tribe abducted
seven staff of a Libyan humanitarian organization; the whereabouts of the abductees
remains unknown.
92. The United Nations engaged with the Constitution Drafting Assembly to
include guarantees of children’s rights in the draft constitution. I welcome the
decision of the Zintan Municipal Council of February 2016 to release and
reintegrate child soldiers, and look forward to its implementation with the support
of UNICEF.
Mali
93. Notwithstanding the peace accord signed by the Government, the Platform
coalition of armed groups and the Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad in May
and June, clashes between the parties in northern Mali continued in the middle of
2015. The period was also marked by an increase in violent extremist and asymmetric
attacks. In total, 109 verified and 128 unverified grave violations were reported.
94. A total of 127 cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups were
received, with 30 verified. In addition, 27 cases of recruitment and use of children by
the Groupe d’autodefense des Touaregs Imghad et leurs alliés were verified in March
2016 in Ineggar, Gao region, and 47 other alleged cases were received. As at
31 December, of the 32 children arrested on security charges, 4 remained in detention
in Bamako and Koulikoro. The United Nations continued to collaborate with the
Malian authorities to ensure the implementation of the handover protoc ol signed in
2013. In addition, it documented cases of 14 children held by armed groups.
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95. The United Nations verified the killing of 12 children and the maiming of 39
during rocket attacks and crossfire, as well as by improvised explosive device
attacks and explosive remnants of war. While the identification of the perpetrators
was not always possible, CMA was reportedly involved in at least two attacks. In
one incident, two boys were lynched, dismembered and burned by a mob on
suspicion of being associated with armed groups and participating in an attack.
96. A total of 22 cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
were verified, comprising 3 by the Malian defence and security forces, 1 by the
Platform and 18 by unknown perpetrator s.
97. Four attacks and threats of attacks on schools and protected personnel were
verified, including one by CMA and one by the Front de libération du Macina. 3
Following the killing of a village leader by the latter group in Dogo, Mopti region,
reportedly for seeking the authorities’ support after he had been told to close secular
schools, the group threatened teachers in six local communes, leading to the closure
of 93 schools. The number of schools used for military purposes by armed groups
had dropped from 20 in 2014 to 7 by December.
98. The operational environment remained extremely volatile and targeted attacks
against humanitarian personnel and facilities contributed to the disruption of the
delivery of assistance. In a verified incident, CMA force d an international medical
non-governmental organization supporting two health centres in the Timbuktu
region to withdraw.
99. In the light of increasing threats to education, the United Nations initiated a
dialogue with the Ministry of Education on the p rotection of schools. Efforts to
engage CMA on ending and preventing grave violations against children continued
and steps were taken to develop an action plan with the Mouvement national de
libération de l’Azawad. In October, the United Nations also assis ted the Malian
authorities in developing a separation and reintegration strategy for children. I
encourage the Malian authorities and stakeholders involved in the implementation
of the peace agreement to dedicate attention to the rights and specific needs of
children.
Myanmar
100. Conflict continued in Kachin and Shan States and the south -east between
government armed forces (Tatmadaw) and armed groups. On 15 October, the
Government and eight armed groups, including four listed parties, signed a
nationwide ceasefire agreement.
101. The United Nations received reports of 217 cases of recruitment, of which 95
were verified. Five verified incidents took place in 2015, with three attributed to the
Tatmadaw (those recruited were subsequently released) and two to the Kachin
Independence Army. Twenty-six incidents verified in 2015 had taken place in 2014.
Furthermore, the United Nations received seven reports of the use of children in
support functions by the Tatmadaw, including two verified cases in Rakhine State.
The Government indicated that action had been taken against 382 military
personnel, including 73 officers, for failing to adhere to recruitment procedures. A
civilian was also sentenced to a year ’s imprisonment for aiding underage
__________________
3 The Front de libération du Macina is an armed group formed in January 2015. Attacks in the
central and northern regions have been attributed to it.
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recruitment. Credible information indicates that c hildren were recruited and used by
armed groups; however, five reported incidents could not be verified owing to
limited access to the areas. Reports of recruitment involved the Karen National
Liberation Army, the Kachin Independence Army, the Shan State A rmy-South and
the Ta’ang National Liberation Army in Kachin, Kayin and Shan States.
102. The United Nations documented three children held in military detention. Two
were released after notification to the Tatmadaw and the other was returned to his
regiment pending age verification. In addition, three children were reportedly
detained at the battalion level and subsequently discharged.
103. The United Nations documented 37 incidents of killing and maiming (25 killed
and 50 injured), of which 23 were verified and which resulted in the killing of 15
children and injury of 37. More than half of the verified cases were related to
landmines and explosive remnants of war (10 killed and 24 injured).
104. The United Nations verified three cases of sexual violence against girls, aged
between 5 and 10 years, by Tatmadaw soldiers. In a grievous case, an 8 -year-old girl
was raped by a soldier and died after being taken to hospital. The perpetrators were
court-martialled for being absent from duty and intoxicated, and t wo were convicted
of rape by civilian courts.
105. The United Nations received 11 reports of attacks on schools. Three verified
incidents were attributed to the Tatmadaw, the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army
and an unknown armed group. Six verified cases of military use of schools were
attributed to the Tatmadaw.
106. Five incidents of abduction were verified, with three leading to the
disappearance of 11 children, which were attributed to the Tatmadaw, and two
incidents involving three children were attri buted to the Kachin Independence
Army. Additional reports of abduction by armed groups in Kachin, northern Shan
and Rakhine States, including for recruitment and use, could not be verified owing
to access restrictions.
107. The United Nations received two reports of humanitarian personnel being
caught in crossfire during engagement between the Tatmadaw and armed groups.
Humanitarian access to areas outside government control in Kachin and Shan States
was reduced compared with 2014, owing to limited governme nt authorization.
108. Positive steps continued to be taken by the Government to advance the
implementation of the joint action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use
of children by the Tatmadaw, including training on age assessment in recruitment
centres, increased access to military battalions and units for monitoring missions
and monthly case review meetings with the United Nations for the verification of
suspected child recruits. In 2015, 146 former child soldiers, including 28 still under
18 years of age, were released and reintegrated into their families and communities.
109. My Special Representative visited Myanmar in July. While acknowledging the
progress made, she noted that gaps remained in the systematic prevention of and
accountability for the recruitment and use of children. Criminalizing recruitment
and use by both military personnel and civilians is critical. The passage of the
revised Child Law, including a chapter on children and armed conflict and a
corresponding penalties section, would be highly important. The enforcement of
existing accountability mechanisms also needs to be strengthened for all grave
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violations, including through legal clarity to ensure consistency in decisions,
improved witness protection and follow-up of cases in civilian courts.
110. In September, Myanmar signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. I strongly
encourage its ratification.
111. My Special Representative engaged in dialogue with three armed groups listed
in the annexes to the present report, to encourage the development of action plans to
address the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations. The United
Nations has pursued further dialogue with these groups, and one listed party, the
Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army, is ready to sign an action plan. I
urge the Government to allow the signing and implementation of action plans with
listed armed groups, which is a critical component of its commitment to end the
recruitment and use of children throughout Myanmar, in line with its obligations
under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the commitment made by
signing the Optional Protocol.
Somalia
112. The period saw increased attacks by Al-Shabaab on the Somali security forces,
government officials and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), in
addition to inter-clan clashes. In July, AMISOM and the Somali National Army
resumed their offensive against Al-Shabaab. The national forces of Ethiopia and
Kenya also conducted military operations. The situation resulted in a spike in the
number of grave violations against children, with an increase of almost 50 per cent
compared with 2014.
113. The recruitment and use of 903 childre n was documented, with 60 per cent of
the cases (555) attributed to Al-Shabaab. In December, around 150 children were
reportedly abducted for recruitment purposes from madrasas by Al -Shabaab in the
Bay region. Of those cases, 26 (all boys) were verified by the United Nations. The
Somali National Army also recruited a high number of children (218), who were
used for various tasks, such as manning checkpoints. Recruitment was also attributed
to clan militias (68), Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (40) and Galmudug forces (17).
114. An increase in the detention of children for association with armed groups was
documented, with 365 cases. The vast majority of children were detained by the
Somali National Army (346), but also by Jubaland forces (11), Galmudug forces (6)
and Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (2). Twenty-four boys were detained by AMISOM and
later released. In a positive development, following engagement and advocacy by
the United Nations, 79 children formerly associated with Al -Shabaab who had been
held in rehabilitation centres were handed over to United Nations -supported
non-governmental organization partners. At the time of writing (March 2016),
however, dozens of children were reported to have taken part in an Al -Shabaab
attack on Puntland and Galmudug and had be en detained by the regional authorities.
115. A total of 474 incidents of killing and maiming were documented, affecting
753 children, and attributed to unknown armed elements (259), the Somali National
Army (144), Al-Shabaab (138), clan militias (123), AMISOM (60), Ahl al-Sunna
wal-Jama‘a (3) and other regional forces (8). Most incidents were related to
indiscriminate gunfire or improvised explosive devices. The United Nations also
documented six cases of children being executed by Al -Shabaab. Most incidents
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attributed to AMISOM were caused by indiscriminate shooting in response to
attacks by Al-Shabaab and during Operation Juba Corridor. For example, eight
children were killed in two incidents in Marka district, Shabelle Hoose region, in
July. In addition, 18 children were killed on 21 July in an air strike on a madrasa in
Baardheere district.
116. The United Nations documented 164 incidents of sexual violence affecting
174 children, with the majority committed by clan militias (56), unknown armed
elements (54), the Somali National Army (43), Al-Shabaab (15) and Ahl al-Sunna
wal-Jama‘a and AMISOM (2 each). Eighteen cases of forced marriage by parties to
conflict were also documented.
117. Attacks on 24 schools and five hospitals were documented. Al -Shabaab
committed 15 attacks on schools, the Somali National Army and allied militias were
responsible for 4 attacks, clan militias and unknown armed elements were responsible
for 2 each and unidentified air forces were responsible for 1 attack, as mentioned
above. Attacks on hospitals were committed by AMISOM (two) and Al -Shabaab, clan
militias and the Somali National Army (one each). The attacks by AMISOM involved
the looting of medicines. In addition, two schools were used by the Somali National
Army, including one in the Shabelle Hoose region, which was vacated following
engagement by the United Nations.
118. A pattern of abduction was observed. Numbers spiked compared with 2014. A
total of 458 boys and 65 girls were abducted, with nearly 95 per cent by Al -Shabaab
(492), but also by clan militias (14). Abductions were often used as a tactic for
recruitment, but also for the purpose of sexual violence, including forced marriage.
For example, parents reported the abduction of 45 children by Al -Shabaab from a
madrasa in the Juba Dhexe region in August.
119. Twelve incidents of denial of humanitarian access by clan militias (seven), the
Somali National Army (three), Al -Shabaab and unknown armed elements were
reported. Humanitarian access to children remained extremely challenging and
United Nations staff were targeted. Seventeen humanitarian staff were killed in
2015, including four UNICEF staff in a suicide attack by Al -Shabaab.
120. Regarding separation, UNICEF supported the reintegration of 749 children
through community-based programmes. The United Nations also provided technical
support to the Child Protection Unit of the Somali National Army. Joint screening
exercises were conducted and 36 children were separated from militias in
Kismaayo, as part of a vetting process before their integration into the Somali
National Army. Efforts to provide the separated children with assistance were
continuing at the time of writing (March 2016). In another positive development,
the Government ratified the Convention on the Ri ghts of the Child on 1 October. I
am, however, particularly concerned by the continuing recruitment and use of
children and high numbers of Somali National Army child detainees. I call upon the
Government to immediately separate all children from the Somal i National Army in
adherence with the action plan signed with the United Nations in 2012 and to
comply with international juvenile justice standards regarding detention.
121. The United Nations has engaged with AMISOM on the alarming numbers of
killing and maiming of children committed by its forces. I urge the African Union
and the troop-contributing countries to take all measures necessary to prevent
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violations and ensure the protection of children, as well as ensure accountability by
undertaking prompt and independent investigations.
South Sudan
122. Conflict continued throughout the country, with intense clashes between the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A in Opposition) and t heir allied militias,
primarily in Unity and Upper Nile States. A peace agreement was signed in August,
but fighting continued, with mass displacement of civilians and severe repercussions
on children. A total of 1,051 incidents affecting 28,788 children w ere documented,
with 601 incidents in Unity State alone.
123. The United Nations verified 159 incidents of recruitment and use, affecting
2,596 children. Nearly 70 per cent were attributed to SPLA (110), other government
security forces and allied forces, including the Cobra faction of the South Sudan
Democratic Movement/Army, which was integrated into SPLA in 2015. Recruitment
and use was also perpetrated by SPLM/A in Opposition (19), Johnson Olony’s
armed group (11), the Arrow Boys (4) and the White Army (3). Children wearing
military uniforms were spotted throughout the country, especially in the greater
Upper Nile region, where they were used in direct hostilities and support roles.
First-hand reports were received of children being ordered to kill civil ians and loot
properties in Unity State. Girls reported being gang -raped and used for sexual
purposes. According to the United Nations in the Sudan, some 400 South Sudanese
children were also recruited by SPLM/A in Opposition from the Kharasana refugee
camp, Western Kordofan, in October.
124. The United Nations verified 131 incidents of killing and 59 of maiming
affecting 480 and 128 children, respectively, a sharp increase compared with 2014.
The majority were attributed to SPLA (160), including in Unity State, where
soldiers and allied militias reportedly shot at and burned houses with children
inside. Incidents were also attributed to the South Sudan National Police Service,
SPLM/A in Opposition, Johnson Olony’s armed group and other parties to conflict.
Moreover, seven children were killed and maimed in four incidents in United
Nations sites for the protection of civilians during exchanges of fire between SPLA
and SPLM/A in Opposition. Explosive remnants of war also caused child casualties.
A cross-border incident involving SPLA that killed six children and maimed five
was documented by the United Nations in the Sudan.
125. A total of 103 incidents of sexual violence affecting 430 children were verified
and attributed to SPLA and other government securit y forces. Most incidents were
documented in Unity State. Boys were reportedly castrated and sexually mutilated,
while girls who resisted rape were killed.
126. Ten attacks on schools by SPLA were verified. They entailed destruction,
damage, looting or the recruitment of children. In an incident in Upper Nile State,
36 children were rounded up by Johnson Olony’s armed group, a militia aligned at
the time with SPLA, during an SPLA recruitment exercise. They were later released.
Eleven attacks on hospitals and health facilities were also verified, with nine
attributed to SPLA and two to SPLM/A in Opposition.
127. As at the end of December, 25 schools were being used for military purposes
by SPLA and other government security forces (22) and SPLM/A in Oppositi on (1).
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Thirty-six schools were vacated in 2015, mainly through advocacy by the United
Nations and joint verifications with SPLA.
128. There was a dramatic upsurge in the number of incidents of abduction, with 79
verified incidents affecting 1,596 childre n. The main perpetrators were SPLA (67),
the Arrow Boys (5) and SPLM/A in Opposition (4). The largest number of
abductions was documented in Unity State. Most children were abducted for
recruitment and use. Testimonies of rape while in captivity were also received.
129. A total of 277 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified and
included attacks on personnel, destruction of compounds and interference in the
delivery of assistance.
130. The Cobra faction of the South Sudan Democratic Moveme nt/Army released
1,755 children in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area following advocacy by the
United Nations. Children joined reintegration programmes and received support, but
some boys were reportedly rerecruited. Since the group’s integration into SPLA, the
United Nations has been working with the SPLA Child Protection Unit to release all
children.
131. Child protection provisions were included in the peace agreement signed in
August, but United Nations engagement with the parties to conflict yielde d few
results. Other commitments to protect children were forthcoming, however, and, in
January, South Sudan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. On
26 December, SPLM/A in Opposition signed an action plan to end and prevent the
recruitment and use and killing and maiming of children. I am, however, deeply
concerned at the scale of violations affecting children and, in line with my call
during my visit in February 2016, I urge the leaders of South Sudan to abide by
their responsibilities to protect children. I also call upon all parties to turn their
multiple commitments into action by stopping the violations against children and
releasing the thousands of children from their ranks.
Sudan
Three areas: Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei
132. Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) continued in Southern Kordofan and Blue
Nile States and attacks against civilians were reported. The most recent round of
peace talks between the two parties, convened in November, produced little
progress. Intercommunal violence also occurred, including in Abyei. In addition, the
period featured activities by armed groups along the border with South Sudan.
Owing to access limitations, the United Nations was unable to verify allegations and
figures may be underreported.
133. The United Nations documented four cases of recruitment and use of children
by the Sudanese Armed Forces. As noted in my previous report ( A/69/926-
S/2015/409), cross-border activities by armed groups continued and two boys were
recruited by SPLM-N from refugee settlements in South Sudan.
134. The United Nations documented 28 incidents of killing and maiming, mostly
perpetrated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (16) and SPLM-N (6), affecting 43 and
38 children, respectively. Most incidents were caused by attacks on civilians by
government forces and SPLM-N, aerial bombardment, shelling and crossfire. Two
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were also the result of tribal clashes and explosive remnants of war. In addition, the
United Nations documented the killing and maiming of four girls in a Sudanese
Armed Forces aerial bombardment in South Sudan.
135. The rapes of four girls and one boy by Sudanese Armed Forces elements and
aligned militias were documented. Sexual violence against children remained a grave
concern and the numbers are believed to be underreported owing to a lack of access.
136. Seven incidents of attacks on schools (two), hospitals (three) and protected
personnel (two) were attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces (two), SPLM -N
(two) and unknown perpetrators. Two incidents occurred during clashes between the
Sudanese Armed Forces and SPLM-N. For example, on 20 January, a hospital
operated by Médecins sans frontières in the Nuba mountains was reportedly bombed
by the Sudanese Armed Forces. A medical staff member and a teacher were
reportedly killed in April in Western Kordofan by SPLM -N.
137. The United Nations documented the abduction of eight children, including f ive
in Abyei, that occurred during Misseriya attacks on Ngok Dinka villages in January
and March. The children were released and reunited with their families following
engagement by the United Nations. Three other boys were reportedly abducted by
SPLM-N, including two in South Sudan.
138. The Government continued to restrict humanitarian access, resulting in an
estimated 165,000 children being deprived of immunization.
Darfur
139. The period witnessed continued confrontations between government security
forces and armed groups, especially in the Jebel Marra area, which led to significant
displacement. The situation, exacerbated by aerial bombardment and increasingly
deadly intertribal clashes, resulted in grave violations against children.
140. The country task force on monitoring and reporting verified the recruitment of
four boys by the Sudanese Armed Forces in West Darfur, including one who
reportedly participated in fighting between the Abbas faction of the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese Armed Forces in June. More
allegations were received involving the Sudanese Armed Forces and the
Government’s Rapid Support Forces, which could not be verified. In addition, the
United Nations documented the recruitment of six children by JEM from refugee
settlements in Unity State, South Sudan. During her visit in March 2016, my Special
Representative was given access to 21 children detained by the National Intelligence
and Security Service since April and August 2015 for their alleged association with
JEM. The children had allegedly been recruited in Southern Kordofan and South
Sudan and used in combat in Darfur and South Sudan. My Special Representative
advocated further access by the United Nations to the children and their release and
reunification with their families.
141. Killing and maiming accounted for the majority of verified violations (196).
Some 50 per cent of the children were killed (21) and maimed (74) by explosive
remnants of war, but casualties also resulted from indiscriminate sho oting,
intercommunal clashes in East Darfur and aerial bombardments. A number of cases
in restricted areas could not be documented.
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142. Forty-five incidents of sexual violence affecting 60 children, including a boy,
were verified and attributed to uniden tified armed men (35), militias (13), the Rapid
Support Forces (5), armed nomads (3), the Sudanese Armed Forces (2) and the
police and JEM-Wing for Peace (1 each). In addition, the United Nations in South
Sudan documented three incidents by JEM affecting 1 2 children.
143. Thirteen schools were damaged or looted by the Central Reserve Police and the
Rapid Support Forces, but also during Sudanese Armed Forces aerial bombardments
and intertribal clashes. All but one of the incidents took place in the eastern Jebel
Marra. In two additional incidents, school personnel were threatened by elements of
the Rapid Support Forces. Two attacks on hospitals and protected personnel were
attributed to the Rapid Support Forces and the Central Reserve Police.
144. Humanitarian access, in particular to Jebel Marra, remained heavily restricted,
which impeded efforts to reach affected communities, including children.
145. The country task force on reporting and monitoring engaged with armed
groups and a command order prohibiting the recruitment and use of children was
issued by JEM in September. In addition, my Special Representative met the leaders
of JEM, the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawi and the Sudan Liberation
Army/Abdul Wahid in Austria in May, in consultations organi zed by the United
Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the Austrian Study Centre
for Peace and Conflict Resolution. The leaders of the groups issued a joint statement
with a commitment to stop and prevent grave violations against children. Lastly, in
June SPLM-N signed Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment for the Protection of
Children from the Effects of Armed Conflict.
146. In March 2016, my Special Representative visited the Sudan and witnessed the
signing of an action plan by the Government to end and prevent child recruitment
and use in its security forces. I welcome that step and count on the Government to
ensure the swift and full implementation of the action plan.
147. The country task force on monitoring and reporting provided technical support
to government personnel and local communities through awareness -raising, the
development of referral pathways and community-based child protection networks.
Although impunity for grave violations continued to be a concern, there was progress,
with arrests being made for sexual violence and the killing and maiming of children. I
call upon the Government to ensure accountability for all grave violations.
Syrian Arab Republic
148. The conflict was marked by increasing indiscriminate and dispropor tionate
aerial bombings, especially in the second half of the year, and the proliferation of
parties involved, including international forces. Besiegement of areas continued to be
used as a tactic of war. On 27 February 2016, a cessation of hostilities agr eement
allowed the delivery of humanitarian assistance to previously unreached areas. Owing
to the increasingly constrained monitoring environment, the figures below do not
reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict .
149. A total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified and
attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups ( 62), Liwa’
al-Tawhid (11), popular committees (5), Kurdish People’s Protection Units (4),
Ahrar al-Sham (3), the Nusrah Front (2) and the Army of Islam (1). Of the verified
cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, a significant increase
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compared with 2014. The payment of salaries and ideology continued to be major
influencing factors.
150. The massive recruitment and use of children by ISIL continued. The United
Nations verified the existence of centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al -Zawr and rural
Raqqah that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years
of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased significantly, with
18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. The use of children as child
executioners was reported and appeared in video footage.
151. The United Nations also verified the recrui tment and use of children as young
as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army, and the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee
children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al -Tawhid. While cases became
increasingly difficult to verify, the Kurdish People’s Protec tion Units continued to
recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles, with pressure
and coercion by communities reportedly a factor.
152. Recruitment and use by pro-Government groups was verified, with five cases
of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalakh (Homs) to work as
guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children
by government forces to man checkpoints.
153. The Government continued to detain children for their allege d association with
armed opposition groups, with 36 cases verified. In 28 of those cases, the children
were tortured, and one incident resulted in the child’s death in detention.
Pro-Government groups continued to deprive children of liberty for alleged
association with opposition groups, with three cases attributed to the Popular
Committee of Bludan. There were also five cases of ISIL depriving children of
liberty owing to their association with parties to conflict.
154. Air strikes, indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and objects, and complex
attacks were the primary causes of killing and maiming of children. The United
Nations verified 591 cases of children killed (269 boys, 106 girls and 196 of
unknown sex) and 555 injured (203 boys, 128 girls and 224 of unknown sex),
attributed to government forces and international forces supporting the Government
(585), ISIL (142), the Nusrah Front (23), other armed groups (168), the international
coalition against ISIL (7), the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (2) and unknown
parties (219). Mortar, rocket and suicide attacks on government -controlled areas
resulted in the killing and maiming of 275 children (77 boys, 93 girls and 105 of
unknown sex), attributed to ISIL (79), the Nusrah Front (14) and other armed groups
(167). Aerial attacks and shelling of civilian areas by government forces and
international forces supporting the Government killed and injured 531 children,
including 133 from indiscriminate barrel bombs.
155. There was a significant increase in the number of verified cases of children
killed and maimed as a result of their association with armed groups, including
while participating in combat. Owing to the large numbers of children used by ISIL,
at least 148 children were killed in ISIL military a reas targeted by air strikes by
government forces, international forces supporting the Government and the
international coalition. ISIL and the Nusrah Front continued to commit atrocities,
including the execution of children. On 5 March, the Nusrah Front e xecuted two
children during a ground offensive on Kanafez (Hama). On 22 August, in Muh
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Hasan (Dayr al-Zawr), ISIL publicly amputated limbs of a 15 -year-old boy accused
of being affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.
156. Conflict-related sexual violence against children continued to be extremely
difficult to document, with no case verified in 2015. In areas controlled by ISIL,
girls reportedly continued to be vulnerable to early and forced marriage to fighters,
while Yezidi girls captured in Iraq in 2014 we re reportedly trafficked into the Syrian
Arab Republic and used as sex slaves.
157. According to the Ministry of Education, since the beginning of the conflict,
more than 6,500 schools have been destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters
for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible. The Ministry
reported that 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015. The United
Nations verified 69 attacks on educational facilities (60) and personnel (9) attributed
to government forces and pro-Government groups (48), ISIL (11), the Nusrah Front
(1), other armed groups (9) and unknown parties (1), which killed and maimed 174
children.
158. ISIL continued to use education to indoctrinate and recruit children. In
December, it imposed new regulations of compulsory education for all boys from
grades 1 to 12, and for girls from grades 1 to 4, which is a factor contributing to
recruitment in ISIL-controlled areas.
159. Reports of attacks on medical facilities increased, with 122 attacks on 93
separate medical facilities and at least 60 medical personnel targeted or killed. Th e
United Nations verified 41 attacks on health facilities (33) and health personnel (8)
by government forces and pro-Government groups (32), ISIL (2), other armed
groups (2) and unknown parties (5).
160. The United Nations verified eight incidents of mili tary use of schools by
government forces in Idlib in March (four of the schools were subsequently attacked
by armed groups) and three incidents of military use of hospitals by ISIL in Dayr
al-Zawr and Raqqah.
161. Children continued to be abducted by parties to the conflict, with 21 cases (15
boys, 4 girls and 2 of unknown sex) attributed to government forces in a hostage -
taking incident (13), ISIL (5) and 1 each to the Nusrah Front, the Kurdish People’s
Protection Units and groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.
162. Parties to the conflict, in particular the Government, ISIL, the Nusrah Front
and armed opposition groups, continued to use siege and starvation as a tactic of
war. In January 2016, an estimated 393,700 people were living under siege. D eaths
of children as a result of malnutrition were reported. Some 35,000 children targeted
by polio vaccination campaigns could not be reached owing to denial of
vaccinations by armed groups, including ISIL. The use of water as a weapon of war
escalated significantly, with some 7.7 million civilians affected by deliberate water
cuts. The United Nations verified attacks on humanitarian facilities and attacks and
threats against humanitarian personnel.
163. I call upon the Government to respect its obligatio ns and take urgent action to
protect civilians. Furthermore, I urge the Kurdish People’s Protection Units and the
Free Syrian Army to end child recruitment and use, and implement the commitments
previously made.
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Yemen
164. The conflict in Yemen escalated significantly following the takeover of Sana’a
by the Houthis in September 2014 and the beginning of air strikes by the coalition led
by Saudi Arabia on 26 March 2015. Intensive aerial bombardment was followed by
ground fighting, taking a devastating toll on the civilian population. Grave violations
against children increased dramatically as a result of the escalating conflict.
165. The United Nations documented a fivefold increase in cases of recruitment and
use of children by armed groups, in particular following the escalation of 26 March,
notwithstanding the challenges in verifying cases owing to security and access
constraints. Of the 762 verified cases of recruitment of children (all boys), the
majority were attributed to the Houthis (72 per cent) , followed by the
pro-Government popular committees (15 per cent) and Al -Qaida in the Arabian
Peninsula (9 per cent). Recruitment was predominant in Houthi strongholds, such as
Amanat al-Asimah (103), Ta‘izz (69) and Amran (34). A shift was observed from
largely voluntary enlistment towards forced or involuntary recruitment through
coercion, including through the provision of misleading information or incentives.
166. In 2015, 183 boys were deprived of liberty by popular committees, owing to
their association with armed groups, predominantly in Abyan, Aden and Lahij. At
least 48 children recruited by Houthi forces were captured by popular committees
and deprived of liberty for three to five months, before being released as part of a
prisoner exchange that included adults held by popular committees. In addition, a
child in Amanat al-Asimah was accused of planting chips in installations to be
targeted by the coalition, and deprived of liberty by the Houthis.
167. The United Nations verified a sixfold increase in the number of children killed
and maimed compared with 2014, totalling 1,953 child casualties (785 children
killed and 1,168 injured). More than 70 per cent were boys. Of the casualties, 60 per
cent (510 deaths and 667 injuries) were attributed to the S audi Arabia-led coalition
and 20 per cent (142 deaths and 247 injuries) to the Houthis. In 324 incidents, the
responsible party could not be identified. ISIL claimed responsibility for an
improvised explosive device attack on a mosque in Amanat al -Asimah that killed
seven children and injured six, in addition to causing many adult casualties. Of the
child casualties, 60 per cent were caused by air strikes, predominantly in Amanat
al-Asimah, Hajjah and Sa‘dah. Significant civilian casualties, including child ren, as
a result of air strikes continued to be documented early in 2016. Ground fighting
accounted for 29 per cent of child casualties, with the vast majority in Ta ‘izz, Aden
and Dali‘. Child casualties as a result of landmines a nd explosive remnants of war
were documented, with 15 children killed and 67 injured in Abyan, Aden, Amanat
al-Asimah, Amran, Bayda’, Dali‘, Dhamar, Lahij, Ma’rib, Sa‘dah, Shabwah and
Ta‘izz.
168. The United Nations verified an incident of sexual violence against a child by a
member of an armed group. However, it is likely that this category of violation is
underreported.
169. The United Nations verified 101 incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals,
which is double the number of incidents verified in 2014. Of the attacks, 90 p er cent
caused the partial or complete destruction of schools or health facilities, while the
remaining 10 per cent involved attacks on protected personnel, including students.
Of the attacks on schools and hospitals, 48 per cent were attributed to the coa lition,
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29 per cent to the Houthis and 20 per cent to unidentified perpetrators. More than
half of the violations occurred in the period from April to June.
170. Fifty-nine incidents of attacks on 34 hospitals were verified, with multiple
attacks on the same facilities, especially in Aden and Ta ‘izz. In Aden, six facilities
were attacked 10 times. In Ta‘izz, three health facilities were hit in 23 separate
incidents. The majority of repeated attacks were attributed to Houthi forces. For
example, the Jumhuriah hospital in Aden was attacked three times by the Houthis in
April. In addition, coalition air strikes destroyed 15 health facilities in the
governorate of Sa‘dah.
171. The United Nations verified 42 attacks on schools, with the largest number in
Amanat al-Asimah (12), Ta‘izz (10) and Sa‘dah (10). Of the attacks, 57 per cent
were attributed to the coalition, 16 per cent to the Houthis and 21 per cent to
unknown parties.
172. The United Nations verified 51 incidents of military use of schools, of which
the large majority (44) took place in Ta’izz by Houthi forces (20), popular
committees (8) and unknown armed groups (16). The Houthis also used schools in
Aden, Dali‘ and Lahij, and two incidents were attributed to popular committees in
Aden and unknown armed groups in Ibb. Four incidents of military use of hospitals
were verified, of which three were attributed to the Houthis and one to Al -Qaida in
the Arabian Peninsula.
173. The United Nations verified the abductions of 11 children, all of which were
attributed to the Houthis, with the exception of a case attributed to Al -Qaida in the
Arabian Peninsula. For example, two children were abducted next to Houthi
barracks in Dali‘. The Houthis and affiliated groups requested a ransom for the
return of the children to the families, but the children were later killed.
174. Humanitarian access was severely restricted, with both the coalition and the
Houthis imposing obstacles to the delivery of goods and services. The United
Nations verified 16 incidents of denial o f humanitarian access in Ta‘izz, Sa‘dah,
Aden and Dali‘, mostly relating to the restriction of entry of humanitarian
personnel, and threats and violence against personnel. The majority of verified
incidents were attributed to the Houthis (11) and the coali tion (3).
175. In May 2014, the Government signed an action plan to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children. However, implementation did not advance in the
light of the escalation of conflict. My Special Representative engaged in dialogue
with the Government, Member States and subsidiary bodies of the Security Council
to raise serious concerns about the devastating impact of the conflict on children. I
call upon all parties to respect their international legal obligations to protect
civilians and civilian infrastructure, and encourage the inclusion of child protection
concerns in negotiations to end the conflict.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
Colombia
176. Substantial progress was made in the peace talks between the Government of
Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del
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Pueblo (FARC-EP). In February, the group announced that it would stop recruiting
children under 17 years of age and intended to release ch ildren under 15 years of
age from its ranks. At the invitation of the Government, my Special Representative
twice visited Havana to engage with the negotiating parties and facilitators on
according priority to the release and reintegration of all under -aged members of
FARC-EP, stressing that any action should be based on the principle of the best
interest of the children to ensure their protection and successful reintegration,
guarantee their rights as victims and prevent rerecruitment by other armed actors .
Early in 2016, FARC-EP made public a commitment to ending the recruitment of
children under 18 years of age and discussions on the separation of children
continued. A historic agreement on the peace agenda item relating to victims was
announced on 15 December, foreseeing the creation of a comprehensive system of
truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition for victims, which identified children as
a vulnerable group.
177. Armed violence between FARC-EP and government forces reached its lowest
level in 50 years and displacement decreased following the unilateral ceasefire
declared by FARC-EP and the suspension of government aerial bombings.
Nevertheless, activities by the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) 4 and postdemobilization
armed groups continued to cause forced displacement.
178. The United Nations verified 289 cases of child recruitment and use by armed
groups, the majority of which were documented following their separation and had
been formerly associated with FARC-EP (182) and ELN (74). Cases were also
attributed to the Ejército Popular de Liberación (1) and post -demobilization and
other armed groups (32).
179. The killing of 12 children and maiming of 10, mainly as a result of landmines,
were verified. With 31 of its 32 departments contaminated, landmines are a serious
concern for the protection of children in Colombia. On 7 March, the Government and
FARC-EP announced that they would carry out joint humanitarian demining
initiatives (joint communiqué No. 52) and the parties began working on pilot projects.
180. The country task force on monitoring and reporting recorded 10 girls who
were victims of sexual violence committed by the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de
Colombia (8), FARC-EP and an unidentified perpetrator. One additional case by a
member of the Colombian military in 2012 was reported in 2015. The perpetrator
was in detention awaiting trial at the time of writing (March 2016).
181. Eleven schools were damaged in crossfire and by landmines and explosive
remnants of war. At least two teachers were killed by unidentified armed groups and
allegations of threats against teachers by FARC -EP, ELN, the Autodefensas
Gaitanistas de Colombia and Los Rastrojos were received. In addition, there were
one case of military use of schools by FARC -EP and four cases by the Colombian
military in violation of directives issued by the Ministry of Defence.
182. I welcome the decision of the Constitutional Court of 18 February 2016 that
children recruited by all armed groups, including post -demobilization groups, are
victims and have the right to reparations guaranteed in the Victims’ Act (No. 1448
of 2011). This is an important step forward that aims to guarantee equal treatment
__________________
4 ELN has been listed for recruitment and use of children in annex II to the present report since
2003. The launch of peace negotiations between the Government of Colombia and E LN was
announced in March 2016.
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between children associated with guerrilla groups and those associated with post -
demobilization groups, by ensuring that every recruited child will be treated
primarily as a victim and receive adequate reintegration support.
183. There has been historic progress in Colombia and I encourage the Government
to secure guarantees for non-repetition and pay particular attention to the specific
protection needs of indigenous children, children of African descent and children in
marginalized areas, so as to address and prevent violations against children.
India
184. The United Nations continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of
children as young as 6 years of age by armed groups, including the Naxalites, in
Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal States.
Reports indicate that children were coerced to jo in children’s units (“Bal Dasta”),
where they were trained and used as couriers and informants, to plant improvised
explosive devices and in front-line operations against national security forces. For
example, in April, the Bharatiya Communist Party (Maois t) reportedly forced the
inhabitants of seven villages in Gumla district, Jharkhand State, to hand over five
children per village to join their ranks. To avoid such forcible recruitment, families
have resorted to sending children away from home at a young age, leading to
children dropping out of school.
185. In the eastern provinces, children were killed and injured as a result of violence
and fighting between armed groups and national security forces. In June, 12
Communist Party of India (Maoist) fighters, including 4 children dressed in uniforms,
were killed in a joint police operation in Bhalwahi village, Jharkhand State .
186. The abduction of children, especially girls, by armed groups was a serious
concern. Abducted children are subjected to further gra ve violations and abuses, and
have been forced to serve in combat functions, exposed to sexual violence and,
reportedly, used as human shields. In April, Maoists reportedly abducted five girls
aged between 10 and 13 years of age from Karcha village, West B engal State, and
their whereabouts remain unknown.
Nigeria
187. Early in 2015, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal -Jihad, renamed Islamic
State’s West African Province and commonly known as Boko Haram, controlled
large swathes of territory in the nort h-eastern States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
In response, the Nigerian security forces intensified their military operations, in
conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force, as well as local pro -Government
vigilante groups, retaking control of territory. According to the Nigerian security
forces, only two local government areas were under Boko Haram control (Abadam
and Mobar in Borno State) by December.
188. As Boko Haram increasingly resorted to hit -and-run attacks on “soft targets”,
the group also intensified its operations, including suicide attacks, which have
spread from north-east Nigeria to Cameroon, Chad and the Niger, causing a
significant number of casualties among civilians and large -scale displacement.
Consequently, by the end of December, in excess of 1.8 million persons had been
displaced within Nigeria, including more than 1 million children, and 220,304 were
registered as refugees in neighbouring countries.
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189. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 278 children (143 boys
and 135 girls) by Boko Haram (225) and the Civilian Joint Task Force (53). Twenty -
one girls were used in suicide attacks claimed by Boko Haram, 11 of which were
documented in the fourth quarter. Children were used in suicide attacks not only in
Nigeria, but also in Cameroon and Chad, with cases also reported early in 2016. Of
the 1,010 children (422 boys and 588 girls) encountered or rescued during the
course of military operations in north -east Nigeria, 204 (117 girls and 87 boys) had
been recruited and used by Boko Haram. With regards to the Civilian Joint Task
Force, children were used to man checkpoints and as messengers and spies.
190. Cases of 129 children detained for alleged association with Boko Haram were
documented (69 boys and 60 girls), including 85 held in military barracks in
Maiduguri, 22 at the Aguata camp in eastern Nigeria by the Office of the National
Security Adviser, after passing through the Chad security corridor, and 21 girls in
Lagos detained by the Nigeria Department of Stat e Services and the Nigerian
security forces. On 1 December, an 11-year-old boy was arrested in Maiduguri,
reportedly for being a suspected “Boko Haram terrorist”, and his picture displayed
on posters disseminated throughout Nigeria. The poster appeared to include at least
three other boys. In November, the Nigerian security forces handed over to the
Governor of Borno State 48 boys and 10 girls who had been in military detention in
Maiduguri since August for alleged association with Boko Haram.
191. At least 5,480 persons were reportedly killed in 352 incidents, a decrease of 26
per cent compared with 2014. The United Nations verified the killing of 244
children (109 boys and 135 girls), mostly in Borno (130), Adamawa (54) and Yobe
(48). Sixty-five of them were killed in 13 suicide attacks committed by children. A
total of 112 children (54 boys and 58 girls) were also maimed.
192. In May and June, 253 children (84 boys and 169 girls) encountered during
military operations participated in an “deradicalization programme” run by the
Office of the National Security Adviser in a facility in Kaduna State, to which the
United Nations was given access in June. The Office reported that four girls were
pregnant as a result of sexual violence during their captivity and t hat all 68 mothers
of the 112 children under 5 years of age had been either raped and/or were wives of
Boko Haram members. The facility was closed down on 6 November, but it was
unclear whether the women and children who returned to their communities or
camps for displaced persons received reintegration support.
193. Since 2014, an estimated 1,500 schools have been destroyed in north -east
Nigeria, including 524 in Borno State. This has prevented access to education for
more than 400,000 children. Five schools were reportedly used for military purposes
by Boko Haram in Bauchi State, and three schools by the Nigerian security forces
since April 2014 in Maiduguri and Chibok Local Government Area, Borno State. To
strengthen the protection of education, Nigeria endorsed the Safe Schools
Declaration, agreeing to use the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities
from Military Use during Armed Conflict.
194. Abduction by Boko Haram continued, with 162 cases documented, of which
the United Nations verified 26 (15 boys and 11 girls). In addition, 693 children
encountered or rescued during military operations (327 boys and 366 girls) had
reportedly been abducted. There is no indication whether any of the Chibok
schoolgirls, abducted in 2014, were among those r escued.
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195. Engagement with the Nigerian authorities continued, including on the
handover of children encountered during operations by the Nigerian security forces
to civilian authorities. In December, the United Nations assisted the National
Human Rights Commission and the Nigerian security forces in organizing a
workshop to review the military code of conduct and rules of engagement for
operations against Boko Haram. With regard to efforts to combat impunity, I
welcome the establishment of a human rights desk at the army headquarters tasked
to investigate human rights violations committed by the military, and I encourage
the inclusion of dedicated child protection capacity to investigate grave violations
committed against children. I am concerned by the n umber of children recruited and
used by the Civilian Joint Task Force and I call upon the Government to take swift
action to prevent further cases.
Pakistan
196. In 2015, attacks by armed groups in Pakistan declined by 48 per cent
compared with 2014. The majority of attacks were attributed to TTP, predominantly
in Baluchistan. The Government’s military operations in North Waziristan against
armed groups continued throughout 2015.
197. Reports were received of the use of religious schools for recruitmen t and
military training of children by TTP and other armed groups (see S/2015/336).
198. Child casualties were reported as a result of indiscriminate attacks and armed
violence. For example, on 4 January, four children were killed and 10 injured when
an improvised explosive device detonated at a volleyball match in Orakzai Agency,
Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In October, a suicide attack on a religious
procession in Jacobabad, Sindh Province, killed 18 c hildren and injured more than
40 others. Further indiscriminate attacks occurred early in 2016, when a large bomb
blast claimed by a TTP faction killed more than 20 children in Lahore on 27 March.
199. Fourteen attacks on educational institutions across Pa kistan were recorded, a
decline of 65 per cent compared with 2014. They included the destruction of
schools, including girls’ schools, and occurred mostly in the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (eight), Sindh (four) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (two).
200. Notwithstanding the continued targeting of health personnel, humanitarian
access to children increased, in particular for polio workers in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas. Attacks on polio workers continued, however, with 11
people killed in six attacks. For example, four members of a polio team were killed
following their abduction in Northern Baluchistan. In addition, 76 security
incidents, including 42 cases of threats and intimidation against polio workers, were
reported throughout Pakistan.
201. I am concerned by reports of children being sentenced to death by military
courts on terrorism-related charges. I urge the Government to adhere to its
obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits capital
punishment for offences committed by persons under 18 years of age.
Philippines
202. There were limited large-scale armed engagements in 2015. However, sporadic
low-intensity clashes continued to affect children, predominantly in Mindanao. An
increased number of grave violations were documented in indigenous communities
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resulting from the conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the
New People’s Army (NPA), increasingly involving the Alamara and Magahat
paramilitary groups with alleged links to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
203. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 17 children, including
15 children used as human shields, by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in
one incident, and two recruited by NPA. Unverified reports ind icated that the Abu
Sayyaf Group recruited around 30 children in Basilan in April.
204. Two cases of detention of children for their alleged association with armed
groups were verified. In January, a 17 -year-old boy was detained and questioned by
the Armed Forces of the Philippines for alleged association with NPA in the Davao
region.
205. The United Nations verified the killing of 6 children and the injury of 25. A
third of the casualties were attributed to the Abu Sayyaf Group. For example, in
May, a boy was beheaded by the Group in Basilan for allegedly spying. Two
verified incidents were attributed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, involving
the killing of two children and injury of two others. On 18 August, in Bukidnon
Province, northern Mindanao, the Armed Forces of the Philippines killed five family
members in front of their house, including two boys aged 14 and 17 years. Two
injuries were attributed to the Magahat paramilitary group, one killing to NPA and
one injury to the National Police. The other 13 casualties were attributed to crossfire
or explosive remnants of war.
206. The United Nations verified the rape of a 14-year-old girl by three soldiers in
three separate incidents between May and July. The soldiers were court -martialled
and their superior was recommended for administrative sanctions. However, the
civilian criminal proceedings for rape were dismissed owing to insufficient evidence.
207. Almost all verified cases of attacks on schools and education personnel took
place in indigenous communities. Private schools run by non -governmental
organizations were systematically targeted for alleged links to NPA. Five incidents
were attributed to the Magahat paramilitary group, three to the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, two to the Alamara paramilitary group and one each to NPA and the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. In a particularly grave incident, the director
of a school run by a non-governmental organization was killed in an indigenous
community in Caraga by the Magahat paramilitary group. No arrests have been
made, despite warrants being issued. The United Nations verified 10 incidents of
military use of schools; 6 incidents were attribute d to the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, 3 incidents jointly to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and
paramilitary groups and 1 to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
208. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front demonstrated a strong commitment to the
action plan to end and prevent child recruitment and use, achieving significant
progress. The majority of the benchmarks have been reached and, in November, its
leaders agreed on the steps required to identify and disengage any children
associated with it. The full implementation of the action plan also requires
safeguards to prevent recruitment and association, linked to the implementation of
existing accountability mechanisms. Services to minimize the risk of reassociation
of children will also be important.
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209. In an encouraging development, in 2015, UNICEF renewed engagement with
the National Democratic Front of the Philippines/NPA on its declaration and
programme of action for the rights, protection and welfare of children.
210. The United Nations continues to work with the Armed Forces of the
Philippines on its 2012 strategic plan on prevention and response to grave child
rights violations in situations of armed conflict to ensure that it strengthens the
protection of children in the light of conti nuing violations involving the Armed
Forces of the Philippines.
Thailand
211. Violence in southern Thailand continued, notwithstanding the reinitiation of
dialogue between the Government and an umbrella organization of armed groups.
212. Although no cases of recruitment and use of children were reported, according
to information provided by the Government, an armed group trained children as
young as 13 years of age in the use of weapons in Narathiwat Province early in
January 2016. The United Nations continued to receive reports of children being
detained for alleged association with armed groups.
213. The United Nations received reports of the killing of 4 children and the injury
of 15 in shootings and improvised explosive device attacks in Narathiwat , Pattani
and Yala Provinces. This is a significant decrease compared with 2014 (23 children
killed and 65 injured).
214. Schools and education personnel continued to be targeted by armed groups.
According to the Ministry of Education, as at November, two teachers and a student
had been killed, and a teacher and two students injured, in such attacks. In addition,
on 11 September, a bomb attack at the entrance of a community school in Pattani
Province injured five students between 3 and 15 years of age; a c riminal
investigation is continuing. The authorities have provided security escorts to
teachers in affected areas.
215. I welcome and encourage the continuing dialogue between the Government
and the United Nations country team on strengthening the protecti on of children in
the southern border provinces and on access to those areas to conduct independent
verification and reporting of alleged violations against children. In December,
during a consultation on the dialogue process, convened by the Internal Secu rity
Operation Command for Southern Thailand, civil society organizations and the
United Nations raised the need to include children in the agenda of the dialogue
process to strengthen their protection in the south, which I strongly support.
IV. Recommendations
216. I am deeply concerned at the scale and increasing severity of the grave
violations that were committed in 2015, including continuing large -scale
abduction, and call upon all parties to immediately end and take all measures
to prevent grave violations against children.
217. I urge Member States to ensure that their engagement in hostilities and
responses to all threats to peace and security, including in efforts to counter
violent extremism, are conducted in full compliance with internationa l
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humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law. It is unacceptable that
the failure to do so has resulted in numerous violations of children’s rights.
Member States should include specific mitigating measures for the protection
of children in their responses, in particular when conducting aerial bombing
campaigns or ground operations. I also call upon all parties to conflict to
refrain from using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas,
and to consider making a commitment to this effect.
218. I encourage the Member States concerned by the “Children, Not Soldiers”
campaign to redouble their efforts to fully implement their action plans in the
coming year and invite regional organizations, the international community
and all relevant partners to provide increased support to those making
progress.
219. I urge Member States to hand over children encountered during military
operations to civilian child protection actors as soon as possible, in accordance
with their international obligations and the best interests of the child. It is
crucial that there be appropriate resources for the reintegration of the children
separated from parties to conflict, with attention given to psychosocial support
and the needs of girls.
220. I call upon Member States to treat children associated with armed groups,
including those engaged in violent extremism, as victims entitled to full
protection of their human rights and to urgently put in place alternatives to the
detention and prosecution of children.
221. I call upon Member States to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of
grave violations against children. I encourage the donor community to support
national justice systems in conflict and post-conflict situations, including by
providing resources and technical capacity.
222. I encourage the Security Council to highlight, in its resolutions and
debates, the prevention of displacement, the rights of children displaced by
conflict and the obligations of States of origin, transit and destination.
223. I encourage Member States and regional organizations involved in
negotiating cessation of hostilities or peace agreements to include specific child
protection provisions to maximize opportunities to engage with parties and
enhance the protection of children.
224. I call upon the Security Council to continue to request the deployment of
dedicated child protection capacity to United Nations peace operations, in
order to mainstream child protection, conduct dialogue on action plans, release
and reintegrate children and for monitoring and reporting.
V. Observations
225. I am shocked by the scale of the grave violations committed by parties to
conflict in many situations, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, the
Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. Noted herein are the complex environments
created by aerial operations by some Member States’ armed forces and international
coalitions, which killed and maimed many children. State -allied armed groups and
militias have also increasingly been used to fight in support of government forces.
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In some cases, State-allied armed groups have recruited and used children and
committed other violations. Furthermore, I am gravely concerned at the increasing
prevalence of deprivation of liberty of children allegedly associated with parties to
conflict.
226. Member States should consider, as a matter of priority, changes in policies,
military procedures and legislation, where necessary, to prevent violations and
protect children. I have previously stated that those who engage in military action
resulting in numerous violations of child ren’s rights will find themselves under
scrutiny by the United Nations. Accountability remains a key priority and a shared
responsibility in order to end and prevent grave violations against children.
227. I reiterate that all parties to conflict identifi ed in the present report should
work with my Special Representative to protect children caught up in conflict.
VI. Lists in the annexes to the present report
228. In accordance with Security Council resolution 2225 (2015), Al -Shabaab
(Somalia), Boko Haram (Nigeria), LRA (Central African Republic and Democratic
Republic of the Congo), ISIL (Iraq) and the Taliban (Afghanistan) are listed for
abduction of children. Those five groups have committed patterns of abduction of
children over a number of years. SPLA (South Sudan) is also listed for abduction as a
result of hundreds of violations attributed to it in 2015. Other parties have been added
to existing trigger violations. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Raia
Mutomboki5 is listed for the recruitment and use of and sexual violence against
children. In Nigeria, the Civilian Joint Task Force is listed for the recruitment and use
of children, with more than 50 verified cases in 2015. In South Sudan, SPLA is now
also listed for sexual violence against children, with more than 100 incidents
attributed to government forces. In Yemen, owing to the very large number of
violations attributed to the two parties, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and the Saudi Arabia -
led coalition are listed for killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals.
229. Other changes in the lists resulted from changes in the respective situations.
With the removal of the specific regional section in the report, the Lord’s Resistance
Army, in addition to being listed for abduction, i s now listed in the Central African
Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the recruitment and use and
killing and maiming of, and sexual violence against, children. In the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Mayi Mayi “Lafontaine” and former elements of the
Coalition des patriotes résistants congolais are now referred to as the Union des
patriotes congolais pour la paix also known as Mayi Mayi “Lafontaine”, while Mayi
Mayi Simba “Morgan” is now referred to as Mayi Mayi Simba.
__________________
5 The main commanders identified within Raia Mutomboki are (Major) Bwansolu Lizaba (alias
“Mwami Alexandre”), (Major) Eyadema Bugugu and (Major) Kikuni Savikungi.
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Annex I
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals, or abduct children in situations of armed conflict
on the agenda of the Security Council*
Parties in Afghanistan
1. Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Police a,•
2. Haqqani Networka,b
3. Hezb-i-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
4. Taliban forces, including the Tora Bora Front, Jama’at al-Da’wa ila al-Qur ’an
wal-Sunna and the Latif Mansur Networka,b,d,e
Parties in the Central African Republic
1. Former Séléka coalition and associated armed groups a,b,c,d
2. Local defence militias known as the anti-balakaa,b,c
3. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
1. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d
2. Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces armées de la
République Démocratique du Congo)a,c,•
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda a,c,d
4. Forces de résistance patriotiques en Ituri a,c,d
5. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
6. Mayi Mayi Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain “Colonel
Janvier”a
7. Union des patriotes congolais pour la paix (UPCP) also known as Mayi Mayi
“Lafontaine”a
8. Mayi Mayi Simbaa,c
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Parties that abduct children.
• This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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9. Mayi Mayi Kata Katangaa
10. Nduma Defence of Congo/Chekaa,b
11. Mayi Mayi Nyaturaa
12. Raia Mutombokia,c
Parties in Iraq
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levanta,b,c,d,e
Parties in Mali
1. Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawad a,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest a,c
3. Ansar Eddinea,c
Parties in Myanmar
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Armya
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karen National Liberation Armya
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Karenni Armya
6. Shan State Army-Southa
7. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces a,•
8. United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama’a (ASWJ)a
3. Somali National Armya,b,•
Parties in South Sudan
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Armya,b,c,e,•
2. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition a,b,•
3. White Armya
Parties in the Sudan
1. Government security forces, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, the
Popular Defence Forces and the Sudan Police Forces a,•
2. Justice and Equality Movementa
3. Pro-Government militiasa
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4. Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahida
5. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawia
6. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Northa
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
1. Ahrar al-Shama,b
2. Free Syrian Army — affiliated groupsa
3. Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and the shabbiha
militiab,c,d
4. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levanta,b,c,d
5. Nusrah Fronta,b
6. People’s Protection Unitsa
Parties in Yemen
1. Houthis/Ansar Allaha,b,d
2. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula/Ansar al-Shariaa
3. Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces, the First Armoured
Division, the Military Police, the special security forces and Republican
Guardsa,•
4. Pro-Government militias, including the Salafists and Popular Committees a
5. Saudi Arabia-led coalitionb,d
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Annex II
List of parties that recruit or use children, kill or maim
children, commit rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, or engage in attacks on schools and/or
hospitals, or abduct children in situations of armed conflict
not on the agenda of the Security Council, or in
other situations*
Parties in Colombia
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
2. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Puebloa
Parties in Nigeria
1. Civilian Joint Task Forcea
2. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, also known as Boko Harama,b,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. Moro Islamic Liberation Fronta,•
4. New People’s Armya
* The parties underlined have been in the annexes for at least five years and are therefore
considered persistent perpetrators.
a Parties that recruit and use children.
b Parties that kill and maim children.
c Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Parties that abduct children.
• This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/72/361–S/2017/821
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
24 August 2017
Original: English
17-14707 (E) 051017
*1714707*
General Assembly
Seventy-first session
Item 69 (a) of the provisional agenda*
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Seventy-second year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2016,
is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2225 (2015). It highlights
trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on children and provides information
on violations committed in 2016, as well as related protection concerns. Where
possible, violations are attributed to parties to conflict and, in line with the
resolutions of the Council, the annexes to the report include a list of parties that, in
violation of international law, engage in the recruitment and use of children, the
killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against
children, attacks on schools and/or hospitals and attacks or threats of attacks against
protected personnel,1 and the abduction of children.
2. All the information provided in the report has been vetted for accuracy by the
United Nations. In situations where the ability to obtain or verify information was
hampered by factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such.
In this regard, the information contained in the report is only indicative and does not
always represent the full scale of incidents committed in 2016. In addition, some
incidents, in particular instances of recruitment and use of children, abduction of
children and sexual violence against children, were verified in 2016 but may have
commenced earlier.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and in identifying
situations that fall within the scope of the mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict has adopted a pragmatic approach aimed at ensuring
broad and effective protection for children. Accordingly, the present report
documents situations in which apparent violations of international norms and
__________________
* A/72/150.
1 In accordance with Security Council resolutions, “protected personnel” are considered to be
teachers, doctors, other educational personnel, students and patients.
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standards for the protection of children affected by conflict are considered to be of
such gravity as to warrant international concern. In characterizing the facts
described below as grave violations, it is the aim of my Special Representative to
bring these situations to the attention of national Governments, which bear the
primary responsibility in providing effective protection and relief to all affected
children, and to encourage them to take remedial measures. However, reference to a
situation is not a legal determination and reference to a non-State actor does not
affect its legal status.
4. The preparation of the report involved broad consultations within the United
Nations, at Headquarters and in the field. The preparation of the present also reflects
a new approach of enhanced engagement with Member States. Over the past six
months, consultations with parties to conflict noted in the report focused on gaining
a greater commitment to prevent violations against children. Where significant
progress was achieved or ongoing conduct gave rise to concern, this is highlighted
in country-specific sections.
II. Addressing the impact of armed conflict on children
A. Overview of the situation of children and armed conflict
5. While in some country situations the impact of armed conflict on children was
low in 2016 and few violations were documented, in other country situations
incidents affecting children continued at high levels. In 2016, there were at least
4,000 verified violations by government forces and more than 11,500 verified
violations by the range of non-State armed groups.
6. The recruitment and use of children documented in Somalia and the Syrian
Arab Republic more than doubled compared with 2015. In South Sudan,
1,022 children were recruited and used. Children continued to be exposed to an
unacceptable risk of killing and maiming in a number of country situations. In
Afghanistan, the United Nations verified 3,512 child casualties, the highest number
ever recorded. In Yemen, the United Nations verified 1,340 child casualties. The
cross-border activities of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), coupled with
responses to that group, also led to significant child casualties, with over
2,000 children documented as killed or maimed in Iraq and the Syrian Arab
Republic. The number of child casualties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
was also the highest recorded since 2012.
7. In the Lake Chad basin, Boko Haram activities continued to expand from
Nigeria into neighbouring countries and attacks against civilians were perpetrated
across the region. Sexual violence against girls was prevalent in Nigeria, as well as
in other country situations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the
Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic.
B. Concerns regarding the increasing disrespect for international law
and its impact on children
8. The ever-changing and complex nature of certain conflicts, as well as
continually shifting allegiances, posed challenges for the protection of children in
situations of armed conflict. In addition, the troubling trends presented above are a
clear manifestation of the use of abhorrent tactics of warfare by a number of parties
to conflict.
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9. Asymmetric attacks by non-State armed groups had a severe impact on
children in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as in
Nigeria and neighbouring countries, including forcing children to be suicide
bombers. The number of violations committed by Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, ISIL
and the Taliban totalled more than 6,800. Responses to the actions of these groups
led to high levels of child casualties, largely owing to their cross-border nature and
presence in densely populated areas.
10. The denial of humanitarian access to children was also a troubling trend in
certain contexts. Children were trapped in besieged areas or deprived of access to
food, water and medical assistance, including vaccines. This is a deeply troubling
issue that compounds the direct impact of hostilities and has devastating
consequences for children, particularly in their formative stages.
11. The increasing number of non-State armed groups that were used to fight on
behalf of Governments as well as ongoing air strikes by multiple entities, including
international coalitions, were once again a particular concern. While these actors are
bound by applicable obligations under international law, their composition, structure
or cross-border nature can hamper the implementation of important safeguards, such
as applying precautionary measures, and reduces the clarity of command structures,
resulting in violations against children. I urge Member States, acting alone or as part
of a coalition, to increase efforts to prevent such violations.
12. Given the number of incidents of killing and maiming of children documented
in the present report, I also call for a renewed focus to ensure respect for the
principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution under international
humanitarian law. Specifically, when making operational decisions, armed forces
need to take into account that, in situations where armed groups hold territory, a
significant number of children may be in close proximity to military positions or
may even be used as human shields.
13. Enhanced implementation of these essential principles will also help to
prevent the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure. In 2016, in nearly all the
countries mentioned in the present report, schools and hospitals were subjected to
air strikes as well as ground operations. I urge parties to conflict to be cognizant of
the long-term impact of conducting hostilities in heavily populated or residential
areas, such as the persistence of explosive remnants of war.
14. The “security screening” of civilians in areas formerly held by non-State
armed groups, undertaken by government security forces or pro-government
militias, has been an emerging concern related to the deprivation of liberty of
children. While it is the responsibility of Governments to ensure the safety of
civilians, authorities in conflict-affected areas are urged to use civilian child
protection actors to carry out such screening, and to adhere to the principles of last
resort and shortest possible time for deprivation of liberty of children, in accordance
with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I also encourage the adoption of
protocols for the handover of children associated with, or in areas formerly held by,
armed groups to civilian child protection actors.
15. Regarding displacement, disregard for the fundamental principles of
international law is a significant incentive for civilians to flee. The unprecedented
number of refugee children and internally displaced children is not the result of
conflict alone but of the brutality with which parties conduct hostilities, including
by directly targeting children. Increased efforts must be made by the international
community to enhance the protection of civilians and respect for international
humanitarian law, including through ending impunity. These efforts also need to be
coupled with conflict resolution and prevention initiatives.
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C. Positive developments regarding engagement with parties to conflict
16. Notwithstanding the challenges to ending violations, there has been clear
progress to protect children through dialogue and efforts to achieve conflict
resolution and prevention. The United Nations has continued to utilize the
“Children, not soldiers” campaign and to leverage peace processes to engage with a
wide range of parties in order to gain commitments to protect children.
17. In this regard, the Security Council continues to have a crucial role to play to
facilitate and encourage dialogue on child protection. When these efforts are fruitful
and political space is opened, the protection needs of children can be addressed in
negotiations and mainstreamed in peace agreements. The importance of this work
has been demonstrated during the reporting period, with the continued direct
engagement of the United Nations in support of the talks between the Government
of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del
Pueblo (FARC-EP). This important development builds on previous interactions,
which have proved that engagement on issues such as the separation, release and
handover of children can provide an entry point for difficult or protracted
negotiations.
18. Other engagements by the United Nations with non-State armed groups
resulted in the signing of two new action plans in Mali and the Sudan, while in the
Central African Republic 3,897 children were separated from armed groups and in
the Philippines more than 1,850 children were separated from the military wing of
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
19. Moving forward, the progress achieved through the “Children, not soldiers”
campaign to strengthen national capacity has helped to lay the foundations in a
number of countries for strengthened engagement with non-State armed groups. I
urge concerned Member States to support engagement with non-State actors on
child protection and note that these initiatives can strongly contribute to
peacemaking and conflict prevention efforts.
III. Information on violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
20. The security situation in Afghanistan deteriorated in 2016, with intensifying
armed clashes between the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and the
Taliban affecting children throughout the country. The United Nations verified
3,512 child casualties, the highest number ever recorded in the country and an
increase of 24 per cent compared with 2015; almost 1 in 3 civilian casualties was a
child casualty.
Grave violations
21. The United Nations verified 96 cases of child recruitment and use of children,
double the number of cases verified in 2015. Armed groups remained the main
perpetrators of recruitment and use of children, with 84 verified cases, of which 69
(including 1 girl) were attributed to the Taliban (a threefold increase compared with
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2015); 10 to ISIL-Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP), while 5 could not be attributed to a
specific group. In addition, there were unverified reports of recruitment affecting
more than 3,000 children, mostly by armed groups including Taliban and ISIL-KP.
22. A total of 11 verified cases of recruitment and use of children were attributed
to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, of which 7 were perpetrated by
the Afghan National Police; 2 by the Afghan Local Police; 1 by the Afghan National
Police and Afghan Local Police at a joint checkpoint; and 1 by the Afghan National
Army, while 1 verified case was attributed to pro-government militias. In addition to
being used as checkpoint guards or as bodyguards, 3 of the boys were reportedly
also sexually abused and exploited for the purposes of bacha bazi.
23. As at December, the Government reported that 167 boys were held in juvenile
rehabilitation centres on national security-related charges, including for association
with armed groups. The United Nations remains concerned about the detention of
these children in adult detention centres, particularly the large increase in children
detained in the maximum security detention facility in Parwan, where 133 juveniles
were held in December compared with 53 juveniles held in January.
24. The United Nations verified 3,512 child casualties in Afghanistan in 2016
(923 killed and 2,589 injured). Ground engagements and explosive remnants of war
were the leading causes.
25. Of these, 273 children were killed and 674 injured by the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces, 12 were killed and 41 injured by the pro-government
militias and 3 were injured in joint operations of Afghan National Defence and
Security Forces/pro-government militias. In addition, 87 casualties were attributed
to international military forces, 19 were attributed to joint operations involving
Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, pro-government militias or
international military forces and 19 were attributed to undetermined armed forces.
Trends of concern include a doubling of child casualties (200) resulting from air
strikes and a 33 per cent increase of child casualties attributed to pro-government
militias. In addition, 10 child casualties resulted from cross-border shelling from
Pakistan.
26. Armed groups perpetrated 1,447 child casualties, including 1,093 attributed to
the Taliban, 100 attributed to ISIL-KP, 4 attributed to Hizb-i Islami, 1 attributed to
the Haqqani Network, 7 attributed to two or more groups and 242 to undetermined
armed groups.
27. The United Nations verified 7 cases of sexual violence: 5 incidents were
attributed to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and 2 to the Taliban.
These incidents included children being raped at Afghan National Police and
Afghan Local Police checkpoints as well as the abduction and forced marriage of a
nine-year-old girl by the Taliban. As at early 2017, the United Nations had not
received any information regarding actions taken against the perpetrators.
28. Verified attacks on schools and education personnel decreased to 77 incidents,
compared with 132 in 2015. Intensive fighting between the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces and the Taliban led to schools being hit in crossfire. Of
the verified incidents, 51 were attributed to the Taliban, 7 to ISIL-KP and 12 to
undetermined armed groups; 23 incidents directly targeted girls’ education;
4 incidents were attributed to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces
(3 to the Afghan National Army, 1 undetermined); and 1 incident was jointly
attributed to the Afghan National Army and the Taliban.
29. The United Nations verified 118 incidents of attacks on health facilities and
personnel, of which 106 were attributed to armed groups, including 84 to the
Taliban, 1 to Hizb-i-Islami and 1 to ISIL-KP. The targeting of, and threats against,
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polio workers by armed groups remained a particular concern.2 In addition,
9 incidents were attributed to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,
1 was attributed to pro-government militias and 1 was jointly attributed to the
Afghan National Army and international military forces.
30. The United Nations also documented the military use of 34 schools and
13 health facilities by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. In
addition, 1 school was used by pro-government militias. Armed groups were
responsible for the military use of 7 schools and 10 health facilities. In a positive
development, in 2016 the Ministry of Education promulgated two directives
instructing the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to stop using schools
for military purposes.
31. The United Nations verified 10 incidents of abduction affecting 20 boys and
1 girl. A total of 13 children were abducted by armed groups (11 by the Taliban and
2 by ISIL-KP), including on account of their perceived affiliation with the
Government; 1 verified incident was attributed to the Afghan National Army and
1 to the Afghan Local Police, affecting 8 children; and in September, the Afghan
National Army took 7 boys from a school to pressure the Taliban to release a
soldier.
32. Of 155 reported incidents of denial of humanitarian access, 98 were verified,
including 46 incidents of threats and 10 incidents of attacks against humanitarian
workers. Armed groups perpetrated 94 incidents, including the abduction of
humanitarian workers; 2 incidents were also attributed to the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces.
Developments and concerns
33. I commend the Government for the significant progress made in implementing
its action plan to end and prevent child recruitment and use of children by the
Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, notably through the establishment of
child protection units in Afghan National Police recruitment centres and the
issuance of ministerial directives, including the decision of the National Directorate
for Security prohibiting the transfer of children to the detention facility in Parwan.
34. Notwithstanding this progress, I am concerned that children continue to be
detained in the detention facility in Parwan, and I call upon the Government to
transfer them to juvenile rehabilitation centres in accordance with national
directives and in line with international obligations under international law and
international standards. Moreover, while important advances to strengthen age
assessment processes in Afghan National Police recruitment centres were realized,
the lack of corresponding procedures for Afghan Local Police recruitment, as well
as the continued reliance on pro-government militias for which no recruitment
oversight mechanisms are evident, remain cause for concern.
35. Lastly, regarding killing and maiming, I am deeply concerned about the
increase of child casualties and urge the Government and other parties to conflict to
take urgent action to better protect children.
Central African Republic
36. Notwithstanding a relatively stable election process in early 2016,
intercommunal violence and conflict persisted across the country. The Union pour la
paix en Centrafrique (UPC) extended its presence eastwards and opposed the
__________________
2 According to information provided by the World Health Organization, Afghanistan is one of
three remaining polio-endemic countries in the world.
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ex-Séléka coalition reunification attempt by the Front populaire pour la renaissance
de la Centrafrique (FPRC).
37. Documented violations affecting children decreased by half compared with
2015, notwithstanding an increase in cases of recruitment and use of children.
Incidents of violations also grew at the end of 2016 as a result of clashes between
ex-Séléka and anti-balaka elements in Kaga Bandoro, as well as among ex-Séléka
elements in Ouaka and Haute-Kotto Prefectures.
Grave violations
38. The number of children recruited and used increased by almost 50 per cent, with
50 boys and 24 girls affected, including some children as young as nine. Cases were
attributed to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) (56), FPRC (9), anti-balaka
elements (4), UPC (4) and the Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) (1).
39. A total of 66 children, including 27 girls, were killed (34) or maimed (32), the
youngest being two months old. Child casualties resulted from targeted and stray
bullets, stabbing and explosive remnants of war. FPRC, MPC and their coalition
were responsible for the killing of 10 and maiming of 13 children; 9 casualties were
attributed to anti-balaka elements, 7 each were attributed to UPC and the Retour,
réclamation et réhabilitation group, 5 were attributed to armed Fulani elements and
2 were attributed to LRA.
40. The United Nations verified that 55 girls were victims of rape and other forms
of sexual violence. Most incidents occurred in the Bangui PK5 neighbourhood,
Ouaka prefecture and other areas controlled by armed groups. Perpetrators included
anti-balaka elements (13), FPRC (6), MPC (6), PK5 self-defence group in
Bangui (5), undetermined ex-Séléka elements (5), LRA (4), the Révolution et justice
group (4) and UPC (3). There were also 2 incidents of sexual violence committed by
government elements and 1 incident of attempted rape and 2 incidents of rapes
committed by the Uganda People’s Defence Force.
41. The United Nations verified 8 attacks on schools and protected personnel by
LRA, MPC, RPRC, the FPRC/MPC coalition and anti-balaka elements. In October,
3 schoolteachers were killed by elements of the FPRC/MPC coalition who invaded a
school in Kaga Bandoro and 1 teacher was stabbed by ex-Séléka elements in
Bamou.
42. A total of 22 schools were used by armed groups, who claimed that the
facilities were disused. In September, the United Nations issued press releases
condemning the practice and, subsequently, MPC and FDPC vacated 6 schools,
while 3 other schools were vacated by UPC and FRPC but were later reused. United
Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African
Republic (MINUSCA) troops used 2 schools in late 2016 and early 2017. Once
informed, MINUSCA vacated the schools in accordance with its 2015 directive on
the protection of schools and universities.
43. A total of 16 attacks against hospitals and medical personnel were verified,
including by anti-balaka elements, LRA, FPRC, UPC, RPRC and the FPRC/MPC
coalition. For example, on 12 October, anti-balaka elements invaded a health centre
at a site for internally displaced persons in Kaga Bandoro, killed 1 mother and
1 baby and looted medical supplies.
44. The number of verified incidents of abduction almost doubled compared with
2015, with 38 incidents affecting 66 boys and 32 girls. LRA was responsible for the
abduction of 84 children, while 43 children escaped from LRA during 2016, some of
whom had been held in captivity since 2011. Following United Nations advocacy,
anti-balaka elements released 4 Fulani children abducted in 2013.
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45. Denial of humanitarian access remained a concern, with 72 verified incidents
of killing, looting and threats against humanitarian workers. The majority of cases
were attributed to anti-balaka elements, FPRC and other unidentified ex-Séléka
elements. Moreover, LRA seemed to target non-governmental organizations for
communication equipment. The national police and gendarmerie also arbitrarily
arrested 5 humanitarian workers.
Developments and concerns
46. I urge MPC and FPRC to expeditiously fulfil their pledges to end and prevent
grave violations, identify associated children and negotiate action plans. In this
regard, I am encouraged that dialogue with anti-balaka local commanders, the
Groupe des patriotes, the Révolution et justice group, RPRC and FPRC resulted in
the handover of children.
47. A total of 2,691 boys and 1,206 girls, some as young as eight, were separated
from armed groups (70 per cent from anti-balaka elements). The community-based
nature of some groups represented a risk of re-recruitment for children and tailored
programmes sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) were put
in place. However, lack of funding and the resumption of violence impeded
reintegration efforts.
48. Breaking the cycle of impunity in the Central African Republic must be
prioritized and I call on all parties and partners to support accountability efforts,
including the work of the Special Criminal Court, as well as through the framework
of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation led by the African Union.
49. Sexual exploitation and abuse of children by peacekeepers, whether under the
command of the United Nations or other international arrangements, continued to be
a serious protection concern in the Central African Republic (for more information,
see A/71/818).
Colombia
50. The year 2016 was marked by the signing of a final peace agreement between
the Government and FARC-EP and preparations for dialogue with the Ejército de
Liberación Nacional (ELN). Armed violence between the Colombian military and
FARC-EP reached its lowest level in 50 years. Since FARC-EP committed itself to
ending child recruitment in the context of the peace talks, the overall number of
recruitment cases has dropped, although cases by ELN and dissident fronts of
FARC-EP were reported towards the end of the year. According to data provided by
the Government’s Victim Assistance and Comprehensive Reparation Unit,
displacement decreased compared with 2015 and affected approximately
70,000 victims, more than 45 per cent of whom were children. Despite a decline in
conflict intensity and the withdrawal of FARC-EP, the presence of non-State armed
groups, such as ELN and post-demobilization groups, as well as FARC-EP dissident
fronts, continued to pose child protection challenges.
Grave violations
51. The recruitment and use of 151 boys and 79 girls was verified. Most of these
children were recruited before 2016. The majority had been associated with
FARC-EP (105) and ELN (102). For example, in February, a 16-year-old boy was
handed over to humanitarian workers in Arauca, 11 months after his recruitment by
FARC-EP. In October in Cauca, the Colombian military handed over to the
Colombian Family Welfare Institute a pregnant girl of seventeen who had escaped
from ELN. Other cases were attributed to post-demobilization groups (11) and the
Ejército Popular de Liberación (3).
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52. The United Nations verified the killing of 6 children and maiming of
2 children by landmines and unexploded ordnances, a sharp decrease following the
2015 demining agreement between the Government and FARC-EP. There were also
developments regarding the accountability of Colombian military members who had
killed children in the context of the armed conflict.
53. The number of verified cases of sexual violence remained low, with 3 girls
affected. The peace agreement indicated that sexual violence-related crimes would
not be subject to amnesty. Progress was made in fighting impunity, with a member
of the Colombian military sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment in January for
raping a 14 year-old girl in Cundinamarca in 2012.
54. The United Nations verified 6 attacks on schools and 3 cases of military use.
Damage to schools occurred during crossfire between the Colombian military and
ELN and as a result of landmines planted by unknown perpetrators. A school in
Arauca was also damaged in an aerial bombing by the Colombian military in
September. Allegations of teachers being threatened by armed groups, such as ELN
and the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia, were also received.
Developments and concerns
55. The final peace agreement between the Government and FARC-EP included an
important provision on the best interests of the child and the primacy of children’s
rights in all areas of implementation. Moreover, the amnesty law approved by
Congress in December included a special provision on children, requiring the State
not to prosecute those who were under eighteen when they committed acts in the
context of armed conflict.
56. I strongly commend the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP
leadership for the signature of the peace agreement. I note that successful
implementation requires dedicated resources, sustained political will and effective
coordination to address remaining challenges. In particular, I encourage the
strengthening of institutional capacity at the local level and expansion of
community-level prevention programmes to address the root causes of recruitment
and use of children. I also call upon subregional organizations to support these
processes.
57. In related developments, a Constitutional Court decision in February
confirmed that all children recruited by armed groups, including
post-demobilization groups, were victims and as such were entitled to reparations
and reintegration support under the law on victims’ rights and land restitution.
58. As reflected in my country report on the situation of children in Colombia
(S/2016/837), one key achievement was the May agreement between the
Government and FARC-EP on the separation of children. In September, 13 children
were released by FARC-EP. In addition, presidential decree 1753 was issued in
November to ensure that armed groups prepare a list of children for separation.
Parties also agreed on the development of a special programme for the restoration of
rights, reintegration and reparations for all separated children under eighteen.
However, the operational modalities of the special programme remained to be
defined as at early 2017.
59. As stipulated in the peace agreement and at the request of the Government, a
United Nations political mission of observers was deployed to monitor and verify
the bilateral ceasefire and laying down of arms, as part of a tripartite monitoring and
verification mechanism. As FARC-EP are laying down arms, I urge parties to
continue to identify recruited children, prevent informal demobilization and ensure
an adequate child protection response to prevent retaliation or re-recruitment by
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other groups, as well as to provide health and education services to the most
vulnerable communities.
60. I am concerned at the increasing numbers of cases of the recruitment and use
of children attributed to armed groups, in particular ELN, and I call on them to take
immediate steps to end this practice. Furthermore, I call upon the negotiating parties
to take the issue of child recruitment fully into consideration in the ongoing peace
talks between the Government and ELN.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
61. The security situation in the east of the country remained volatile and was
marked by military operations by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (FARDC) against armed groups. The situation deteriorated in North
Kivu, with the appearance of new armed groups, as well as violence between the
Hutu and Nande communities. There were also clashes among Twa and Luba
communities in Tanganyika and between security forces and the Kamuina Nsapu
militia in the Kasai provinces. While information regarding violations committed in
the Kasai provinces was pending verification in early 2017, the magnitude and
nature of allegations received was alarming.
62. A total of 2,334 grave violations were verified. The number of child casualties
increased by 75 per cent compared with 2015 and was the highest since 2012.
Grave violations
63. The United Nations verified the new recruitment and use of 492 children
(including 63 girls) by armed groups, 82 per cent of which occurred in North Kivu;
129 of those children were under fifteen at the time of recruitment. The main
perpetrators were the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) (141),
Nyatura (122), the Mai-Mai Mazembe (44) and the Force de résistance patriotique
de l’Ituri (FRPI) (40). Almost one third of the children were also victims of other
violations during their association. Verification of the number of children recruited
and used by militias of the Twa and Luba communities and by the Kamuina Nsapu
militia was ongoing as at early 2017. In addition, 28 boys were identified among the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition elements extracted by the United
Nations from the Garamba National Park in September.
64. In 2016, FARDC handed over to the United Nations 193 children allegedly
associated with armed groups, including from Angenga prison, Mongala province,
some of whom had been detained by national authorities for up to one year. As at
early 2017, 21 boys were still detained by FARDC, including 3 for more than six
months.
65. At least 124 children were killed and 116 maimed, including 41 due to
crossfire and 34 due to unexploded ordnances. Mai-Mai Mazembe (49), FDLR (23)
and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) (19) were the main perpetrators.
Furthermore, 110 children were allegedly killed and maimed by machete during the
Twa-Luba violence in Tanganyika Province, while 20 child casualties were
attributed to FARDC and 4 to the Congolese National Police. In December, the
outbreak of violence in the Kasai region resulted in the maiming of at least 4 boys
by FARDC and in the alleged killing of 1 baby boy by the Kamuina Nsapu militia.
More allegations were being verified as at early 2017.
66. The rape of 170 girls and 1 boy was verified, with 87 violations taking place in
North Kivu and 50 in Ituri. The main perpetrators among armed groups were
FRPI (42), FDLR (14) and Nyatura (10). FARDC was responsible for 64 cases,
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including 1 boy in detention, the Congolese National Police for 12 cases and the
Agence nationale de renseignement for 1 case.
67. A total of 68 attacks on schools (51) and hospitals (17) were verified, a
significant increase compared with 2015. Perpetrators included Twa militia (13),
ADF (8), Mai-Mai Simba (4), Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki (4) and FRPI (3). In
Butembo in October, an FARDC rocket hit a school and killed 2 girls and 2 teachers
and injured 4 children. In addition, 51 schools and a health centre were allegedly
damaged by militias from the Twa and Luba communities. The verification of
allegations of a high number of attacks on schools in the Kasai region by the
Kamuina Nsapu militia and FARDC was ongoing as at early 2017.
68. A total of 19 schools and 2 hospitals were used for up to several weeks by
FARDC (14), the Congolese National Police (1) and armed groups (6) in North
Kivu, Tanganyika and South Kivu.
69. A total of 137 boys and 56 girls were abducted, mostly by FDLR (29),
FRPI (26), LRA (25), ADF (23) and Nyatura (13), while 4 abductions, including 3
for sexual purposes, were attributed to FARDC. At least 114 children were abducted
for recruitment purposes.
70. In terms of denial of humanitarian access, 2 threats against humanitarian
workers by Nduma Défense du Congo-Rénové and the Agence nationale de
renseignement were verified. In addition, in North and South Kivu, at least
4 humanitarian workers lost their lives and 33 were kidnapped.
Developments and concerns
71. I commend the Government’s continued and strong commitment to the action
plan. While efforts need to be sustained to end and prevent sexual violence by
FARDC and to ensure accountability for perpetrators of grave violations, I welcome
the significant steps taken to fulfil the provisions of the action plan to end and
prevent the recruitment and use of children. This includes the establishment of an
additional joint technical working group, the validation of standard operating
procedures for age verification, the adoption of a Ministry of Defence directive for
the dissemination of those standard operating procedures within FARDC and the
screening of new recruits. I am encouraged that, for the second year in a row, no
new case of child recruitment and use by FARDC was documented. In terms of
accountability, the United Nations documented the arrest of at least 15 FARDC and
5 Congolese National Police officers, including for child recruitment and use of
children offences before 2016, while 41 individuals (23 FARDC, 11 Congolese
National Police, 1 Mouvement du 23 mars and 6 Nyatura) received sentences
ranging from three years of imprisonment to the death penalty for sexual violence
against children. The Government indicated that perpetrators of sexual violence
against children were sentenced in 129 instances.
72. In July, the Government also endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. Lastly,
the Government provided multisectoral assistance to child victims of recruitment
and use and child survivors of sexual violence.
73. Despite these advances, I am concerned by the reported levels of killing and
maiming of children attributed to FARDC, particularly in the Kasai region where
there were allegations of the disproportionate use of force, and I urge the
Government to take immediate action to prevent child casualties and ensure
accountability for any criminal acts, in accordance with its obligations under
international law.
74. The United Nations provided technical support and screened more than
7,512 members of FARDC, the Congolese National Police, the Direction générale
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de migration and the Agence nationale de renseignement, and separated
191 children in recruitment centres during the screening of new recruits. Awarenessraising
by the United Nations and military pressure also contributed to the
separation of 1,662 children from armed groups (177 girls), including from
FDLR (585), Nyatura (354), FRPI (115) and Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki (93). In
2016, the Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain signed a deed of
commitment to protect children in collaboration with the non-governmental
organization Geneva Call. However, the Alliance had not signed an action plan with
the United Nations as at early 2017.
Iraq
75. Conflict intensified throughout 2016, particularly in Anbar and Ninewa
Governorates, with large-scale operations to retake territory from ISIL in Fallujah
and Mosul. In addition, suicide and other asymmetric attacks by armed groups had a
significant impact on children.
Grave violations
76. At least 168 boys were reportedly recruited and used by parties to the conflict,
including ISIL, the People’s Defence Forces of the Kurdish Workers Party and the
popular mobilization forces. The United Nations verified 114 cases: 40 verified
cases were attributed to ISIL in Anbar, Babil, Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk and Ningwa,
with 28 boys recruited as fighters, 11 as suicide bombers and 1 as a spy. Children
were also allegedly used as human shields by ISIL. A total of 57 children were
recruited and used by groups operating under the umbrella of the popular
mobilization forces, most of whom received military training and were deployed for
combat, while 12 children were recruited by tribal mobilization groups, including
from internally displaced persons camps. Five boys were also recruited by the
People’s Defence Forces
77. As at December, at least 463 children, including 172 in the Kurdistan region of
Iraq, remained in detention on national security-related charges, including
association with armed groups. There have been allegations of detention and illtreatment
of children by security forces during the screening of civilians from areas
formerly held by ISIL and the Government of Iraq requested United Nations
assistance to undertake training to prevent abuse of children during screening.
78. The killing and maiming of children remained the most prevalent grave
violation. The United Nations recorded 257 incidents, resulting in 834 child
casualties of which 138 were verified, resulting in the killing of 229 children
(145 boys, 58 girls, 26 sex unknown) and injuries to 181 children (129 boys,
44 girls, 8 sex unknown). ISIL was responsible for at least 13 incidents of targeted
attacks against children, including torture. A total of 66 verified incidents resulted
from the use of improvised explosive devices, particularly by ISIL, while public
areas, security forces and Shia ceremonies were also targeted: 32 incidents of killing
and maiming of children were attributed to Iraqi security forces and the
international counter-ISIL coalition (30), the Peshmerga (1) and the popular
mobilization forces (1), resulting from mortars and rocket attacks, air strikes and
artillery shelling. As at early 2017, the Government was working with the United
Nations Mine Action Service to remove mines from areas previously under the
control of ISIL.
79. One incident of sexual violence was verified, involving a 17-year-old boy who
was raped by a member of an unidentified armed group. While concerns of
widespread sexual violence perpetrated by ISIL persisted, the violation remained
underreported.
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80. A total of 10 attacks on schools and education personnel were verified:
2 schools were damaged by air strikes in Mosul, 1 of which was used by ISIL;
3 other schools were damaged during fighting in Kirkuk and Ningwa; 4 teachers
were abducted, killed or injured; and teachers were threatened by ISIL in at least
1 other incident. Attacks on 8 health facilities and personnel were verified:
2 hospitals were damaged by air strikes in Ningwa; 3 by were damaged by mortars
in Anbar; and medical personnel were targeted in 3 incidents in Diyala and Salah
al-Din. Of the 18 verified attacks on education and health facilities and personnel,
8 were attributed to ISIL, 3 to air strikes by Iraqi or international forces and 1 to the
popular mobilization forces, while 6 could not be attributed. A further 18 attacks
were recorded but could not be verified.
81. The United Nations documented 41 incidents of the military use of schools
and hospitals: 34 schools were used by ISIL as military positions, depots and
training facilities in Anbar, Kirkuk and Ningwa; 3 schools were used by Iraqi
security forces as screening centres in Ningwa; 1 school was used by the popular
mobilization forces in Ningwa; and 2 hospitals were reportedly used by ISIL as
military positions.
82. The United Nations verified 8 incidents of abduction involving 9 boys and
3 girls: 7 cases were attributed to ISIL (6 boys in Ningwa and 1 girl in Salah
al-Din), while the perpetrators of the remaining cases in Diyala, Kerbala and Salah
al-Din could not be confirmed. A further 7 incidents of abduction involving
26 children were reported but could not be verified. Moreover, as at 31 December, it
is believed that approximately 1,700 women and children remained ISIL captives.
83. A total of 3 incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children were
verified: in 1 case in Ningwa, a boy died when ISIL denied him access to critical
medical assistance. In addition, it was reported that screening processes for civilians
leaving areas formerly held by ISIL in Ningwa and Salah al-Din were used to deny
access of children to assistance.
Developments and concerns
84. The continued level of violations by ISIL was gravely disturbing. I am also
gravely concerned by the recruitment and use of children by pro-government forces.
In this regard, the United Nations raised concerns with the Government and the
Kurdistan region of Iraq authorities regarding the recruitment and use of children by
the popular mobilization forces. Given that these forces formally came under the
purview of the Government at the end of 2016, I urge the authorities to ensure that
recruitment is in line with Law No. 3/2010, article 30 (2), to establish appropriate
age verification mechanisms and separate any children currently in the ranks, and to
pursue accountability for the recruitment and use of children and other violations
against children.
Israel and State of Palestine
85. The first half of 2016 was marked by continued levels of violence in the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, with clashes between Palestinians and Israeli
security forces and a number of attacks against Israelis. Children in Israel and the
State of Palestine continued to be affected by violence, security responses and the
prevailing situation of military occupation and closure.
Grave violations
86. The United Nations did not receive reports of the recruitment and use of
children in 2016; however, this violation is difficult to document, particularly in
Gaza.
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87. An increasing number of children from the West Bank were detained by Israeli
forces for alleged security violations. Monthly figures provided by the Israel Prison
Service indicated that the numbers of Palestinian children in military detention
reached the highest levels recorded since 2010, with 444 children (including
15 girls) detained as at the end of March, although this number had decreased to 271
as at September. In East Jerusalem, the United Nations documented 712 cases of
Palestinian children detained for security-related offences, including 15 children
under twelve, which is the age of criminal responsibility. Following the resumption
of the administrative detention of Palestinian children by Israeli authorities in 2015,
10 cases were documented in 2016. The United Nations also documented a total of
185 incidents of ill-treatment of children (175 boys, 10 girls) by Israeli forces
during arrests and detention.
88. A total of 36 children (35 Palestinian boys, 1 Israeli girl) were killed and
900 children (887 Palestinian, 13 Israeli) were injured, predominantly in the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem.
89. In the West Bank, 31 Palestinian boys were killed and all but 1 of the killings
were attributed to Israeli forces: 15 children were killed while allegedly perpetrating
stabbing attacks, 3 while carrying out stabbing attacks, 11 during military and
search operations and 1 during demonstrations. Frequent use of live ammunition
was documented, killing 30 Palestinian children. A number of cases raise concerns
about excessive use of force. For example, on 20 September, an eyewitness stated
that Israeli forces continued shooting at a sixteen-year-old boy in Bani Na’im after
he had fallen to the ground following initial gunshots to his legs.
90. A total of 857 Palestinian children (797 boys, 60 girls) were injured in the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem: 465 children were injured by Israeli forces
during arrest operations or demonstrations, 356 during clashes and 4 in response to
stabbing or alleged stabbing attacks. In addition, 29 Palestinian children were
injured by Israeli settlers and 3 by unexploded ordnances.
91. In the Qiryat Arba‘ settlement, 1 thirteen-year-old Israeli girl was stabbed to
death by 1 seventeen-year-old Palestinian boy who was subsequently killed by an
Israeli settler, while in the West Bank 11 Israeli children were injured: 10 children
were injured by Palestinian civilians in incidents of stone-throwing (8) and
gunfire (2) towards vehicles and 1 child was injured by shrapnel from live
ammunition fired by Israeli forces.
92. In Gaza, 3 boys were killed by Israeli forces and 30 children (27 boys, 3 girls)
were injured: 25 children were injured by Israeli forces, 4 by unexploded ordnances
and 1 by crossfire. On 12 March, 1 six-year-old boy and 1 nine-year-old boy were
killed and their twelve-year-old brother was injured when Israeli security forces
fired missiles in response to rocket fire into Israel at a site reportedly used by the
Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades adjacent to their home in Baht Lahya.
93. In Israel, after he reportedly stabbed and injured an Israeli civilian,
1 seventeen-year-old Palestinian boy was killed in Petah Tiqua on 8 March. At least
2 Israeli children were injured in attacks by Palestinians conducted in Israel,
including in a suicide attack on a bus in West Jerusalem on 18 April, which Hamas
praised.
94. In the West Bank, the United Nations documented 74 incidents of attacks on
schools or protected persons in the context of operations by Israeli security forces,
clashes in and around schools or closure of schools as a result of attacks, with over
8,000 students affected, particularly in Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah
Governorates. Incidents resulted in damage to 3 schools, injury and physical assault
of students: 68 incidents were attributed to Israeli security forces and 6 to Israeli
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settlers. The United Nations also documented the disruption of access to education
resulting from the closure of schools, search operations, detention of students and
school personnel, as well as delays to the schedules of students and teachers caused
by checkpoints.
95. The United Nations documented the confiscation of a donor-funded mobile
health clinic by the Israeli authorities in December, which affected access to healthcare
services for 93 children in the Markez and Halawah communities in Hebron
Governorate. In 2016, 26 per cent of child applications to cross the Erez checkpoint
out of Gaza for medical treatment were delayed, affecting 2,490 children
(1,026 girls, 1,464 boys), and 1 per cent were denied, affecting 87 children,
representing the highest percentage of delayed and denied applications since 2010.
Developments and concerns
96. I note with grave concern the ongoing killing and maiming of children in
Israel and the State of Palestine and voice my preoccupation regarding the potential
recruitment and use of children in Gaza. I urge all parties to abide by their
obligations under international law in order to protect children. I also call upon the
Government of Israel to reconsider its imposition of administrative detention for
children and to prioritize alternatives to detention in line with international juvenile
justice principles contained in, inter alia, the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice
(the Beijing Rules).
Lebanon
97. Heavy clashes in the north Biqa‘ valley and the Ein El-Helweh Palestine
refugee camp, bomb attacks and sporadic violence in border areas continued to have
an impact on children.
Grave violations
98. The United Nations documented the recruitment and use of children by armed
groups, with several dozen uniformed boys seen with arms in Arsal, north
Biqa‘ valley. Armed groups, including ISIL and the Nusrah Front (also known as
Jabhat Fath al-Sham) were active on the outskirts of Arsal in the reporting period.
Consistent with my previous reports, boys were reportedly trafficked to fight in the
Syrian Arab Republic. Children from northern Baalbek-Hermel Governorate
reportedly joined Hizbullah. Other children, mostly from Wadi Khalid in Akkar or
Arsal, allegedly joined ISIL. A total of 18 children, including 4 children from
twelve to fourteen years old, were also seen wearing uniforms and, in most cases,
holding weapons during patrols or celebrations in 2 Palestine refugee camps in
southern Lebanon.
99. Children continue to be held in pretrial detention under military jurisdiction on
charges relating to terrorism or national security, following their alleged association
with armed groups in Lebanon or the Syrian Arab Republic: 10 boys were arrested
during the reporting period and 6 remained in detention as at December, along with
3 others detained before 2016.
100. The United Nations verified 8 child casualties (4 boys, 4 girls) caused by stray
bullets, shrapnel during clashes and a car bomb. The majority of cases were
documented in Bekaa Governorate.
101. Two United Nations schools were damaged during violence between armed
factions in Ein el-Helweh Palestine refugee camp and 1 school in Beirut was damaged
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by a car bomb explosion, while 4 cases of attacks on health services were verified in
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate (3) and the Ein el-Helweh refugee camp (1). On
27 June, 1 medical professional was killed and 1 ambulance was destroyed in multiple
suicide attacks on the village of al-Qaa in northern Biqa‘.
102. Following repeated armed clashes in the Ein el-Helweh camp, 19 United
Nations schools suspended classes for 1 to 10 days, with over 10,000 students
affected, while 2 United Nations health centres also suspended activities for 11 to
13 days.
Developments and concerns
103. In the light of the continued recruitment and use of children by armed groups
and the continued detention of children for alleged association with armed groups, I
reiterate my call for the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict, to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims and to
use the detention of children as a last resort, pursuant to international juvenile
justice standards.
Libya
104. Conflict continued throughout Libya, particularly around Benghazi, Sabha,
Sirte and Tripoli. In May, forces affiliated with the Presidency Council began an
offensive to retake Sirte from ISIL, which lasted until early December. Monitoring
continued to be restricted by insecurity, with the majority of United Nations staff
remaining located outside Libya.
Grave violations
105. The recruitment and use of children by armed groups was documented. Groups
pledging allegiance to ISIL reportedly ran a training camp for children and
adolescents south of Sirte. On 4 January, a 15-year-old boy from Tripoli was
reportedly used by ISIL to conduct a suicide attack in Sidra‘. Children were also
deprived of liberty as a result of their alleged association with parties to conflict.
106. At least 51 children were reportedly killed and 68 injured by air strikes,
shelling, small arms fire, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of
war. The highest number of casualties was documented in Benghazi. The United
Nations documented a pattern of incidents involving the use of indiscriminate
weapons in heavily populated or residential areas.
107. The United Nations documented 14 incidents of attacks against health
facilities or personnel across Libya. Shelling, vehicle-borne improvised explosive
devices and air strikes killed at least 4 health-care personnel, damaged medical
facilities and caused their closure. The abduction of 4 nurses to treat fighters was
also documented.
108. The abduction of children continued to be reported, particularly in western
Libya. The United Nations verified incidents affecting at least 3 boys and 1 girl. For
example, on 4 November, the body of 1 four-year-old girl was found in the
al-Ma’mura neighbourhood of Warshafanah, 15 days after she was abducted by an
unidentified armed group.
109. The United Nations documented 1 incident of denial of humanitarian access:
in August, food assistance for families in Darnah was reportedly confiscated by
local authorities and redirected to Ajdabiya.
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Developments and concerns
110. I am concerned about the impact of the volatile security situation on children
in Libya. In this regard, I welcome the agreement concluded between the
municipality of Zintan and the United Nations for the release and reintegration of
children involved in armed conflict and call for support for similar efforts
throughout Libya.
Mali
111. The lack of State authority in northern regions led to heightened security
threats, which expanded to central regions and caused child casualties and
displacement. Progress in the implementation of the 2015 peace accord was stalled
as fighting resumed in July between signatory armed groups. The reporting period
was also marked by attacks and threats against education personnel, intercommunal
tensions and an increase in asymmetric attacks against national and international
forces.
Grave violations
112. The presence of children among armed groups remained an issue of concern,
with 442 cases of recruitment and use of children, of which 78 were verified and
attributed to the Platform coalition of armed groups (54), Coordination des
mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) (18) and Al Mourabitoun (3). This represents an
increase compared with the 27 cases verified in 2015, which may be attributed to
both improved monitoring and renewed fighting. The increase also affected girls.
For example, 14 girls were used in support roles by the Groupe d’autodéfense des
Touaregs Imghad et leurs alliés (GATIA)/the Platform coalition of armed groups in
Gao region. In some instances, signatory armed groups inflated their numbers with
children to benefit from disarmament, demobilization and reintegration packages. In
the context of registration and screening of Platform coalition of armed groups and
CMA combatants in Gao in December to establish mixed patrols, 10 children were
identified but had still not been handed over to child protection actors as at early
2017.
113. As at December, 5 of 13 children arrested and detained on security charges in
2016 remained in detention. The United Nations continued advocacy with the
national authorities to ensure their release in line with the handover protocol signed
in 2013.
114. The United Nations verified the killing of 12 children and the maiming of
35 children during rocket attacks and crossfire, as well as in improvised explosive
devices and explosive remnants of war incidents. Almost one third of the victims
were injured in Kidal and its vicinity during clashes between the Platform coalition
of armed groups and CMA in July and August.
115. Rape and other forms of sexual violence continued to be underreported:
6 cases were documented, of which 2 were verified, including 1 attempted rape of a
seven-year-old girl by a member of the Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad-Platform
coalition of armed groups and the attempted rape of 1 four-year-old girl by an
alleged element of Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de l’ouest.
The 4 unverified cases concerned 4 girls associated with GATIA in the Gao region.
116. A total of 6 attacks and threats of attacks on schools and protected personnel
and 9 attacks against medical personnel were verified in Ménaka, Mopti and
Timbuktu, none of which could be attributed. On 4 April, an attack by armed
individuals against a medical team from Timbuktu led to the suspension of a
vaccination campaign. Attacks and threats against educational staff, students and
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parents were prevalent, particularly in Mopti region. On 11 July, the director of a
school was killed by armed elements allegedly hostile to “Western education” and
State authorities. As at December, 367 schools remained closed in the conflictaffected
regions.
117. In addition, 14 schools were militarily used by armed groups in Gao, Kidal
and Timbuktu, of which 2 were vacated by CMA and CMA/Haut Conseil pour
l’unité de l’Azawad. The military use of 8 schools by the Platform coalition of
armed groups and CMA in Gao and Timbuktu regions was under verification as at
March 2017, while 1 facility used by the Malian defence and security forces in
Ménaka region was vacated in early 2017.
118. A total of 7 boys from seven to fifteen years old were abducted in 5 verified
incidents, 2 of which were perpetrated by CMA: 4 of the incidents, affecting 5 boys
including a relative of a CMA commander, occurred in Kidal. In October, 2 other
boys under the age of ten, sons of a prominent figure in the peace process, were
abducted in Bamako and released three weeks later.
119. A total of 43 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified,
including armed robbery, carjacking and kidnapping of humanitarian workers, none
of which could be attributed. At least 2 entities were forced to temporarily suspend
their humanitarian programmes in Mopti and Timbuktu regions.
Developments and concerns
120. I welcome the signature by CMA of an action plan with the United Nations in
March 2017 to end and prevent grave violations against children, which I urge them
to swiftly implement. Moreover, in June, the Platform coalition of armed groups
signed a unilateral communiqué to address conflict-related sexual violence.
However, I am seriously concerned about the high level of cases of recruitment and
use of children attributed to the Platform coalition of armed groups, including
specifically to GATIA, and I urge the leadership to take immediate action and work
with the United Nations to release children and end this practice.
121. In December, following United Nations advocacy, a national disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration programme with child protection provisions was
adopted and a senior defence representative was appointed for women and child
protection issues within the newly established national disarmament, demobilization
and reintegration commission. I encourage all those involved in the cantonment
process to implement age assessment mechanisms and ensure that children are
identified and transferred to child protection actors. I further encourage subregional
organizations to support these efforts.
Myanmar
122. Despite the ongoing peace process between the Government and a number of
armed groups, conflict intensified in Kachin and Shan States, while sporadic
skirmishes continued in Kayin State and other parts of the south-east.
123. There were also significant outbreaks of violence affecting the Rohingya
community in Rakhine State, with the resumption of fighting between the Arakan
Army and the Tatmadaw and military operations following separate attacks on
border guard posts on 9 October. While the United Nations was not been granted
access to the affected areas, accounts of serious human rights violations by
government security forces, including killing and maiming of children and sexual
violence against children, have been documented.
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Grave violations
124. The United Nations received 489 reports of the recruitment and use of children
and verified 127 cases (123 boys, 4 girls), 21 of which occurred in 2016: 2 verified
cases of use of children in the current reporting period were attributed to the
Tatmadaw and 4 cases of recruitment of children were under joint review as at early
2017. An additional 99 verified cases were attributed to the Tatmadaw but occurred
before 2016, while 17 verified cases were attributed to armed groups, comprising the
Kayan New Land Party (KNLP) (10) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) (7).
125. The United Nations documented 9 suspected cases of children held in military
detention for being absent without leave from the army: following notification, the
Tatmadaw returned them to their regiments pending age verification. In addition,
1 child used as a cook by the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army
was held in military detention following his capture and a number of children as
young as 10 have been held by the Border Guard Police in northern Rakhine State
on charges of “unlawful association” since November 2016, while 1 thirteen-year
old boy died in detention in February 2017.
126. The United Nations documented 51 incidents of killing and maiming of
children, of which 19 were verified (6 children killed, 13 injured): 6 verified
incidents were attributed to the Tatmadaw, including 2 targeted killings, and
2 incidents each were attributed to KIA and Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and
1 to the Arakan Army. At least 8 cases of the killing of children by security forces in
Rakhine State were also documented.
127. The United Nations verified 2 cases of sexual violence against 2 girls (four
and nine years old) by Tatmadaw soldiers. Both cases were referred to civilian
courts and judicial proceedings were initiated. In addition, at least 7 cases of sexual
violence were documented against Rohingya girls as young as eleven during
military operations in northern Rakhine State.
128. A total of 6 incidents of attacks on schools were reported, of which 2 could be
verified: 1 incident was attributed to the Tatmadaw and 1 incident was jointly
attributed to the Tatmadaw and the KIA during crossfire, resulting in the injury of
1 teacher. In addition, 2 cases of military use of schools by the Tatmadaw were
documented in Kachin and Rakhine States.
129. The United Nations received 30 reports of the abduction of children, an
increase compared with 2015. Verified incidents involved 20 children and were
attributed to KIA (5), KNLP (1) and the Tatmadaw (1).
130. Humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas decreased significantly in 2016,
especially in Kachin, northern Shan and Rakhine States, in particular following the
suspension in October of all access to Rakhine State. In August, the Tatmadaw
prevented the delivery of medicine to camps for internally displaced persons in
eastern Kachin State.
Developments and concerns
131. I note the steps taken by the Government towards implementing its action
plan, including through issuance of military directives; training on age assessment
guidelines; accountability measures taken against 440 military personnel, including
86 officers; and the release of 101 children and youth from the Tatmadaw in 2016. I
urge the Government to accelerate the joint age verification process to allow for the
expeditious release of child recruits, to continue collaboration on strengthening
accountability mechanisms for all perpetrators of grave violations and to finalize all
aspects of the joint action plan. In this regard, I encourage the swift passage of the
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revised Child Law, which includes a chapter on children and armed conflict and
corresponding penalties.
132. During 2016, the United Nations engaged with all armed groups listed in the
annexes to the present report with a view to ending and preventing violations
against children and encouraging the development of action plans. I urge the
Government to facilitate the signature of action plans with armed groups, especially
those with which they have engaged in peace talks.
Somalia
133. The security situation remained highly volatile, with continued attacks by
Al-Shabaab on the Somali security forces, government officials and the African
Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as well as inter-clan clashes. The Somali
National Army and AMISOM continued joint offensives against Al-Shabaab.
Military forces of Ethiopia, Kenya and the United States of America also conducted
operations against the group.
Grave violations
134. The number of children recruited and used doubled (1,915) compared with
2015 as a result of a twofold increase in cases attributed to Al-Shabaab (1,206). In
September, Al-Shabaab compelled elders in the Galguduud region to persuade
children to join the group, leading to the recruitment of 100 boys. Children were
also recruited and used by clan militias (447), the Somali National Army (182) and
Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (78). The use of 17 children by AMISOM was
documented.
135. Regarding detention, 386 children were held by the Government for their
alleged association with Al-Shabaab. As mentioned in my report on children and
armed conflict in Somalia (S/2016/1098), children were captured or arrested during
military and security operations, including mass security sweeps or house searches.
In May, the Galmudug Interim Administration handed over to child protection actors
44 children allegedly associated with Al-Shabaab whom the group had captured in
March. In October, the Puntland authorities also handed over 26 children from
twelve to fourteen years old.
136. The Puntland authorities treated as adults 40 other captured children from
fifteen to seventeen years old, in contravention of the obligations of Somalia under
the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights; they were given lengthy sentences of 10 to 20 years’
imprisonment or even sentenced to death. In January 2017, after sustained highlevel
United Nations advocacy, the death sentences were commuted to 20 years of
imprisonment: at the time of preparation of the present report, those children had
been handed over to child protection actors and the United Nations continued to
engage with authorities on the legal status of the released children, whose prison
sentences remained in effect.
137. A total of 1,121 children were killed and maimed by unknown armed
elements (482), Al-Shabaab (290), the Somali National Army (146), clan
militias (143), Puntland armed forces (5) and Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (1). Most
child casualties resulted from crossfire during military operations, mortar shelling,
improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war. Among the children
killed by Al-Shabaab, at least 30 were publicly executed on suspicion of spying.
Child casualties attributed to AMISOM (42) primarily occurred in operations
against Al-Shabaab or in indiscriminate fire responding to attacks. Child casualties
also resulted from air strikes by the Kenyan defence forces (11) and United States
armed forces (1).
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138. The United Nations verified incidents of sexual violence affecting 310 girls
and 1 boy, attributed to unknown armed elements (96), clan militias (94), the Somali
National Army (81), Al-Shabaab (33), Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (3) and Puntland
armed forces (1), while 3 cases were attributed to AMISOM. Rape and forced
marriage often occurred in the context of abductions; for example, on 16 June, a
sixteen-year-old girl, abducted from her house, was gang raped by 5 Somali
National Army soldiers in the Bakool region.
139. Attacks on 46 schools and 10 hospitals were verified. Attacks on schools were
attributed to Al-Shabaab (31), the Somali National Army (9), Ahl al-Sunna
wal-Jama’a and clan militias (2 each) and AMISOM (1). Attacks on hospitals were
attributed to Al-Shabaab (5) and clan militias (4). In addition, 1 school and
1 hospital were used by the Somali National Army and 1 health centre by
Al-Shabaab. In Gedo region, Ceel Adde secondary school was vacated by AMISOM
after being used for six days in January.
140. The number of abductions spiked compared with 2015: 950 children were
abducted, 87 per cent of them by Al-Shabaab (827) and most of the others by clan
militias (113). Of the cases involving Al-Shabaab, 548 children were abducted for
recruitment purposes.
141. Incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children were attributed to clan
militias (10), Al-Shabaab (5), the Somali National Army (2) and Puntland armed
forces (1). For example, in April in Gedo region, Al-Shabaab ambushed a truck
belonging to a non-governmental organization in Ced Adde and stole food,
including child nutrition products.
Developments and concerns
142. I welcome the release of children who had been detained for their alleged
association with Al-Shabaab in Puntland and Galmudug and I urge that the legal
status of the children released be swiftly resolved. Regarding reintegration, the
United Nations supported 604 separated children and provided technical assistance
to the Ministry of Defence Child Protection Unit. On 6 January, the Somali National
Army Chief of the Defence Forces issued a general staff order stating that an
individual must be at least eighteen to enlist. I urge subregional organizations to
work with my Special Representative to develop a regional dimension for child
protection efforts in Somalia.
143. During her visit to Somalia in July 2016, my Special Representative urged the
authorities to implement their 2012 action plans signed with the United Nations and
to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims, with the best
interests of the child and international protection standards as guiding principles.
My Special Representative also raised concerns with AMISOM about grave
violations.
South Sudan
144. The security situation deteriorated following clashes in Juba in July between
the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation
Army in Opposition, as well as the subsequent split within the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army in Opposition. Overall in 2016, the level of violations against
children remained at a similar level to that of 2015 and displacement continued at
high levels.
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Grave violations
145. The United Nations verified 169 incidents of recruitment and use affecting at
least 1,022 children, 61 per cent of which were attributed to SPLA (574) and other
government security forces (50). Children were also recruited and used by the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (115), the Sudan People’s Liberation
Army in Opposition allied with Taban Deng Gai (207), the South Sudan Democratic
Army-Cobra Faction (SSDA-CF) (32), Johnson Olony’s armed group (25), the
South Sudan People’s Patriotic Front (16) and the South Sudan National Liberation
Movement (SSNLM) (3). Children were observed wearing military uniforms and
carrying weapons in the greater Upper Nile, Equatoria and Bahr el-Ghazal regions.
The United Nations verified reports of children transported by SPLA from Jonglei,
Lakes and Unity states to other parts of the country for military training and
deployment. According to first-hand testimony, in one incident 100 boys were
affected, while 40 boys previously released by SSDA-CF were recruited again but
following United Nations advocacy all but two were released again.
146. A total of 101 incidents of killing and maiming of children, affecting 108 and
71 children, respectively, were verified, mostly in Western Bahr el-Ghazal and
Central Equatoria. Children were killed and maimed by SPLA (104), the Sudan
People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (6), the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in
Opposition allied to Taban Deng Gai (3) and the South Sudan National Police
Service (3). Children were also killed and maimed by crossfire and unexploded
ordnances (63). Some were deliberately fired at while fleeing SPLA, including at
close range.
147. The United Nations verified 142 cases of sexual violence against girls,
including 26 who were gang-raped. Most cases were documented in Unity and
Equatoria regions and were attributed to SPLA (114), South Sudan People’s
Patriotic Front (15), other government security forces (7) and the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army in Opposition (6). After the outbreak of conflict In Juba in July,
girls were raped as they left the protection of civilian sites or at checkpoints.
148. Attacks on 17 schools and hospitals were reported, including in protection of
civilian sites, carried out by SPLA (10) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in
Opposition (3).
149. Attacks on 28 health facilities and 2 medical personnel were verified, with the
majority of cases attributed to SPLA (19) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army
in Opposition (5). More than two thirds of the attacks occurred in the Equatoria
region.
150. A total of 21 schools were newly used for military purposes, with the majority
of cases attributed to SPLA (10) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in
Opposition (7).
151. A total of 17 incidents of abduction were verified, affecting approximately
180 children mostly in Unity and Western Equatoria, with the majority attributed to
SPLA, SSPPF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition. In 1 largescale
incident in Unity, approximately 100 boys as young as fourteen were abducted
by SPLA for recruitment purposes and transferred to Juba for military training.
152. A total of 445 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified, almost
twice as many as in 2015. Most incidents were attributed to SPLA (182) and
government security forces and institutions (179), followed by the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army in Opposition (54). Incidents included attacks on personnel and
compounds, looting of warehouses and humanitarian assets, and bureaucratic
constraints and restriction of movement. In a particularly troubling example in
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Upper Nile in May, SPLA fired on humanitarian workers attempting to reach
populations in need.
Developments and concerns
153. The scale of violations affecting children in South Sudan continued to be
alarming. I urge leaders to abide by their responsibilities to protect children, I call
upon all parties to cooperate with the African Union in the implementation of the
peace agreement and I encourage the inclusion of child protection concerns in the
national dialogue.
154. I am concerned that the implementation of the action plan by SPLA and the
Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition has stalled as a result of the ongoing
conflict. In this regard, I call upon these parties to resume the implementation of
their action plans and note that the action plan for the Sudan People’s Liberation
Army in Opposition applies equally to any splinter elements. It is encouraging,
however, that following United Nations advocacy, 32 boys in Unity, were released
by SPLA (25) and the South Sudan National Wildlife Service (7). In Jonglei,
148 boys were released, including 3 associated with SPLA, 120 associated with
SSDA-CF and 25 associated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in
Opposition.
Sudan
155. Hostilities continued in early 2016 but reduced in the second half of the year.
In Darfur, military operations by the Government focused on dislodging the Sudan
Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid from Jebel Mara. In June, the Government
announced a unilateral ceasefire in Darfur although skirmishes continued. At the
same time, there were confrontations between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Blue Nile and Southern
Kordofan States. In April and June, respectively, SPLM-N and the Government
announced ceasefires, which were still in place as at early 2017; however, hostilities
continued sporadically and access for the United Nations to areas under the control
of SPLM-N remained constrained. A detailed account of the effects of armed
conflict on children is available in my country report (S/2017/191).
Grave violations: Darfur
156. While allegations regarding the recruitment and use of 5 boys were received,
only 1 was verified and attributed to the former Liberation and Justice Movement in
Central Darfur.
157. A total of 109 incidents of killing and maiming affecting 199 children
(85 killed, 114 maimed) were verified, resulting mostly from shooting (94),
unexploded ordnances (55) and aerial bombardments (42): these were attributed to
government forces (39) (Sudanese Armed Forces, rapid support forces, national
police forces, popular defence forces, National Intelligence and Security Service),
pro-government militias (7) and unidentified armed men (37), while 24 incidents
related to unexploded ordnances.
158. Incidents of rape affecting 94 girls and 1 boy were verified and attributed to
government forces (20) (Sudanese Armed Forces, rapid support forces, Central
Reserve Police, national police forces, pro-government militias (18) and the Sudan-
Chad Joint Forces (1). Unidentified armed men were responsible for 30 incidents.
While efforts were made by the Government to address impunity for crimes of
sexual violence against children, only 9 cases resulted in the arrest and sentencing
of perpetrators.
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159. A total of 20 schools and 6 hospitals were attacked, destroyed and/or looted by
the Sudanese Armed Forces (15), the rapid support forces (1), tribal militias (2) and
unidentified armed men (8), most as a result of aerial bombardments in Jebel Marra;
3 schools in Central Darfur were also reportedly used by the Sudanese Armed
Forces in 2016.
160. A total of 18 incidents of abduction affecting 15 boys and 6 girls were verified
and attributed to pro-government militias (10), the Sudanese Armed Forces (2) and
unidentified armed men (6).
161. A total of 14 incidents of denial of humanitarian access, such as attacks on
humanitarian workers and bureaucratic constraints and restriction of movement,
were verified, including 11 by the Sudanese Armed Forces and 1 by the Sudanese
Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid. Access continued to be severely impeded,
particularly in eastern Jebel Marra.
Grave violations: Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei
162. The United Nations received allegations of recruitment and use of boys
between twelve and seventeen years old by government forces, particularly in Blue
Nile, and by the SPLM-N in the greater Upper Nile region, South Sudan, although
no cases could be verified.
163. The killing (2) and maiming (6) of 6 boys and 2 girls was verified and
attributed to SPLM-N (2), the Sudanese Armed Forces (1) and the rapid support
forces (1); 2 children were also affected by unexploded ordnances and 2 children
were affected by an explosion at a military garrison.
164. The rape of 4 girls between thirteen and fifteen years old by Sudanese Armed
Forces elements in Blue Nile was verified and reported to the police, resulting in the
arrest and sentencing of perpetrators.
165. A total of 4 allegations of attacks on schools (3) and hospitals (1) during air
strikes were received but could not be verified. In March, the military use of a
school in Kadugli, Southern Kordofan, by the National Intelligence and Security
Service was documented.
166. In March, 2 boys of twelve and sixteen were abducted by Misseriya militiamen
in Abyei. They were released and reunified with their families following
interventions by the United Nations and community networks.
Developments and concerns
167. I commend the Government’s ongoing commitment to the action plan signed
in March and the significant progress achieved, including through the formation of
high-level and technical committees and the development of a workplan. Command
orders for dissemination of the action plan were issued and focal points at the rank
of Inspector General were appointed to facilitate discussions on access. In March
2017, the Government granted access to the United Nations to areas of Blue Nile to
follow up allegations of child recruitment and use of children by its forces.
168. On 29 March, following extensive advocacy, the United Nations was granted
access to 21 children who had been detained by the National Intelligence and
Security Service for their alleged association with an armed group after their
apprehension in Darfur in 2015. The children were released in September, granted a
presidential pardon and reunited with their families.
169. Following engagement by my Special Representative and United Nations
partners, SPLM-N signed an action plan to end recruitment and use of children in
November. In December, SPLM-N issued a command order and appointed a highA/
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level focal point. In November, the United Nations also met with the leader of the
Justice and Equality Movement and a representative of the Sudan Liberation
Army/Minni Minawi, who both agreed to develop implementation plans to expedite
their action plans.
Syrian Arab Republic
170. Widespread conflict continued throughout the Syrian Arab Republic and
further escalated in the last quarter of 2016, with intense hostilities in eastern
Aleppo city and in Bab and Manbij in Aleppo Governorate. The intensification of
hostilities and continuing access restrictions posed considerable challenges for
monitoring.
Grave violations
171. The recruitment and use of children increased sharply: the number of verified
cases more than doubled compared with 2015. The United Nations verified
851 cases attributed to armed groups self-affiliated with the Free Syrian
Army (507), ISIL (133), pro-government militias (54), People’s Protection
Units (46), government forces (29), Army of Islam (28), Ahrar al-Sham (17), the
Nusrah Front (also known as Jabhat Fath al-Sham) (10), Nur al-Din al-Zanki (3) and
unidentified armed groups (24); 20 per cent of verified cases involved children
under the age of fifteen. Payment of salaries, ideology and family or community
influence continued to be incentives. As a result of their association with parties to
conflict, at least 37 children were killed and 17 injured.
172. Some 60 per cent of verified cases were attributed to groups affiliated with the
Free Syrian Army, a tenfold increase compared with 2015, with most cases
occurring in Aleppo, Dar‘a and Rif Dimastiq Governorates; 98 per cent of the boys
recruited by these groups were used for military functions, including front-line
combat. At least 103 children were used by ISIL for military functions, including to
conduct executions and suicide attacks. People’s Protection Units recruited and used
40 boys and 6 girls, who received military training and were used to patrol and
guard checkpoints. Children recruited and used by other armed groups (82)
predominantly guarded checkpoints.
173. The United Nations verified the association of 29 children with government
forces, 5 of whom were trained, armed and used in combat, while the others were
deployed at checkpoints, mostly unarmed. Pro-government militias recruited
54 boys, 20 of whom were used in combat and 34 to guard checkpoints. Coercion
and financial incentives were used to recruit children.
174. Children continued to be arrested and detained for their alleged association
with armed groups. The United Nations verified the arrest and detention of 12 boys
by government forces and popular committees. In at least 7 of these cases, children
were subjected to torture and ill-treatment.
175. Armed groups also deprived children of liberty for their alleged association
with opposing parties to conflict. For example, ISIL deprived 27 boys of their
liberty, some as young as ten, 9 of whom were executed and 17 remained
unaccounted for as at early 2017.
176. The United Nations verified the killing of 652 children (297 boys, 125 girls,
230 sex unknown) and the maiming of 647 (223 boys, 133 girls, 291 sex unknown)
during 2016. These casualties were attributed to government and pro-government
forces (708), ISIL (235), People’s Protection Units (8), groups affiliated with the
Free Syrian Army (5), other armed groups (10) and unidentified armed
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groups (145). Verified violations were most prevalent in Aleppo, Rural Damascus,
Dar’a and Idlib.
177. A total of 533 of the verified child casualties were caused by air strikes, with
451 casualties attributed to government and pro-government forces and
82 casualties attributed to unidentified parties to conflict. Parties involved in aerial
operations in the Syrian Arab Republic included government forces, international
forces supporting the Government, members of the international counter-ISIL
coalition, Turkey and Israel.
178. A total of 243 of the verified child casualties were attributed to mortar, rocket
and improvised explosive device attacks by armed groups on government-held
areas. Children continued to be killed and maimed by suicide attacks (70),
executions (16), sniper attacks (17) and improvised explosive devices and
unexploded ordnances (130). In February, 3 children were publicly beheaded by
ISIL after being accused of “spying”. In addition, ISIL arrested 41 children for a
wide range of acts that it classifies as crimes, some of whom were executed or
subjected to amputation.
179. The United Nations verified 8 cases of sexual violence against girls, including
rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery: 7 cases were attributed to ISIL and 1 was
attributed to the pro-government Shu‘aytat militias. Accounts were received of ISIL
fighters demanding marriage of girls living in ISIL-held areas. In 1 verified case, a
fourteen-year-old girl was abducted and gang-raped by 6 ISIL fighters after her
family refused marriage. Reports also indicated that Yazidi girls captured in Iraq in
2014 continued to be trafficked into and within the Syrian Arab Republic and used
as sex slaves. Trauma from sexual violence and social stigma continued to deter
child survivors from coming forward.
180. The United Nations verified 76 attacks on schools and 11 attacks on education
personnel resulting in 28 casualties among education personnel, a 40 per cent
increase compared with 2015. These attacks were attributed to government and
pro-government forces (57, including 38 air strikes), ISIL (6), People’s Protection
Units (1) and unidentified armed groups (14). Verified attacks on schools caused
255 child casualties and mostly occurred in Aleppo and Idlib Governorates. For
example, in October the Kamal Qal‘aji school complex in Idlib Governorate was hit
by consecutive pro-government air strikes that killed 3 teachers and 19 children,
injured 61 children and severely damaged the school.
181. The United Nations verified 81 attacks on medical facilities and 30 incidents
of attacks on medical personnel resulting in 29 child casualties and 94 casualties
among medical personnel, a nearly threefold increase compared with 2015. These
attacks were attributed to government and pro-government forces (93, including
61 air strikes), ISIL (7), groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (2), Ahrar
al-Sham (1) and unidentified armed groups (3). The majority of verified violations
occurred in Aleppo and Idlib Governorates. In April, 13 children and 4 medical
personnel were killed when pro-government attacks hit the Quds hospital in Aleppo
Governorate.
182. A total of 9 incidents of military use of schools were attributed to groups
affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (5), ISIL (3) and government forces (1), with
2 of those schools subsequently attacked by opposing forces, while 4 incidents of
military use of medical facilities were attributed to ISIL.
183. The United Nations verified the abductions of 43 children that were attributed
to ISIL (34), People’s Protection Units (8), and government forces and
pro-government militias (1). People’s Protection Units abducted at least 8 children
for recruitment purposes.
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184. Parties to the conflict continued to use siege and denial of access to water as
tactics of war, and as at end-2016, an estimated 292,000 children were trapped in
besieged areas. The Government was responsible for 80 per cent of the instances of
besiegement and ISIL was responsible for 17 per cent. Essential medicines were
removed or excluded from humanitarian convoys by government authorities, while
more than 411,000 children targeted by polio vaccination campaigns were not
reached due to deliberate denial of access by ISIL and the Nusrah Front.
185. The United Nations verified 90 instances of denial of humanitarian access,
including 37 cases of deliberate denial of humanitarian services, 32 attacks on
humanitarian facilities and related personnel and 21 acts of besiegement. Verified
cases were attributed to government and pro-government forces (59), ISIL (15),
Free Syrian Army-affiliated groups (2), the Nusrah Front (2), the Army of Islam (1)
and unidentified armed groups (5). In September, a United Nations and Syrian Arab
Red Crescent (SARC) humanitarian convoy was hit by air strikes in rural western
Aleppo, killing 17 staff and the head of the Urum al-Kubra branch of SARC.
Developments and concerns
186. The continued level of violations against children in the Syrian Arab Republic
remains highly alarming and I urge all parties to engage in the inclusive and Syrianled
peace process under United Nations auspices aimed at ending conflict in the
Syrian Arab Republic. I also call upon all parties to abide by their obligations under
international law, and I urge the Government to take all possible measures to end
and prevent the recruitment and use of children by their armed forces and
pro-government militias.
Yemen
187. A cessation of hostilities was in effect from April until peace talks adjourned
in early August. During this period, while fighting continued in many locations,
there was a significant decrease in the number of child casualties, in particular those
resulting from air strikes, and in the number of attacks on schools and hospitals,
although the intensification of hostilities following the adjournment let to increased
violations. Throughout 2016, the documentation of violations against children was
constrained by access restrictions and insecurity.
Grave violations
188. The United Nations verified 517 cases of the recruitment and use of boys as
young as eleven, predominantly in Aden, Abyan, Amran, Sana’a and Ta‘izz. The
decrease in verified incidents compared with 2015 (917) reflects the challenges in
monitoring rather than a reduction in cases. A further 105 reported cases could not
be verified during 2016. The majority of verified cases (359) were attributed to the
Houthis and affiliated forces, while 50 cases were attributed to the pro-government
Popular Resistance, 29 to Ansar al-Sharia, 27 to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula
and 26 to the Yemeni Armed Forces. Children were mainly used to guard
checkpoints and buildings, patrol areas and act as porters. In 69 verified cases,
mostly in Amran and Aden, boys were used in combat, while 2 boys were killed and
5 injured at checkpoints or on the battlefield. Recruits for the Popular Resistance
were often motivated by a desire to secure income for their families. In 1 verified
case on 19 June, 5 boys recruited by the Popular Resistance, who were armed and
wearing military uniforms, were queueing inside a government building in Jawf to
collect salaries.
189. The United Nations documented the arrest or detention of 10 boys on the basis
of their suspected association with an opposing party to conflict, 7 of which cases
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were attributed to the Yemeni Armed Forces and 3 to the Popular Resistance. In
June, as part of a confidence-building measure during peace talks facilitated by the
United Nations, the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia
released 52 children who had reportedly been associated with parties to conflict.
The children were handed over to the Government of Yemen and some were
reunified with their families.
190. The killing and maiming of children remained the most prevalent violation.
The United Nations verified 1,340 child casualties, with 502 children killed
(345 boys, 152 girls, 5 sex unknown) and 838 injured (620 boys, 218 girls):
683 were attributed to the coalition, 414 to the Houthis and affiliated forces, 17 to
the Popular Resistance, 6 to the Yemeni Armed Forces, 6 to ISIL in Yemen and 1 to
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
191. The highest number of child casualties was documented in Ta‘izz, where
72 per cent (343 of 474 casualties) were attributed to the Houthis, mainly resulting
from ground fighting. In 2016, ground fighting accounted for 39 per cent of all child
casualties, causing the death of 107 children and injuries to 421 children. Large
numbers of child casualties were also documented in Sa‘dah, where 91 per cent
(222 of 245 casualties) were attributed to air strikes by the coalition. In the
reporting period, air strikes were the cause of over half of all child casualties, with
at least 349 children killed and 334 children injured. For example, in October a
coalition air strike hit Salah Hall in Sana’a during a funeral, killing at least
24 children.
192. A total of 113 child casualties were also attributed to landmines and
unexploded ordnances, including in Aden, where armed groups allegedly planted
landmines as they retreated. In addition, a number of civilians were reportedly
killed in Saudi Arabia as a result of cross-border attacks.
193. The United Nations verified 52 incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals,
resulting in the partial or complete destruction of facilities (46), attacks on protected
personnel (3) and looting (3): 73 per cent of attacks were attributed to the coalition
(28 schools, 10 hospitals) and 15 per cent to the Houthis and affiliated forces
(4 schools; 4 hospitals). Attacks were also attributed to the Popular Resistance (2),
the Yemeni Armed Forces (1) and crossfire.
194. A total of 33 attacks on schools were verified, affecting 30 schools: the
majority of the incidents (28) resulted in the destruction of schools as a result of air
strikes by the coalition, while 4 incidents were attributed to the Houthis and 1 to the
Yemeni Armed Forces.
195. The United Nations verified 19 incidents of attacks on hospitals affecting
16 facilities, with hospitals being subjected to multiple attacks in Ta‘izz and Marib,
10 of which were attributed to air strikes by the coalition; for example, on
10 January in Sa’ada Governorate, 1 hospital was hit by an air strike, resulting in
4 deaths, 10 injuries and the destruction of several hospital buildings. Of the
remaining verified attacks, 4 were attributed to the Houthis in Ta‘izz and Jawf and
2 to the Popular Resistance.
196. A total of 12 incidents of the military use of schools were documented: 6 were
attributed to the Houthis, 4 to the Popular Resistance and 1 each to the Yemeni
Armed Forces and Ansar al-Sharia, while 5 of the schools used were subsequently
attacked. In addition, 2 incidents of the military use of hospitals occurred in Jawf
and were attributed to the Houthis and to the Popular Resistance.
197. During 2016, 4 boys were abducted, 3 by unidentified armed groups in Ma‘rib
and Hudaydah and 1 by AQAP in Bayda‘ for ransom.
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198. The United Nations received 220 reports of incidents of denial of humanitarian
access, which involved bureaucratic constraints and restriction of movement (149),
violence against humanitarian workers, assets and facilities (43) and interference
with the implementation of humanitarian activities (28). The majority of incidents
were documented and verified in Hudaydah, Sana’a, Ta‘izz and Hajjah, and were
attributed to the Houthis (181), unidentified armed groups (17), the coalition (13)
and the Popular Resistance (9).
Developments and concerns
199. The action plan signed by the Government of Yemen in 2014 to end and
prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Yemeni Armed Forces remained
stalled owing to the ongoing conflict. However, the United Nations and its partners
provided support for reintegration to 100 children separated from armed groups in
Aden.
200. The United Nations also engaged in enhanced dialogue with parties to conflict,
including through several interactions between the Office of my Special
Representative and Saudi Arabia, as leader of the coalition to restore legitimacy in
Yemen, to address ongoing grave violations against children. The United Nations
was informed of measures taken by the coalition in 2016 to reduce the impact of
conflict on children, including through their rules of engagement and the
establishment of a joint incident assessment team mandated to review all incidents
involving civilian casualties and identify corrective actions. These initiatives are
steps in the right direction. Nevertheless, I urge the coalition to improve its
approach since, despite these measures, grave violations against children continued
at unacceptably high levels in 2016. In this regard, I remain deeply concerned about
the plight of children in Yemen and strongly request parties to take urgent measures
to end violations against children. Furthermore, I urge the coalition, in particular
Saudi Arabia as leader of the coalition, to continue to refine and fully implement the
preventive and corrective measures put in place in 2016 to protect children, and to
deepen its engagement with the United Nations and my Special Representative on
this issue. In this regard, I wish to note that at the time of preparation of the present
report, Saudi Arabia has created a child protection unit at the coalition headquarters.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
India
201. Children continued to be affected by incidents of violence between armed
groups and the Government, in particular in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, as well as
tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Grave violations
202. The United Nations continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of
children by armed groups, including the Naxalites, in particular in Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand. Owing to access restrictions for monitoring and reporting, the United
Nations was unable to verify these incidents. Armed groups reportedly resorted to
abduction and threats against parents in order to recruit children, who subsequently
underwent military training and served as messengers, informants or guards in child
squads (bal dasta). In March, the police relocated 23 children under threat of
abduction by armed groups in Gumla district, Jharkhand, and supported their
enrolment in schools. However, unverified reports suggest that police may be using
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children formerly associated with armed groups as informants, potentially making
them targets for retaliation.
203. Children continued to be killed and injured in the context of operations of
national security forces against Maoist armed groups. According to the Ministry of
Home Affairs, the number of civilians killed in these encounters increased to 213,
compared with 171 in 2015; however, no disaggregated data on children were
available.
204. According to government information, at least 30 schools were burned and
partially destroyed by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition,
government reports confirmed the military use of 4 schools by security forces in
that region for several weeks. In a troubling development, Maoists were allegedly
running several schools in Chhattisgarh and included combat training as part of their
curriculum.
Developments and concerns
205. In the light of persistent reports of the recruitment and use of children by
armed groups, I call upon the Government to develop appropriate mechanisms to
protect children from recruitment, as well as to separate and reintegrate recruited
children. The United Nations stands ready to assist in this process. I also urge the
Government to ensure the protection of children from any form of violence in the
context of civil unrest or law and order operations.
Nigeria
206. With the loss of territory to the Nigerian security forces, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, intensified attacks on
civilians in north-east Nigeria as well as in neighbouring countries, including
through suicide bombings, and in late 2016 split into two factions. In this context,
402 incidents of grave violations affecting 2,698 children were verified. A detailed
account of the impact of armed conflict on children in Nigeria is available in my
country report (S/2017/304).
Grave violations
207. The number of verified cases of the recruitment and use of children in 2016
(2,122) increased significantly compared with 2015 (278). The main perpetrators
were Boko Haram (1,947) and the Civilian Joint Task Force (175): 4 boys and
26 girls were used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide attacks in Nigeria (19) and in
Cameroon, Chad and the Niger (11). Children associated with the Civilian Joint
Task Force were mostly used in support functions.
208. In 2016, 237 children were detained for their alleged association with Boko
Haram, while 1,128 children were detained on the basis of their parent’s alleged
affiliation. While most were released, 336 children were still in detention as at
December, including 71 held since 2015.
209. The killing of 304 children and maiming of 184 children was verified, a 27 per
cent increase compared with 2015. More than half of the casualties were girls. The
majority of casualties resulted from suicide attacks, including children used in these
incidents, while internally displaced persons camps were the target of suicide
attacks in 7 incidents. Boko Haram was responsible for 97 per cent of child
casualties (475). The killing of suspected child suicide bombers by the Nigerian
security forces was also a growing concern, with 13 children killed in November
and December.
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210. The rape or other forms of sexual violence perpetrated by Boko Haram against
51 girls as young as nine was verified. In addition, 3 girls between fourteen and
seventeen years old were raped by Nigerian security forces elements. Allegations
were also received of 19 cases of sexual abuse of girls in camps for internally
displaced persons, reportedly perpetrated by Nigerian security forces elements,
camp officials, the Civilian Joint Task Force and vigilantes. The investigation
ordered by the Government culminated in the arrest of 8 suspected perpetrators.
211. No attacks on schools and hospitals were documented in Nigeria in 2016;
however, Boko Haram perpetrated 3 attacks on schools and 5 on hospitals in the
Diffa region of the Niger; 1 attack on a medical centre resulted in the killing of a
health worker. A total of 7 schools were verified as militarily used by the Nigerian
security forces in Borno (5) and Yobe States (2), 2 of which were vacated in early
2017.
212. Boko Haram abducted 17 boys and 17 girls in 2016. In addition, 2,046 child
abductions from previous years were documented in liberated areas following
Nigerian security forces operations; 106 of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted in 2014
were freed, partly as a result of internationally supported negotiations between Boko
Haram and the Government.
213. A single incident of denial of humanitarian access was verified: on 28 July,
2 staff members were injured by unidentified assailants in an attack on a United
Nations humanitarian convoy returning to Maiduguri, following which United
Nations operations to Bama were suspended for 18 days.
Developments and concerns
214. I commend the efforts made by the Government to improve the protection of
children, including the development of a plan of action to implement the Safe
Schools Declaration, which was endorsed in 2015. Moreover, since April, the
United Nations has been granted access to children detained in Giwa barracks,
enabling the release and reintegration of 1,300 children.
215. Following the listing of the Civilian Joint Task Force for recruitment and use
in my previous report (A/70/836-S/2016/360), the United Nations initiated dialogue
with that group to develop an action plan to end and prevent recruitment and use of
children. In this regard, I welcome the fact that at the time of preparation of the
present report, the action plan had been signed.
216. Lastly, a total of 765 girl victims of sexual violence by Boko Haram were
provided with support in Maiduguri through a UNICEF-funded community-based
rehabilitation programme that aims to address negative community perceptions of
girls and women who have survived sexual violence. I encourage subregional
organizations to support these efforts.
Pakistan
217. Attacks by armed groups declined by 28 per cent in 2016, with 441 incidents
reported. The majority of the incidents were attributed to Tehrik-e Taliban
Pakistan (TTP). The security operation launched against armed groups in North
Waziristan in 2014 concluded in April 2016, although a significant military presence
remained.
Grave violations
218. Reports of the recruitment and use of children, including from madrassas,
continued to be a concern and incidents of the use of children by armed groups for
suicide bombings were reported. In a particularly troubling incident, on
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12 November at least 52 people were killed and more than 100 wounded when a
teenage suicide bomber blew himself up at the Shah Noorani shrine in Balochistan.
219. Age-disaggregated data on civilian casualties were extremely limited but the
majority of incidents affecting children were reported in Balochistan. For example,
on 7 February at least 10 people, including 1 girl, were reportedly killed in a suicide
attack on a Pakistan Armed Forces vehicle in Quetta. Attacks also occurred in other
parts of the country. In Lahore, a suicide attack on 27 March in a public park
claimed the lives of 74 people, including 29 children. On 17 October, at least 1 child
was killed in a bomb attack at an imambargah in Karachi, which was claimed by
Lashkarh-e Jhangvi al-Alami.
220. A total of 6 attacks were carried out on educational institutions in the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On 20 February in
South Waziristan, armed elements blew up part of a newly constructed government
school, while on 25 November, TTP claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a
government primary school in Mohmand Agency, reportedly for promoting
“Western values”.
221. Attacks on health care by armed groups continued in 2016, including direct
attacks on and threats and intimidation against polio vaccinators, which was
condemned by the Government. The majority of incidents occurred in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and led to the killing of
at least 1 vaccinator.
Developments and concerns
222. In November, Pakistan ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. I welcome this
important step and urge the Government to uphold its obligations under the Optional
Protocol, particularly by criminalizing the recruitment and use of children in
hostilities.
Philippines
223. Children continued to be affected by low-intensity armed engagements, as well
as large-scale military operations conducted by government forces against armed
groups, primarily in Mindanao. Owing to the intensification of activities of armed
groups in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Sulu, access for monitoring was
challenging. Following the resumption of peace talks between the Government and
the National Democratic Front of the Philippines/New People’s Army (NDFP/NPA)
in the second half of 2016, grave violations during clashes between them decreased
significantly.
Grave violations
224. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 9 boys between
thirteen and seventeen years old. Of the verified cases, 8 were attributed to armed
groups, 5 to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and 3 to NPA. As well as
being used in support roles, some boys attended training in arms and were used in
combat: 1 child recruited by NPA died during a skirmish with the Armed Forces of
the Philippines. In addition, credible reports suggest that the Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters, the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Maute Group recruited children
for combat. In addition, 1 verified incident was attributed to the Armed Forces of
the Philippines, which has used 1 boy in a support role in Negros Occidental since
2013.
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225. The United Nations documented the detention of 8 children without a formal
judicial process for their alleged association with armed groups. For example,
despite continued advocacy by the United Nations, 1 fifteen-year-old boy has been
detained in an adult prison in Basilan for his alleged association with the Abu
Sayyaf Group since November 2015.
226. The United Nations verified the killing and maiming of 38 children (14 killed,
24 injured; 26 boys, 12 girls); the cases were attributed to the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (11), the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the national police in a
joint operation (2) and alleged pro-government armed groups (New Indigenous
People’s Army Reform (6) and Alamara (1)). In addition, 4 cases were attributed to
the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and 2 to NPA. Along with incidents of
crossfire, indiscriminate attacks or explosive remnants of war, children were
subjected to targeted killings and alleged torture.
227. A total of 10 attacks affecting 12 schools were verified and were attributed to
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (2) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (1) or were unattributed (7). Reports of threats by alleged pro-government
armed groups against teachers working for schools run by non-governmental
organizations in indigenous communities were also received. In addition, the United
Nations documented the use of 8 schools for military purposes by the Armed Forces
of the Philippines and/or the national police (6) and the Maute Group (2), 4 of
which schools were attacked while they were occupied.
228. Of 4 reports of abduction received in 2016, one incident, which occurred in
December 2015, was verified. In this incident, 1 eight-year-old boy and his parents
were taken hostage by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. The boy and the
mother were released; however the father was reportedly killed.
Developments and concerns
229. In the light of ongoing violations, the United Nations supported the
Government’s efforts to strengthen the protection of children in conflict. In
particular, the Department of National Defence issued a circular setting out
procedures and guidelines for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to prevent grave
violations. To further strengthen the protection of children, I encourage the
Government to promptly adopt the draft law on children in situations of armed
conflict while ensuring its adherence to the highest standards of international law,
and to leverage existing child protection mechanisms to provide assistance to
victims.
230. Regarding MILF, I commend it for the significant progress in implementing its
action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. In this regard, all
1,869 children identified by MILF as associated with its armed wing underwent
formal disengagement in a series of ceremonies, the last of which was held in March
2017. In addition, MILF promulgated a directive requiring regular self-monitoring
and screening of armed elements as well as age-assessment guidelines to establish
safeguards for the prevention of association and reassociation of children. This
significant progress should be replicated by other armed groups, including
NDFP/NPA, who held discussion with UNICEF during the reporting period.
Thailand
231. A peace dialogue between the Government and an umbrella organization of
armed groups continued in 2016. However, there was ongoing armed violence in
southern Thailand, including sporadic clashes between security forces and armed
groups, as well as attacks by armed groups on civilian targets.
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Grave violations
232. The United Nations received reports of the killing of 5 children and injuries to
27 children resulting from improvised explosive device attacks and shooting, an
increase compared with 2015, when 19 child casualties were recorded (4 killed,
15 injured). For example, in April in Songkhla Province, a 4-year old boy was killed
in a motorcycle bomb attack allegedly targeting the police.
233. Schools and education personnel continued to be targeted by armed groups,
including by the killing of teachers and by arson and improvised explosive device
attacks. On 6 September, for example, a motorcycle-borne improvised explosive
device was detonated in front of an elementary school, killing 1 four-year-old girl
and injuring at least 10 people, including teachers. One attack on a hospital was
reported on 13 March, when an unknown armed group stormed the Joh Airong
Hospital in Narathiwat Province and used it to attack a nearby government security
post. Before leaving, the attackers tied up 1 pregnant nurse and destroyed hospital
equipment.
Developments and concerns
234. I welcome the ongoing peace dialogue between the Government and armed
groups and encourage all parties involved to include the protection of children and
schools in discussions.
IV. Recommendations
235. I am gravely concerned by the scale and severity of the violations
committed against children in 2016, which included alarming levels of killing
and maiming of children, recruitment and use of children and, in certain
situations, denial of humanitarian access to children, and I call upon parties to
conflict, the Security Council and Member States to take immediate action to
prevent these violations against children from occurring.
236. Ensuring full compliance with international humanitarian law, human
rights law and refugee law by all parties must be the cornerstone of our
prevention efforts. In this regard, I welcome the steps taken by a number of
Member States to make international commitments to protect children in the
context of armed conflict, including through the ratification of the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict and the endorsement of the Paris Commitments to
protect children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed
groups and the Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with
Armed Forces or Armed Groups. To further the aim of protecting children in
all situations included in the present report, I urge all Member States engaged
in operations against violent extremist groups, whether acting alone or as
members of coalitions, to make commitments to establish specific safeguards to
protect children from violations, including by placing an increased focus on the
principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian
law.
237. I urge Member States, including when countering violent extremism, to
treat children allegedly associated with non-State armed groups primarily as
victims and to swiftly adopt protocols for their handover to civilian child
protection actors in order to prioritize their reintegration. I also encourage the
Security Council to highlight the detrimental impact on children that results
from widespread screening of civilians in situations of armed conflict.
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238. I encourage Member States to establish long-term multi-year mechanisms
for the reintegration of recruited and used children, including by placing a
specific focus on girls and on psychosocial and education programmes and
vocational training. Adequate long-term funding is vital to implement and
sustain such programmes.
239. I welcome national and international efforts to hold perpetrators
accountable for crimes against children in situations of armed conflict.
Impunity must end in order to break the cycles of violence and aid prevention
efforts. Member States should strengthen their support for justice systems by
allocating sufficient resources and capacity to the investigation and prosecution
of those who perpetrate crimes against children.
240. I welcome the leadership and contributions of regional and subregional
organizations regarding the protection of children and I call upon them to
engage with my Special Representative to continue the integration of child
protection considerations into their policies, planning of peace support
operations, training of personnel and conduct of operations.
241. I urge Member States and regional and subregional organizations
involved in negotiating cessation of hostilities or peace agreements to include
specific child protection provisions from the outset in order to prioritize the
prevention of grave violations.
242. I call upon the Security Council to continue to request the deployment of
dedicated child protection capacity to United Nations peace operations, in line
with newly revised United Nations policy on child protection in United Nations
peace operations, in order to mainstream child protection, conduct dialogue on
action plans, release and reintegrate children and for monitoring and
reporting. The need for such child protection capacity, including the budget
required, should be systematically assessed during the preparation of
peacekeeping operations and political missions.
V. Lists contained in the annexes to the present report
243. The modifications in the presentation of the lists contained in the annexes to
the present report resulted from additions to the report of dedicated sections to note
the developments and concerns in the situations covered. In this regard, both
annexes have divided the list into two sections: parties to conflict that have put in
place measures to improve the protection of children during the reporting period and
parties that have not.
244. In Afghanistan, ISIL-Khorasan Province is listed for the recruitment and use
and killing and maiming of children in the light of the number of verified incidents
attributed to that party. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Mai-Mai
Mazembe has been included in the annexes for the recruitment and use and killing
and maiming of children given the number of incidents attributed to that party since
its emergence in mid-2016. In Iraq, the popular mobilization forces were
responsible for 57 verified cases of recruitment and use during 2016 and that party
is listed for that violation. In the Syrian Arab Republic, the Army of Islam also
recruited and used children in significant numbers and has therefore been listed. All
of the above-mentioned parties are included in section A of annex I. In Yemen, the
actions of the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen objectively led to that party
being listed for the killing and maiming of children, with 683 child casualties
attributed to it, and as a result of that party being responsible for 38 verified
incidents, for attacks on schools and hospitals during 2016. The coalition is included
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in section B of annex I, as it has put in place measures during the reporting period
aimed at improving the protection of children.
245. Other previously listed parties to conflict have had additional violations added
based on incidents that occurred in 2016. In this regard, given the levels of
abductions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Allied Democratic Forces,
the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda and the Force de résistance
patriotique de l’Ituri have been included for that violation. In Nigeria, Boko Haram
is listed for rape and other forms of sexual violence in the light of the cases verified
as a result of improved access. In the Syrian Arab Republic, government forces and
pro-government militias are listed for the recruitment and use of children. In the
same country, ISIL is also included for the abduction of children.
246. In terms of delisting, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo took all necessary steps in its action plan pertaining to the recruitment and
use of children and that party has been delisted for that violation; however, it
remains listed for rape and other forms of sexual violence against children. In
addition, in the Philippines, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been delisted for
the recruitment and use of children following the completion of its action plan.
247. Other modifications to the list have resulted from changes in the landscape of
armed conflict in the respective situations. In this regard, in Afghanistan the name
of the Taliban has been amended. In the Syrian Arab Republic, the names of the
government forces and the Free Syrian Army have been slightly changed to more
accurately reflect the realities on the ground. Similarly, in Yemen, the name of the
government forces has also been slightly modified.
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Annex I
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict on the agenda of the Security Council*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
Non-State actors
1. Haqqani Networka,b
2. Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyara,b
3. ISIL-Khorasan Provincea,b
4. Taliban forces and affiliated groups, including the Tora Bora Front, Jama’at
al-Da‘wah ila al-Qur’an wal-Sunnah and the Latif Mansur Networka,b,d,e
Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
1. Former Séléka coalition and associated armed groupsa,b,c,d
2. Local defence militias known as the anti-balakaa,b,c
3. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Non-State actors
1. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d,e
2. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwandaa,c,d,e
3. Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituria,c,d,e
4. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
5. Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souveraina
__________________
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
† Party that has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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6. Union des patriotes congolais pour la paix (also known as Mai-Mai
Lafontaine)a
7. Mai-Mai Mazembea,b
8. Mai-Mai Simbaa,c
9. Mai-Mai Kata Katangaa
10. Nduma défense du Congo-Rénové/Mai-Mai Chekaa,b
11. Nyaturaa
12. Raia Mutombokia,c
Parties in Iraq
Non-State actors
1. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levanta,b,c,d,e
2. Popular mobilization forcesa
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Ansar Eddinea,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouesta,c
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
1. Tatmadaw Army, including integrated border guard forcesa,†
Non-State actors
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Armya
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karen National Liberation Armya
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Karenni Armya
6. Shan State Army-Southa
7. United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
Non-State actors
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (ASWJ)a
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Armya,b,c,e,†
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Non-State actors
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Oppositiona,b,†
2. White Armya
Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Justice and Equality Movementa,†
2. Pro-government militiasa
3. Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahida
4. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawia,†
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
State actors
1. Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and
pro-government militiasa,b,c,d
Non-State actors
1. Ahrar al-Shama,b
2. Groups self-affiliated with the Free Syrian Armya
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levanta,b,c,d,e
4. Army of Islama
5. Nusrah Front (also known as Jabhat Fath al-Sham)a,b
6. People’s Protection Unitsa
Parties in Yemen
State actors
1. Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forcesa,†
Non-State actors
1. Houthis/Ansar Allaha,b,d
2. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula/Ansar al-Shariaa
3. Pro-government militias, including the Salafists and popular committeesa
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
State actors
1. Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Policea,†
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Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
1. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Puebloa
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
State actors
1. Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congoc,†
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawada,c,†
Parties in Somalia
State actors
1. Somali National Armya,b,†
Parties in the Sudan
State actors
1. Government security forces, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, popular
defence forces and national police forcesa,†
Non-State actors
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Northa,†
Parties in Yemen
State actors
1. Coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen led by Saudi Arabiab,d
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Annex II
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council, or in
other situations*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
1. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, also known as Boko
Harama,b,c,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
Non-State actors
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. New People’s Armya
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
1. Civilian Joint Task Forcea,†
__________________
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
† Party that has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/72/865–S/2018/465
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
16 May 2018
Original: English
18-07984 (E) 270618
*1807984*
General Assembly
Seventy-second session
Agenda item 68 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Seventy-third year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2017, is
submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2225 (2015). The preparation of
the report involved broad consultations within the United Nations, in the field and at
Headquarters, and with relevant Member States. It highlights recent global trends
regarding the impact of armed conflict on children and provides information on
violations committed in 2017, as well as related protection concerns. Where possible,
violations are attributed to parties to conflict and, in line with the resolutions of the
Council, the annexes to the present report include a list of parties that, in violation of
international law, engage in the recruitment and use of children, the killing and
maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks
on schools and/or hospitals and attacks or threats of attacks against protected
personnel,1 and the abduction of children.
2. All the information provided in the report has been vetted for accuracy by the
United Nations. In situations where the ability to verify information was hampered
by factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such. In this
regard, the information contained in the report is only indicative and does not always
represent the full scale of violations committed in 2017.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and in identifying
situations that fall within the scope of the mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict has adopted a pragmatic approach aimed at ensuring
broad and effective protection for children. However, referenc e to a situation is not a
legal determination and reference to a non -State actor does not affect its legal status.
Accordingly, the present report documents situations in which apparent violations of
__________________
1 Under the terms of Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014), protected persons
are considered to be teachers, doctors, other educational personnel, students and patients.
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international norms and standards for the protection of children affected by conflict
are considered to be of such gravity as to warrant international concern. In
characterizing the facts described below as grave violations, it is the aim of my
Special Representative to bring these situations to the attention o f national
Governments, which bear the primary responsibility of providing effective protection
and relief to all affected children, and to encourage Governments to take remedial
measures.
4. Where significant progress was achieved and measures taken by l isted parties
positively affected the protection of children or where ongoing conduct gave rise to
concern, this is highlighted in the country-specific sections. On the basis of the
approach of enhanced engagement with Member States to prevent violations a gainst
children, the annexes distinguish between listed parties that have put in place
measures aimed at improving the protection of children during the reporting period
and parties that have not.
II. Addressing the impact of armed conflict on children
A. Overview of the situation of children and armed conflict
5. Children continue to be disproportionately affected by armed conflict in many
country situations. In 2017, there was a large increase in the number of violations
compared with the number reported for 2016 (A/72/361-S/2017/821, para. 5), with at
least 6,000 verified violations by government forces and more than 15,000 by a range
of non-State armed groups.2
6. In 2017, changing conflict dynamics, including the intensification of armed
clashes, directly affected children. Verified cases of the recruitment and use of
children quadrupled in the Central African Republic (299) and doubled in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (1,049) compared to 2016 . The number of verified
cases of the recruitment and use of children in Somalia (2,127), South Sudan (1,221),
the Syrian Arab Republic (961) and Yemen (842) persisted at alarming levels. In
addition, boys and girls recruited and used were often doubly vic timized by
subsequently being detained for their former association with armed forces or groups.
7. Surges in the recruitment and use of children often coincided with increasing
levels of killing and maiming of children. In addition, spikes in armed clashe s and
violence led to a substantial increase in the number of child casualties in Iraq (717)
and Myanmar (296). Afghanistan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen remained the
country situations with the highest number of verified casualties. In Nigeria, Boko
Haram continued to force civilians, including children, to perpetrate suicide attacks,
which led to over half of all the verified child casualties in the country.
8. Following the outbreak of violence in the Kasai region, there was an almost
eightfold increase in attacks on schools and hospitals in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, totalling 515 cases in 2017. The siege of Marawi in the southern
Philippines also led to a sharp increase in such incidents.
9. Additional developments included the abduction of over 1,600 children by
Al-Shabaab in Somalia, pointing to a sustained reliance on children for combat and
support duties. A high number of denials of humanitarian access, including in
Myanmar, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, prevented thousands
__________________
2 The use of the term “incident” describes an action by a party to conflict that leads to one or more
grave violations. “Violations” or “cases” refer to each individual child or protected structur e
affected by an incident. Incidents may therefore result in multiple violations (for instance, one
incident of abduction may affect several children).
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of children from receiving essential aid. The nature of constraints to humanitarian
access differ vastly from one context to another, which is r eflected in the focus of the
reporting in the different country-specific sections. Over 900 cases of rape and other
forms of sexual violence against girls and boys were verified across all country
situations, representing an increase from last year. Howeve r, cases of conflict-related
sexual violence remain particularly challenging to verify, including as a result of the
sensitivity of the issue, and remain chronically underreported (for more information,
see the annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, S/2018/250).
10. In contrast, in situations where Governments and listed armed groups enhanced
their engagement on preventing grave violations, important advances in the
strengthening of child protection were achieved. Regarding the Government of the
Sudan, for example, close cooperation with the United Nations resulted in the full
implementation of the action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of
children. A process of building on the action plan in order to develop a national plan
for prevention has since been initiated.
B. Strengthening partnerships to end and prevent grave violations
against children
11. Preventing violations against children affected by conflict should be a primary
concern of the international community. Failing to assume this collective
responsibility affects not only the boys and girls living in insecurity, but may also
amplify grievances between belligerent parties and reduce their ability to overcome
conflict in a peaceful manner. And yet, as illustrated in the present report, time and
again, armed conflict strips away layers of protection afforded by families, society
and law and children are victimized as both the targets and the perpetrators of
violence. We must do more to address this challenge by ensuring that child protection
is made an integral part of any comprehensive strategy to prevent and resolve conflict
in view of enabling sustainable peace and by promoting the close involvement of
children during the development of such strategies.
12. Enhanced engagement with the Member States mentioned in the present report
remains crucial in this regard. Action plans and other bilateral commitments provide
the main framework for this engagement. Such commitments bo th address the
immediate protection concerns and contribute to broader prevention by ensuring that
national mechanisms are put in place to prevent future violations. In Afghanistan,
child protection units in Afghan National Police centres have now been est ablished in
all but one province, preventing the recruitment of over 300 children in 2017. The
Government of the Sudan issued formal command orders and directives to all
Government forces to prevent child recruitment. The development of national,
subregional or regional prevention plans, covering all listing violations, could support
the systematization of preventive measures beyond the implementation period of
action plans.
13. The global consensus among Member States that children should not be
recruited and used in conflict also allowed for intensified engagement with armed
groups. In the Central African Republic, such efforts resulted in the issuance of
command orders by two armed groups barring the recruitment and use of children.
Similarly, the Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad in Mali and the Civilian
Joint Task Force in Nigeria signed action plans to release children from their ranks
and prevent future recruitment. I encourage Member States to continue to facilitate
the interaction between the United Nations and armed groups on the issue of child
protection.
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14. Engagement with armed forces and groups resulted in the formal release of over
10,000 children in 2017. In addition, an unknown number left such entities through
informal pathways. While disengagement from armed actors is an essential first step,
it is vital to ensure sustained psychosocial and educational reintegration support in
order to break the cycle of violence and consolidate peace. Over 12,000 children were
reintegrated during the reporting period by the United Nations Children ’s Fund
(UNICEF) and partners, but too many children were unable to benefit from such
programmes. Cases documented in 2017 reconfirmed that when children are released
but do not have access to appropriate long -term reintegration programmes they are
particularly vulnerable and subject to mistreatment, social stigmatization and
rerecruitment. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, over 8,000 children who
have been released from armed groups are yet to receive b asic socioeconomic
reintegration support, owing to a lack of funding.
15. Ensuring predictable, sustained and flexible funding for the reintegration of
children affected by armed conflict is essential to allow UNICEF and other child
protection actors to set in place viable alternatives to military life and prevent their
rerecruitment. Realizing this goal will require increasing child protection capacity
and strengthening collaboration between child protection actors and potential
reintegration funding partners, including concerned Member States, the World Bank
and the Peacebuilding Fund.
16. Armed groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Boko
Haram, continue to recruit and use children on a large scale, including across borders.
It is therefore more important than ever to ensure adequate capacity to deal with the
increasingly complex task of prevention, tracing and reintegration. The phenomenon
of the cross-border recruitment of children and their repatriation requires a
coordinated international response, based firmly on international law and drawing on
international child protection standards. Denying children the opportunity to rejoin
their communities and to gain access to services, or detaining them solely for their
alleged association with such groups, runs counter to the best interest of the child and
international protection standards, and may generate new grievances.
17. As reflected in the report on peacebuilding and sustaining peace ( A/72/707-
S/2018/43), closer strategic and operational partnerships with regional and
subregional actors is essential to address the challenge of sustaining peace. This
approach was adopted by my Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict, who initiated a process to further deepen her cooperation with regional and
subregional actors in view of multiplying child protection efforts, including to address
the cross-border nature of the recruitment and use of children and the growing number
of unaccompanied children on the move. Such collaboration, closely involving
UNICEF, facilitated the appointment of a Senior Child Protection Adviser by the
African Union in January 2018, further strengthening the regional child protection
architecture.
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III. Information on violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
18. Conflict-related violence continued to severely affect children throughout
Afghanistan, with 3,179 verified cases of children killed and maimed in 2017.
Although the number of verified cases represents a 10 per cent decrease in verifie d
cases compared to 2016, casualty rates remain very high.
Grave violations
19. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 84 boys, and documented
an additional 643 cases (all boys). Children were recruited and used for combat, as
bodyguards, at checkpoints, to assist in intelligence gathering and to plant improvised
explosive devices. When recruited by armed groups, children were also used to carry
out suicide attacks.
20. Almost three quarters of the verified cases were perpetrated by ar med groups
(61), with 40 cases attributed to the Taliban, 19 to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -
Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) and 2 to undetermined armed groups. Cases attributed
to ISIL-KP almost doubled in the reporting period. A total of 23 boys were recruited
and used by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (Afghan National
Police, 11; Afghan Local Police, 9; other Afghan National Defence and Security
Forces, 3). The cases predominantly included the informal use of children, including
as guards at checkpoints.
21. As at December 2017, the Government reported that 171 children were held in
juvenile rehabilitation centres on national security -related charges. On 7 November,
50 juveniles were transferred from the adult maximum-security detention facility in
Parwan to the juvenile rehabilitation centre in Kabul, following sustained United
Nations advocacy. However, following a reassessmen t of their age, in December,
21 of them were moved back to the detention facility in Parwan and 25 were
reassigned elsewhere.
22. The United Nations verified 3,179 child casualties (861 kill ed and
2,318 injured), including 251 girls, accounting for 30 per cent of all civilian
casualties. Overall, the leading causes were ground engagements (45 per cent),
followed by incidents involving improvised explosive devices (17 per cent) and
unexploded ordnance (16 per cent).
23. The United Nations attributed 723 child casualties to the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces, 28 to pro -government militias and 21 to both
pro-government militias and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces;
96 casualties were attributed to international military forces. In addition, 45 casualties
were attributed either to joint operations of Afghan National Defence and Security
Forces and international military forces or could not be attributed specifically to
either party. The continuing increase of child casualties resulting from aerial
operations remains a concerning trend. In addition, 27 child casualties resulted from
cross-border shelling out of Pakistan.
24. Armed groups perpetrated 1,384 child casualties, including 1,105 casualties
attributed to the Taliban, 94 to ISIL-KP, 9 to joint operations of ISIL-KP and the
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Taliban and 176 to undetermined armed groups. Child casualties r esulting from
complex and suicide attacks increased by 34 per cent (207 casualties).
25. Four cases of sexual violence, including rape (1) and sexual abuse (3) against
boys as young as 13 were verified, three of which were attributed to the Afghan
National Defence and Security Forces and one to the Taliban. The United Nations
documented an additional 78 cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence against
boys, most of which related to the practice of bacha bazi. Impunity for perpetrators
remains a serious challenge.
26. For the second consecutive year, verified incidents of attacks against schools
and education personnel decreased (68 incidents). Armed groups perpetrated 55 of
the incidents (Taliban, 41; ISIL-KP, 7; undetermined armed groups, 7). Furthe rmore,
three such incidents were attributed to pro -government militias, two to Afghan
National Defence and Security Forces, two to international military forces and two to
cross-border shelling out of Pakistan.
27. A total of 58 incidents of attacks on ho spitals and protected personnel were
verified, a 50 per cent reduction compared to 2016. Incidents included direct attacks
on health facilities (18), direct attacks on health personnel (18) and threats of attack
(22). Among those, 52 incidents were attribu ted to armed groups (Taliban, 37;
ISIL-KP, 4; undetermined armed groups, 11), and 5 to the Afghan National Defence
and Security Forces.
28. The United Nations verified 16 incidents of the military use of schools and
hospitals: 10 by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, 4 by the Taliban
and 2 by ISIL-KP.
29. A total of 19 incidents of abduction, involving 41 boys and 2 girls, were verified.
Among those cases, 32 were attributed to the Taliban, 6 to ISIL -KP (including the
two girls), and 1 to a pro-government militia.
30. The United Nations documented 39 incidents of denial of humanitarian access,
29 of which were verified. All verified incidents were attributed to armed groups
(Taliban, 22; ISIL-KP, 3; undetermined armed groups, 4). Incidents inc luded the
killing and injuring as well as the abduction of humanitarian personnel.
Developments and concerns
31. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. I commend the
Government for the measures taken to better protect children affected by armed
conflict. These measures had a positive effect on the implementation of its action plan
to end and prevent child recruitment and the use of children by the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces, including through the establishment of 12 new child
protection units in Afghan National Police recruitment centres, the revision of the
Penal Code, which now criminalizes the recruitment and use of children by armed
forces and the practice of bacha bazi, as well as the adoption of a child protection
policy.
32. Notwithstanding the progress made in preventing the formal recruitment of
children, I urge the Government to address remaining gaps, in particular the lack of
screening mechanisms in the Afghan Local Police, the use of children at pol ice
checkpoints, the absence of measures for the protection, reintegration and support of
children formerly associated with armed forces or groups, as well as the lack of
accountability for the perpetrators of grave violations against children. I strongly
encourage the Government to prioritize prevention and consider alternatives to
detention for children formerly associated with the Afghan National Defence and
Security Forces, pro-government militias or armed groups, in line with international
juvenile justice principles, and ensure their reintegration into society.
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33. While dialogue with armed groups regarding child protection continues, the
level of violations has remained at an alarming level and I urge these parties to engage
with the United Nations in pursuit of elaborating action plans.
34. I remain deeply concerned about the continuing high number of children killed
and maimed and call on all parties to take immediate action to better protect children.
Central African Republic
35. The conflict escalated throughout the country, with confrontations between the
Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique (FPRC)-led coalition3 against
the Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) in Ouaka and Haute -Kotto Prefectures,
and anti-balaka associated militias against UPC in Mbomou Prefecture. Towards the
end of 2017, fighting intensified between a faction of the Mouvement patriotique pour
la Centrafrique (MPC), anti-balaka elements and Révolution et justice (RJ). In
addition, attacks against civilians and humanitarians increased, leading to mass
displacement and child casualties.
Grave violations
36. The number of children recruited and used more than quadrupled compared to
2016, with 196 boys and 103 girls affected, some as young as 8 years of age. Cases
were attributed to UPC (89), FPRC (62), MPC (53), anti -balaka elements (32), joint
operations by FPRC/MPC 4 (23), ex-Séléka renovée (16), Front démocratique du
peuple centrafricain (FDPC) (14), Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) (9) and Retour,
réclamation et réhabilitation (3R) (1). Children were used as combatants, porters,
informants, cooks and for sexual purposes.
37. A total of 104 children, including 34 girls, were killed (61) and maimed (43) by
shooting, stabbing and when their houses were torched during clashes. Perpetrators
included anti-balaka elements (34), UPC (29), FPRC (5), FPRC/MPC (4), 3R (3),
MPC (2), FDPC, a self-defence group and the national security forces (1 each). Most
of the incidents occurred in Oua ka and Mbomou Prefectures, with 57 per cent of
casualties resulting from clashes between the Coalition and UPC, around Bambari,
and anti-balaka activities in Mbomou Prefecture.
38. The number of verified cases of children affected by rape and other forms of
sexual violence, some as young as 8 years of age, more than doubled (137 girls, 1 boy)
compared to 2016. Among them were 48 girls who were victims of sexual violence
during their association with armed groups. The main perpetrators were MPC (30),
FPRC/MPC (18), anti-balaka elements (16) and FPRC (14). Additional allegations of
sexual violence against boys were reported but remained unverified.
39. A total of 43 incidents of abduction were verified, affecting 35 girls and 66 boys,
including infants. Most victims were abducted for recruitment purposes and four were
subjected to sexual violence. Anti-balaka elements accounted for the highest number
of abducted children (37), followed by LRA (20).
40. The United Nations verified 28 attacks against schools a nd 19 attacks against
hospitals, including by anti-balaka (12), joint operations by FPRC/MPC4 (9),
UPC (7), FPRC (6), 3R, RJ (3 each), MPC (2), a self -defence group, MPC/RJ, the
Mouvement national pour la libération de la Centrafrique (MNLC), national security
forces and an unidentified armed group (1 each). Among those incidents, 12 schools
__________________
3 Coalition consisting of Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique/Mouvement
patriotique pour la Centrafrique/Rassemblement patriotique pour le renouveau de la Centrafrique
(FPRC/MPC/RPRC) and anti-balaka elements associated with local defence militias.
4 Where joint operations of FPRC/MPC are indicated, cases could not be attributed to one specific
group.
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were damaged following long-term military use. Three additional cases of the military
use of schools were attributed to UPC (2) and FPRC (1).
41. A total of 101 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified,
including the killing of 14 humanitarian staff. The highest number of incidents was
attributed to anti-balaka elements (40), followed by MPC (10), FPRC (7) and
unidentified ex-Séléka elements (6). For example, on 7 September, anti-balaka
elements looted non-governmental organizations’ bases and damaged vehicles, which
resulted in the temporary suspension of humanitarian activities in Batangafo,
affecting an estimated 28,000 internally displaced persons.
Developments and concerns
42. I welcome the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and urge the Government to ensure
their swift implementation.
43. I take note of FPRC and UPC having issued command orders barring the
recruitment of children, on 13 May and 27 September, respectively. Dialogue with
armed groups also enabled the identification and sepa ration of 1,816 children,
including 371 girls (79 per cent from anti -balaka elements). In addition, 1,250 self -
demobilized children (494 girls; 756 boys) from anti -balaka and the Mouvement des
libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ) were identified in three prefectures.
44. I am deeply concerned regarding the further documented increase of grave
violations against children, including the increase i n abductions attributed to
anti-balaka elements. I urge armed groups to take immediate action and eng age with
the United Nations to develop and implement action plans.
45. The sexual exploitation and abuse of children by peacekeepers remained a
serious protection concern (for more information, see the annexes to A/72/751 and
A/72/751/Corr.1).
Colombia
46. The year 2017 was marked by the implementation of the peace agreement
between the Government and the Fuerzas Arma das Revolucionarias de Colombia-
Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP). The agreement ended a five-decade long conflict
between these parties and presented a unique opportunity to enhance the protection
of children. However, new dynamics of violence involving other armed groups
emerged in areas vacated by FARC-EP, resulting in continued child protection
challenges.
47. On 1 October 2017, a three-month temporary bilateral ceasefire between the
Government and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) entered into force. The
commitment to suspend the enrolment of minors under the age of 15 into their ranks
was one of the humanitarian measures agreed in parallel to the agreement.
Grave violations
48. A total of 57 incidents of the recruitment and use of children, affecting
169 children, were verified. ELN was the main perpetrator (113 children) followed
by the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (also known as Clan del Gol fo)
(AGC) (35). Between September 2016 and August 2017, 135 children were formally
released from FARC-EP ranks and no new cases of recruitment were documented in
2017. According to the Government, 285 children separated from armed groups
entered a demobilization programme administered by the Colombian Family Welfare
Institute.
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49. The United Nations documented 46 incidents of kil ling and maiming, affecting
53 children, a sharp increase compared to 2016 (8 casualties). A total of 18 children
were killed and 35 were maimed by shooting, crossfire and anti -personnel mines.
50. The United Nations verified four cases of rape and other forms of sexual
violence, which were attributed to AGC (2), ELN (1) and Autodefensas Unidas de
Colombia (1). AGC elements threatened they would rape all girls aged 15 and above
whom they meet in the streets and an AGC leader, who has since been killed,
repeatedly sexually abused girls in the Department of Antioquia. At the time of
writing, the case was under investigation by the Office of the Attorney General.
51. Three incidents of threats of attacks in May against protected medical personnel
by unidentified armed groups were verified in Catatumbo region, Department of
Norte de Santander, disrupting the functioning of health centres.
52. Three incidents of abduction, affecting nine children, were verified. Two
incidents were attributed to ELN (six childre n) and one to AGC (three children).
53. Six incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified in the Departments
of Chocó, Antioquia, Nariño and Boyacá. In November, ELN denied the Colombian
Family Welfare Institute access to assist in the reintegr ation of children in Boyacá.
Developments and concerns
54. I am encouraged by the fact that, as postulated in the peace agreement, FARC-EP
laid down its weapons and transformed itself into a political party, and commend the
release of children, as provided for in the joint communiqué of May 2016 between
the Government and the group. However, I remain concerned about reports of children
who have been informally released and who fail to receive institutional support.
55. During her visits to Bogotá in November 2017 and May 2018, my Special
Representative encouraged the Government to continue prioritizing the protection
and reintegration of children and the prevention of violations. I welcome the efforts
of the Government in this regard.
56. It is vital to continue strengthening institutions and programmes so as to ensure
the effective reintegration of children and prevent new patterns of recruitment and
use, particularly in areas with limited Government presence. I therefore encourage
the Government to prioritize the implementation of the new recruitment prevention
programme, known as “Mi futuro es hoy”, which was established in collaboration
with the United Nations and civil society partners.
57. I am concerned by the high number of cases of recruitme nt and use of children
by armed groups, in particular by ELN and AGC, and call on these groups to take
immediate steps to end this practice. I welcome the Attorney General ’s ongoing
investigations into cases of the recruitment and use of children by ELN an d call upon
the Government and ELN to include the issue of child protection in their peace talks.
58. The issue of sexual violence against children in conflict remains of great
concern and I urge the Government to prioritize the prevention thereof and to ensure
that perpetrators are swiftly held to account.
59. I strongly encourage the Government to continue its mine risk education
activities. The risk to the civilian population is particularly acute in areas where new
landmines have been planted and humanitarian demining has not started, such as in
Riosucio, Department of Chocó.
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
60. 2017 was a devastating year for children in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. The reporting period saw a further fragmentation of arme d groups and shifting
allegiances, both of which posed challenges for the protection of children.
61. In the east, children were most affected by Nyatura and Mai -Mai Mazembe
activities in North Kivu, Raia Mutomboki in South Kivu and the Force de résistanc e
patriotique de l’Ituri (FRPI) in Ituri. In the Kasais, Kamuina Nsapu recruited large
numbers of children and destroyed an unprecedented number of schools. A large
number of children allegedly associated with the militia were killed and maimed by
the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces armées de la
République démocratique du Congo) (FARDC), during operations aimed at
addressing the threat posed by Kamuina Nsapu. The mobilization of the Bana Mura
militias to fight Kamuina Nsapu led to further violations against children in the
Kasais. Violence in the region also led to the large -scale displacement of civilians.
Grave violations
62. The United Nations verified the new recruitment and use of 1,049 children
(including 128 girls), 52 per cent of which occurred in North Kivu and 37 per cent in
the Kasais; almost one third were under the age of 15 at the time of their recruitment.
The main perpetrators were Kamuina Nsapu (370), Mai-Mai Mazembe (173), Nyatura
(121), Raia Mutomboki and Mai-Mai Charles (62 each), FRPI (53), Nduma défense
du Congo-Rénové (NDC-Rénové) (42), Mai-Mai Yakutumba (30) and Forces
démocratiques de libération du Rwanda -Forces combattantes abacunguzi
(FDLR-FOCA) (22). The Congolese National Police recruited three boys in
Haut-Katanga and South Kivu and three cases of the use of children were attributed
to FARDC, including one girl for the purposes of sexual abuse and exploitation, and
two boys, who were formerly associated with armed groups, as spies.
63. A total of 291 boys and 11 girls, some as young as 8 years of age, were detained
by FARDC and the Congolese National Police for their alleged association with
armed groups, for periods of detention ranging between one day and one year. At the
time of reporting, the United Nations was continuing to advocate the release of two
boys from Tshikapa prison, Kasai Province.
64. A total of 156 children were killed and 178 were maimed. The main perpetrators
among the armed groups were Nyatura (33) and Kamuina Nsapu (31). FAR DC was
responsible for almost half of the total number of child casualties (154), 70 per cent
of which occurred in the Kasais, and the Congolese National Police was responsible
for 4.
65. Cases of rape and sexual violence against 179 girls and 2 boys were verified,
mostly in North Kivu (64) and the Kasais (46). Two thirds of cases were attributed to
armed groups, including Raia Mutomboki (25), Kamuina Nsapu (17), Bana Mura (15)
and FRPI (14). FARDC was responsible for 44 cases and the Congolese National
Police for 15.
66. From a total of 1,000 reported attacks, 396 attacks on schools and 119 attacks
on hospitals were verified. Kamuina Nsapu perpetrated 395 such attacks, followed by
Mai-Mai Mazembe (18). Thirteen cases were attributed to FARDC. The military use
of 23 schools, for periods ranging from two days to one month, was perpetrated
mainly by Mai-Mai Mazembe (11) and FARDC (6).
67. A total of 143 girls and 277 boys were abducted, mostly by Bana Mura (81),
Kamuina Nsapu (72), Nyatura (60), Raia Mutomboki (40), Mai -Mai Mazembe (30)
and FRPI (26). One girl was abducted by FARDC and sexually abused. At least 261
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of those children were abducted for recruitment purposes and 50 were subjected to
sexual violence. Between March and May, in Kamonia Territory, Kasai Province,
Bana Mura militias abducted 49 girls and 15 boys, forced them to work on farms, and
raped and sexually abused the girls. The United Nations continues its advocacy to
secure the release of these children.
68. Eight incidents of denial of humanitarian access were attributed to unidentified
armed elements in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Kasai
region. In addition, in the last quarter of 2017 alone, 17 humanitarian staff were
abducted.
Developments and concerns
69. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. I note the
continued engagement of FARDC on ending and preventing the recrui tment and use
of children, which led to their delisting in 2017 (see A/72/361-S/2017/821, annex I).
Important steps were taken in this regard through the training provided by the United
Nations to national security forces as regards implementing the action plan and to
military justice authorities on prosecuting the war crime of child recruitment. The
Government continued to make progress in addressing sexual violence against
children, including through disciplinar y and accountability measures and by operating
a nationwide helpline for victims, however more must be done. I urge the Government
to redouble those efforts by urgently implementing all aspects pertaining to ending
and preventing sexual violence by FARDC.
70. Furthermore, the United Nations identified 133 boys in FARDC recruitment
centres during the screening of new recruits, and those boys were subsequently
removed from the group of potential recruits. Awareness-raising efforts conducted by
the United Nations and military pressure contributed to the separation of 271 girls
and 2,089 boys, including from Kamuina Nsapu (656), Nyatura (300), Raia
Mutomboki (258), Mai-Mai Mazembe (243), FDLR-FOCA (132), FRPI (108) and
NDC-Rénové (95).
71. I welcome the progress made by military justice systems in holding the
perpetrators of child recruitment and sexual violence accountable, with 10 armed
group commanders awaiting trial and two recruiters of the Allied Demo cratic Forces
convicted of child recruitment. I encourage the Government to ensure that Ntabo
Ntaberi Cheka, who surrendered in July, is swiftly brought to trial, in accordance with
due process standards, and that charges against him include all crimes he is alleged
to have committed against children. I am concerned that two FARDC colonels,
Colonel Ramazani and Colonel Kamulete, who are allegedly responsible for child
recruitment, remain at large and encourage the Government to ensure accountability
within the ranks of its security forces.
72. I am gravely concerned by the high number of children killed and maimed by
national security forces, including through the disproportionate use of force, and by
armed groups, notably Kamuina Nsapu, in the Kasais. I am also concerned about the
detention of children for their alleged association with armed groups or militia and
urge the Government to treat those children primarily as victims, with the best
interests of the child and other international protection standar ds as guiding
principles.
73. I urge all parties to conflict to uphold their obligations under international law,
put in place measures to mitigate the effects of armed conflict on children and ensure
accountability, in close cooperation with the United N ations. I note with particular
concern the high number of violations perpetrated by Kamuina Nsapu and the Bana
Mura militias and call on those groups to immediately cease such actions.
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Iraq
74. Large-scale military operations led to the ousting of ISIL from Mosul, Tall Afar,
Hawijah and Qa’im. In December, the Government of Iraq declared final victory over
the group. The military operations led to a significant increase in violations against
children. On 15 October, the federal Government deployed its f orces to re-establish
control in Kirkuk and other disputed areas that were previously under the control of
Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as well as over border crossings. Since December 2016,
the popular mobilization forces (PMF) are under the direct command o f the
Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi armed forces.
Grave violations
75. The United Nations documented 523 cases of children recruited by parties to
conflict, of which 109 cases (101 boys, 8 girls) were verified. Cases of recruitment
involving 59 children, including 8 girls, were attributed to ISIL. Children were used
as suicide bombers and combatants, for logistics and manufacturing explosive
devices, and as wives for fighters. A total of 35 boys were recruited by unidentified
armed groups, 9 by the Hêzên Parastina Gel/People’s Defence Forces — the armed
wing of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), 4 by the Yekîneyên Berxwedana
Şengalê/Sinjar Resistance Units, 1 by Hêza Parastina Êzîdxanê/Protection Force of
Ezidkhan and 1 by Zeravani forces, part of the P eshmerga.
76. In 2017 at least 1,036 children (1,024 boys, 12 girls), including 345 in the
Kurdistan Region, remained in juvenile detention facilities on national security -
related charges, mostly for their alleged association with ISIL.
77. The killing and maiming of children remained the most prevalent violation, with
717 child casualties verified. Verified incidents resulted in 279 children being killed
(143 boys, 84 girls, 52 sex unknown) and 438 child ren being maimed (270 boys,
143 girls, 25 sex unknown).
78. Of the total number of verified cases of killing and maiming, 424 were attributed
to ISIL, 109 to Iraqi security forces (ISF) and the international counter -ISIL coalition,
34 to Peshmerga and 150 to unknown parties to the conflict. Over half of a ll incidents
were the result of air strikes, shelling, sniper fire and rockets, resulting in 390 child
casualties. Improvised explosive devices were the second leading cause (24 per cent),
followed by targeted attacks on children (10 per cent), including t hree boys who were
killed and two who were injured by unidentified parties for their alleged association
with ISIL. The United Nations remains concerned about the continued targeting by
ISIL of civilians fleeing areas of hostilities or of those who refuse to follow their
“regulations”, resulting in 79 child casualties.
79. Nine cases of sexual violence were verified. A 15 -year-old boy was raped over
three consecutive nights by an ISIL commander and one boy was sexually assaulted
by an unidentified armed group. Six girls, aged 16 and 17, were forced to marry ISIL
fighters in Hawijah and one 17-year-old Yazidi girl was sexually abused by ISIL
members before being forced to manufacture bombs.
80. The United Nations documented 161 incidents of attacks on schools and
hospitals, of which 153 were verified (135 of these incidents date from previous
years). In Ninawa, two schools were destroyed during air strikes and eight were hit
by mortars launched by ISIL. Explosive devices were found near five schools and
were believed to have been placed there by ISIL, in Ninawa and Salah al -Din. In
Ninawa, one member of medical staff was killed and two hospitals were damaged
during ISIL attacks.
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81. The United Nations verified 22 reports of the military use of schools (2 1) and
hospitals (1), including by ISIL (14), PMF (3), the federal police (2), ISF (2) and
Peshmerga (1), in Ninawa, Kirkuk and Erbil. ISIL used schools and hospitals to store
weapons and explosives or position fighters and snipers, while other parties mai nly
used such facilities as military bases and screening centres.
82. The United Nations verified the abduction of 32 children, all by ISIL (22 of
these cases date from previous years). Seven abducted children were found dead in
Anbar. A 7-year-old girl, who had been abducted in Mosul, was found by ISF with a
person-borne improvised explosive device, walking among civilians. One boy and
one girl, aged 17, were abducted from their homes when ISIL attacked their village
in Kirkuk.
83. Three incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified, all of which were
perpetrated by ISIL. Cases included restrictions placed on supplies of medicine and
clean water, in west Mosul, and the closure of checkpoints.
Developments and concerns
84. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. I welcome the
endorsement of the national child protection policy by the Government of Iraq,
including a focus on the release and reintegration of children. I am also encouraged
by the establishment of a high-level interministerial committee on monitoring and
reporting, as endorsed by the Prime Minister in November, in order to better address
grave violations against children in armed conflict, as well as the appointment of the
National Security Adviser as focal point for the ongoing dialogue with the United
Nations.
85. I remain deeply concerned over the number of verified violations committed
against children, including cases of killing and maiming and the recruitment and use
of children by armed groups, in particular ISIL. I am also concerned by credible
reports from south Iraq, specifically Najaf and Diwaniyah, in which groups under the
umbrella of PMF organized military training for boys aged 15 and above. I encourage
the Government to develop an action plan t o end and prevent the alleged training,
recruitment and use of children by PMF without delay.
86. Reports of children held in detention for their alleged association with ISIL
remain a concern. I urge the Government to treat all children formerly associate d with
armed groups primarily as victims, in line with international juvenile justice
principles, and to use detention only as a last resort and for the shortest period of time.
In this regard, the United Nations stands ready to support the Government in
developing and implementing reintegration services for children formerly associated
with armed groups.
Israel and State of Palestine
87. Throughout 2017, the security and political situation remained tense. A large
number of documented incidents occurre d in July and December following
demonstrations and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Grave violations
88. A large number of children continued to be arrested and detained by Israeli
forces for alleged security offences. According to prison data provided by Israel
Prison Service based on a request under the Freedom of Information Law, between
January and December, a monthly average of 312 Palestinian children were held in
detention. At the end of December, among at least 352 children detained, 244 were
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being held in pretrial detention and/or during trial. The United Nations obtained
affidavits from 162 Palestinian boys between the ages of 12 and 17 who had been
detained by Israeli forces, in which they stated that they had been subjected to ill -
treatment and breaches of due process. The United Nations also documented five
cases of children held in administrative detention in 2017.
89. In 2017, 15 Palestinian children (including two girls) were killed in the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the Gaza Strip. Among those children, five
(two girls, three boys) aged between 15 and 17 were killed in the context of stabbing
or presumed stabbing attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusa lem. Two
children were killed in shelling incidents and seven children were killed by live
ammunition in clashes in Gaza and the West Bank. All of the casualties were
attributed to the Israeli forces.
90. A number of cases raise concerns regarding the exc essive use of force by Israeli
forces. In one instance, on 21 July, Israeli forces responded to a group of young men
and boys throwing stones in Abu Dis, East Jerusalem, with excessive use of force,
shooting a 17-year-old boy. There were also worrisome cal ls by Palestinian political
actors for the participation of youth in stone -throwing against Israelis.
91. A total of 1,160 Palestinian children (including 39 girls) were injured in the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza: 809 were injured by Israeli forces
during clashes and demonstrations; 317 during military operations, including search
and arrest operations; and 3 Palestinian boys, aged between 15 and 17, in presumed
stabbing attempts against Israeli forces.
92. In addition, seven Palestinian children were injured after being hit by stones or
physically assaulted in Hebron, Nablus and East Jerusalem, reportedly by Israeli
settlers.
93. Five Israeli children were injured by Palestinians in East Jerusalem (three),
Hebron (one) and Ramallah (o ne) when their vehicles were hit by stones or Molotov
cocktails. One 12-year-old Israeli boy reportedly suffered head injuries after being hit
with a stone by a Palestinian in Hebron.
94. Six schools in Gaza and Israel sustained damage in the reporting pe riod. Four
schools suffered minor damage in Gaza in the context of Israeli air strikes, reportedly
in response to projectiles launched by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza. In
addition, one school in Gaza and one kindergarten in Sderot, Israel, sustained minor
damage as a result of rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups. In addition, the
United Nations documented 164 incidents of disruption of access to education in the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
95. The United Nations uncovered two tunnels us ed by armed elements running
under three United Nations-run schools in Gaza in June and October, posing a
potential threat to the lives of Palestinian children and United Nations staff.
96. The United Nations documented six incidents of incursions or clash es between
Israeli forces and Palestinians in or around health facilities, affecting children in the
West Bank. An increasing percentage of applications by children to cross the Erez
checkpoint out of Gaza for medical treatment were delayed in 2017 (32 per cent,
against 26 per cent in 2016), which affected 2,420 children (including 988 girls).
Developments and concerns
97. I am extremely concerned regarding the ongoing violence against children in
Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Isra el. I urge all parties to abide
by their obligations under international law to protect children from all forms of
violence, to refrain from the excessive use of force and from encouraging their
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participation in violent demonstrations and to engage constru ctively with the United
Nations to prevent future violations. I also reiterate my call upon the Government of
Israel to draw on international juvenile justice principles, reconsider the use of
administrative detention for children, refrain from the use of solitary confinement or
from encouraging children to act as informants, ensure that detention is used only as
a measure of last resort and for the shortest period of time, and to prioritize
alternatives to detention.
Lebanon
98. Children continue to be affected by clashes and explosive devices in the north
Biqa‘ Valley and the Ein El Helweh Palestine refugee camp, by unexploded ordnance
in the south and sporadic violence in border areas.
Grave violations
99. In Lebanon, the United Nations continued to document the recruitment and use
of children by armed groups, including three verified cases of boys recruited by ISIL
in and around Tripoli for trafficking into the Syrian Arab Republic. In addition, three
alleged cases of recruitment from Lebanon into the Syrian Arab Republic by
Hizbullah were reported, as well as the use of children by armed factions and groups
for fighting in Ein El Helweh Palestine refugee camp.
100. The number of children in pretrial detention under military jurisdiction on
charges relating to terrorism or national security, following their alleged association
with armed groups in Lebanon or the Syrian Arab Republic increased: 53 boys
allegedly associated with ISIL were arrested during the reporting period. Of these,
29 were released and 24 remained in detention as at December, along with 9 children
detained before 2017 for their association the Nusrah Front -led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
(also known as Levant Liberation Organization).
101. In a marked increase from 2016 (8 child casualt ies), the United Nations verified
20 child casualties (8 killed, 12 wounded). Violations were most prevalent in Arsal
and Ein El Helweh camp.
102. A United Nations school for Palestinian ref ugees and a centre run by a
non-governmental organization sustained major damages during violence between
Palestinian armed factions in Ein El Helweh in February.
103. Escalations of armed violence in Ein El Helweh and one isolated incident in the
Beddawi Palestine refugee camp disrupte d the delivery of education and health
services for extensive periods. Military operations in Arsal in July forced at least two
non-governmental organizations to suspend critical services for children.
Developments and concerns
104. I am concerned by the increasing number of verified cases of child casualties in
Lebanon as well as by reports of the recruitment and use of children by armed groups,
and reiterate my call on the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict. Children associated with parties to conflict must be treated primarily as
victims and given reintegration assistance. I also call upon the Government to ensure
that detention is used only as a measure of last resort, for the shortest period of time
and to consider alternatives to detention of children formerly associated with armed
groups whenever possible. I further call upon armed groups to immediately cease the
recruitment and use of children.
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Libya
105. Conflict continued throughout Libya, with numerous armed groups engaging in
intermittent hostilities while fighting for control of territory. Owing to the level of
insecurity, most United Nations staff remained located outside of the country, which
restricted the ability to monitor violations.
Grave violations
106. Limited information is available regarding the recruitment and use of children
by armed elements. However, cases of the use of children by armed groups continued
to be reported. For instance, in October, 125 adolescents formerly associated with
armed groups in the Zintan Municipality were released.
107. Children were deprived of their liberty by parties to the conflict and used in
prisoner exchanges. In the context of fighting be tween the Libyan National Army
(LNA) and the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) armed group in the oil crescent area,
LNA and affiliated forces arrested and detained children for up to seven weeks for
their alleged association with PFG. This included boys ag ed as young as 10.
108. At least 40 children were killed and 38 children injured by air strikes, shelling,
small arms fire, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war. For
example, in January, four children were killed in an air strike con ducted by LNA in
Ganfouda neighbourhood, Benghazi. In June, in Sa bha, a 13-year-old girl and a
3-year-old boy were caught in crossfire and injured during an armed clash between
gunmen loyal to Qadhadhfa and Tebu armed tribal forces. In October, six boys an d
three girls were killed, and four children were injured, during air strikes in the rural
areas of Fata’ih and Arqam near Darnah. The attacks occurred in areas contested by
LNA and affiliated forces and the Darnah Mujahidin Shura Council.
109. The United Nations documented incidents that affected displaced persons and
migrants, including children, who were deprived of their liberty, raped or subjected
to prostitution or other forms of sexual violence by individuals believed to be
associated with armed groups or affiliated with State actors.
110. The United Nations documented two incidents of children injured by stray
bullets while attending school. The source of fire could not be verified. In addition,
18 attacks against hospitals and medical personnel were verified. For example, in
March, one LNA air strike hit a medical centre, killing two civilians. In September,
in the context of fighting between armed groups, the University Hospital in Sabratah
in western Libya was partially damaged by shelling. Inciden ts of abduction and
detention of medical personnel were also documented, including by LNA and the
Special Deterrence Force.
111. The United Nations continued to document incidents of denials of humanitarian
access, including attacks on humanitarian actors. Incidents included the detention of
four humanitarian staff at the Mitiga airport and an attack on a United Nations convoy
by an unknown armed group in Zawiyah.
Developments and concerns
112. I welcome the cooperation of authorities and commanders in releasing children
associated with armed actors in Zintan Municipality and strongly encourage other
armed groups to take similar steps. I am gravely concerned by reports of sexual
violence and other violations committed against children in Libya, including the
recruitment, use and trafficking of children, and urge the Government of National
Accord to take action to address this iss ue without delay.
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Mali
113. The situation in northern Mali was marked by clashes between armed groups
that were signatories to the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, of 2015
(the Platform coalition of armed groups and the C oordination des mouvements de
l’Azawad (CMA)), which ended following the signing, on 20 September 2017, of the
cessation of hostilities agreement. In contrast, in the northern and central regions,
attacks by non-signatory armed groups against national and international fo rces
increased.
Grave violations
114. A total of 159 cases of child recruitment and use were verified (157 boys,
2 girls), including 114 cases that occurred in previous years but were documented in
2017. Cases were attributed to CMA (47) (including to the Mouvement national de
libération de l’Azawad (21) and the Haut Conseil pour l ’unité de l’Azawad (18)); the
Platform (73) (including to the Groupe d ’autodéfense des Touaregs Imghad et leurs
alliés (GATIA) (29) and the self-defence groups Ganda Izo and Ganda Koy (20 each));
Mouvement pour le salut de l’Azawad (MSA) (12); Ansar Eddine (9);
Al Mourabitoun (3); Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de l ’Ouest
and Front de libération du Macina (1 each); and to unidentified armed groups (13).
115. During the reporting period, 23 boys who had been detained by the Government
for their alleged association with armed groups were released, including 3 boys who
were convicted as adults and released after having served their sentences. The United
Nations continued its advocacy with the national authorities, in line with the Protocol
on the Release and Handover of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Groups
signed in 2013, to ensure the release of three other boys who were still in detention.
In separate incidents, 10 boys associated with GATIA (9) and CMA (1) were deprived
of their liberty by CMA and GATIA, respectively, and released following United
Nations advocacy.
116. The United Nations verified the killing (19) and maiming (15) of 34 children
resulting from crossfire, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war.
One girl died after being raped. The majority of casualties occurred in Gao (36 per
cent) and Kidal (25 per cent) Regions.
117. Nine incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence were verified,
affecting 13 girls aged between 12 and 17. Cases were attributed to the Coordination
des mouvements et forces patriotiques de résistance II (CMFPR -II) (5); the Malian
armed forces (3); MSA (1); and unidentified elements (4). A formal judicial process
was initiated in two cases (against CMFPR -II and unidentified elements).
118. A total of 41 attacks on schools and 9 attacks against hospitals were verified in
central and northern Mali, all of which remain unattributed. For instance, in
September, unidentified armed elements attacked an ambulance belonging to an
international non-governmental organization in Tassiga, Gao Region, firing at the
vehicle and injuring a midwife. Attacks and th reats against educational staff, students
and parents were prevalent, particularly in Mopti Region, which accounted for
21 incidents. In addition, 12 schools were used for military purposes by armed groups,
including at least four by CMA and two by the Platform. As at December, 657 schools
remained closed in conflict-affected regions.
119. Two incidents of abduction, affecting three boys and one girl, were verified. For
instance, in April, a 12-year-old girl, who was allegedly accompanied by an
unspecified number of other girls, was abducted and raped by unidentified armed
elements in Mopti Region.
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120. The United Nations verified 132 incidents of denial of humanitarian access,
including carjacking and the killing and kidnapping of humanitarian workers.
Increasing criminality also undermined humanitarian response efforts. Most incidents
occurred in Gao (35) and Kidal (31) Regions. All cases remain unattributed. At least
seven organizations providing care to children we re affected and at least
10 non-governmental organizations were compelled to temporarily suspend their
humanitarian programmes.
Developments and concerns
121. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. Following the
signature by CMA of an action plan with the United Nations in March to end and
prevent grave violations against children, the group identified focal points and
priority activities, including the screening of troops to identify associated child ren. I
welcome these steps but remain concerned regarding incidents of child recruitment
and use. I urge CMA to implement the action plan without delay.
122. In a positive development, on 1 February 2018, the Government endorsed the
Safe Schools Declaration, aimed at protecting education facilities from military use
during conflict. I encourage the Government to finalize the development of a plan of
action to implement the declaration without delay.
123. I am gravely concerned about the continuing high numbers of children recruited
and used by the Platform, in particular by GATIA, and urge its leadership to take
immediate action and engage with the United Nations to release children and end this
practice.
Myanmar
124. While the national peace process b etween the Government of Myanmar and
several armed groups continued, long-standing conflicts in Kachin and Shan States
persisted. In addition, on 25 August, armed attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation
Army against Myanmar police posts in northern Rakhin e State triggered an immediate
response from Myanmar Armed Forces, including the Border Guard Police and
Tatmadaw, affecting primarily the Rohingya community. Following the
Government’s response, a situation of lawlessness ensued, which further compounded
the vulnerability of civilians. In all these regions, the security situation remains
volatile and grave violations against children continue to be documented.
125. With respect to the situation in Rakhine State, given that the majority of the
affected population fled to Bangladesh, a specialized team of monitors was dispatched
to camps in the border area to undertake monitoring and verification of alleged
violations against children. Information from this monitoring mission is presented in
paragraphs 135 to 137 below.
Grave violations
126. In 2017, the United Nations documented 438 cases of the recruitment and use
of children, 38 of which were verified. Among those cases, 285 date from previous
years.
127. The vast majority of documented cases were attr ibuted to the Tatmadaw,
including 166 cases of formal recruitment of children (as young as 13) and the
informal or temporary use of about 200 children, mainly for maintenance or cleaning
duties.
128. The United Nations verified 39 cases of the recruitment and use of children by
armed groups were verified, 35 of which were attributed to the Kachin Independence
Army (KIA) and four cases to the Ta ’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
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129. The United Nations verified the detention of three boys for alleged ass ociation
with armed groups and one for alleged “desertion” from the Tatmadaw. In addition,
five cases of the military detention of suspected minors (recruited before turning 18)
by the Myanmar Armed Forces for alleged “desertion” were documented. After the
Myanmar Armed Forces were notified, the suspected minors were sent back to their
regiment and placed on light duty, pending verification of their age.
130. The United Nations verified 29 incidents of the killing and maiming of children,
involving 47 children (36 boys, 11 girls) in Kachin and Shan States. Landmines and
explosive remnants of war continued to be the primary causes of child casualties in
those two states (21 incidents), while eight crossfire incidents were attributed jointly
to the Tatmadaw and armed groups.
131. The United Nations verified three cases of sexual violence committed against
four girls aged as young as 7. Cases were attributed to the Tatmadaw, KIA and a
people’s militia in Shan State (one each). In one incident, a Tatmadaw soldier was
court-martialled, sentenced to one year of imprisonment and permanently dismissed
from the Tatmadaw.
132. A total of 15 attacks on schools were documented during the reporting period.
Incidents included damage to a school owing to an armed clas h between Tatmadaw
and TNLA elements, and attacks on school personnel by TNLA, including the rape of
a middle school director in Kyaukme township, Shan State.
133. The United Nations documented 12 incidents of child abduction (14 boys,
3 girls). 10 incidents were attributed to KIA, mainly for the purposes of the
recruitment and use of children, while one incident each was attributed to the
Tatmadaw and TNLA. Most of the children affected were released after a few days or
weeks.
134. Access for humanitarian organizations, particularly in Kachin, Shan and
Rakhine States, further deteriorated in 2017, affecting displaced people and other
affected civilians in need of humanitarian assistance. Since April 2016, international
humanitarian organizations have been refused permission by the Government to
distribute food or other relief supplies in areas beyond Government control. Internally
displaced persons located in those areas were instructed to travel to designated
distribution points in Government-controlled areas in order to collect relief supplies.
Grave violations in northern Rakhine State
135. The United Nations verified the use of 53 boys in northern Rakhine State,
largely by the Border Guard Police (47 boys), including for camp maintenance,
construction and the carrying of equipment. Information on the recruitment and use
by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army of boys, aged as young as 10, was also
documented and one case was verified. The fear of reprisals by the Arakan Rohingya
Salvation Army against refugees in Bangladesh for sharing information on the
violations perpetrated by the group may have impeded a more complete
documentation of such incidents.
136. The United Nations verified the killing (196) and maiming (24) of 220 children
(133 boys, 51 girls, 36 sex unknown). All those child casualties occurred during
operations by the Border Guard Police and Tatmadaw across 28 villages in
Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships in response to attacks by the
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
137. The United Nations documented 41 cases of rape by the Tatmadaw, including
the gang rape of girls as young as 10. Ten cases were verified, in cluding that of a
14-year-old girl in Maungdaw township, who was seized and gang -raped by two
Tatmadaw soldiers before being killed in front of her mother and three siblings.
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Developments and concerns
138. I recognize the progress of the Government on the implementation of its action
plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Myanmar Ar med
Forces, including through the release of 49 children from the Tatmadaw in 2017, the
continued provision of access for monitoring and monthly meetings with the United
Nations for joint case reviews of alleged underage recruits. I call on the Government
to build on these achievements in order to reinvigorate its road map towards
compliance by further accelerating the verification and release of children, ensuring
that civilian and military perpetrators of child recruitment are held to account and
bringing to a halt the informal association of children with its forces. Children
formerly associated with armed forces or groups should be seen primarily as victims,
treated in line with international juvenile justice principles and their swift release and
reintegration should be prioritized whenever possible.
139. My Special Representative visited Myanmar in May 2018 and held constructive
discussions with the Government, including on the speedy completion of the existing
action plan, the expeditious passage of the draft child law, the inclusion of child
protection issues in the ongoing peace dialogue and on the question of permission to
enter Rakhine State to document violations. The Government made a commitment to
prioritize these issues.
140. I commend the Kachin Independence Army, the Karenni National Progressive
Party/Karenni Army, the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, the Karen National
Liberation Army Peace Council and the Shan State Army for their engagement with
the United Nations on child protection and their commitment to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children, and reiterate my call on the Government to facilitate
the signature and implementation of action plans with listed armed groups , as
suggested by my Special Representative during her l atest country visit.
141. I am concerned by the verified recruitment and use of children in northern
Rakhine State and credible reports of the killing and maiming of children in a large -
scale massacre of Hindus in Maungdaw township on 27 August, allegedly by Arakan
Rohingya Salvation Army elements. I underline the need for intensified monitoring
and verification of grave violations perpetrated by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation
Army, in particular in Rakhine State, and call upon the group to take immediate action
to end and prevent such violations and to refrain from issuing threats to potential
witnesses of grave violations against children.
142. I am furthermore deeply concerned about the grave violations against children
in northern Rakhine State following the August 2017 attacks, in particular cases of
the killing, maiming and rape and other forms of sexual violence against children,
and strongly urge the Government of Myanmar to immediately allow unimpeded
access for child protection actors to conflict -affected areas, including Rakhine State,
and to conduct transparent investigations into the allegations of grave violations
against children and ensure support services for survivors and returnees, as discussed
with my Special Representative.
Somalia
143. The security situation in Somalia remained hig hly volatile, with continued
Al-Shabaab attacks on Somali security forces, government officials and the African
Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The Somali National Army, AMISOM and
military forces of Ethiopia and Kenya conducted military operations against
Al-Shabaab, and the United States of America intensified air strikes against the group.
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Grave violations
144. A total of 2,087 boys and 40 girls were recruited and used. Recruitment of
children by Al-Shabaab significantly increased (1,770) compared to 2016, especially
after the group forced teachers to adopt a new curriculum. Al -Shabaab used detention,
violence and threats to force family members, teachers and elders to hand over their
children, causing families to flee or to send their children, often unaccompanied, out
of areas controlled by Al-Shabaab, in order to ensure their protection. Children were
also recruited by the Somali National Army (119), Ahl al -Sunna wal-Jama‘a (66),
unidentified clan militias (58), Galmudug forces (40), Jubbaland forces (40),
Southwest forces (21) and the Somali Police Force (11).
145. The detention of children for their alleged association with Al -Shabaab
remained concerning, with children detained mainly by the Somali National Army
(156), the Somali Police Force (37), Jubbaland forces (10), Southwest forces (7) and
AMISOM (7).
146. A total of 931 children were killed and maimed by unknown armed
elements (477), Al-Shabaab (208), the Somali National Army (88), uni dentified clan
militias (65), Southwest forces (26), AMISOM (21), Jubbaland forces (18), the
Somali Police Force (10), Puntland armed forces (7), Kenyan Defence Forces (6),
Galmudug forces (4) and Ethiopian Liyu Police (1). Most child casualties resulted
from crossfire during military operations, mortar shelling, improvised explosive
devices, explosive remnants of war and air strikes. Al -Shabaab also publicly executed
children.
147. The United Nations verified incidents of sexual violence affecting 330 gir ls and
1 boy, attributed to unknown armed elements (125), Al -Shabaab (75), the Somali
National Army (37), Jubbaland forces (28), Southwest forces (26), unidentified clan
militias (19), Ethiopian Liyu Police (10), Galmudug forces (5), Puntland armed forces
(3), Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a, Ethiopian National Defence Forces and the Somali
Police Force (1 each). Rape often occurred in camps for internally displaced persons
or when girls collected firewood or water.
148. Attacks on 64 schools were verified, 58 of which were attributed to Al-Shabaab.
Cases included the detention of teachers for refusing to adopt Al -Shabaab’s
curriculum or school closures. For instance, on 24 February, Al -Shabaab closed a
madrasa in Ceel Garas town, Galguduud Region, and arrested the teacher, who had
declined to refer his students for military training. Of 10 verified attacks on hospitals,
6 were attributed to Al-Shabaab.
149. Abductions almost doubled compared to 2016: 1,634 children were abducted,
98 per cent of them by Al-Shabaab (1,608). Abductees as young as 9 were sent to
Al-Shabaab madrasas or training camps. In July and August alone, 550 children were
abducted in Ceel Buur district and taken to the Ali Jim’ale centre run by Al-Shabaab
in Ceel Buur town, Galguduud Region.
150. Incidents of denial of humanitarian access were mainly attributed to Al -Shabaab
(26), unidentified clan militias (9) and the Somali National Army (2).
Developments and concerns
151. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. The Child
Protection Unit of the Ministry of Defence screened and sensitized 1,569 integrated
Somali National Army soldiers, 700 members of the Darwish force and 235 members
of the Southwest forces, with United Nations support. Sustained United Nations
engagement with the National Intelligence and Security Agency resulted in the
handover of 36 boys to child protection actors. In August, the Chief of Defence Forces
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issued a General Command Order to protect children from armed conflict. In
November, the drafting process for a child rights bill was launched. I welcome these
steps and call on the Government to swiftly implement its action plans.
152. A group of 40 children detained in Puntland since 2016 over their association
with Al-Shabaab was placed in a reintegration centre in Garowe. The prison sentences
of 28 of the children were reduced to 10 years. While I welcome their handover, I am
concerned about the lengthy prison sentences and call upon the President of Puntland
to grant a presidential pardon and acceler ate the children’s transfer to reintegration
centres closer to their areas of origin. I further call on Puntland authorities to
harmonize its legislations with federal laws and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
153. I am extremely concerned by the surge in the number of violations against
children, including the increase in the number of cases of the recruitment and use of
children and of sexual violence perpetrated against them attributed to Jubbaland,
Southwest and Galmudug forces; the increase i n the number of Al-Shabaab
recruitment campaigns, attacks on schools and hospitals and abductions; as well as
the increase in the number of air strikes by unidentified perpetrators targeting
Al-Shabaab training camps holding children. I call upon all parti es to immediately
cease all violations and abide by their obligations under international law.
154. I remain concerned by the detention of children for their alleged association
with Al-Shabaab and call on authorities to treat those children primarily as victims,
with the best interests of the child and international protection standards as guiding
principles.
South Sudan
155. Fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and its allies
against the pro-Machar Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO)
continued and spread to the Greater Upper Nile region. Violations against children by
all parties to the conflict increased, with the highest number of incidents documented
in the Greater Equatoria region, followed by the Greater U pper Nile region. Owing
to insecurity and access restrictions, many incidents could not be verified.
Grave violations
156. The United Nations verified 140 incidents of the recruitment and use of children,
which affected 1,221 children, including 164 girls. They were attributed to pro-Taban
Deng SPLA-IO (459 children), followed by the South Sudan National Liberation
Movement (SSNLM) (405), SPLA (254), pro-Machar SPLA-IO (60), the South Sudan
Democratic Army-Cobra Faction (SSDA-CF) (42) and the South Sudan National
Police Service (SSNPS) (1). Children were most affected in Unity but were observed
throughout the country wearing military uniforms, manning checkpoints, being used
as porters or bodyguards and carrying weapons.
157. The United Nations verified 54 incidents of killing (36 children) and maiming
(57 children). The majority of casualties were attributed to SPLA (38 childr en) and
pro-Machar SPLA-IO (6). Children continued to be affected by unexploded ordnance
(38 child casualties).
158. The United Nations verified incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence
affecting 55 girls, including 13 girls who were gang -raped. The majority of cases were
verified in Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria and attributed to SPLA (47 girls)
followed by pro-Machar SPLA-IO (3), pro-Taban Deng SPLA-IO (2), SSNPS, South
Sudan National Wildlife Service and SSNLM (1 each). Girls were most frequently
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affected during military operations carried out by SPLA and pro-Machar SPLA-IO,
as well as at checkpoints.
159. Attacks on 26 schools and 24 hospitals were verified. Cases were attributed to
SPLA (33), pro-Taban Deng SPLA-IO (5), pro-Machar SPLA-IO (2) and the South
Sudan People’s Patriotic Front (SSPPF) (1). Nine cases resulted from crossfire
incidents between SPLA and pro-Machar SPLA-IO. In April, schools and health
facilities in Eastern Equatoria were particularly affected following SPLA military
offensives in and around Pajok, Magwe County (17 attacks).
160. In addition, 22 schools and two hospitals were used for military purposes. Cases
were mainly attributed to SPLA (18), pro -Machar SPLA-IO (2), pro-Taban Deng
SPLA-IO (2) and SSNPS (1). All 22 schools continued to be used for military
purposes at the time of writing.
161. A total of 12 incidents of abduction, which affected 29 children, inclu ding
9 girls, were verified. Cases were attributed to SPLA (20 children), pro -Taban Deng
SPLA-IO (6) and pro-Machar SPLA-IO (3). Children continued to be abducted for
recruitment purposes. For instance, in Unity, in Augu st, three boys, aged between
14 and 15, were abducted by SPLA soldiers on their way back to a United Nations
protection of civilians site in Bentiu, before being rescued by United Nations
peacekeepers.
162. A total of 783 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified, a
significant increase from 2016. Incidents were attributed to national authorities and
institutions (400), SPLA (189), pro-Machar SPLA-IO (104), pro-Taban Deng
SPLA-IO (10), the White Army and SSPPF (3 each). Incidents involved attacks on
humanitarian personnel and the looting of warehouses and humanitarian assets, as
well as bureaucratic impediments. For inst ance, in March, six humanitarian workers
on their way to Jonglei to implement child protection activities for children released
from SSDA-CF were killed in Central Equatoria.
Developments and concerns
163. Within the framework of the action plan signed with SPLA on the recruitment
and use of children, the South Sudan National Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission carried out two training -of-trainers sessions on child
protection, with the support of the United Nations, for a total of 7 0 SPLA officers.
The officers subsequently facilitated internal training programmes initiated by SPLA.
164. The United Nations and the National Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration Commission conducted several advocacy campaigns for the release o f
children associated with armed groups. In August, during an age -assessment exercise
in Pibor, Jonglei, 313 boys were found to be associated with pro-Taban Deng
SPLA-IO. Between October and December, an age assessment by the United Nations
and the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission in
Yambio, Western Equatoria, identified 426 childr en associated with SSNLM and
44 children associated with pro-Taban Deng SPLA-IO. In the first four months of
2018, 518 children, including 182 girls, were released in a first phase by SSNLM and
pro-Taban Deng SPLA-IO.
165. In November, in a meeting with the United Nations, the First Vice -President,
Taban Deng Gai, acknowledged the presence of children in the ranks of his troops,
reaffirmed his support for their release and subsequently nominated a child protection
focal point.
166. While I take note of the above-mentioned steps, the scale of violations affecting
children in South Sudan and the level of impunity for perpetrators remain alarming. I
remind parties to conflict that all children recruited and used must be released and
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handed over to civilian child protection actors, in line with the 2015 Agreement on
the Resolution of the Conflict, the 2017 Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities
and the action plans signed with the United Nations. I call on the Government to
ensure accountability for violations and urge all parties to conflict to abide by their
obligations to protect children.
167. Furthermore, I am extremely concerned about the increas e in the number of
attacks on schools and hospitals, particularly by Government forces, and urge the
Government to end such attacks immediately.
The Sudan
168. Clashes between the Government and armed groups in Darfur decreased
significantly, although an unsuccessful attempt was made by the Sudan Liberation
Army-Minni Minawi (SLA/MM) and allied forces to reassert their presence in North
and East Darfur in May, and the arms collection campaign by the Government spurred
clashes with Musa Hilal and allied forces in October. The activities of the Sudan
Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) remained limited to pockets of West Jebel
Marra. While the situation in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei was relatively
stable, divisions within the Sudan People ’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N)
reportedly resulted in ethnic clashes. Throughout the year, unilateral ceasefires were
extended in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nil e.
Grave violations: Darfur
169. The United Nations documented the recruitment and use of 24 children, of
which one case, involving the recruitment of a 14 -year-old boy by SLA/AW, was
verified. In addition, 22 children were detained by the Government for their alleged
association with armed groups, for periods lasting between three weeks and five
months. All children have been released from detention.
170. A total of 94 incidents of killing (19) and maiming (75), affecting 146 children,
were verified (116 boys, 30 girls), which reflected a decrease from the 199 children
killed or maimed in 2016. Child casualties resulted from shooting (75), unexploded
ordnance (66), aerial bombardment (3) and physical assault (2). Incidents were
attributed to unidentified armed elements (33), Rapid Support Forces (RSF) (4),
Sudan Police (3), Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) (3), tribal clashes (2) and one each to
SLA/AW, the Popular Defence Forces and the joint Chad -Sudan border monitoring
force. Almost half of all the incidents (46) were caused by unexploded ordnance and
could not be attributed.
171. The United Nations verified 36 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual
violence, which affected 44 girls, aged between 6 and 17. Cases were attributed to
unidentified armed elements (38), SAF (3), RSF (1), Sudan Police (1), and Sudan
Liberation Army/Peace and Development (SLA/PD) (1). Of the 36 incidents, to date,
3 have resulted in a conviction.
172. A total of eight attacks on schools (4) and hospitals (4) were verified and
attributed to unidentified armed elements (5), RSF (2) and SLA/PD (1). Attacks on
schools and hospitals involved the abduction and rape of two teachers, physical
damage to schools and the looting of medical material. In addition, the United Nations
verified the military use of four schools by RSF (3) and SAF (1). The school used by
SAF in Laiba, East Jebel Marra, remained occupied at the time of writing.
173. Nine incidents of abduction, affecting 10 boys and 3 girls, were verified, all of
which were attributed to unidentified armed elements.
174. The United Nations verified one incident of denial of humanitarian access. In
Kutum, North Darfur, a vehicle transporting medicine was prevented from passing by
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unidentified armed elements. Restrictions on movement and bureaucratic constraints
imposed by the Government on the United Nations and international
non-governmental organizations delivering aid to vulnerable populations, particularly
in East Jebel Marra, continued to affect the delivery of humanitarian aid t o children.
Grave violations: South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei
175. While no cases of child recruitment and use could be verified, the United
Nations received allegations of the recruitment of boys by a splinter group of
SPLM-N in Kurmuk, Blue Nile, prior to the group’s integration into SAF.
176. The killing (10) and maiming (6) of 16 boys was verified and attributed to
unidentified armed elements (10) and SPLM-N (1). Three child casualties resulted
from unexploded ordnance and two occurred during cl ashes and could not be
attributed. Five incidents took place in South Kordofan and one in Abyei.
177. No attacks on schools and hospitals were verified. However, in May, SAF used
three schools formerly held by SPLM-N in Kurmuk, Blue Nile, and one hospital in
Jurt West village, Blue Nile, for military purposes.
178. Access restrictions imposed by SPLM-N continued to affect the delivery of
humanitarian aid to children.
Developments and concerns
179. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. During her visit
to the Sudan from 25 February to 1 March 2018, my Special Representative witnessed
commendable progress in the implement ation of the Government’s action plan and
the initiation of a process of building on the action plan so as to cr eate a national plan
of prevention of violations against children. In this regard, I welcome the impact of
measures taken by the high-level and technical committees at the national and state
levels to improve the protection of children, including the adopt ion of the standard
operating procedures on the release and handover of children associated with armed
groups and the complaint mechanism manual to report child recruitment. I am
encouraged by the access provided for joint United Nations -Government monitoring
and verification missions to barracks and training centres of the armed forces, the
issuance of command orders and directives to all Government forces to prevent child
recruitment and the release of all children previously detained. There have been no
verified reports of the recruitment and use of children by the Government of the Sudan
since 2015. Furthermore, I welcome efforts by the Government to demilitarize
schools and hospitals and the initiation of an awareness -raising campaign to prevent
violations against children.
180. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. I welcome the
continued engagement by SPLM-N on its action plan, including the establishment of
an action plan committee and the issuance of a command order prohibiting the
recruitment and use of children, and call on the group to provide access for the United
Nations to areas under its control.
181. I welcome the respective command orders issued by SLA/MM and the Justice
and Equality Movement and urge both parties to expedite their implementation plans
to end and prevent child recruitment, in particular by facilitating verification missions
by the United Nations.
Syrian Arab Republic
182. A high intensity of conflict continued across the Syrian Arab Republic in 2017,
resulting in the highest number of verified grave violations against children (2,896)
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ever recorded in the country. Civilians trapped in densely populated besieged areas,
mainly by Government forces, continued to be the worst affected.
Grave violations
183. Verified cases of the recruitment and use of children increased by 13 per cent
compared to 2016, with 961 cases (872 boys, 89 girls) verified. Ninety per cent of the
children served in combat roles (861) and 26 per cent (254) were below the age of 15.
Of the total number of verified cases, 36 children were of foreign origin and at least
16 were killed in combat.
184. Verified cases were attributed to ISIL (284); groups self -affiliated with the Free
Syrian Army (FSA) (244); People ’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) (224); Government
forces and pro-government militias (73); Ahrar al -Sham (53); Nusrah Front-led
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (41); Army of Islam (also known as Jaysh al -Islam) (37); and
unidentified armed groups (five).
185. Verified cases of the recruitment and use of children by ISIL, including a
4-year-old child, more than doubled in 2017. The recruitment and use of children by
YPG/YPJ increased almost fivefold (from 46 to 224) compared to 2016. Nearly one
third of the verified cases of children recruited by the group were girls (72) and 16 per
cent were of Arab origin. Groups self-affiliated with the FSA were responsible for a
quarter of all verified cases. Over 70 per cent of verified cases occurred in Aleppo,
Hama and Idlib Governorates. In relation to children recruited by Government forces
and pro-government militias, some received military training, including outside of
the country when children of foreign origin were associated with pro -government
militia, and were found carrying military intel ligence identification cards.
186. Children continued to be arrested and detained for their alleged association with
armed groups. The arrest and detention of 72 children by Government forces (46 boys,
26 girls; some aged as young as 10) for their alleged association with armed groups,
was verified. At least 38 of these children were ill -treated, tortured and/or raped
during their detention.
187. Six boys, as young as 12, were deprived of their liberty for alleged association
with opposing parties. Four cases were attributed to groups self-affiliated with FSA,
one to ISIL and one to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. In the context of the advances made on
ISIL-held areas during the second half of 2017, at least 166 children were deprived
of their liberty by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for their alleged affiliation
with ISIL. ISIL also deprived 27 children of their liberty as punishment for a wide
range of acts it classifies as crimes.
188. The United Nations verified the killing (910) and maiming (361) of 1,271
children. Cases were attributed to Government and pro -government forces (586 cases,
of which 404 were aerial attacks); ISIL (150); the inter national counter-ISIL
coalition (43); YPG/YPJ (29); groups self-affiliated with FSA (9); Hay’at Tahrir
al-Sham (3); Ahrar al-Sham (1); and unidentified perpetrators (450). Most of the
verified cases were as a result of air strikes (734), followed by shelling (191) and
improvised explosive devices (133). In one incident, in April, aerial attacks struck a
residential area north of Khan Shaykhun, Idlib, killing 35 children and injuring 23.
189. The United Nations verified 24 cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence
(23 girls, 1 boy). Cases included gang rape, forced marriage to armed group fighters,
trafficking and sexual enslavement. Of the 24 cases, 18 were attributed to ISIL, 4 to
Government forces and 2 to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
190. The United Nations verified 67 attacks on schools and education personnel.
Incidents were attributed to Government and pro-government forces (44), the
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international counter-ISIL coalition (4), ISIL (3) and groups self -affiliated with the
FSA (2). The majority of attacks were a result of air strikes (47).
191. The United Nations verified 108 attacks on hospitals and medical personnel,
resulting in the killing of 6 and injuring of at least 29 medical personnel. Attacks were
attributed to Government forces (13); pro-government forces (67); groups self -
affiliated with FSA (4); the international counter -ISIL coalition (4); ISIL (2); Hay’at
Tahrir al-Sham (1). Most of the attacks resulted from air strikes (81).
192. Schools were frequently used for military purposes, with 22 verified incidents
attributed to ISIL (20) and YPG/YPJ (2). Of these, 16 schools were subsequently
attacked. In addition, the United Nations verified the military use of 10 hospitals by
ISIL, among which 8 were subsequently attacked. Schools and hospitals served as
training grounds, ammunition depots, detention facilities, accommodations and
military bases.
193. The United Nations verified the abduction of 57 children (23 boys, 20 girls,
14 sex unknown), which were attributed to Government forces (20), YPG/YPJ (6),
ISIL (6) and unidentified armed groups (25). The alleged affiliation of relatives with
opposing armed forces or groups was the primary reason for abduction. Six children
were abducted for the purpose of forced recruitment by YPG /YPJ (3) and ISIL (3).
194. In 2017, the escalation of violence in eastern Ghutah and Rural Damascus led
to a rapid deterioration of living conditions for around 400,000 persons trapped inside
the government-besieged enclave, including a high number of children.
195. The United Nations verified 105 cases of denial of humanitarian access,
including 52 cases involving attacks on huma nitarian facilities and personnel and 53
cases of the removal or blocking of humanitarian supplies. The main perpetrators
included Government forces (36); air strikes by Gove rnment or pro-government
forces (19); ISIL (6); YPG/YPJ (4); and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (3). Attacks on
humanitarian personnel resulted in the killing (21) and injury (35) of 56 persons.
Developments and concerns
196. I am deeply concerned about the continuing high numbers of verified violations,
including the killing and maiming of children and the increase in child recruitment
and use, and urge all parties to the conflict to put in place measures to end and prevent
these violations.
197. I acknowledge the formation of a national committee to prevent and respond to
underage recruitment by armed groups in March 2018, and urge the Government to
work closely with the United Nations to implement concrete measures in this r egard,
as well as to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by its own armed
forces and pro-government militia without delay.
198. I am deeply concerned about the fate of children, including of foreign origin,
affiliated or allegedly affiliated with parties to the conflict in the Syrian Arab
Republic and call upon parties encountering and receiving these children to abide by
international norms and standards and treat those children primarily as victims. In this
regard, I stress the importance of developing protection-oriented rehabilitation
activities for these children, so as to facilitate their reintegration into society.
199. I renew my call upon all parties to enhance their engagement in the United
Nations-led intra-Syrian talks, in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015),
in view of bringing sustainable peace to the country and ending violations against
children.
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Yemen
200. The situation in Yemen remained grave and was marked by continued armed
conflict. In November, a military escalation began between the principal belligerents,
when the Houthis fired a ballistic missile towards Riyadh and subsequent air strikes
and ground fighting intensified, including for the control of po rts and supply routes.
In December, political alliances shifted, causing intensified fighting in Sana ’a
between the Houthis and the General People’s Congress, culminating in the killing of
former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and causing further political instability in the
country.
Grave violations
201. The United Nations verified 842 cases of the recruitment and u se of boys as
young as 11 years old. Among those cases, 534 (nearly two thirds) were attributed to
the Houthis, 142 cases to the Security Belt Forces and 105 to the Yemeni Armed
Forces, marking a substantial increase compared to 2016, with the majority of
children aged between 15 and 17. Other parties included pro -government Popular
Resistance (50) and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) (1). The Governorate
of Abyan was the location with the highest number of verified cases (156). Access
restrictions to areas with AQAP presence led to a decrease in the ability to verify
cases attributed to that group.
202. Children were mainly used to guard checkpoints and government buildings, for
patrolling, fetching water and bringing food and equipment to military positions; 76
children were used as combatants. 31 boys were killed and 14 were maimed while
associated with parties to the conflict. Reports indicate that financial payments by the
Houthis were used as incentives for child association.
203. The United Nations documented the deprivation of liberty of 23 boys (aged
between 13 and 17) by armed forces and groups for their alleged associat ion with
opposing parties. Three boys were detained by the Yemeni Armed Forces and one by
the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen (hereafter the coalition). Thirteen boys
were seized and deprived of their liberty by the Houthis, 5 by the Security Belt Forces
and 1 by the Popular Resistance.
204. The United Nations verified the killing and maiming of 1,316 children (552
killed: 398 boys, 154 girls; 764 maimed: 549 boys, 215 girls) , and 51 per cent of those
casualties were caused by air strikes (368 kill ed, 300 injured). The second leading
cause was ground fighting, including shelling and shooting (136 killed, 334 injured),
followed by explosive remnants of war and mines (27 killed, 119 injured).
205. Of the total number of verified child casualties, 670 were attributed to the
coalition (370 killed, 300 injured); 324 to the Houthis (83 killed, 241 injured); 41 to
the Popular Resistance; 19 to other international forces fighting for the Government
of Yemen; 10 to AQAP; and 4 to the Yemeni Armed Forces, amo ng other parties.
206. The highest number of child casualties was documented in Ta ‘izz (35 per cent),
with 459 children affected. Of those casualties, 286 were the result of ground fighting,
with 245 child casualties attributed to the Houthis. The second h ighest number of
casualties was documented in Sa‘dah (187), where 168 cases were the result of air
strikes and ground fighting on the northern border (2) and attributed to the coalition.
The escalation of fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni Armed F orces and
affiliated groups, as well as increased air strikes, resulted in 11 3 child casualties in
Hudaydah Governorate.
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207. There was a marked decrease in verified attacks on schools and hospitals
compared to 2016, when 48 schools and 23 hospitals were partially or completely
destroyed.
208. The United Nations verified 20 attacks on schools, with 19 schools affected by
aerial attacks attributed to the coalition, the majority of which occurred in Sa‘dah (9),
Hajjah (4), and Hudaydah (2). One incident was attributed to an unidentified armed
group in Dali‘. In addition, 11 attacks on hospitals were verified, affecting 9 hospitals
and health facilities and resulting in their partial or complete destruction. Five attacks
were attributed to the Houthis in Ta ‘izz , and five to the coalition in Hajjah (2),
Hudaydah (1), Sa‘dah (1) and Ta‘izz (1). The remaining attack was attributed to t he
Security Belt Forces in Aden.
209. The United Nations verified eight incidents of the military use of schools in
Ta‘izz (3), Amanat al-Asimah (2), Sa‘dah (2) and Sana’a (1) and two incidents of the
military use of hospitals in Taiz; of these, three sch ools and one hospital were
subsequently the target of an attack. The Houthis were responsible for five incidents
of the military use of schools, the Yemeni Armed Forces for one, and the Popular
Resistance for the military use of two schools and two hospita ls.
210. The United Nations verified the abduction of one boy by the Houthis in
Shabwah. The boy was subsequently engaged to fight with the armed group.
211. The United Nations documented 248 incidents of denial of humanitarian access,
including restrictions on movement (161), violence against humanitarian personnel,
assets and facilities (55) and interference in the deli very of humanitarian
assistance (32). Most of the incidents were documented in Ta ‘izz (60), Hudaydah (44)
and Sa‘dah (31), with the majority attributed to the Houthis (168), Yemeni Armed
Forces (35) and the coalition (15).
212. Access to frontline areas was challenging and restrictions and delays were
experienced throughout 2017 at main entry ports for humanitarian aid. Following the
launching of missiles by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia, the coalition imposed a total
land, sea and air blockade between 5 and 24 November, thereby halting all
humanitarian and commercial access. A part ial blockade continued until
20 December.
Developments and concerns
213. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. I am encouraged
by the decrease in attacks on schools and hospitals attributed to the coalition. It
reflects, among other things, the impact of preventive and protective measur es taken,
including the establishment of a child protection unit in the coalition headquarters,
composed of civilian and military staff, put in place in coordination with my Special
Representative. During my visit to Riyadh in April 2018, I was also encouraged by
efforts undertaken by the Government of Saudi Arabia to support t he reintegration of
children formerly associated with armed groups in Yemen.
214. The action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the
Yemeni Armed Forces, signed in 2014, must be revitalized and updated. In this regard,
I welcome the ongoing discussions between the Government of Yemen and my
Special Representative regarding the drafting of protocols on the handover and
release of children and the issuance of a command order by the Deputy Commander -
in-Chief of the Yemeni Armed Forces in March 2018, recalling that the recruitment
and use of children by the Government forces is forbidden and that violations must
be reported. I further welcome the endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration by
the Government of Yemen in October, which is an important step for the development
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of concrete safeguards to ensure a better protection of these facilities, education
personnel and children.
215. Notwithstanding this progress, I am deeply concerned that during the fourth
quarter of 2017, the intensification of fighting resulted in an increased number of
violations against children being committed by all parties. The number of children
killed and maimed in Yemen remains unacceptably high, and those numbers have
remained high in the first quarter of 2018, as does the number of children recruited
and used by armed forces and groups. I acknowledge the Houthis ’ openness to
engaging with the United Nations on child protection but remain deeply concerned
about ongoing recruitment campaigns by the group, s pecifically targeting schools as
a place of recruitment, and urge the group to establish preventive and protective
measures. I further urge the coalition to continue strengthening mechanisms aimed at
protecting children, particularly in view of preventing child casualties.
216. I remind all parties to abide by their obligations under international law to
protect children from all forms of violence, including through respecting the
principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, to ensure humanita rian
access to populations in need, to release children deprived of their liberty and hand
them over to appropriate child protection actors and to engage constructively with the
United Nations to prevent future violations.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
India
217. Children continued to be affected by incidents of violence between armed
groups and the Government, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and during
tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Grave violations
218. The United Nations continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of
children, including by the Naxalites, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
Naxalites reportedly resorted to the use of a lottery system to conscript children in
Jharkhand. In addition, three incidents of the recruitment and use of children were
reported in Jammu and Kashmir in the context of clashes with national security forces.
One case was attributed to Jaish-i-Mohammed and two to Hizbul Mujahideen.
Unverified reports also indicate the use of children as informants and spies by national
security forces.
219. Children continued to be killed and injured in the context of operations of
national security forces against armed groups. Ac cording to Government data,
188 civilians were killed in Naxalite-affected regions, although no disaggregated data
on children were available. On 9 March, a 15 -year-old boy was killed by national
security forces during a clash with alleged Lashkar -e-Tayyiba elements in
Padgampora village, Pulwama district.
220. In Jharkhand State, suspected Naxalites elements attacked one school in Khunti
district, partially destroying it. With regard to military use, the occupation of over
20 schools was documented by the Central Reserve Po lice Force in Srinagar,
Kashmir, in April. Increased tensions in Jammu and Kashmir reportedly also led to
school closures for varying periods, including in Rajouri (65) and Poonch (76)
districts.
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Developments and concerns
221. I welcome the Government’s signature of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
Convention, 1999 (No. 182) in June 2017, and encourage the Government to put in
place measures to hold perpetrators of child recruitment and use to account and
engage with the United Nations in view of ending and preventing violations against
children.
Nigeria
222. In north-east Nigeria, as well as in neighbouring countries, Jama ’atu Ahlis
Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, intensified attacks
on civilians, including through suicide bombings and ground attacks. In the northern
part of Borno State, a new Boko Haram faction emerged following its separation from
the Abubakar Shekau faction.
Grave violations
223. The total number of verified cases of the recruitment and use of children
decreased by almost 50 per cent, from 2,122 in 2016 t o 1,092 (738 boys, 353 girls,
1 unknown sex) in 2017. The main perpetrator remained Boko Haram (1,051). The
Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) recruited 41 children, all of whom were used in
support roles. The decrease may be attributed to the loss of territory by Boko Haram,
the displacement of civilians from areas controlled by the group and the CJTF action
plan, signed by the group in 2017.
224. In 2017, 2,199 children were deprived of liberty for their or their parents’
alleged association with Boko Haram, in Nigeria (1,903), the Niger (239) and
Cameroon (57). In 2017, the Nigerian authorities released 1,190 children, leaving 713
children in military detention at the time of reporting.
225. The United Nations verified a total of 881 c hildren killed (570) and
maimed (311) in Nigeria, attributed to Boko Haram (620) and to Nigerian Security
Forces (NSF) (261). Almost half of all casualties resulted from suicide attacks
perpetrated by Boko Haram (including the use of children as carriers of person-borne
improvised explosive devices) (411). With regard to NSF, casualties were caused by
aerial bombardments (235) and the targeting of children suspected to be carrying
person-borne improvised explosive devices (26).
226. A worrying trend was the continued use of children by Boko Haram as carriers
of person-borne improvised explosive devices, with 146 cases documented in Nigeria
and 57 in Cameroon. Almost three quarters of the children used were girls (145) .
227. The United Nations verified 45 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual
violence, affecting 131 children, including 9 boys. Cases were attributed to Boko
Haram (9 boys, 116 girls) and NSF (6 girls). All child victims attributed to Boko
Haram were abducted, raped or forcibly married to members of the group.
228. The United Nations verified four attacks on schools and one attack on a hospital
in Nigeria attributed to Boko Haram (4) and NSF (1). Furthermore, two schools were
attacked in far north Cameroon, eight hospitals in the Diffa region of the Niger and
one hospital in far north Cameroon. At the time of writing, 14 schools continued to
be used for military purposes by NSF in Nigeria, 10 in Borno State and 4 in Yobe
State.
229. Boko Haram abducted 189 children (107 boys, 79 girls, 3 sex unknown).
Between July and October, 90 children were abducted by Boko Haram during raids
on villages across the borders of Nigeria with Cameroon and the Niger. In addition,
1,456 children in north-east Nigeria were verified as having been abducted by Boko
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Haram during previous years. 82 of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram
in April 2014 were released as a result of internationally supported negotiations
between Boko Haram and the Government, while 11 2 remain unaccounted for. On
19 February 2018, 105 girls were abducted from the Government Girls ’ Science
Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, by Boko Haram insurgents, further
curtailing access to education for Nigerian girls.
230. Five incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified, including
ambushes and physical attacks on humanitarian workers. Four were attributed to Boko
Haram and one to NSF.
Developments and concerns
231. Measures put in place to improve the protection of children. I commend
CJTF for signing an action plan with the United Nations on 15 September to end and
prevent the recruitment and use of children and the important first steps taken for its
implementation, including the promulgation of a standing order by CJTF to end and
prevent child recruitment. I encourage CJTF to consolidate and to further accelerate
the implementation of the action plan.
232. I remain concerned that children continued to be detained and urge the
Government to release them and to swiftly adopt the handover protocol for children
associated with armed groups, in line with international standards, and to ensure the
sustainable reintegration of children. I also encourage the Government to cease the
use of schools for military purposes, in line with the commitments in the Safe Schools
Declaration, and to provide a protective educational environment for children, in
particular for girls.
233. The continued number of violations by Boko Haram remains gravely disturbing,
in particular the use of children as carriers of person-borne improvised explosive
devices and the number of abductions, including the reported abduction of more than
100 girls in Dapchi, Yobe State, in 2018.
234. I am deeply concerned by the significant increase in the number of children
killed and maimed and of cases of sexual violence and call on all parties to the conflict
to take urgent action to improve the protection of children.
Pakistan
235. Since 2009, attacks by armed groups have pr ogressively decreased, with
370 incidents reported in 2017. More than half of all incidents were a ttributed to
Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and splinter groups, predominantly in Balochistan
and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Reports indicate an increasing
presence of ISIL-KP, particularly in Balochistan and northern Sindh.
Grave violations
236. The United Nations continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of
children, including from madrasas, and allegations of the use of children by armed
groups for suicide attacks. In January, TTP released a video showing children,
including girls, being instructed in how to perpetrate suicide attacks.
237. Age-disaggregated data on civilian casualties are limited, but incidents of
children killed and injured in attacks by armed groups continued to be reported. In
February, at least 75 people, including 20 children, were reportedly killed in a s uicide
attack in Sehwan, Sindh Province. In April, 14 persons, including 4 children, were
reportedly killed when a passenger vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Gudar area,
FATA. ISIL-KP and TTP-Jamaat-ul-Ahrar both claimed the attack.
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238. Eight attacks on educational facilities and students were reported, four targeting
girls’ education. For example, in March, unidentified individ uals vandalized the
Oxford Public School, located in Ghizer Valley, Gilgit -Baltistan, and threatened to
bomb the school if female teachers did not cover themselves. In the same month, a
girls’ school located in Qila Abdullah in Balochistan Province was damaged in an
attack, through the use of improvised explosive devices.
239. Attacks on health-care facilities and staff by armed groups continued in 2017,
including 113 direct attacks (three personnel killed) or threats against polio
vaccinators.
Developments and concerns
240. I am concerned by the continued attacks on schools by armed groups,
particularly the targeting of girls’ education. In this regard, I take note of ongoing
efforts to review national policies on child rights, and encourage the Govern ment to
prioritize measures to deter future attacks on schools.
Philippines
241. The reporting period was marked by the five -month Marawi siege and the
related military operation against the Maute Group, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and
the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), resulting in the enactment of
martial law in Mindanao. In addition, the United Nations continued to document low -
intensity armed engagements between Government forces, occasionally in
coordination with the Moro Islamic Libera tion Front in territory controlled by the
group, and armed groups, predominantly in Mindanao. Conflict -related incidents
between the New People’s Army (NPA) and Government forces supported by
pro-government armed groups intensified, following the terminati on of the ceasefire
agreement and the subsequent collapse of peace talks.
Grave violations
242. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 30 children (6 girls,
8 boys, 16 sex unknown) by armed groups. 16 children were used as human shields
by BIFF in a single incident; 6 were recruited and used by NPA; and 8 by the Maute
Group. Children were recruited and used for combat, as part of medical squads, as
cooks and to extract gunpowder from firecrackers. The United Nations received
additional unverified reports of the large-scale recruitment and use of children by the
Maute Group during the Marawi siege and of nine children recruited by NPA,
indicating that the actual number of violations is likely higher. Some of the children
were reportedly killed in combat.
243. The United Nations documented the detention of 12 children for their alleged
association with armed groups, none of whom were formally charged. For example,
four boys were arrested and detained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
for their alleged association with ASG. The boys were blindfolded, handcuffed and
beaten during their detention and subsequently taken to a hospital for medical
treatment.
244. The United Nations verified the killing and maiming of 33 children (16 kil led,
17 injured; 21 boys, 12 girls). 12 cases were attributed to AFP and 1 to NPA and
included incidents of indiscriminate attacks. For instance, on 12 July, two boys and
one girl, reportedly associated with NPA, were killed during an encounter with AFP
in Compostela Valley province. 20 cases could not be attributed and included
casualties caused by explosive remnants of war (10) and crossfire (8). In addition, an
undetermined number of children were killed and injured during the Marawi siege.
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245. Three cases of the rape of girls aged as young as 14 by the Maute Group were
verified. The Government is following up on these cases. Additional cases were
reported in the context of the Marawi siege.
246. The United Nations verified 60 attacks on sc hools and educational
personnel (24) and health-care facilities (36) signifying a substantial increase
compared to 2016 (12 attacks). Almost all cases (56) were the result of armed
engagements, including bombardments, in the context of the Marawi siege. Many of
the structures were occupied by the Maute Group at the time of attacks. Threats by
AFP and pro-government armed groups against educational personnel working for
schools run by non–governmental organizations in indigenous peoples ’ communities
continued to be reported. In addition, the military use of six schools and one hospital
was verified (AFP four, Philippine National Police one, BIFF one, Maute Group one).
In addition to being used as bases during armed clashes, schools were frequently used
as sites to provide services by the AFP in the context of civil -military operations.
247. Five incidents of abduction, involving seven children, were verified, including
one abduction of a 7-year-old boy by ASG for a period of seven months, in Sulu
province and of two 14-year-old girls by the Maute Group for four months.
Developments and concerns
248. In a positive development, the Government of the Philippines revived formal
coordination meetings with the United Nations on incidents of grave violations
against children, with a view to facilitating appropriate response to these cases.
Notwithstanding this progress, I urge the Government to intensify engagement with
the United Nations to address ongoing violations against children, ensure consistent
application of its national child protection procedures and guidelines and facilitate
access to conflict-affected areas for child protection actors.
249. I am deeply concerned by the increase in the number of grave violations against
children in 2017, particularly in Mindanao, an d remind all parties to the conflict to
abide by their obligations under international law and to prevent the killing and
maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. I furthermore call upon
armed groups that are recruiting and using children to take immediate steps to end
and prevent the practice and to engage with the United Nations to develop action
plans.
Thailand
250. Sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, as well as attacks
by armed groups on civilian targets, continued in Thailand’s southern border
provinces.
Grave violations
251. The United Nations documented the lowest number of children killed (1) and
injured (16) recorded in the past 14 years. Incidents resulted from attacks with the use
of improvised explosive device and shooting. According to data from the Ministry of
Education, no attacks on schools were perpetrated during the reporting period.
Developments and concerns
252. The security situation further improved in the southern border provinces in
2017, and I am encouraged by the cooperation on child protection issues between the
Government and various partners, including the United Nations. I call upon the
Government to take appropriate measures to prevent future violations, including by
inviting the United Nations to conduct regular monitoring of grave violations against
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children, and to enable programmatic prevention activities in the southern border
provinces, as well as by including child protection concerns in its ongoing talks with
armed groups.
IV. Recommendations
253. I am deeply concerned by the scale and severity of grave violations against
children outlined in the present report, including high levels of killing and
maiming, recruitment and use, sexual violence and abductions, and call upon all
parties to immediately end and take all necessary measures to prevent such grave
violations, including through ensuring accountability for perpetrators.
254. I urge Member States, whether acting alone or as part of coalitions or
international forces, to ensure that their responses to all threats to peace and
security are conducted in full compliance with international law. Children
formerly associated with armed forces or groups should be seen primarily as
victims and detention should only be used as a last resort, for the shortest period
of time, and alternatives to detention should be prioritized whenever possible.
255. I call upon Member States to continue supporting the implementation of
action plans and other commitments aimed at strengthening the protection of
children in armed conflict, including by facilitating the engagement of the United
Nations with armed groups.
256. In view of the continuing high levels of cross-border recruitment and the
subsequent challenges in terms of the repatriation and reintegration of children
separated from armed forces or groups, I call upon Member States and regional
and subregional organizations to engage closely with the United Nations in order
to ensure a coordinated response based on international law and keeping in mind
the best interest of the child.
257. I encourage Member States, as well as regional and subregional
organizations, to further strengthen dedicated child protection capacities and to
engage with the United Nations to prioritize the development of tools to forestall
grave violations, including through the adoption of prevention plans aimed at
systematizing preventive measures.
258. I call upon the Security Council to continue to support the children and
armed conflict agenda by including provisions for the protection of children in
all relevant mandates of United Nations peace operations and to request
adequate child protection capacity in order to mainstream child protection,
conduct dialogue on action plans, release and reintegrate c hildren and further
strengthen monitoring and reporting.
259. I enjoin the donor community to engage in a discussion to address the
funding gaps for the reintegration of children recruited and used and to support
the establishment of a multi-year funding mechanism, thereby allowing child
protection actors to react swiftly to the release of children and put in place long -
term viable alternatives to military life, notably by placing a specific focus on
girls, on psychosocial support and on education programmes and vocational
training.
260. I welcome all steps taken to ensure full compliance with international
humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, and call upon Member
States to further strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict,
including through ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict as well as
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the endorsement and implementation of the Paris Commitments to protect
children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or groups, the
Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed
Groups (Paris Principles) and the Safe Schools Declaration.
V. Lists contained in the annexes to the present report
261. Regarding new listings, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Bana
Mura militias perpetrated incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence and
abduction, and the Kamuina Nsapu perpetrated high levels of recruitment and use of
children, attacks on schools and hospitals and abductions. Both groups have been
listed for those respective violations. In Mali, the Platform, which includes the
Groupe d’autodéfense des Touaregs Imghad et leurs alliés and the self -defence groups
Ganda Izo and Ganda Koy, has been listed for the recruitment and use of children.
Similarly, in Yemen, the Security Belt Forces have been listed for the recruitment and
use of children.
262. Other previously listed parties to conflict have had additional violations added,
on the basis of incidents that occurred in 2017. In the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, several armed groups have engaged in patterns of abductions, including the
Mai-Mai Mazembe, Nyatura and Raia Mutomboki and have been listed for such
violations. In Myanmar, the Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces,
have been listed for killing and maiming and rape and other forms of sexual violence,
in the light of verified cases in northern Rakhine State. In Somalia, Al -Shabaab has
been listed for rape and other forms of sexual violence and attacks on schools and
hospitals. In South Sudan, the Sudan People ’s Liberation Army has been listed for
attacks on schools and hospitals.
263. In terms of delisting, in Colombia, following the transformation of FARC -EP
into a political party, the group ended all child recruitment, released 135 children and
has been delisted for ceasing recruitment and use. In the Sudan, the Governmen t
security forces took all necessary steps in its action plan pertaining to ending and
preventing the recruitment and use of children, and that party has been delisted. In
Yemen, a significant decrease in the number of attacks on schools and hospitals by
the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen and preventive measures that have been
put in place have led to its delisting for that violation. In the Sudan, pro -government
militias ceased to exist and were removed from the list.
264. Other modifications to the list are the result of changes in the landscape of armed
conflict in the respective situations or changes in measures taken by parties to protect
children. In that regard, in Afghanistan, the name of the Taliban has been amended.
In the Central African Republic, the name of the former Séléka coalition was amended
to reflect its core membership. Similarly, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
the name of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda and of the Nduma and
Mai-Mai Cheka have been adapted. In Myanmar, the Tatmadaw Kyi put in place
measures to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children and will be listed in
section B of annex I to the present report for that violation. Similarly, the Kachin
Independence Army, the Karenni Army, the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, the
Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council and the Shan State Army have been
also been listed in section B of annex I for measures they have taken. In Iraq, given
that the popular mobilization forces have been p laced under the direct command of
the Iraqi armed forces and that the Government has put in place measures aimed at
improving the protection of children, the popular mobilization forces have been listed
under “State actors” in section B of annex I. In South Sudan, the split of the former
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition is reflected in annex I. In
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the Syrian Arab Republic, the name of the Army of Islam and the Nusrah Front were
modified to reflect changes on the ground. In Yemen, following renewed engagement
with the United Nations, the Government put in place measures aimed at improving
the protection of children, and the Government forces will therefore be listed in
section B of annex I.
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Annex I
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882 (2009),
1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit grave violations
affecting children in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of
the Security Council*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
Non-State actors
1. Haqqani Networka,b
2. Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a,b
3. ISIL-Khorasan Provincea,b
4. Taliban forces and affiliated groupsa,b,d,e
Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
1. Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
1. Former Séléka coalition and associated armed groups, including the Front
populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique, Mouvement patriotrique pour
la Centrafrique and Union pour la paix en Centrafrique a,b,c,d
2. Local defence militias known as the anti -balakaa,b,c
3. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Non-State actors
1. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d,e
2. Bana Mura militiasc,e
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda -Forces combattantes
abacunguzia,c,d,e
4. Force de résistance patriotique de l ’Ituria,c,d,e
5. Kamuina Nsapua,d,e
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that perpetrates rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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6. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
7. Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain a
8. Union des patriotes congolais pour la paix (also known as Mai -Mai Lafontaine)a
9. Mai-Mai Mazembea,b,e
10. Mai-Mai Simbaa,c
11. Mai-Mai Kata Katangaa
12. Nduma défense du Congoa,b
13. Nduma défense du Congo-Rénovéa,b
14. Nyaturaa,e
15. Raia Mutombokia,c,e
Parties in Iraq
Non-State actors
1. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Ansar Eddinea,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouesta,c
3. Platform, including affiliated groups a
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
1. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces b,c
Non-State actors
1. Karen National Liberation Armya
2. United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
Non-State actors
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,c,d,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (ASWJ)a
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Armya,b,c,d,e,f
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Non-State actors
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition — pro-Machara,b,f
2. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition — pro-Taban
Denga,b,f
3. White Armya
Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Justice and Equality Movementa,f
2. Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahida
3. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawia,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
State actors
1. Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro -
government militiasa,b,c,d
Non-State actors
1. Ahrar al-Shama,b
2. Groups self-affiliated with the Free Syrian Armya
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
4. Jaysh al-Islama
5. Nusrah Front-led Hay’at Tahrir al-Shama,b
6. People’s Protection Unitsa
Parties in Yemen
Non-State actors
1. Houthis/Ansar Allaha,b,d
2. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula/Ansar al -Shariaa
3. Pro-government militias, including the Salafists and popular committees a
4. Security Belt Forcesa
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
State actors
1. Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Police a,f
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
State actors
1. Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo c,f
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Parties in Iraq
State actors
1. Popular mobilization forcesa
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Mouvement national de libération de l ’Azawada,c,f
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
1. Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forcesa,f
Non-State actors
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Armya
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karenni Armya
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Shan State Armya
Parties in Somalia
State actors
1. Somali National Armya,b,f
Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Northa,f
Parties in Yemen
State actors
1. Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces a,f
2. Coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemenb
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Annex II
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882 (2009),
1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit grave violations
affecting children in situations of armed conflict not on the agenda
of the Security Council, or in other situations*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
1. Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, also known as Boko
Harama,b,c,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
Non-State actors
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. New People’s Armya
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
1. Civilian Joint Task Forcea,f
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that perpetrates rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospit als.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/73/907–S/2019/509
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
20 June 2019
Original: English
19-10176 (E) 260719
*1910176*
General Assembly
Seventy-third session
Agenda item 68 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
promotion and protection of the rights of children
Security Council
Seventy-fourth year
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2018, is
submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2427 (2018). The preparation of
the report involved broad consultations within the United Nations, in the field and at
Headquarters, and with relevant Member States. It highlights global trends regarding
the impact of armed conflict on children and provides information on violations
committed from January to December 2018, a s well as related protection concerns.
Where possible, violations are attributed to parties to conflict and, pursuant to
resolutions of the Council, the annexes to the present report include a list of parties
that, in violation of international law, engage in the recruitment and use of children,
the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against
children, attacks on schools and/or hospitals and attacks or threats of attacks against
protected personnel,1 and the abduction of children.
2. All the information contained in the report has been vetted for accuracy by the
United Nations. In situations where the ability to verify information was hampered
by factors such as insecurity or access restrictions, it is qualified as such. In this
regard, the information contained in the report is only indicative and does not
represent the full scale of violations committed in 2018. In addition, some incidents,
in particular instances of the recruitment and use of children, abduction and se xual
violence committed against children, were verified in 2018 but may have commenced
earlier.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and in identifying
situations that fall within the scope of the mandate, my Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict has adopted a pragmatic approach aimed at ensuring
broad and effective protection for children. Reference to a situation is not a legal
__________________
1 Under the terms of Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014), protected persons
are considered to be teachers, doctors, other educational personnel, students and patients.
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determination and reference to a non-State actor does not affect its legal status.
Accordingly, the present report documents situations in which apparent violations of
international norms and standards for the protection of children affected by conflict
are considered to be of such gravity as to warrant international concern. In
characterizing the facts described below as grave violations, it is the aim of my
Special Representative to bring these situations to the attention of Governments,
which bear the primary responsibility of providing effective protection and relief to
all affected children, and to encourage Governments to take remedial measures.
4. Where significant progress was achieved and measures taken by listed parties
positively affected the protection of children or where ongoing conduct gave rise to
concern, this is highlighted in the country-specific sections. On the basis of the
approach of enhanced engagement with Member States to prevent violations against
children, the annexes distinguish between listed parties that have put in place
measures aimed at improving the protection of children during the reporting period
and parties that have not.
II. Addressing the impact of armed conflict on children
A. Overview of the situation of children and armed conflict
5. Continued fighting between parties to conflict, new conflict dynamics and
operational tactics, combined with widespread disregard for international law, had a
devastating effect on children in 2018. More than 24,000 grave violations2 against
children were verified by the United Nations in 20 country situations. While the
number of violations attributed to non-State actors remained steady, there was an
alarming increase in the number of violations attributed to State actors and to
international forces compared with 2017 (see A/72/865-S/2018/465).
6. Verified cases of the killing and maiming of children reached record levels
globally since the creation of the monitor ing and reporting mechanism on children
and armed conflict pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005). In
Afghanistan, the number of child casualties remained the highest such number in the
present report (3,062) and children accounted for 28 per cent of all civilian casualties.
In the Syrian Arab Republic, air strikes, barrel bombs and cluster munitions resulted
in 1,854 child casualties, and in Yemen, 1,689 children bore the brunt of groun d
fighting and other offensives.
7. Some 13,600 children benefited from release and reintegration worldwide.
However, children continued to be forced to take an active part in hostilities,
including to carry out suicide bombings against civilians. Others w ere used in support
roles, for example as sexual slaves or as human shields. Somalia remained the country
with the highest number of cases of the recruitment and use of children (2,300)
followed by Nigeria (1,947).
8. Attacks on schools and hospitals had a devastating effect on access to education
and to health services for thousands of children, with a total of 1,023 verified attacks.
In the Syrian Arab Republic, 2018 witnessed the highest numbers of attacks on
schools and medical facilities (225) recorde d since the beginning of the conflict. In
Afghanistan, schools and hospitals (254) were increasingly targeted. Increased
numbers of attacks were also verified in the Central African Republic, Colombia,
Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, the Sudan and Yemen.
__________________
2 The use of the term “grave violations” or “violations” refer to each individual child affected by
recruitment and use, killing and maiming, sexual violence and abductions, while the number of
incidents is used for attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access.
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9. In 2018, 933 cases of sexual violence against children were verified. The highest
verified figures for violations relating to sexual violence continue to be documented
in Somalia (331) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (277). Cases of violations
relating to sexual violence remained significantly underreported, in particular when
perpetrated against boys, owing to stigma, the lack of services and concerns for the
protection of victims (for more information, see the annual report on conflict -related
sexual violence, S/2019/280). Impunity for sexual violence against girls and boys by
parties to conflict remained endemic.
10. Some 2,493 children were abducted in 2018. The highest numbers were verified
in Somalia (1,609), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (367) and Nigeria (180).
Increased numbers of abductions were verified in South Sudan (109), the Syrian Arab
Republic (69), the Central African Republic (62), the Sudan (22) and the Philippines
(13). Children were abducted from homes, schools and public spaces by parties to
conflict, often as a precursor to other grave violations, notably recruitment and use,
and sexual abuse, including sexual slavery, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Nigeria and the Syrian Arab Republic.
11. In times of armed conflict, throughout the world, millions of people, children
foremost among them, have inadequate access to or have been denied assistance that
is essential for their survival and well -being. In 2018, only 795 incidents of denial of
humanitarian access could be verified, compared with 1,213 in 2017. The decrease
could be explained by restricted access to information, rather than an improvement
of the situation. The shrinking of humanitarian space translated into widespread
insecurity, severe and persistent constraints on humanitarian access, threats and the
perpetration of violence against humanitarian personnel and civilian infrastructure,
thereby preventing child protection actors and humanitarian actors f rom gaining
access to information.
B. Challenges in ensuring a child-rights based response
12. Consent of the child is not a valid defence for the crime of recruiting and using
children in war. Children actually or allegedly associated with armed for ces and
armed groups, including those designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations,
must be treated primarily as victims. These groups have abducted, recruited and used
children nationally or transnationally. The children affected have been exposed to the
highest degrees of violence and exploitation, leaving a severe impact on their physical
and mental well-being.
13. Thousands of children actually or allegedly associated with Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) and affiliated groups, as we ll as children born of sexual
violence, were deprived of their liberty, with limited or no parental care, access to
food, medical and psychosocial support, and no access to legal or consular services.
In December 2018, 1,248 children of 46 nationalities fr om areas formerly controlled
by ISIL, mainly under the age of 5, were deprived of their liberty in internally
displaced persons’ sites in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic. In Iraq, 902
children remained in detention on national security -related charges, including for
their association or alleged association with ISIL. Similarly, 418 children were
deprived of liberty in Nigeria for their or their parents ’ alleged association with Boko
Haram and 375 children were detained in Somalia for their allege d association with
Al-Shabaab. The deprivation of liberty of children for their actual or alleged
association with groups designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations should
be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest period of ti me.
14. The best interests of the child must be given primary consideration in all actions
affecting their lives, with no exception. All children below the age of 18 have specific
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rights to protection and should be treated first and foremost as victims. Me mber States
must take responsibility for their nationals, including the children of their nationals
who are deprived of their liberty in Iraq and in the Syrian Arab Republic for their
alleged or actual association with these groups. The reintegration of al l children
affected by armed conflict must be prioritized through a comprehensive, coordinated
and child rights-based approach so as to prevent recurring cycles of violence and to
build sustainable peace for all children.
C. The way forward: prevention and reintegration
15. The prevention of violence against children in armed conflict is a crucial
element in building and sustaining peace, as well as in ensuring that children and
youth realize their rights and tap into their potential as agents of cha nge, as identified
in “Youth 2030 – The United Nations Strategy on Youth”. The development of
national, subregional or regional prevention plans covering all violations, as called
for in Security Council resolution 2427 (2018), would both sustain the gains made
through action plans, beyond the duration of those plans, and systematize preventive
measures across regions. My Special Representative launched a process of proactive
engagement with national, subregional and regional actors in order to develop
prevention initiatives to prevent violations against children affected by armed
conflict, in support of my vision on prevention, the Sustainable Development Goals
and the sustaining peace resolutions, Security Council resolution 2282 (2016) and
General Assembly resolution 70/262.
16. Member States have a central role in providing long -term and sustainable
reintegration programmes, including providing predictable funding for such
programmes. Such support is crucial for ensuring the well -being of children and
sustaining peace and security. Reintegration programmes must include mental health
and psychosocial support, education and vocational training, as well as community -
based interventions and access to a civil registry and to justice, taking into account
the specific needs of girls and boys, including children with disabilities, so as to
enable all children affected by armed conflict to return to their communities and
regain their childhood. The role of Member States is now supported by the creation
of the Global Coalition for the Reintegration of Former Child Soldiers, which was
established and is co-led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Children and Armed Conflict and the United Nations Children ’s Fund (UNICEF), and
aims to further explore and address existing gaps and needs for the reintegration of
all children affected by conflict.
III. Information on violations committed against children
during armed conflict and progress made by parties on
dialogue, action plans and other measures to halt and
prevent violations against children
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
17. Children continued to bear the brunt of the conflict, accounting for 28 per cent
of all civilian casualties, with 3,062 verified cases of children who were killed and
maimed in 2018, with the number of children killed (927) being the highest number
ever recorded in Afghanistan. In addition, in response to the 2018 parliamentary
elections, armed groups attacked election sites, more than half of which were based
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in schools. Also of concern was the Taliban’s use of indirect fire systems such as
mortars, grenades and rockets in and from civilian -populated areas on election days,
which had indiscriminate effects and contributed to child casualties.
Grave violations
18. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 45 boys and 1 girl, with
some of the children recruited as young as 8, who were used for combat, at
checkpoints, to plant improvised explosive devices, to carry out suicide attacks or
other violations, or for sexual exploitation. At least 22 boys were killed during their
association. Of those violations, 67 per cent of the instances of recruitment and use
were attributed to armed groups (31), including Tehrik -e Taliban Pakistan (17 boys in
one incident), Taliban (11), Islamic State of Iraq and the Levan t-Khorasan Province
(ISIL-KP) (2) and an unidentified armed group (1). On 14 March, in Dehe Bala
District, Nangarhar Province, ISIL-KP used two boys to publicly execute three men
accused of being associated with the Afghan National Defence and Security For ces.
The 15 remaining children were recruited and used by Afghan local police (6), Afghan
National Police (1) and pro-government militias (8).
19. As at December 2018, the Government reported that 205 boys were detained in
juvenile rehabilitation centres on national security-related charges.
20. The United Nations verified 3,062 child casualties (927 killed, 2,135 maimed),
including 831 girls. The leading causes were ground engagements (276 killed, 916
maimed) and non-suicide improvised explosive devices (129 killed, 388 maimed),
followed by aerial operations (236 killed, 256 maimed), which represented an
increase compared with 2017.
21. Armed groups were responsible for 44 per cent of child casualties (1,343),
including the Taliban (997), ISIL-KP (217), unidentified armed groups (114), selfproclaimed
ISIL-KP (7) and jointly to different armed groups (8). The United Nations
attributed 34 per cent of child casualties (1,051) to government and pro -government
forces, including the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (629) – mainly
the Afghan National Army (467) – international forces 3 (286), pro-government
militias (56), joint operations of government and pro -government forces (58) and
undetermined government and pro -government forces (22). Another 15 p er cent of
the child casualties were jointly attributed to government and pro -government forces
and armed groups. Some 6 per cent of the casualties could not be attributed to a
specific party to the conflict and 1 per cent was caused by cross -border shelling.
22. The United Nations verified four cases of sexual violence, affecting two boys
and two girls, perpetrated by the Afghan National Police (3) and the Afghan local
police (1). The two boys were used as bacha bazi.
23. A total of 192 attacks against schools and protected personnel were verified. Of
those attacks, 92 per cent were attributed to armed groups, mainly the Taliban (123)
and ISIL-KP (42). Attacks were also attributed to the Afghan National Defence and
Security Forces (6), pro-government militias (3), international forces (1), and jointly
to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and armed groups (3). During
the parliamentary elections held in October, more than half of the voter registration
and polling sites were located in schools, which were targeted in 92 election-related
attacks mostly attributed to the Taliban (85). An additional cause for concern is the
emerging trend of attacks and threats by armed groups against education facilities,
perpetrated in particular by ISIL-KP, which led to widespread school closures and
__________________
3 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is part of the international forces and leads t he
Resolute Support Mission, a non -combat operation with the mandate to train, advise and assist
Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and institutions.
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many casualties. ISIL-KP expressly declared its intention to target schools,
specifically girls’ schools.
24. A total of 62 attacks on hospitals and protected personnel were verified, 74 per
cent of which were attributed to armed groups, including the Taliban (30), ISIL -KP
(11), self-proclaimed ISIL-KP (3) and unidentified armed groups (2). The remaining
attacks were attributed to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (5),
international forces (4), pro -government militias (2) and 1 to an undetermined
pro-government force. Four attacks were jointly attributed to different parties.
25. The United Nations verified the military use of five schools by the Afghan
National Army (4) and ISIL-KP (1) and of two medical facilities by the ANDSF (1)
and by both the Taliban and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (1).
26. Similar to the numbers reported in 2017, the abduction of 42 boys and 1 girl was
verified, mostly by armed groups: the Taliban (36), ISIL -KP (3), self-proclaimed
ISIL-KP, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Hizb-i Islami (1 each). The abduction and
sexual exploitation of one girl by an Afghan local police commander was verified.
27. The United Nations verified 44 incidents of denial of humanitarian access,
mainly attributed to armed groups: the Taliban (27), ISIL -KP (10) and self-proclaimed
ISIL-KP (2). The 5 remaining incidents were attributed to the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces (3) and pro-government militias (2). Of particular
concern is the fact that these groups have also hindered demining activities and
vaccination campaigns, especially vaccination against polio, reportedly preventing
840,000 children from receiving immunizations. In addition, the number of instances
of violence against humanitarian personnel remained high, with 28 aid workers killed,
53 injured and 88 abducted during the reporting period.
Developments and concerns
28. I note the significant reduction in the recruitment and use of children by the
Afghan Security Forces and commend the measures taken by the Government to
better protect children affected by armed conflict, including through the child
protection units in the Afghan National Police recruitment centres, which now cover
all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, and the entry into force of the revised Penal Code,
which explicitly criminalizes the recruitment and use of children, including bacha
bazi and falsification of tazkeras (identity documents). I call for the full application
of the revised Code. Notwithstanding those developments, the use of children,
including bacha bazi, remains an issue of concern. I urge the Government to address
remaining gaps, specifically the lack of screening mechanisms within the Afghan
local police and the use of children at police checkpoints, and to ensure accountability
for the perpetrators of grave violations against children.
29. I call on the Government to release children allegedly or currently associated
with parties to conflict from detention facilities in accordance with the Principles and
Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (Paris
Principles), which were endorsed by Afghanistan in 2017. In additio n, children
detained on national-security related charges need to be transferred to juvenile
rehabilitation centres and have access to all services, in line with international
juvenile justice standards.
30. I remain extremely concerned about the continuo us high numbers of children
killed and maimed by all parties, notably the record high number of children killed in
2018. I note the decrease of child casualties attributed to the Afghan security forces,
and the measures taken by the Government to mitigate child casualties. I commend
the ongoing implementation of the National Policy on Civilian Casualty Prevention
and Mitigation, adopted in October 2017, as well as the entry into force of the
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Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Prohibi tions or
Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to
Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (Protocol V), in February
2018, and the revision of the aerial targeting protocols, and encourage the
Government to continue the inclusion of legal advisers in targeting processes. I
strongly encourage the Government to include aspects relating to ending and
preventing killing and maiming in the existing action plan. I am also alarmed by the
increase in the number of children killed and maimed by international forces,
especially in aerial operations. I welcome the precautionary measures to mitigate
civilian and child casualties in military operations, including the designation by the
United States of America Department of Defense of a senior civilian responsible for
coordinating compliance with policies relating to non -combatant casualties in United
States military operations. I also note the role of the Senior Child Protection Adviser
of the Resolute Support Mission in protecting children in armed conflict. I request
my Special Representative to engage proactively and follow up on the implementation
of all measures taken by the Government and international forces to mitigate child
casualties. I strongly urge the Go vernment and international forces to immediately
take additional extraordinary measures to protect children during military operations,
including during aerial operations, and to continue to abide by their obligations under
international law. I reiterate my call on armed groups to immediately cease the killing
and maiming of children.
31. I am concerned about the continued recruitment and use of children by armed
groups, including for combat roles, as well as about attacks that affect access to
education and health, including during elections, demining activities and vaccination
campaigns, and demand that concerned parties, notably the Taliban and ISIL -KP, put
an immediate halt to such actions. I strongly encourage the Government to prioritize
the protection of schools and hospitals during elections. I urge listed parties to conflict
to engage with the United Nations so as to elaborate action plans.
Central African Republic
32. Violence between armed and criminal groups for the control of strategic site s
and economic resources, and intercommunal tensions, including between Muslim and
Christian communities, remained the primary source of insecurity and threats against
civilians. Serious incidents, mostly related to transhumance and access to mining
sites, occurred at the end 2018 in Ouaka, Haut -Mbomou and Ouham Prefectures. The
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central
African Republic facilitated local peace processes, involving armed groups and
community leaders, in order to reduce violence and increase humanitarian space. The
peace process culminated in the signing on 6 February 2019 of the Political
Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic between the
Government and 14 armed groups.
Grave violations
33. A total of 75 children (14 girls, 61 boys), some as young as 6, were recruited
and used by anti-balaka (34); former Séléka factions (27), including Mouvement
national pour la libération de la Centrafrique (MNLC) (14), Front populaire pour la
renaissance de la Centrafrique (FPRC) (10), Rassemblement patriotique pour le
renouveau de la Centrafrique (RPRC) (2) and Mouvement patriotique pour la
Centrafrique (MPC) (1); Lord ’s Resistance Army (LRA) (10); PK5 groups (3); and
Retour, réclamation et réhabilitation (3R) (1). Children were used as combatants,
informants, porters, cooks, servants and for sexual purposes.
34. One girl and seven boys were detained by the national authorities for association
with anti-balaka (six); FPRC and Union po ur la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) (one
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each). All were released except for the boy associated with UPC, whose case is still
pending before the court.
35. A total of 114 children (38 girls, 76 boys) were verified as having been killed
(71) and maimed (43), a slight increase compared with 2017. The victims, some as
young as four months, were affected as a result of shootings (92), the use of machetes
(12), arson (8) and stabbing (2), during attacks on their communities. The majority of
child casualties were attributed to former Séléka factions (63), followed by
anti-balaka (20) and PK5 groups (9). Ouaka and Nana -Grébizi were the most affected
prefectures. In October, anti-balaka elements killed 12 children by machete outside
Zemio, Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, in an indiscriminate attack against two Fulani
families.
36. The United Nations verified incidents of sexual violence affecting 58 girls and
1 boy, some as young as 8. A total of 18 girls were gang -raped, and 14 girls were
victims of sexual violence during their association with armed groups. The main
perpetrators were anti-balaka and former Séléka factions (18 each). One anti-balaka
element, a member of FPRC and a police auxiliary were arrested and detained for the
rape of children. The anti-balaka member was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.
37. A total of 34 attacks against schools and 22 attacks against hospitals were
verified, a 21 per cent increase as relates to schools and 16 per cent increase as relates
to hospitals, compared with 2017. The main p erpetrators were former Séléka factions
(36) followed by anti-balaka (6). The United Nations verified the military use of seven
schools by FPRC (four), 3R (two) and anti -balaka (one).
38. A total of 62 children (28 girls, 34 boys), some as young as one, were abducted,
mostly for purposes of recruitment (57). Former Séléka factions accounted for the
highest number of such abductions (35) (MNLC (25); FPRC (6); MPC (2) and
FPRC/MPC (2)); followed by LRA (10) and anti-balaka (9).
39. There was an increase in the number of incidents of denial of humanitarian
access (120) compared with 2017 (101), which included the killing (6), injuring (23)
and abduction (5) of humanitarian workers. Those incid ents were predominantly
perpetrated by unidentified armed individuals (57), followed by former Séléka
factions (33), anti-balaka (29), and LRA (1). The Prefectures of Ouham and Nana -
Grébizi were the most affected.
Developments and concerns
40. I commend the Government for fighting against impunity. Two anti -balaka
leaders were arrested and transferred to the International Criminal Court for crimes
including the recruitment and use of children under 15 years of age. I encourage the
Special Criminal Court to prioritize crimes against children in their prosecution.
41. I welcome the signature of an action plan by MPC, on 30 May 2018, to end and
prevent grave violations, and the appointment of four commanders to serve as child
protection focal points, as well as the engagement with FPRC, leading to the signature
of an action plan on 24 June 2019. I now urge MPC and FRPC to swiftly implement
their action plans. I also call upon the leadership of UPC to adopt an action plan.
42. Dialogue with armed groups enabled the separation of 205 girls and 364 boys
from FPRC (314), anti-balaka (248) and Séléka rénovée (7). In addition, 216 self -
demobilized children were identified in Paoua (Ouham-Pendé Prefecture) and
benefited from reintegration support from UNICEF. As p art of the national
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme initiated at the end of
2018 in Paoua, 389 children were confirmed to have been associated with both
factions of Révolution et justice (RJ). However, UNICEF and partners faced
challenges in implementing reintegration programmes owing to a lack of funds and
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the volatile environment. I urge the Government to adopt a protocol for the handover
of children associated with armed groups to child protection actors, to adopt the draft
child protection code criminalizing the recruitment and use of children, to pass a
decree protecting associated children from prosecution, and to consider a national
prevention plan, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2427 (2018).
43. I remain deeply concerned about grave violations against children, including an
increase in the killing and maiming of children and in the number of attacks against
schools and hospitals by armed groups, as well as abductions attributed to former
Séléka elements. I urge armed groups to immediately cease all violations and abide
by their obligations under international law.
Colombia
44. The new Government took office in August 2018 and while the President, Ivá n
Duque Márquez, affirmed his commitment to implementing the peace agreement with
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia –People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo) (FARC-EP), he also reiterated
intentions to secure a consensual modification to certain controversial parts of the
Agreement. Limited implementation of the peace agreement in some regions led to
frustrations among communities, and in some cases, to the strengthening of non -State
armed groups in former FARC-EP areas, thus exposing children to grave violations.
45. In August, the Government conditioned continued dialogue with the Ejército de
Liberación Nacional (ELN) on the release of all victims of kidnapping and the
cessation of criminal activity. Those co nditions were not met. Negotiations were
formally discontinued by the Government following the attack on the General
Santander National Police Academy in January 2019, which was claimed by ELN.
46. More than 4,800 children were forcibly displaced in the D epartments of Chocó,
Nariño, Cauca, Antioquia, Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca, Arauca and Boyacá
owing to clashes and threats of child recruitment. According to the Government, by
31 December 2018, more than 1 million people from the Bolivarian Republ ic of
Venezuela had entered Colombia. Refugee and migrant children are at risk of
recruitment and use and sexual violence.
Grave violations
47. A total of 120 incidents of recruitment and use, which affected 293 children,
some as young as 14, were verified, a sharp increase compared with 169 children in
2017. Dissident FARC-EP groups4 were the main perpetrators (82 children) followed
by the ELN (69) and Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC) also known as
Clan del Golfo (12). According to the Go vernment, 196 children (105 boys; 91 girls)
who were separated from non-State armed groups entered the demobilization
programme of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute in 2018.
48. The United Nations verified 89 incidents of killing and maiming, which a ffected
108 children, some as young as eight (34 girls, 60 boys, 14 sex unknown), a sharp
increase since 2017 (53), resulting from clashes between armed groups, crossfire,
bombing and anti-personnel mines. The perpetrators were unidentified armed groups
(63 child casualties), ELN (14), dissident FARC -EP groups (11), AGC (8) and
Ejército Popular de Liberación (EPL) (1). There were 11 child casualties resulting
from Colombian Armed Forces operations against armed groups. According to
__________________
4 Throughout the report, dissident FARC-EP groups should be understood as including groups that
did not adhere to the peace agreement and former FARC -EP repeat offenders who abandoned
their commitments under the peace agreement.
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government data, 22 of the child casualties in 2018 were caused by anti -personnel
mines.
49. Incidents of sexual violence, which affected nine girls, were verified and
attributed to dissident FARC-EP groups (five girls) and AGC (four). For example, in
Putumayo Department, a 17-year-old indigenous girl was sexually abused by a
member of Frente Primero, a dissident FARC-EP group, and forced to use injectable
contraceptive methods.
50. A total of 13 attacks on schools and protected personnel were verified in Nariño,
Norte de Santander, Chocó, Valle del Cauca and Arauca, 2 perpetrated by dissident
FARC-EP groups and 11 by unidentified non-State armed groups, which disrupted
school classes. Incidents included the killing of a teacher, threats and the destruction
of school premises.
51. Six children aged between 14 and 16 (including three girls) were abducted by
ELN (two), dissident FARC-EP groups (one) and unidentified armed elements (three).
52. Two incidents of denial of humanitarian access, perpetrated by ELN, were
verified in the Department of Arauca. In one instance, ELN imposed restrictions on
movement for three days and forbade any type of activity, including school classes.
Developments and concerns
53. In August 2018, Decree 1434 was issued, adopting public policy guidan ce on
the prevention of recruitment and use of children and of sexual violence against
children by non-State armed groups. I welcome this positive development and
encourage the Government to strengthen institutions and programmes to prevent
recruitment and use. I call on the Government to prioritize the prevention of sexual
violence against children in the context of armed conflict and to ensure that
perpetrators are held to account.
54. I am deeply concerned about the high number of instances of the recru itment
and use of children by dissident FARC-EP groups and urge them to immediately
release children and end this practice. I remain concerned by the continuing
recruitment and use of children by ELN and by the increase in the killing and maiming
of children by armed groups. I call upon these groups to end and prevent such
violations.
55. As highlighted in my report on the United Nations Verification Mission in
Colombia (S/2018/1159), I am concerned about those children included in the
programme “Camino diferencial de vida” who have not yet received reparations, and
about the lack of adequate resources for the programme. I urge the Government to
implement a reintegration process for newly identified children , who have been
released through informal processes, and to reinforce security guarantees for
programme participants.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
56. The weak presence of state authority in some areas of the country, tensions
linked to the delayed elections, which were held in December 2018, the multiplication
and fragmentation of armed groups, intercommunal clashes between the Hema and
Lendu communities in Ituri and violence in the East and the Kasais all affected
children. Armed groups remained the perpetrators of the vast majority of grave
violations. The United Nations documented a decrease in grave violations against
children, owing mostly to the reduction of conflict in the Kasais.
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Grave violations
57. A total of 631 children (91 girls, 540 boys) were recruited during 2018. Mai -
Mai Mazembe (170) and Nyatura (150) accounted for half of the new recruitments,
followed by other armed groups. North Kivu remained the epicentre of child
recruitment and use, with more than 70 per cent of all cas es, followed by the Greater
Kasai region (16 per cent) and South Kivu (10 per cent). Nine children were used in
support functions for periods ranging between one and two months, by the Armed
Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) (7 boys; 1 girl) and the
Congolese National Police (1 boy), seven of whom were recruited and separated in
2018. For example, four boys were used by FARDC to carry looted goods for five
days in Ituri, while one boy was used by the Congolese National Police in Shabund a
Territory to perform police duties.
58. A total of 2,253 children (including 267 girls) were separated from 39 parties to
conflict, including Nyatura (532), Mai -Mai Mazembe (417), Kamuina Nsapu (335),
Raia Mutomboki (175), Forces démocratiques de libéra tion du Rwanda-Forces
combattantes abacunguzi (FDLR-FOCA) (128), Nduma défense du Congo -Rénové
(NDC-Rénové) (75) and Force de résistance patriotique de l ’Ituri (FRPI) and Alliance
des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (57 each). Almost half of the children
were below the age of 15 when recruited (1,067) and 45 per cent were used as
combatants (1,014). Following United Nations advocacy, 25 per cent of those children
were voluntarily released by the commanders of armed groups.
59. Some 125 children (including six girls) were deprived of liberty by Government
forces, owing to their alleged association with armed groups, and were released after
periods ranging from 3 to 48 days. In addition, 21 boys who were arrested for their
suspected association with Kamuina Nsapu, some since September 2016, continued
to be detained in Kananga prison, Kasai Province.
60. There were 169 child casualties, with 77 killed (39 girls, 38 boys) and 92
maimed (29 girls, 63 boys). Of those casualties, 36 were attributed to FA RDC (33)
and the Congolese National Police (3), mostly in the context of operations in the east.
The remaining casualties were attributed to armed groups, including Kamuina Nsapu
(45) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) (9), to unidentified armed elemen ts
(47), and 18 were caused by unexploded ordnance.
61. Sexual violence affected 277 girls in North Kivu (107), the Kasais (55), Ituri
(36), South Kivu (31), Tanganyika (11) and other provinces (37). Government forces
were responsible for 50 per cent of the cases, including FARDC (85), the Congolese
National Police (51) and Agence nationale de renseignements (ANR) (5), more than
double the number attributed to government forces in 2017. Eight suspected
perpetrators were arrested and await trial, while five were given sanctions by their
hierarchy. Other perpetrators included Nyatura (24), Raia Mutomboki (17), Conseil
national de la résistance pour la démocratie (CNRD), FRPI and unidentified Mai -Mai
groups (14 each), Mai-Mai Mazembe (8) and Kamuina Nsapu (7).
62. A total of 87 attacks on schools and 10 attacks on hospitals were verified, a
significant decrease since 2017, which is explained by the reduction in violence in
the Kasais, where institutions were no longer targeted. Most attacks occurred in the
context of intercommunal clashes in Djugu Territory, Ituri ( 75). In total, 43 schools
(42) and hospitals (1) were deliberately burned or damaged, another 51 schools (42)
and hospitals (9) were looted and school personnel were attacked (3). Armed groups
were responsible for most of the attacks. Three attacks were at tributed to FARDC.
63. Three schools and one hospital used for military purposes by FARDC (3) and
Nyatura (1) in North Kivu (3) and the Kasais (1) were vacated following United
Nations advocacy.
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64. The number of abductions decreased to 367 (270 boys; 97 girls) and occurred
mainly in North Kivu (291), South Kivu (51) and the Kasais (17). Main perpetrators
included Nyatura (91), Mai-Mai Mazembe (69), ADF (47), Raia Mutomboki (46),
FDLR-FOCA (24), CNRD (14) and Kamuina Nsapu (10). Seven girls and one boy
were abducted by FARDC mostly for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Children
were mostly abducted for the purpose of recruitment (209). A total of 62 children
were subjected to sexual violence during their association. In addition, a total of 151
children (95 girls; 56 boys), who have been abducted by the Bana Mura militia in the
Kasai region since 2017 and subjected to forced labour and sexual violence, remain
in captivity while 62 children (41 girls; 21 boys) returned to their families. United
Nations advocacy with the Government for the release of the remaining abductees
yielded limited results.
65. Four incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children were verified, all in
South Kivu. For example, Raia Mutomboki attacked and abducted aid workers,
hindering the distribution of vaccines to at least 5,000 children. Other incidents
involved attacks by unidentified armed elements on humanitarian convoys carrying
health supplies. However, the volatile security situation in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo affected tens of thousands of children and hindered the environment in
which humanitarian personnel operate.
Developments and concerns
66. I welcome the screening to determine the age of children during FARDC
recruitment campaigns, as a result o f which 146 children were separated before their
enrolment. Standard operating procedures for age assessment screening were
continuously disseminated across the FARDC and PNC.
67. The United Nations increased its efforts to encourage armed groups to cease
grave violations. Eight armed group commanders signed a unilateral declaration
committing to end and prevent child recruitment and use, as well as other grave
violations. Awareness-raising sessions regarding grave violations were conducted
with focal points from nine armed groups and community mediators. As armed groups
lay down their arms, I urge the Government to ensure that protection and screening
measures are in place to identify and separate children and ensure their access to
reintegration services.
68. The United Nations supported the implementation of the 2009 Child Protection
Act, punishing child recruitment by up to 10 years ’ imprisonment, including through
support to military justice, lawyers and non -governmental organizations. For the first
time, two armed groups commanders were sentenced to life in prison for charges
including child recruitment. The trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, former commander of
Nduma défense du Congo-Sheka, and two of his commanders, on charges of war
crimes, including child recruitment and use, and sexual violence, started in November
2018. Child victims and witnesses were identified, with support from the United
Nations for those efforts.
69. I commend the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for
sustaining the gains of its action plan on child recruitment and use, but I am concerned
by the persistent number of violations involving sexual violence being committed by
security forces and call upon the Government to expedite aspects of the plan relating
to sexual violence against children. I urge the Government to ensure that perpetrators
of grave violations are held accountable and to prioritize the prevention of violations
against children. Moreover, I call upon the Government to ensure that the children
abducted by the Bana Mura militia since 2017 are immediately released and returned
to their families.
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Iraq
70. The security situation in the country improved following the military defeat
of ISIL in late 2017, resulting in improved access for the monitorin g and verifying of
grave violations, including those which occurred prior to 2018. Despite the loss of
territory, ISIL continued to pose a threat to security forces and civilians, including
children, by carrying out deadly attacks in Ninawa, Kirkuk, Anbar, Diyala and
Baghdad. Demonstrations, which resulted in violent incidents, including killing and
arson, were verified.
Grave violations
71. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 39 children by parties to
conflict, including five boys between the ages of 12 and 15, used by the Iraqi Federal
Police in Ninawa Governorate to fortify a checkpoint, and one 15 -year-old boy used
by ISIL in Anbar Governorate to drive a car bomb into Fallujah city. In addition, 33
Yazidi boys between the ages of 15 and 17 were rescued after being abducted in Iraq
in 2014 by ISIL and trained and deployed to fight in the Syrian Arab Repub lic.
72. As of December, at least 902 children (850 boys and 52 girls) between the ages
of 15 and 18 remained in detention on national security -related charges, including for
their actual and alleged association with armed groups, primarily ISIL.
73. The United Nations verified the killing (48) and maiming (84) of 132 children
(105 boys, 27 girls), an 82 per cent decrease compared with 2017, mainly due to a
significant reduction in military operations against ISIL. A number of casualties were
attributed to ISIL (38) and the Iraqi Security Forces (1), while responsibility could
not be attributed for the remaining casualties.
74. Almost half of the child casualties (61) were caused by explosive remnants of
war found mainly in areas previously under ISIL control, in the Governorates of
Ninawa, Kirkuk, Diyala and Salah al-Din. Among those casualties, 28 child casualties
resulted from improvised explosive devices, including children used for carrying and
detonating improvised explosive devices, and 19 resulted from indirect attacks with
small arms and light weapons, mainly in Ninawa, Kirkuk, Diyala and Salah al -Din.
Among the remaining casualties, 16 child casualties were a result of targeted killings
and ill-treatment. In addition, two explosions in weapons and ammunition storage
facilities belonging to popular mobilization forces (PMF) occurred near or in
residential areas, in Karbala’ and Salah al-Din governorates, injuring eight children.
75. As a result of stigma and fear of retribution, among other issues, the United
Nations did not verify any cases of sexual violence against children.
76. The United Nations verified 24 attacks on schools (21) and hospitals (3). All
attacks on schools resulted from crossfire between ISF and ISIL during 2016 and
2017, in areas that only became accessible for verification in 2018, mainly in Kirkuk
Governorate. The three attacks against hospitals and medical personnel were
attributed to ISIL and comprised the killing of one member of medical staff in Diyala,
an attack on a medical centre in Kirkuk and the looting of supplies from Dara medical
centre in Kirkuk.
77. A total of 48 incidents of the military use of schools by ISIL were verified in
areas previously under ISIL control in Kirkuk, between 2014 and 2017, which became
accessible for verification in 2018. Of concern was also the temporary presence of
members of the Iraqi Security Forces inside sch ools in Ninawa, Salah al-Din and
Diyala, prior to and during the election period, to provide security to the Independent
High Electoral Commission.
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78. The United Nations verified two abductions of children. In one incident, a
16-year-old girl was abducted by an unidentified armed man in Mosul. In the other
case, a 14-year-old Yazidi girl was abducted by ISIL in 2015 and later sold. Both girls
were rescued by the Iraqi Security Forces in 2018.
79. While no incident of denial of humanitarian access was ver ified in 2018,
humanitarian actors faced bureaucratic impediments, which translated into restriction
of movement. Families with perceived affiliation with ISIL continued to face
challenges in obtaining the necessary security clearance to gain access to bas ic
services, including education and health, as well as restrictions on their freedom of
movement to leave areas or camp settings in order to seek medical assistance.
Developments and concerns
80. I welcome the ongoing discussions with the Government of Iraq on developing
an action plan to prevent child recruitment and use by PMF and encourage its forces ’
screening. I call on the InterMinisterial Committee on Monitoring and Reporting to
resume regular consultations with the United Nations in order to proceed with its
signature and implementation.
81. I welcome the release of 40 boys by tribal armed groups, with the support of the
United Nations, which assisted in their reintegration.
82. I am deeply concerned about the situation of children held in de tention on
security-related charges and emphasize the need to treat children primarily as victims
and in line with international juvenile justice standards. I further call for detention to
be a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time, and for the
respect of due process. The restriction of movement imposed on civilians with
suspected links to ISIL in camps for internally displaced persons is of concern, as is
their physical security upon return to their areas of origin. I reiterat e the willingness
of the United Nations to support the Government in prioritizing the reintegration of
children formerly associated with parties to conflict.
83. I call upon all countries concerned to facilitate the repatriation of foreign women
and children actually and allegedly affiliated with ISIL, in line with the guiding
principle of non-refoulement and with respect for the best interests of the child.
Israel and State of Palestine
84. Palestinian and Israeli children continued to be severely af fected by the
continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In 2018,
the United Nations verified the highest number of Palestinian children killed (59) and
injured (2,756) since 2014. Six Israeli children were verified as h aving been injured.
Grave violations
85. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of three 17 -year-old boys
in Gaza (two) and the West Bank (one) by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad ’s al-Quds
Brigades, Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades and an unidentified Palestinian armed group
(one each). The United Nations received testimony from three children, between the
ages of 15 and 16, that Israeli forces attempted to recruit them as informants.
86. As of December, 203 Palestinian children were held over sec urity offences by
the Israeli forces, including 114 in pretrial detention and/or being detained during
trial, and 87 serving a sentence. The United Nations received affidavits from 127
Palestinian boys who, during interviews with the United Nations, report ed illtreatment
and breaches of due process during their arrest, transfer and detention. The
United Nations documented four cases of the administrative detention of Palestinian
children in 2018.
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87. A total of 59 Palestinian children (57 boys, 2 girls), some as young as 18 months
old, were killed in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem (8) and Gaza (51), with
most of the casualties attributed to Israeli forces (56) and one to an Israeli settler. In
addition, one child was killed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad ’s al-Quds Brigades,
and one boy was killed by an improvised explosive device accidentally detonated at
his home by his father, an Al-Aqsa Brigade member. Of these 59 children, 33 boys
and 1 girl were killed by Israeli forces during demonstrations at the Gaza fence, 88
per cent of whom (30) were shot by live ammunition to the upper body, while
reportedly posing no imminent threat of death or serious injury to Israeli forces, and
another 2 boys died after being struck in the head by tear gas canisters. Three children
were killed by Israeli forces air strikes in Gaza. In the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, eight boys were killed by Israeli forces, five of whom were shot during
demonstrations and clashes.
88. The United Nations verified that 2,756 Palestinian children were injured (2,514
boys, 242 girls) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, an increase compared with 2017
(1,160), owing to injuries sustained during the Great March of Retur n. In the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, 1,421 were injured by Israeli forces (1,398) and
settlers (23) in the context of demonstrations, clashes and search and arrest
operations, including 988 injured as a result of inhaling tear gas, subsequently
requiring medical treatment. Three boys were injured while committing or allegedly
attempting to commit stabbing attacks against Israelis. In Gaza, 1,335 child casualties
were attributed to Israeli forces, 1,276 of whom were injured between March and
December during demonstrations at the Gaza fence, 62 per cent injured by live
ammunition (629) or shrapnel (167) and 35 per cent by tear gas inhalation (443).
Twenty children had limbs amputated.
89. Six Israeli children were injured, including two girls injured in their home by a
rocket fired indiscriminately by a Palestinian armed group.
90. Two schools in Gaza were damaged during ground attacks by Israeli forces, and
a further four schools were damaged during air strikes by Israeli forces. A mortar
launched by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza exploded in the yard of a
kindergarten near Sderot, a town located in southern Israel. No injuries were reported
in connection with those attacks.
91. The United Nations verified 118 incidents of interference with educa tion in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory by Israeli forces (113) and Israeli settlers (5), affecting
23,188 children. Among those were two verified incidents of the military use of a
school by Israeli forces. More than half of verified interferences invo lved Israeli
forces firing live ammunition, tear gas or sound grenades in and around schools,
mostly in the context of clashes or military operations. Of particular concern is the
fact that Israeli forces did not always intervene when settlers entered Urif village and
attacked the secondary school. Attacks on the school in Urif have been verified since
2012.
92. Conflict escalations also caused significant disruptions to children ’s education
in Gaza and southern Israel, when schools were closed for the saf ety of students and
educators as a result of air strikes by Israeli forces and indiscriminate rocket fire by
Palestinian armed groups. For example, school closures affected an estimated 63,000
children in southern Israel and 637,195 children in Gaza during escalations of conflict
on 12 and 13 November.
93. Three health facilities were damaged in Israeli forces air strikes. Three members
of medical personnel were killed and a further 553 injured by Israeli forces, including
375 by tear gas inhalation, while providing medical services during Gaza
demonstrations. Seven interferences with health services were documented in the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem, due to Israeli forces incursions into or clashes
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near health facilities, as well as attacks by Israe li settlers on medical vehicles and
personnel.
94. With respect to applications to Israeli authorities for children to cross into Israel
for medical treatment outside Gaza, approval for 24 per cent of such applications was
reported as having been delayed, affecting 1,079 boys and 689 girls. Applications on
behalf of children injured in Gaza demonstrations were approved at a very low rate
(22 per cent approval compared with the average of 75 per cent for other cases
involving children).
Developments and concerns
95. I am extremely concerned by the significant rise in the maiming of and injuries
caused to children across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including by
tear gas inhalation requiring medical treatment. I request my Special Repres entative
to further examine the cases of maiming and injuries caused by Israeli forces, and
urge Israel to immediately put in place preventive and protective measures to end the
excessive use of force. I reiterate my call upon Israel to uphold internationa l juvenile
justice standards, as well as to cease the use of administrative detention for children
and end all forms of ill-treatment in detention, and to cease any attempted recruitment
of detained children as informants.
96. I urge all parties to apply all feasible measures to ensure the protection of and
care for children affected by armed conflict and to refrain from the excessive use of
force. I call on all parties to engage constructively with the United Nations to prevent
future violations.
97. I urge all Palestinian actors to refrain from encouraging children ’s participation
in violence. I call upon the al-Quds and al-Qassam Brigades to immediately cease the
recruitment and use of children, and I further request my Special Representative to
further examine recruitment and use by armed groups.
Lebanon
98. Armed clashes in camps for Palestinian refugees, sporadic armed violence and
the presence of mines and other explosive devices negatively affected children
throughout the country.
Grave violations
99. The recruitment and use of children by armed groups continued, with 22
children (21 boys, 1 girl) verified as associated with the Ansarullah Movement (Ansar
Allah) (5), Hizbullah (1) or unidentified militia (16). They were mostly used as guards
or in support roles, for carrying weapons or food. For example, five boys associated
with Ansar Allah, between the ages of 14 and 17, were trained to use weapons, wore
military uniforms and held Kalashnikov rifles in Mieh Mieh camp for Palestinian
refugees in Sidon in October.
100. Children continued to be arrested and prosecuted in relation to terrorism charges
as part of military justice processes, with 20 new arrests in 2018 for alleged
association with ISIL. As of December, 16 children remained in detention on such
charges, 9 of whom were in pretrial detention and 7 of whom were detained following
sentencing.
101. A total of 14 child casualties (13 boys, 1 girl) were verified, resulting from
unattributed mine explosions (6) or crossfire (8), mainly in North Biqa ‘, Akkar and
the south.
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102. Marking an increase compared with 2017, five United Nations facilities in
Palestinian refugee camps (3 schools, 2 health centres) sustained damage from
crossfire between armed actors in three camps for Palestinian refugees. For example,
two schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were damaged by shrapnel in Ein El Hilweh in
October. In addition, armed clashes in camps for Palestinian refugees disrupted
educational activities in UNRWA schools, with more than 11,000 students deprived
of at least one day of school in Ein El Hilweh and Shatila camps and over 400 students
deprived of 20 consecutive school days in Mieh Mieh camp. Two United Nations
clinics had to close for 2 days and 19 d ays in Shatila and Mieh Mieh camps,
respectively, affecting approximately 200 patients a day.
Developments and concerns
103. I am concerned about armed clashes in camps for Palestinian refugees and about
the recruitment and use of children. I am also c oncerned about attacks on schools and
the impact thereof on children’s well-being and access to education. I reiterate my
call for the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Children
associated with armed groups should be treated primarily as victims, detained only as
a last resort and for the shortest possible period of time, and be promptly referred to
reintegration programmes. I call on armed groups to imme diately cease the
recruitment and use of children.
Libya
104. The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations Support Mission in
Libya (UNSMIL) in September 2018 led to a decrease in hostilities in Tripoli.
However, sporadic fighting continued in parts of Libya and children fell victim to
indiscriminate attacks, including during exchanges of crossfire in densely populated
areas. The lack of access for monitoring actors, owing to the security situation,
severely inhibited the verification of grave violations against children.
Grave violations
105. The United Nations received reports of the increased recruitment and use of
children, yet information could not be verified owing to security and access
restrictions. Communities are also believed not to have reported incidents, out of fear
of repercussions.
106. Children were deprived of liberty by the Libyan National Army for their alleged
association with the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) in the context of clashes in the
oil crescent region. The United Nations also received reports of refugee and migrant
children held by criminal networks allegedly associated with armed groups.
107. The United Nations verified the killing (30) and maiming (44) of 74 children by
unidentified armed elements. Child casualties resulted from air strikes, shelling in
urban areas, small arms fire as well as from improvised explosive devices and
unexploded ordnance, mainly in Tripoli, Benghazi and in southern Libya. Children
fell victim to clashes, including between the Libyan National Army and the Darnah
Protection Force (DPF) in Darnah, between the Libyan National Army and PFG forces
in the oil crescent region, and between tribal groups in Sabha.
108. The United Nations was unable to verify any case of sexual violence against
children. However, refugee and migrant children were repo rtedly subjected to sexual
abuse, including forced prostitution and sexual exploitation, in conditions that could
amount to sexual slavery, by traffickers or criminal networks allegedly associated
with armed groups.
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109. The United Nations verified attacks on schools (5) and hospitals (37), mostly in
the context of clashes between armed groups including shelling and crossfire,
including in Sabha, Darnah and Tripoli. Attacks on schools were attributed to Ahmad
al-Dabbashi (1) and the Abu Salim brigade (1) wh ile three remained unattributed. The
attacks on hospitals, all of which were unattributed, included the killing and maiming
of 12 members of health-care personnel and of three patients.
110. While no incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verifie d, humanitarian
actors in Libya continued to face restrictions, including administrative and
bureaucratic impediments in providing humanitarian assistance to civilians, including
children, who were also denied access to appropriate health care.
Developments and concerns
111. I welcome the collaboration between the United Nations and local authorities in
the area of Zintan on the reintegration of children and the engagement with armed
groups to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. I urge all parties to
engage with the United Nations to strengthen the protection and the prevention of
violations against children.
112. I am deeply concerned about the levels of child casualties, often owing to
indiscriminate shelling and crossfire in urban areas. The abuse of refuge e and migrant
children, including through trafficking, deprivation of liberty and sexual abuse, is
abhorrent and I call upon the Government of National Accord to swiftly act to protect
children and prevent them from being subjected to these violations.
Mali
113. The security situation in northern and central Mali remained volatile, marked
by military operations and attacks by armed groups against Malian Defence and
Security Forces, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization
Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and armed groups signatories to the 2015 Agreement
on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, resulting in civilian casualties. The Central
region was caught in a spiral of violence with the rise of self -defence groups and
intercommunal conflict triggering killings and forced displacement, as well as
affecting children’s welfare. Previously peaceful western regions also witnessed
instability.
Grave violations
114. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 109 boys and 5 girls.
The main perpetrators were Platform (57) (including the Groupe d ’autodéfense des
Touaregs Imghad et leurs alliés (GATIA) (27), Ganda Lassale Izo (24) and other
Platform members (6)), and the Coordination des mouvements de l ’Azawad (CMA)
(23) (including the Mouvement national pour la libération de l ’Azawad (MNLA) (12),
the Haut Conseil pour l’unité de l’Azawad (9) and other CMA members (2)). At least
31 children were used as combatants, 3 of whom were children between the ages of
14 and 17 who were associated with Congrès pour la justice dans l’Azawad and were
killed by CMA at a checkpoint in Timbuktu region.
115. A total of 13 boys arrested by the Malian Defence and Security Forces for their
alleged association with armed groups or on national security charg es were released
after between 5 days and 60 days in detention, including 5 boys who were ill -treated
while detained. Three other children were deprived of their liberty in Ménaka by
GATIA, the Mouvement pour le salut de l ’Azawad (MSA) and by joint GATIA/MSA
forces (one each).
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116. A total of 77 children (13 girls, 64 boys) were killed and 52 maimed (16 girls,
36 boys) as a result of intercommunal conflict, crossfire, improvised explosive
devices and explosive remnants of war. Responsibility for the majori ty of the child
casualties could not be attributed, except for 16 casualties attributed to the Group of
Support to Islam and Muslims (Jama'a Nusrat ul -Islam wa al-Muslimin) (GSIM) and
another 16 to traditional hunters of Dan Na Ambassagou. The regions most affected
were Mopti and Gao.
117. Sexual violence continued to be highly underreported. A total of 20 girls
between the ages of 12 and 17 were victims of rape and sexual violence perpetrated
by unidentified armed groups (18), Forces armées maliennes and GATIA (1 each).
118. A total of 81 attacks on schools were verified, which doubled from the number
verified in 2017 (41). The responsibility for most incidents was unattributed, except
for two attacks perpetrated by GSIM. At least 40 schools closed follow ing direct
threats made to teachers. Other incidents included the burning of schools and physical
attacks on school personnel. The most affected regions were Mopti (50) and
Koulikoro (20) in the centre and the west/south of the country. As of December, 827
schools remained closed, leaving more than 244,000 children with no access to
education. The United Nations verified 21 attacks against hospitals, all unattributed,
in Mopti (12), Timbuktu (7) and Gao (2) regions, involving abductions of protected
personnel and the carjacking of health centres ’ vehicles and ambulances.
119. Eight boys and one girl were abducted by unidentified traditional hunters (two) ,
Islamic State in Greater Sahara and GATIA (one each) and unidentified armed groups
(five). The girl abducted by GATIA in Gao region was subjected to sexual violence.
120. A total of 170 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified, the
responsibility for which was unattributed except for incidents attributed to Dan Na
Ambassagou (two), GATIA and Malian Defence and Security Forces (one each). Most
incidents occurred in Timbuktu (41), Gao (36), Mopti (30), Kidal (26) and Ménaka
(24) regions resulting in the disruption of the provision of humanitarian assistance to
children, such as health care, vac cination and food distribution.
Developments and concerns
121. Following the adoption of the Safe Schools Declaration in February, I encourage
the Government to continue its implementation, including the mapping of schools
closed as a result of direct threats and insecurity
122. A joint United Nations-CMA-Government coordination mechanism was
established for the implementation of the 2017 action plan. However, the
implementation has been slow, and I am concerned by the continued recruitment and
use of children. I urge CMA to implement the action plan without delay. In 2018, 102
boys and 5 girls formerly associated with armed groups received reintegration support
from UNICEF and partners.
123. The United Nations continued engagement with French forces from Operation
Barkhane on the protection of children during military operations. Twelve children
captured by Barkhane during military operations were handed over to civilian child
protection actors. Three children captured by MINUSMA were transferred to the
Gendarmerie before their handover to civilian authorities. Dialogue was initiated with
the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel to mainstream child protection in
their operations. I welcome the adoption of a compliance framework by the Joint
Force and encourage the Force to implement the child protection aspects therein,
including the handover of children.
124. In the framework of the accelerated disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration and integration process in Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu, nine individuals,
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who were presumed to be children, were identified during the screening of combatants
but were not released, as they presented adult identity cards, which had been issued a
few days prior to the screening. I am concerned by these reports and urge all parties
to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of all associated children. I am
also concerned by the increasing number of child casualties, in particular resulting
from an intercommunal conflict in central Mali, including by Dan Na Ambassagou,
which further deteriorated in early 2019. I am concerned about the continuing high
numbers of children recruited and used by the Platform and urge it to develop an
action plan with the support of the United Nations to release children and end this
practice.
Myanmar
125. Armed conflict continued to take place both between the Tatmadaw and armed
groups, and among armed groups, notably in Shan, Kachin and Rakhine States. In the
last quarter of the year, fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army
intensified in central Rakhine and southern Chin States. Attacks by Arakan Rohingya
Salvation Army elements against Government forces were also registered. This
resulted in the continuous displacement of civilians across the two states. Hundreds
of thousands of Rohingya, half of whom are children, remained in Rakhine State, and
those displaced in Shan and Kachin States continue to face serious hardships.
Grave violations
126. The United Nations verified 7 children having been recruited and 64 children
having been used by the Tatmadaw in 2018. In addition, the past recruitment of 26
boys by the Tatmadaw was verified in 2018.
127. The United Nations verified 11 incidents of the recru itment and use of 17
children (14 boys and 3 girls) by armed groups. Nine incidents were attributed to the
Kachin Independence Army (KIA), one to Ta ’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)
and one to Karen National Liberation Army. In addition, two incidents w ere
documented involving United Wa State Army (UWSA).
128. The United Nations documented the detention of five suspected minors, who
had been recruited by the Tatmadaw and held for desertion, and advocated their
release. They were placed on light duty in t heir regiments, pending assessment of
their ages. In addition, despite United Nations advocacy, an appeal remains ongoing
regarding the charges against the former child soldier Aung Ko Htwe, who was
forcibly recruited by the Tatmadaw in 2005 and sentenced to two years imprisonment
for sharing his experience with the media. As of December, he remained in detention.
Furthermore, the United Nations sent 12 advocacy letters to the Tatmadaw regarding
the assignment to the front lines of 11 suspected minors, who were returned to rear
bases, pending verification of their ages.
129. The United Nations verified 34 incidents of the killing and maiming of children,
resulting in the death of 16 children and injury to 39 children, mainly caused by
landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (24),
crossfire (4), air strikes by the Tatmadaw (2), gunshots by Border Guard Police (BGP)
(2) and unidentified elements (1), and mortar shells launched by an unknown armed
element (1).
130. The United Nations documented eight incidents of attacks against schools (five)
and hospitals (three) in Kachin (six) and Shan (two) States, attributed to Tatmadaw
(two), KIA (two), Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA)
(one) and unidentified elements (three).
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131. The United Nations received 32 reports of the military use of schools (30) and
hospitals (2) in Rakhine (30) and Kachin (2) States, attributed to the Tatmadaw (21),
BGP (7), and jointly to the Tatmadaw and BGP (4). In one incident in Kachi n State,
a hospital was used as a military base for 13 days, denying the local population access
thereto.
132. The United Nations verified three incidents of abduction affecting nine boys,
attributed to Tatmadaw (two) and KIA (one). Another six incidents were documented
reportedly affecting 36 children, attributed to the KIA (four), the TNLA (one) and the
UWSA (one).
133. Humanitarian access, particularly in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States,
continued to deteriorate. International humanitarian organizations have not been able
to deliver relief supplies in areas beyond the Government ’s control since 2016 owing
to denial of travel authorizations.
Developments and concerns
134. I am encouraged by the Government’s formation of an interministerial
committee to prevent all six grave violations and discuss action plans on ending and
preventing sexual violence and killing and maiming, following their listing in my
previous report, and hope for progress in granting access to conflict -affected areas of
Myanmar and holding perpetrators accountable. I reiterate my call for the
Government to fully comply with and to finalize action plans on ending and
preventing the two remaining violations, with the United Nations, as a priority and
encourage the Government to adopt a law on child rights. I remain concerned about
the ongoing recruitment and use of children and detention of children by the
Government.
135. In 2018, the United Nations engaged with all listed armed groups, in accordance
with relevant Security Council resolutions, except for UWSA, and commitments are
being sought from RCSS/SSA, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, Karen National
Liberation Army Peace Council and Karen National Uni on. I strongly encourage
listed parties to remain engaged with the United Nations in adopting concrete
commitments, and to take action to prevent and address the recruitment of children
with immediate effect.
136. During her visit to Myanmar in May 2018, my Special Representative stressed
to the Government the need for accelerated implementation of the joint action plan
on ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children. She urged the
Government to ensure no new violations would occur with respec t to child
recruitment and use, to expedite the age assessment of recruits, to release suspected
minors whose cases are pending, and to cease the detention of children for desertion
or for being absent without leave. Though efforts are under way, full comp liance is
yet to be achieved and aggravated cases of new recruitment occurred in 2018, with
no progress on accountability. However, 75 children and young people recruited as
children were released from the Tatmadaw in 2018 and there has been steady progres s
in addressing the backlog of cases from previous years.
137. I am concerned about the levels of recruitment and use, and of the killing and
maiming of children, notably caused by landmines, explosive remnants of war and
improvised explosive devices, and condemn grave violations committed by all
parties.
Somalia
138. The political and security situation in Somalia was marked by tensions between
the Federal Government of Somalia and federal member states, with the latter
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breaking off relations with the Federal Government in September. The situation
improved from December onwards, when the Federal Government engaged federal
member states to normalize relations. Al -Shabaab continued its attacks against the
Somali National Army and the African Union Missio n in Somalia (AMISOM) and
used improvised explosive devices against civilians, often with children as victims.
In 2018, the number of children affected by grave violations increased by 23 per cent
compared with 2017.
Grave violations
139. A total of 2,228 boys and 72 girls, some as young as 8, were recruited and used
by parties to conflict. The recruitment of children by Al -Shabaab significantly
increased (1,865) compared with 2017 as the group sustained its recruitment drive,
including by forcing clan elders and parents to provide children or face reprisal. Other
perpetrators included the Somali National Army (155), Somali police (93), Galmudug
forces (67), Jubbaland forces (56), clan militias (24), Puntland forces (20) and Ahl
al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (ASWJ) (14).
140. The detention of children for their alleged association with Al -Shabaab
remained a serious concern, with 360 boys and 15 girls affected. Children were
detained by the Somali National Army (168), Somali police (145), Jubbaland forces
(20), National Intelligence and Security Agency (18), Galmudug forces and AMISOM
(3 each), clan militia and “Somaliland” elements (2 each) and ASWJ (1). Al-Shabaab
held 13 children for failing to respect their rules.
141. A total of 781 boys and 260 girls were killed and maimed by Al-Shabaab (437),
unidentified armed elements (344), Somali National Army (113), clan militias (36),
Somali police (26), Jubbaland forces (24), Galmudug forces (19), AMISOM (15),
Southwest forces (10), unidentified air strikes (8), Punt land forces (6), Ethiopian Liyu
Police, Ethiopian National Defence Forces and Kenya Defence Forces (1 each). Most
child casualties resulted from crossfire, targeted killings, aerial bombardments,
improvised explosive devices and suicide attacks.
142. The United Nations verified incidents of sexual violence affecting 328 girls and
3 boys, attributed to unidentified armed elements ( 114), Somali National Army (50),
Al-Shabaab (46), clan militias (42), Jubbaland forces (31), Galmudug forces (14),
Somali police (13), Southwest forces (10), Ethiopian Liyu Police (6), Puntland forces
(3), and Ethiopian National Defence Forces (2).
143. A total of 77 attacks on schools were verified, the majority (61) attributed to
Al-Shabaab. Incidents included killing, abduction and threats against teachers,
destruction and looting. On 9 June, a Koranic school teacher was forced to leave
Galharur village, Aden Yabal district, Shabelle Dhexe Region, after receiving threats
for not teaching according to Al-Shabaab’s curriculum. A total of 14 attacks on
hospitals were verified and attributed to Al -Shabaab (7), Galmudug forces (4) and
unidentified armed elements, clan militias and the Somali National Army (1 each).
144. A total of 1,609 children (1,479 boys, 130 girls), some as young a s 8, were
verified as abducted, 97 per cent of them by Al -Shabaab (1,590) mainly for the
purpose of recruitment and use. On 13 October, three boys between the ages of 11
and 16 were abducted by Al-Shabaab from a local madrasa in Howlwadaag village,
Bu’aale district, Juba Dhexe Region. The children were taken to a training facility for
indoctrination and subsequent recruitment.
145. A total of 74 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified by the
United Nations, a sharp increase from 2017 (37). Most incidents were attributed to
Al-Shabaab (41).
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Developments and concerns
146. The Federal Government elaborated a road map to expedite the implementation
of the two action plans signed in 2012. I welcome this positive development and call
for its swift implementation by all Government security forces, including the Somali
National Army and the Somali police. I also commend the drafting of the Child Rights
Bill, which incorporates the Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law,
and urge its speedy enactment. The Sexual Offence Bill is also a positive development
and I call for its enactment.
147. I welcome the decree signed by the President of Puntland on 20 August
pardoning 34 children who had previously received heavy sentences and been
imprisoned since 2016 for their alleged association with Al -Shabaab.
148. During 2018, 74 children were released from the Puntland forces, 17 of whom
separated during the screening of those Forces earmarked for integration into the
Somali National Army. In addition, the Somali National Army rescued 36 boys, some
as young as 7, from an Al-Shabaab training centre in Shabelle Hoose Region. All
children were handed over to UNICEF and partners for reintegration support. Overall,
1,179 children formerly associated with armed forces and groups received
reintegration support in 2018.
149. I am very concerned by the increase in the recruitment and use, and killing and
maiming of children, and in the number of children who have been subjected to sexual
violence, the perpetration of which is attributed to the Somali National Army and the
Somali police. I am also preoccupied by the steady increase in grave violations by
regional forces, in particular Galmudug and Jubbaland forces, and strongly encourage
them to engage with the United Nations to end and prevent violations.
150. I remain severely concerned by the increased recruitment and use, and the
continuous abductions of children by Al -Shabaab. I call upon all parties to
immediately cease and prevent all violations against children. I also remain concerned
by the detention of children for their alleged association with Al-Shabaab and call on
authorities to treat these children primarily as victims, to prioritize their reintegration
in line with their best interests, and to respect due process and international juvenile
justice standards.
South Sudan
151. The signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South
Sudan in September 2018 resulted in a decrease in hostilities and a slight
improvement in humanitarian access to children. However, the parties made modest
progress on the implementation of the peace agreement and spikes in abductions and
sexual violence against children were noted after the signing of the agreement. The
greater Equatoria region remained the epicentre of grave violations with 50 per cent
of the total number of incidents.
Grave violations
152. The United Nations verified 102 incidents of recruitment or use affecting 453
children (365 boys, 88 girls), 14 per cent of whom were under 15 years of age at the
time of their recruitment. Almost half of the cases were attributed to the South Sudan
National Liberation Movement (SSNLM) (224 children), followed by the pro -Machar
Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) (84) and the National
Salvation Front (NAS) (2), with some cases relating to chi ldren who had been
recruited in previous years. Close to 30 per cent of the children were recruited and
used by Government Security Forces (143), including the South Sudan People ’s
Defence Forces (SSPDF) (94), Taban Deng-allied SSPDF (46), the South Sudan
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National Police Service (SSNPS) (2) and the National Prison Service of South Sudan
(NPSSS) (1). In addition, 955 children were released by the SSNLM (629), Taban
Deng-allied SSPDF (318) and NAS (8).
153. A total of 125 children (69 boys, 45 girls, 11 sex unknown) were verified as
having been killed and maimed by Government Security Forces (75), including the
SSPDF (66), the SSNPS (8) and the South Sudan National Fire Brigade (1). The
pro-Machar SPLA-IO was responsible for the killing and maiming of five ch ildren.
Fifteen children were affected by crossfire between SSPDF and pro -Machar
SPLA-IO, and crossfire between the South Sudan National Movement for Change
(SSNMC) and pro-Machar SPLA-IO affected seven children. Children also continued
to be affected by unexploded ordnance (23).
154. A total of 72 children, including 1 boy, were subjected to sexual violence, 33 of
whom were under 15 years of age and 8 of whom were gang -raped. The majority of
cases were attributed to the Government Security Forces (57), in cluding SSPDF (47
children, including 1 boy), SSNPS (6), Taban Deng -allied SSPDF (2), and to NPSSS
and the National Security Service (1 each). The pro -Machar SPLA-IO was
responsible for perpetrating sexual violence against 14 girls and responsibility for o ne
case was attributed to unidentified armed elements. In addition, a spike in cases of
sexual violence in northern Unity was reported by the United Nations in the last
quarter of 2018.
155. A total of 30 attacks on schools (18) and hospitals (12) were ve rified and
attributed to Government Security Forces (11), including SSPDF (10) and the Taban
Deng-allied SSPDF (1), as well as to pro -Machar SPLA-IO (15), NAS (1) and to
crossfire incidents between SSPDF and pro -Machar SPLA-IO (3). Attacks
predominantly involved the destruction and looting of educational or medical
facilities.
156. In addition, 33 schools (26) and hospitals (7) were used for military purposes,
the majority by Government Security Forces (27), including SSPDF (25) and Taban
Deng-allied SSPDF (2), followed by pro-Machar SPLA-IO (5) and SSNMC (1).
157. A total of 109 children (49 boys, 51 girls, 9 sex unknown) were verified as
having been abducted. The pro-Machar SPLA-IO was responsible for a large majority
of those cases (92), often for the p urpose of rape and other forms of sexual violence
and for the recruitment and use of children. SSPDF was responsible for the abduction
of 17 children.
158. A total of 14 incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified in a
context that continued to be challenging for humanitarian actors Incidents were
attributed to pro-Machar SPLA-IO (10), SSPDF (3), and NAS (1) and involved
attacks, the abduction of humanitarian personnel and the looting of humanitarian aid
intended for children. For instance, in April 2018, pro-Machar SPLA-IO held 10
humanitarian workers for five days in Central Equatoria.
Developments and concerns
159. I welcome South Sudan’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict in
September 2018, following the mission of my Special Representative to South Sudan,
and the release of 955 children (including 317 girls) by armed groups that integrated
SSPDF in 2018, including Taban Deng-allied SSPDF and SSNLM. I am encouraged
by the willingness of the Government to engage with the United Nations on the
development of a comprehensive action plan for ending and preventing all grave
violations against children. The elaboration of a draft, together with the United
Nations, in February 2019 is a welcome first step and I encourage the Government
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and allied parties to finalize the action plan without delay. Within the framework of
the existing action plan to end and prevent child recruitment and use, signed in 2012
and recommitted to in 2014, the SSPDF appointed child protection focal points across
its divisions, organized trainings on child pr otection jointly with the United Nations
and granted access for the United Nations to conduct screenings in Bentiu military
barracks.
160. I am seriously concerned about the ongoing impunity for violations against
children and urge the Government to ensur e accountability, in particular for sexual
violence. I urge the Government to ensure that the protection of children is addressed
in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, including by ensuring that
crimes against children are not amnestied. I fu rther urge the Government to cease
attacks on schools and the military use thereof, in line with its endorsement of the
Safe Schools Declaration. In addition, I am extremely concerned about the increase
in abductions, often for the purpose of sexual violen ce and recruitment, and urge the
pro-Machar SPLA-IO faction to engage with the United Nations on the action plan to
end and prevent the recruitment and use of children and the killing and maiming of
children signed in 2016.
The Sudan
161. While fighting subsided in large parts of Darfur, sporadic clashes between
Government forces and the Sudan Liberation Army -Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW)
continued in the Jebel Marra area, resulting in the displacement of civilians and in an
upsurge in killing and maiming of children, the number of children subjected to sexual
violence and in the number of children abducted. Progress in implementing the Doha
Document for Peace in Darfur remained limited, as did political dialogue between the
Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North
(SPLM/N). While unilateral ceasefires were extended in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan
and Darfur, violations were reported in the Blue Nile, as were clashes between
factions of SPLM/N. The ability of the United Nations to monitor and report on grave
violations was hampered by access restrictions and reduced child protection capacity.
Grave violations: Darfur
162. No cases of the recruitment and use of children were verified in 2018, although
allegations thereof were received.
163. The United Nations verified a total of 77 incidents of killing and maiming
affecting 186 children (121 boys, 65 girls), a 27 per cent increase compared with 2017
(146). Child casualties were attributed to Government Security Forc es (98), including
the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) (33), the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) (57) and the
Sudan Police Force (8), often occurring in the context of military operations in the
Jebel Marra area. Remaining casualties were attributed to unidentified ar med
elements (16), SLA/AW (9) and SLA/General Leadership (1). More than a third of
incidents (62 children) were caused by unexploded ordnance.
164. The United Nations verified that 68 girls were subjected to sexual violence, a
55 per cent increase compared with 2017 (44). Cases were attributed to Government
Security Forces (39), including RSF (20), SAF (17), the Sudan Police Force (1), the
National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) (1), followed by unidentified
armed elements (29). The majority of ca ses occurred in the context of clashes in the
Jebel Marra area.
165. A total of 17 attacks on schools (14) and hospitals (3) were verified and
attributed to Government Security Forces (12), including RSF (7) and SAF (5),
followed by unidentified armed elements (5). In addition, the United Nations verified
the military use of one school by SAF in West Darfur, which was vacated during the
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year. A school used for military purposes by SAF in Laiba, East Jebel Marra, reported
on previously, remained occupied at the time of writing.
166. A total of 22 children (17 boys, 5 girls) were verified as having been abducted
by the Government Security Forces (14), including RSF (9), SAF (2), the Border
Guards (2) and the Popular Police Force (1), and most of those abductio ns were
followed by arrests. Unidentified armed elements were responsible for the abduction
of eight children.
167. While no incident of denial of humanitarian access was verified, the prevailing
security situation and access restrictions imposed by partie s to conflict largely
complicated humanitarian access to children.
Grave violations: Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei
168. During the reporting period, access restrictions hindered monitoring and
reporting by the United Nations on grave violations committed against children.
169. The killing of a boy by unexploded ordnance was verified in Southern Kordofan.
170. Three schools and one health clinic in Blue Nile, which had been used for
military purposes since 2011, were vacated by the Government in June 2018.
Developments and concerns
171. Major political developments in April 2019 resulted in the removal of the
President of the Sudan and his Government. I welcome efforts made to sustain the
gains of the action plan to end and prevent child recruitment and use, which was
completed in 2018, including by preserving institutional structures at the national and
state levels and taking steps to develop, with the United Nations, a national plan for
the prevention of violations against children. I am encouraged by the continued
collaboration between the Government and the United Nations in the training of
security forces, local authorities, community members and community-based child
protection networks on child protection and child rights, in particular at the state level,
and I encourage these areas of collaboration to be further reinforced in all parts of
Darfur. I also welcome the vacating by military authorities of schools and health
facilities and encourage the authorities to continue to demilitarize schools, in line
with the Safe Schools Declaration. I further encourage the authorities to
operationalize the complaint mechanism manual for reporting child recruitment, to
disseminate the standard operating procedures on the release and handover of children
associated with armed groups among all Government security forces and to roll out
the national awareness-raising campaign for preventing violations against children.
172. I am, however, concerned about the elevated numbers of cases of killing and
maiming, sexual violence and abductions perpetrated against children in the context
of clashes in the Jebel Marra area. I remind all pa rties to abide by their obligations
under international law to protect children, including by respecting the principles of
distinction, proportionality and precaution, and by ensuring the accountability of all
perpetrators. I am further concerned about the lack of access for the United Nations
to areas under SPLM/N control and call on the group to allow and facilitate safe and
unimpeded access to verify the implementation of its 2016 action plan on ending and
preventing the recruitment and use of children.
Syrian Arab Republic
173. The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic continued throughout 2018, with an
increasing number of grave violations (3,021), the highest number of violations ever
verified in the country, despite security and access restrictions . In addition, 934
violations that took place in 2017 and in previous years were also verified. In January,
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the Government of Turkey officially launched Operation “Olive Branch” in support
of groups self-affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in northe rn Syrian Arab
Republic. Following a five-year-long besiegement, pro-Government forces regained
control over the previously besieged enclave of eastern Ghutah. April witnessed the
launch of the Government’s military operations against armed groups in south ern
Damascus. In July, fighting between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported
by the international counter-ISIL coalition, and ISIL in Hajin and Dashishah, Dayr
al-Zawr, intensified, with air strikes and ground operations.
Grave violations
174. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 806 children (670 boys,
136 girls), 22 per cent of whom were under 15 years of age (179), and 94 per cent of
whom were used in combat roles (754). The majority of the children were recruited
and used by YPG/YPJ (313) operating under the umbrella of SDF, followed by Hay ’at
Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah Front (Levant Liberation Organization) (187), groups
self-affiliated with the FSA (170), Ahrar al-Sham (34), ISIL (30), Army of Islam (17),
Nur al-Din al-Zanki (16), Syrian Government forces (10), and unidentified armed
elements (29). More than 40 per cent of the children recruited by the YPG/YPJ (126)
were girls, 20 of whom were below the age of 15 and 119 of whom served in combat
roles. The majority of cases were verified in Idlib, Aleppo and Raqqah. At least 25
child casualties resulted from combat and there were cases of children switching
association after new groups gained control of territory.
175. The United Nations verified the deprivation of lib erty of 51 children (50 boys,
1 girl) for their alleged association with parties to conflict, the majority by YPG/YPJ
(40), followed by groups self-affiliated with FSA (8), Syrian Government forces (2)
and Ahrar al-Sham (1). Some were subject to ill-treatment, torture or rape. In addition,
at least 1,248 children, mainly under the age of 5 and of multiple nationalities, were
deprived of their liberty in sites for internally displaced persons across the north -east
of the country. The camps were managed by lo cal authorities and YPG/YPJ.
176. The United Nations verified the killing (1,106) and maiming (748) of 1,854
children by Syrian Government and pro -government air forces (888), Syrian
Government forces (148), pro-Government forces (96), ISIL (70), groups selfaffiliated
with FSA and Operation “Olive Branch” (54), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by
Nusrah Front (25), YPG/YPJ (10), Army of Islam (7), the international counter -ISIL
coalition (4), Ahrar al-Sham (2) and by unidentified armed elements (550). Th e
majority of child casualties occurred in Idlib, Rif Dimashq and Aleppo and more than
half of the casualties resulted from air strikes (987), including the use of barrel bombs
and cluster munitions, followed by unexploded ordnance (434) and shelling (118) .
For instance, in January, Syrian Government forces dropped a barrel bomb on a
residential area in Armanaz town, Idlib, resulting in the killing of 15 children.
177. The United Nations verified 38 incidents of sexual violence perpetrated against
children by ISIL (30), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah Front (5), FSA-affiliated
Faylaq al-Sham (2) and Syrian Government forces (1), 30 of which occurred in
previous years. Incidents included forced marriage, rape, trafficking and sexual violence
while children were deprived of liberty. Sexual violence remained underreported
owing to access restrictions, the lack of access to services for victims and stigma.
178. The United Nations verified 113 attacks on schools, a 69 per cent increase
compared with 2017, and 112 attacks on hospitals, the highest number recorded since
the beginning of the conflict. Attacks on schools were attributed to government and
pro-government air forces (60), Syrian Government forces (24), pro -government
forces and militia (12), ISIL (2), YPG/YPJ (2), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah
Front (1) and unidentified elements (12). Attacks on hospitals were attributed to
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government and pro-government air forces (82), Syrian Government forces (5),
pro-government forces and militia (6), ISIL ( 1), the international counter-ISIL
coalition (1) and unidentified armed elements (17). Child casualties resulted from
attacks on schools (96) and hospitals (55). Close to 70 per cent of the attacks on
schools and hospitals were caused by air strikes, inclu ding the use of barrel bombs,
followed by shelling and the use of improvised explosive devices. Education and
medical personnel were killed and maimed (48) and education personnel were
detained (9).
179. The United Nations verified the military use of 24 schools and three hospitals,
used as ammunition storage, military bases and as detention facilities. Schools were
used by YPG/YPJ (14), groups self-affiliated with FSA and Operation “Olive Branch”
(7), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah Front (2) and ISIL (1). Hospitals were
occupied by ISIL (1), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah Front (1) and unidentified
armed elements (1). Two health facilities and three schools were attacked following
the military use thereof.
180. The United Nations verified the abduction of 69 children (40 boys, 24 girls, 5
sex unknown), some as young as two years old, by ISIL (44), Hay ’at Tahrir al-Sham
led by Nusrah Front (8), FSA-affiliated Rahman Corps (4), YPG/YPJ (3), Army of
Islam (2), Ahrar al-Sham (1) and unidentified armed elements (7). Children were
primarily abducted because of the alleged affiliation of relatives with parties to the
conflict (32), for recruitment (25) and forced marriage (12). One in five children
abducted was subjected to ill-treatment, torture, rape or execution.
181. The United Nations verified 59 incidents of denial of humanitarian access
involving attacks and threats of attack on humanitarian facilities (37), humanitarian
transport and personnel, and the removal or blocking of humanitarian supplies (22).
The attacks resulted in the killing and maiming of humanitarian workers (18), and
deprivation of liberty (23). Main perpetrators included the Government and
pro-government air forces (13), Syrian Go vernment forces (8), pro-government forces
(3) and pro-government militia (1), YPG/YPJ (9), ISIL (2), Hay ’at Tahrir al-Sham led
by Nusrah Front (2), groups self-affiliated with FSA (2), and unidentified armed
elements (19). Several children in Rukban have died from preventable conditions as
a result of the lack of access to adequate health care.
Developments and concerns
182. I note the United Nations dialogue with the Government on child protection,
including on the reintegration of children. I encour age the Government to put in place
long-term preventive measures on the protection of children, including by prioritizing
the implementation of the national workplan on ending and preventing child
recruitment by the national committee. I note a significant reduction in the
recruitment and use of children in 2018. I further call for the adoption of an action
plan on ending and preventing the grave violations for which it is listed.
183. I welcome the engagement of SDF, including YPG/YPJ, with my Special
Representative, leading to the development and adoption of an action plan to end and
prevent the recruitment and use of children in 2019. I urge SDF to expedite its
implementation, notably the screening of all children within their ranks, including
their swift handover to civilian authorities, the implementation of awareness -raising
activities and the establishment of a public complaint procedure to report the
recruitment and use of children.
184. I note the engagement by groups self-affiliated with FSA, and by Ahrar al-Sham
and Army of Islam, as regards training, as well as the commitments made regarding
child protection. I am encouraged by the issuance of a military order by Army of Islam
setting 18 as the minimum age of recruitment and call for its swift imp lementation.
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The cases that occurred in the context of Operation Olive Branch are currently under
investigation.
185. I am seriously concerned about the increasing number of grave violations
verified by the United Nations in the Syrian Arab Republic, in pa rticular, the elevated
numbers of child casualties and attacks against schools and hospitals. I remain deeply
concerned about the detention of children on security -related charges.
186. I call upon all countries concerned to facilitate the repatriation of foreign women
and children actually and allegedly affiliated with ISIL, in line with the guiding
principle of non-refoulement and with respect for the best interests of the child.
Yemen
187. The conflict in Yemen entered its fifth year, with further de terioration in the dire
humanitarian situation. Throughout the year, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in
Yemen continued air strikes, the Houthis continued to fire missiles into Saudi Arabia,
and ground fighting intensified throughout the country. Air s trikes attributed to the
Coalition affected the majority of governorates, in particular Hudaydah, Sa ‘dah and
Hajjah. In June, Government forces, backed by the Coalition, launched an offensive
against the Houthis in Hudaydah Governorate. In December, the in tra-Yemeni
consultations convened by my Special Envoy for Yemen resulted in the Stockholm
Agreement, followed by the establishment by the Security Council of a monitoring
mission, the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement, to support
its implementation. The capacity of the United Nations to monitor and verify grave
violations was significantly impeded by threats and by monitors being deprived of
their liberty by parties to conflict. A detailed account of the impact of armed conflict
on children in Yemen is available in my country report ( S/2019/453).
Grave violations
188. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 370 children, attributed
to Houthis (170), Yemeni Government forces (111), Security Belt Forces (44),
Shabwani Elite Forces (23), Popular Resistance (17), Hadrami Elite Forces (4) and
forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (1). The decrease compared with
2017 (842) is mainly a result of access and security restrictions, the fear experienced
by communities, should they report, owing to the risk of repercussions, and cases of
the deprivation of liberty of monitors. Of the total number, 37 per cent of the children
(138) were used in active combat, at least 50 per cent of whom (70) were below the
age of 15. Large-scale child recruitment reportedly took place in schools, orphanages
and communities.
189. For the first time, the United Nations verified the recruitment of 16 girls between
the ages of 15 and 17 by the Houthis in Sa‘dah. The girls were used to encourage
male members of their families to join the Houthis and to mobilize other women and
girls to do the same. Some were also trained in the use of weapons. Boys were
recruited and used as combatants and in v arious support roles, including as porters,
guards, for patrolling and to assist in intelligence gathering.
190. The United Nations verified the deprivation of liberty of 96 boys by parties to
conflict for alleged association with opposing parties, markin g a substantial increase
compared with 2017 (23). The majority of the children were held by the Houthis for
their alleged association with the Yemeni Government Forces and were subsequently
released (53). The Coalition captured 42 boys and Yemeni Governmen t Forces held
them in Ma’rib Governorate for their alleged association with the Houthis, 27 of those
boys were released in February and reportedly reunified with their families. At the
time of writing, the remaining 15 children were still held in Ma ’rib. Lastly, one boy
was held by the Popular Resistance for his alleged association with the Houthis.
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191. The United Nations verified 1,689 child casualties, including the killing of 576
children (430 boys, 143 girls, 3 unknown sex) and maiming of 1,113 childre n (815
boys, 298 girls). The majority of child casualties resulted from ground fighting (755),
followed by air strikes (685) and unexploded ordnance (223). A total of 43 per cent
of child casualties were attributed to the Coalition (729) of which 684 were due to air
strikes and 45 to ground fighting, followed by the Houthis (398), the Yemeni
Government Forces (58) and the Popular Resistance (48), among other parties. Child
casualties attributed to the Coalition remained high throughout the year, with a
decrease during the last quarter of 2018. Of the total child casualties, 30 per cent
occurred during offensives in Hudaydah (507), 267 of which were due to ground
fighting and 181 to air strikes. The second highest number of child casualties was
verified in Sa‘dah Governorate (354), followed by Ta ‘izz Governorate (341).
192. The United Nations verified the perpetration of sexual violence against nine
children (7 boys, 2 girls) between the ages of 9 and 17, attributed to the Yemeni armed
forces (6), the Popular Resistance (2) and the Houthis (1).
193. The United Nations verified 44 attacks against schools (28) and hospitals (16),
an increase compared with 2017, 84 per cent of which caused the partial or complete
destruction of the facilities. Attacks on schools were attributed to the Coalition (12),
the Houthis (12) and unidentified parties (4). Attacks on hospitals were attributed to
the Popular Resistance (5), the Coalition (3), the Houthis (3), Al -Qaida in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP) (2) and unidentified armed elements (3). One third of the attacks
occurred in Ta‘izz (14), followed by Sa‘dah (10) and Hudaydah (7).
194. The United Nations verified 32 military uses of schools, a fourfold increase
compared with 2017, attributed to the Houthis (28), Yemeni Government Forces (3)
and Security Belt Forces (1). At least 20 schools were used by the Houthis to mobilize
and train children and 4 were used for recruiting and mobilizing girls. Three military
use of hospitals were attributed to the Houthis (2) and the Popular Resistance (1). The
majority of cases took place in Sa ‘dah, Mahwit and Hudaydah.
195. The United Nations verified 275 incidents of denial of humanitarian access,
including restrictions of movement (177), interference in the implementation of
humanitarian assistance (49), violence against humanitarian personnel, assets a nd
facilities (44) and attacks on humanitarian water facilities (5). The incidents were
mainly attributed to the Houthis (206), the Coalition (41) and the Yemeni Government
Forces (7), among other parties, and were concentrated in Hudaydah, Sana ’a and
Sa‘dah. Access to areas along the frontlines was particularly difficult, with limited
presence of humanitarian actors in the most affected districts and with the Houthis
often requesting humanitarian organizations to share beneficiary lists and project
details as a precondition to implementing humanitarian activities in areas under their
control.
Developments and concerns
196. I welcome the endorsement of a road map by the Government in December 2018
to expedite the implementation of the action plan to end and prevent recruitment and
use of children of 2014 and call for the immediate release of all children from its
ranks, as well as for the provision of unimpeded access to civilian child protection
actors to children deprived of liberty for their allege d association with armed groups.
I count on the Government to follow through with commitments made.
197. I am encouraged by engagements with the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in
Yemen, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding in March 2019 to
enhance the protection of children, which provides a framework for the development
of a workplan with my Special Representative. I look forward to the implementation
of the memorandum of understanding and further steps to strengthen child protection.
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198. I condemn the increasing number of child casualties, which are often a result of
attacks in densely populated areas and against civilian objects, including schools and
hospitals. The rise in the number of child casualties attributed to the Government
Forces and the Coalition and the persistent killing and maiming of children by the
Popular Resistance are increasingly worrying. I renew my call for all parties to abide
by their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human
rights law, and to ensure that military operations are conducted in line with the
principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.
199. I strongly condemn violations against children committed by armed groups and
I am particularly concerned about the persistently high levels of the recruitment and
use, and killing and maiming of children and of denial of humanitarian access and by
the increase in the attacks on schools and hospitals committed by the Houthis. I call
on the Houthis to meaningfully engage with the United Nations to conclude an action
plan.
200. I also call upon all parties to the conflict to enhance engagement with the United
Nations to develop standard operating procedures on the release and reintegration of
children associated with parties.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
India
201. Children continued to be affected by incidents of violence between armed
groups and the Government, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir and in the context of
the Naxalite insurgency.
Grave violations
202. The United Nations received reports of child recruitment and use in Jammu and
Kashmir. Five children, some as young as 14, were reportedly recruited by militant
groups, including by Hizbul Mujahideen (two) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (one).
The two other children joined Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and were reportedly killed in an
encounter with the government forces on 9 December. In addition, reports of the
systematic recruitment of children by Naxalites continued to be received.
203. Children continued to be reportedly killed and injured in operations by the
government security forces against Naxalites in the States of Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha. For example, on 22 April, ei ght children were
reportedly killed during an attack on Naxalites in the district of Garhchiroli,
Maharashtra, where the C-60 district-level special forces claimed to have killed at
least 40 Naxalites. In Jammu and Kashmir, 31 children between the ages of 7 and 17
were allegedly killed, including during Government armed forces operations. At least
150 children, some as young as 1, were reportedly injured, mostly by pellet bullets
used by the security forces.
204. Allegations of the perpetration of sexual v iolence against girls by the security
forces in Kashmir were reported. For instance, an 8 -year-old girl was reportedly
abducted, drugged, raped for three days and murdered in Kathua district by special
police officers.
Developments and concerns
205. I welcome the Government’s measures to provide protection to children, notably
through the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, but remain
concerned by the reported child casualties and the recruitment and use of children in
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some areas of the country. I encourage the Government to put in place prevention and
accountability measures to hold perpetrators of grave violations to account in view of
ending and preventing grave violations against children.
Nigeria
206. The Boko Haram crisis was marked by attacks across the Lake Chad Basin and
by increased attacks on hospitals in north -east Nigeria. The abduction of children, in
particular girls, often for the purpose of sexual abuse, forced marriage or used to bear
improvised explosive devices continued at elevated levels. In 2018, the United
Nations faced significant access restrictions to conflict -affected areas, impeding its
ability to verify grave violations and to deliver life -saving aid to children.
Grave violations
207. A total of 1,947 children (1,596 boys, 351 girls) were verified as having been
recruited and used in Nigeria, 1,646 by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and 301
by Boko Haram. No new recruitment and use by CJTF was verified in 2018 and all
cases verified occurred in previous years. 833 children (694 boys, 139 girls) were
formally separated from the group during 2018 as a result of the action plan. Boko
Haram continued to recruit children and used 48 (38 girls) for the purpose of bearing
and detonating improvised explosive devices in north-east Nigeria, 30 in Cameroon,
24 in Chad and 10 in the Niger.
208. In 2018, 418 children were deprived of liberty in Nigeria for their or their
parents’ alleged association with Boko Haram (304 boys, 86 girls, 28 unknown sex).
The majority (52 per cent) of the children had been in detention for over two years.
In 2018, the Nigerian authorities released 241 children from detention. In addition,
125 children were held in detention for alleged association with Boko Haram in the
Niger, Cameroon (57) and Chad (18).
209. The United Nations verified 432 children killed (175) and maimed (257),
attributed to Boko Haram (405), Nigerian Security Forces (NSF) (16), CJTF (1) and
unattributed incidents of unexploded ordnance (10). Of the total child c asualties
attributed to Boko Haram, 58 per cent (234) were due to explosions of improvised
explosive devices borne by civilians, including 48 children directly used as carriers
of improvised explosive devices. Cases attributed to NSF occurred during the co urse
of their response to Boko Haram offensives.
210. A total of 43 girls were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by
Boko Haram (40) and NSF (3). Cases attributed to Boko Haram involved subjecting
girls to sexual abuse and forced marriage while in captivity.
211. Attacks on schools (5) and hospitals (10) were verified in north-east Nigeria and
attributed to Boko Haram (14) and NSF (1). Furthermore, one hospital in the Far
North Region of Cameroon and two schools in the Diffa region of the Niger were
attacked by Boko Haram. In addition, NSF u sed four schools in north-east Nigeria for
military purposes.
212. Boko Haram abducted 180 children (45 boys, 135 girls), often for the purpose
of recruitment, sexual abuse, forced marriage or for use as carriers of improvised
explosive devices. In Februar y 2018, Boko Haram abducted 111 children (110 girls)
from a girls’ school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Five of the girls died during the abduction,
104 girls were eventually released, and one girl remains in captivity. More than 100
of the Chibok girls abducted in 2014 remain in captivity or missing. In addition, Boko
Haram abducted 28 children in Cameroon, 23 in the Niger and 9 in Chad.
213. The number of denials of humanitarian access increased, from 5 in 2017 to 33
in 2018, in an environment where humanitaria ns face restrictions on movement
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imposed by parties to conflict. Most cases were attributed to NSF (23) and Boko
Haram (10) and took place in areas where the humanitarian needs of children were
dire.
Developments and concerns
214. The United Nations continued engagement with CJTF within the framework of
the action plan to end and prevent child recruitment and use, signed in September
2017, and 833 children were formally separated from CJTF in 2018. I welcome this
development and call on CJTF to continu e the implementation of the plan with the
United Nations. I take note of the constructive role played by the Government in
support of this process and of the reintegration of released children.
215. While the release by the Nigerian authorities of 241 chi ldren from detention is
encouraging, I remain concerned about children remaining in detention owing to their
alleged association with Boko Haram. I call on the authorities to release all children,
ensure their sustainable reintegration, swiftly adopt a han dover protocol for children
associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors, in line with
international standards, and provide access to the United Nations to all children
deprived of liberty. I also urge the Government to avoid impinging on students’ safety
and education, in line with its commitments in the Safe Schools Declaration, and to
swiftly endorse the Paris Principles.
216. The scale and brutality of grave violations perpetrated by Boko Haram in north -
east Nigeria and the subregion remain a serious concern, notably the continued use of
children, in particular girls, as carriers of improvised explosive devices and the
targeting of girls’ education, including through abductions and attacks on schools. I
call upon the group to immediately cease all violations and abide by its obligations
under international law.
Pakistan
217. Elections to the Senate and general elections, tensions between neighbouring
countries and the emergence of new groups and continued threats from militant
groups affected the security situation, including children ’s rights and protection.
Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Newly Merged Districts remained the
main geographical areas of concern.
Grave violations
218. The United Nations received reports of 36 incidents which resulted in the killing
(7) and maiming (56) of 63 children. Of those incidents, 20 were attributed to armed
groups, including attacks claimed by Tehrik -e Taliban Pakistan in Balochistan (2) and
Killa Abdullah (1) and the Islamic Stat e in Quetta (1). Ten of the reported incidents
involved the use of improvised explosive devices disguised as toys and resulted in the
maiming of 19 children, mainly in Bannu, North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and the Newly Merged Districts. The remain ing 16 incidents involved cross-border
attacks between Pakistan and India and reportedly killed (4) and maimed (18) 22
children.
219. A total of 34 attacks on schools, injuring 26 students, were reported. Among
those, 14 attacks, which targeted girls’ education, occurred during a single day in
August in Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan. Some attacks involved explosions and the use of
improvised explosive devices and grenades. In addition, personnel of the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative reported over 300 att acks in 2018.
220. During the General Election, on 25 July, 8 schools were reportedly used as
polling stations and half of them were attacked with grenades. For example,
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unidentified elements allegedly threw a hand grenade at a girls ’ primary school in
Kushak Village, before polling started.
Developments and concerns
221. I am seriously concerned by the reported spike in the number of child casualties
and attacks on schools, including the targeting of girls ’ education, as well as attacks
relating to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. I welcome the Government ’s
efforts to protect workers conducting the polio campaign and call on the Government
to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration and take preventive measures to protect
schools.
Philippines
222. Although the Marawi siege ended in October 2017, military operations
continued throughout 2018 against remaining members of the Maute Group, the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other
Islamic State-affiliated groups. Additionally, conflict -related incidents between the
New People’s Army (NPA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, who were
supported by pro-government paramilitary groups, intensified after the President,
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, declared the Communist Party of the Philippines -NPA a
terrorist organization, in December 2017, an d after the cessation of formal peace talks
in June 2018. Those operations resulted in the displacement of over 212,000 people,
half of whom were children, the prolongation of martial law until December 2019 and
access restrictions for the monitoring and v erification of grave violations.
Grave violations
223. The United Nations verified 69 grave violations against children, 26 of which
took place in 2017 but could only be verified in 2018, mainly owing to restricted
access to Marawi after the siege.
224. The recruitment and use of 19 children (10 boys, 9 girls) by armed groups (18)
and armed forces (1) were verified. The Maute Group used 13 children as human
shields, to extract gunpowder from firecrackers or to ransack houses during the
Marawi siege in 2017. NPA used five children in combat or support roles, and the
Armed Forces of the Philippines used one boy to provide support in a military camp.
The United Nations received additional allegations of the recruitment and use of
children by NPA (eight), Maute Group (four) and ASG (one).
225. The United Nations verified the detention of four children (including one girl),
between the ages of 16 and 17, by security forces for their alleged association with
armed groups, for periods ranging from two days to one month.
226. The United Nations verified the killing (16) and maiming (41) of 57 children
(33 boys, 24 girls). Child casualties were attributed to the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (8), NPA (3), Maute Group and ASG (1 each). Responsibility in 10 case s
was attributed to armed groups allegedly influenced by Islamic State, and in 34 cases,
responsibility could not be attributed. Half of the total casualties were caused by
explosive remnants of war (17) and improvised explosive devices (12). For instance,
on 2 September, in Isulan city, Sultan Kudarat, the explosion of an improvised
explosive device resulted in the killing of a girl and the maiming of four boys, some
as young as 5.
227. Three cases of the rape of girls, some as young as 14, perpetrated by the Maute
Group, were verified. The girls had been raped or forced to marry Maute Group
members during the Marawi siege in 2017.
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228. The United Nations verified attacks, including threats of attacks, on schools and
protected personnel, which affected two schools and 23 teachers, who were threatened
mainly because they were suspected to be supportive of NPA. Those violations were
attributed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (18), the Maute Group (5) and
unidentified armed elements (2). In addition, t wo schools were used for up to a week
by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as bases during military operations.
229. The United Nations verified the abduction of 13 children (6 boys, 7 girls) by the
Maute Group (10), during the Marawi siege, and by ASG (3). For instance, a 16-yearold
girl was abducted by the Maute Group, was raped twice and was assigned to
extract gunpowder from firecrackers and to take care of Maute Group members ’
children. On 16 October 2017, she managed to escape, together with other hostages,
but was injured by a bullet.
Developments and concerns
230. I welcome the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and
reaffirm the readiness of the United Nations to help build its capacity to achieve
peace, democratic governance and respect for human and children’s rights. I
commend the Government for the enactment of the Children in Situations of Armed
Conflict Bill into national law on 10 January 2019, for the signing of the
implementing rules and regulations of this law, and for its continuous commitment to
the finalization of the national policy framework on schools as zones of peace. I trust
that it will strengthen the protection of children and prevent further threats or attacks
on indigenous communities’ schools from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and
pro-government paramilitary groups, and I call on the Government to endorse the
Safe Schools Declaration.
231. I am encouraged by the decrease in the number of grave violations but remain
deeply concerned regarding the increased number of child casualties caused by
explosive remnants of war, and by the lack of access for humanitarian actors to
monitor, verify and provide appropriate response to the victims of the Marawi siege.
I am concerned about the lack of due process for children arrested and detained by
security forces for their alleged association with armed groups and would like to
remind the Government that children demobilized from armed groups, against whom
charges have been brought, are protected under the Juven ile Justice and Welfare Act.
Thailand
232. 2018 saw a continued decline in the number of violent incidents in the southern
border provinces of Thailand. Talks between the Government and the umbrella
MARA Patani continued at a slow pace. The Government proposed to pilot, with the
collaboration of non-State armed groups, a “safety zone” in one district that would
have aimed to reduce attacks on civilians. The concept never truly advanced, in part
owing to a reported lack of full commitment by t he Barisan Revolusi Nasional, the
main non-State armed group operating in the border provinces.
Grave violations
233. Children continued to be victims of shootings and of the use of improvised
explosive devices. Reportedly, one child was killed and at least five children were
maimed during the year. For instance, on 6 February, 50m from Baan Siyoh School
in Yala’s Yaha district, an attack using improvised explosive devices, allegedly
targeting security forces who were part of a teacher protection unit, injured two
12-year-old girls.
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234. One attack against a school was documented, although additional attacks were
launched near schools, including attacks on security forces who were guarding
teachers.
Developments and concerns
235. A technical mission was conducted in January 2019 by the office of my Special
Representative and UNICEF, with the aim of further strengthening Government and
civil society efforts to better protect children and schools from attack in the southern
border provinces. Findings included the need to highlight good practices and potential
gaps in the Government’s efforts to protect schools and the need for further
specialized training of the security forces. The strengthening of child protection
capacity in the Southern Border Provi nces Administration Centre is a key positive
development in this regard and I call on the Government to endorse the Safe Schools
Declaration and take preventive measures to protect schools. Thailand endorsed the
Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use
of Child Soldiers and is welcomed as a centre of excellence in this regard.
IV. Recommendations
236. I am deeply concerned by the scale and severity of the grave violations
committed against children in 2018, no tably the record high number of casualties as
a result of killing and maiming and the increase in the number of violations attributed
to international forces. I call upon all parties to immediately end and take all
necessary measures to prevent such grave violations, including through ensuring
mitigation measures and enhancing training on preventing the six grave violations, as
well as by ensuring strong accountability measures for the perpetrators of crimes
against children.
237. I urge Member States, including when acting as part of international forces, to
ensure that their responses to all threats to peace and security are conducted in full
compliance with international law, in particular the principles of distinction,
proportionality and military necessity. I request my Special Representative to engage
proactively with all parties referred to in the present report to end and prevent further
grave violations against children.
238. The detention of children remained an issue of concern and I reiterate tha t this
measure should only be used as a last resort, for the shortest period of time, and that
alternatives to detention should be prioritized whenever possible. Moreover, I urge
Member States to treat children allegedly associated with armed forces or gro ups,
including groups designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, primarily as
victims.
239. In line with Security Council resolution 2417 (2018), I call upon Member States
to allow safe, timely and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance and the
protection of humanitarian personnel and assets. Parties to conflict should
disseminate clear orders specifying that humanitarian assistance for children be
facilitated.
240. I reiterate my call upon Member States to continue supporting the
implementation of action plans and other commitments aimed at strengthening the
protection of children in armed conflict, including by facilitating the engagement of
the United Nations with armed groups.
241. I encourage Member States, regional and subregional organizations to
strengthen dedicated child protection capacities and to engage with the U nited
Nations to development prevention initiatives in order to forestall grave violations.
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242. I reiterate my call upon the Security Council to ensure that provisions for the
protection of children are included in all relevant mandates of United Nations peace
operations and to request adequate child protection capacity so as to mainstream child
protection, conduct dialogue on action plans, release and reintegrate children and
further strengthen monitoring and reporting.
243. I enjoin the donor community to engage in a discussion to better address the
funding gaps for the reintegration of children, thereby allowing child protection actors
to react swiftly to the release of children and put in place long -term viable alternatives
to military life, notably by placing a specific focus on girls, in particular on
psychosocial support and on education programmes and vocational training for girls.
244. I call on Member States to engage closely with the United Nations to facilitate
the return or relocation of foreign children and women actually or allegedly affiliated
with groups designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, and to ensure a
coordinated response on the basis of international law and children ’s rights, bearing
in mind their best interests.
245. I welcome national and international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for
crimes against children in situations of armed conflict and encourage Member States
to play a further proactive role in ensuring an international response where national
accountability efforts are unsuccessful, so that impunity can end and cycles of
violence can be broken.
246. I welcome all steps taken to ensure full compliance with international
humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law, and call on Member States to
further strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict, including through the
ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and
the endorsement and implementation of the Paris Principles, the Safe Schools
Declaration and the Vancouver Principles.
V. Lists contained in the annexes to the present report
247. No new listings were added for 2018, but a number of previously listed parties
to conflict have had additional violations added, on the basis of incidents verified in
2018. In Afghanistan, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan Province
(ISIL-KP) continued to commit attacks against schools and hospitals and has
therefore been listed for this violation. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo ,
Nyatura has been listed as a result of the group continuing to perpetrate incidents of
rape and other forms of sexual violence. In South Sudan, the pro -Machar Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition (pro-Machar SPLA-IO) has been
listed for abduction.
248. There will be no delisting for 2018, except for two technical delistings. In the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mai -Mai Kata Katanga has been removed, as the
group ceased to exist when its leader surrendered in October 2016. In South Su dan,
the White Army has been removed, as the group no longer showed evidence of clear
leadership or structure and ceased to exist.
249. Other modifications to the list have resulted from changes in the landscape of
armed conflict in the respective situatio ns or changes in measures taken by parties to
protect children. In this regard, in the Central African Republic, the Mouvement
patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC), as part of the former Séléka coalition, signed
an action plan and will be listed in secti on B of annex I with respect to measures put
in place. Similarly, in South Sudan, the South Sudan People ’s Defence Forces
(SSPDF) will be listed in section B of annex I, with regard to recruitment and use
only. Lastly, in the Syrian Arab Republic, the Kurd ish People’s Protection Units
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(YPG/YPJ) will be listed in section B of annex I as a result of their enhanced
engagement, which led to the signature of an action plan in 2019. On the other hand,
in the Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM/N) will fall
back to section A of annex I owing to the lack of action in support of the action plan
during 2018.
250. Modifications to terminology and to names of parties resulted from some
political changes on the ground. In South Sudan, the Sudan Peo ple’s Liberation Army
(SPLA) is now listed as South Sudan People ’s Defence Forces (SSPDF). In addition,
the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition – pro Taban Deng is
now listed as Taban Deng-allied SSPDF. They are now included as part of SS PDF and
therefore listed as State actors. In Yemen, the Houthis/Ansar Allah will be listed as
Houthis, and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula/Ansar al -Sharia will be listed as
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen a lso
changed to be listed as the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen. Lastly, in the
Syrian Arab Republic, the People’s Protection Units will be listed as Kurdish People ’s
Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) to reflect changes on the ground.
251. In view of the preventive and protective measures taken by the Government to
better protect children over the past number of years, Thailand will be removed from
the report in 2020.
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Annex I
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict on the agenda of the Security Council*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
Non-State actors
1. Haqqani Networka,b
2. Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a,b
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan Provincea,b,d
4. Taliban forces and affiliated groupsa,b,d,e
Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
1. Former Séléka coalition and associated armed groups, including the Front
populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique and Union pour la paix en
Centrafriquea,b,c,d
2. Local defence militias known as the anti -balakaa,b,c
3. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Non-State actors
1. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d,e
2. Bana Mura militiasc,e
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda -Forces combattantes
abacunguzia,c,d,e
4. Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituria,c,d,e
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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5. Kamuina Nsapua,d,e
6. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
7. Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain a
8. Union des patriotes congolais pour la paix (also known as Mai -Mai Lafontaine)a
9. Mai-Mai Mazembea,b,e
10. Mai-Mai Simbaa,c
11. Nduma défense du Congoa,b
12. Nduma défense du Congo-Rénovéa,b
13. Nyaturaa,c,e
14. Raia Mutombokia,c,e
Parties in Iraq
Non-State actors
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Ansar Eddinea,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de l ’Ouesta,c
3. Platform, including affiliated groups a
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated Border Guard forcesb,c
Non-State actors
1. Karen National Liberation Armya
2. United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
Non-State actors
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,c,d,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (ASWJ)a
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), including Taban Deng-allied
SSPDFb,c,d,e
Non-State actors
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition – pro-Machara,b,e,f
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Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Justice and Equality Movementa,f
2. Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahida
3. Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawia,f
4. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Northa,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
State actors
Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro -government
militiasa,b,c,d
Non-State actors
1. Ahrar al-Shama,b
2. Groups self-affiliated with the Free Syrian Armya
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
4. Army of Islama
5. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah Front (Levant Liberation Organization) a,b
Parties in Yemen
Non-State actors
1. Houthisa,b,d
2. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsulaa
3. Pro-government militias, including the Salafists and popular committees a
4. Security Belt Forcesa
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
State actors
Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Police a,f
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique as part of the former Séléka
coalitiona,b,c,d
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
State actors
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo c,f
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Iraq
State actors
Popular mobilization forcesa
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
Mouvement national pour la libération de l ’Azawada,c,f
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated Border Guard forcesa,f
Non-State actors
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Armya
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karenni Armya
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Shan State Armya
Parties in Somalia
State actors
Somali National Armya,b,f
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), including Taban Deng -allied
SSPDFa,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
Non-State actors
Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ)a
Parties in Yemen
State actors
1. Government forces, including the Yemeni armed forces a,f
2. Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemenb
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Annex II
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council, or in
other situations*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, also known as Boko Harama,b,c,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
Non-State actors
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. New People’s Armya
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
Civilian Joint Task Forcea,f
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council
resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/74/845–S/2020/525
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
9 June 2020
Original: English
20-06498 (E) 150620
*2006498*
General Assembly Security Council
Seventy-fourth session Seventy-fifth year
Agenda item 66 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
promotion and protection of the rights of children
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, prepared following consultations and covering the period
from January to December 2019, is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution
2427 (2018) and presents trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on children
and information on violations committed. 1 Where possible, violations are attributed
to parties to conflict and the annexes to the present report include a list of parties
engaging in violations against children, namely the recruitment and use of children,
the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against
children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected personnel, 2 and the abduction of
children.
2. The information contained in the present report was vetted for accuracy by the
United Nations. Where information is not verified, it is qualified as such. Where
incidents were committed earlier but only verified in 2019, that information is
qualified as relating to an incident that was verified at a later date. The information
presented does not represent the full scale of violations against children, as
verification depends on access. The report presents trends and patterns o f violations,
in order to effect a change in behaviour by parties, contribute to facilitating
engagement with parties responsible for violations, promote accountability and
include child protection issues in peace processes. Attacks or threats of attacks o n
community and civic leaders, on human rights defenders and on monitors of
__________________
1 See also the relevant reports of the Secretary -General on children and armed conflict in specific
country situations, in particular in the Central African Republic ( S/2019/852), Colombia
(S/2019/1017), Iraq (S/2019/984) and Somalia (S/2020/174), and the report of the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to the Human Rights
Council (A/HRC/43/38).
2 Under the terms of Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014), protected persons
are considered to be teachers, doctors, other educational personnel, students and patients.
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violations against children is a cause for concern and a strain on the monitoring
capacity.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict adopted a pragmatic approach to ensure broad and
effective protection for children. Reference to a situation is not a legal determination,
and reference to a non-State actor does not affect its legal status. Accordingly, the
report documents situations in which apparent violations of international norms and
standards are of such gravity as to warrant international concern, given their impact
on children. My Special Representative brings these situations to the attention of
Governments, which bear the primary responsibility for protecting children, in order
to encourage them to take remedial measures. Where measures undertaken by listed
parties had a positive impact on children or where ongoing conduct is of concern, this
is highlighted. On the basis of enhanced engagement with Member States, the annexes
distinguish between listed parties that have put in place measures aimed at improving
the protection of children, during the rep orting period, and parties that have not.
II. Situation of children and armed conflict
4. Increased engagement by my Special Representative and the country task forces
on monitoring and reporting on children and armed conflict resulted in the signing of
new concrete time-bound action plans and commitments by listed parties with the
United Nations.3 Coupled with the implementation of action plans and commitments
in several situations, these engagements yielded positive change for children,
including thousands of children separated from armed groups and armed forces, and
in some areas resulted in greater access for humanitarian and child protection actors.
Engagement with governments and armed groups led to improvements in age
screening procedures and the introduction of legislation to better protect child rights.
United Nations advocacy, including the “Act to Protect children affected by conflict”
campaign, national political talks or peace processes, and the reduction of conflict, in
some of the situations, were beneficial to the protection of children in armed conflict.
A. Overview of trends and patterns
5. The United Nations verified over 25,000 grave violations 4 against children in
19 situations, more than half committed by non -State actors, and a third by
government and international forces. Overall, 24,422 violations were committed or
continued to be during the reporting period, and 1,241 were committed previously
and verified in 2019.
6. Some 7,747 children, some as young as 6, were verified as having been recruited
and used. Among those, 90 per cent were used by non -State actors. Some action plans
led to increased access for the United Nations and its partners to verify violations and
release children. In Nigeria and Mali, the late veri fication of cases attributed to the
Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad
(CMA) respectively reflect their willingness to implement action plans. In the
Democratic Republic of the Congo or the Central African Republic , the increase in
numbers is due to the high numbers of previous recruitments verified upon separation
in 2019, following engagement on actions plans or other commitments. Notable
__________________
3 An exhaustive list of action plans signed between parties to the conflict and the United Nations
can be found at: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/tools -for-action/action-plans/.
4 The use of the term “grave violations” or “violations” refer to each individual child affected by
recruitment and use, killing and maiming, sexual violence and abductions, while the number of
incidents is used for attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access.
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decreases in the recruitment and use of children occurred in Colombia and Ir aq,
although monitoring was challenged by security conditions.
7. Some 10,173 children were verified as having been killed (4,019) and maimed
(6,154). While a general decrease in the number of verified child casualties was
observed, the number of incidents of the killing and maiming of children remains the
highest verified violation, which underlines the serious concerns about the violations
of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, about the lack
of capacity and of measures to mitigate harm, and about warfare in densely populated
areas. Causes of casualties include crossfire, small arms and light weapons (see
S/2019/1011), ground engagement between parties, the use of explosive weapons in
populated areas and the excessive use of force by State actors. Afghanistan remained
the deadliest conflict for children, with a 67 per cent increase in suicide and complex
attacks5 affecting children, outweighing the decrease in casua lties from aerial attacks.
In Mali, an unprecedented number of child casualties was verified, 91 per cent of
which were in Mopti region. In Myanmar, intensified fighting in Rakhine State caused
a threefold increase of child casualties. Among the casualties , 25 per cent were caused
by explosive remnants of war, improvised explosive devices and anti -personnel
mines. Iraq and the Philippines had the highest prevalence of such casualties.
8. The United Nations verified 927 attacks on schools (494) and hospital s (433),
including on protected persons. The highest numbers were verified in the Syrian Arab
Republic, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Afghanistan and Somalia. Globally,
attacks on schools and hospitals committed by State actors (503) nearly doubled. In
Gaza and Israel, conflict escalation, notably air strikes by Israeli forces and rocket
fire by Palestinian armed groups, continued to significantly disrupt children’s
education. Schools continued to be used for military purposes, eroding their sanctity
as safe spaces and exposing schools, teachers and students to attack. When they were
not cancelled indefinitely, classes have been suspended for weeks or longer.
9. Some 4,400 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access to children 6 were
verified, the highest increase in the number of incidents verified for any violation,
compared with 2018. Overwhelmingly, non-State actors were responsible for such
incidents, notably in Yemen, Mali, the Central African Republic and the Syrian Arab
Republic. Some 2,127 children were delayed and/or denied access to specialized
medical care outside of Gaza. Violence against humanitarian workers and assets,
including killings, assaults and arbitrary detention, and the military use of
humanitarian premises, attacks on essent ial civilian infrastructure, bureaucratic
impediments and restrictions on movements, seriously disrupted humanitarian
activities. In some contexts, humanitarian operations were also constrained by groups
designated as terrorist by the United Nations and by counter-terrorism measures.
10. Rape and other forms of sexual violence continued to be vastly underreported,
with 735 verified cases. Cases were prevalent in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Somalia, the Central African Republic, the Sudan and South Sudan. Cases
attributed to State actors nearly doubled, reinforcing the fear of retaliations and of
stigma for children and families willing to report sexual violence. Sexual violence,
__________________
5 A deliberate and coordinated attack that includes all of the three following el ements: a suicide
device, more than one attacker and more than one type of device, as defined in the annual report
of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCH R) on the protection of civilians in armed
conflict.
6 Information related to the denial of humanitarian access to children is presented pursuant to
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and follows guidelines of the monitoring and reporting
mechanism on children and armed conflict. The information presented herein does not
necessarily give an exhaustive view of the full humanitarian access situation in the countries
concerned.
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including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage, remains a tactic of war
and a taboo subject, disproportionately affecting girls. The adoption of strong
legislation is essential to ending such practices. The lack of protection, of holistic
services for survivors and of accountability mechanisms disincentivize s urvivors,
their families and witnesses from reporting violations, namely by reinforcing the
stigmatization of survivors and their families and by discouraging male survivors
from disclosing violations and accessing assistance and justice ( S/2020/487).
11. The United Nations verified the abduction of 1,683 children, with over 95 per
cent of cases perpetrated by non-State actors, mainly in Somalia, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. Often combin ed with other violations, the
abduction of children, although a feature of other violations, is possibly
underreported. Children were abducted for recruitment and use and sexual violence
or ransom.
B. Challenges and the way forward
12. A total of 13,200 children were separated from non-State actors and armed
forces globally in 2019. Fundamental challenges hindered the successful and
sustainable reintegration of these children, as well as at -risk children who were
protected from recruitment through ac tion plans or other measures, and of children
released from detention for actual or alleged association with armed groups, including
those designated as terrorist by the United Nations. Reintegration programmes must
be gender-responsive, include mental health and psychosocial support, education and
vocational training, and access to civil registry, identification documents and to
justice. Without comprehensive programmes, poverty, the lack of opportunities and
stigmatization may result in the recruitment an d rerecruitment of children.
13. The scale of the situation regarding children deprived of liberty for their actual
or alleged association with opposing parties continued unabated, with over 2,500
children held. Detained children are critically vulnerable and at heightened risk of
violence, including sexual violence, torture, exploitation and neglect. Children
deprived of liberty need to urgently benefit from individualized care and protection,
including nutrition, medical and psychosocial care, and access fundamental rights,
including to due process. Children actually or allegedly associated with armed groups,
including with United Nations-designated terrorist groups, should be detained only
as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period o f time, and their
reintegration must be prioritized. The adoption of national protocols has mitigated
this issue in some situations.
14. Cross-border dynamics of conflict and intercommunal conflict affecting
children are another issue of concern, particul arly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin
regions. Insecurity, violence and military operations, including counter -terrorism
operations, have hindered access for child protection actors. It is urgent that the
children affected by such factors be provided with assistance and protection.
15. Peace remains the most powerful means to reduce violations against children.
Governments and non-State actors, in a quarter of the situations outlined in the
present report, engaged in some efforts relating to a peace process , whether by
initiating negotiations or implementing peace agreements. Child protection should be
prioritized in engaging with parties to conflict and in peace processes. The children
and armed conflict agenda is central to protection, peacebuilding and pr evention
efforts. My Special Representative developed the “Practical guidance for mediators
to protect children in situations of armed conflict”, which I launched on 12 February
2020.
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III. Information on grave violations
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
16. The United Nations verified 3,410 grave violations against 3,245 children
(2,317 boys, 915 girls, 13 sex unknown).
17. A total of 64 boys, some as young as 10, were recruited and used by the Taliban
(58), Afghan National Police (3), Afghan Local Police, pro -government militia, and
by Afghan Local Police and pro-government militias (1 each). Children were used for
combat, support roles and sexual purposes, including bacha bazi.7
18. The Government reported that 146 boys were detained in juvenile rehabilitation
centres on national security-related charges.
19. Of concern, reports currently being verified indicate that among the 506
children, reportedly including foreigners, who surrendered with the thousan ds of
individuals allegedly associated with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan
Province (ISIL-KP),8 all children over the age of 12 were transferred to the Kabul
juvenile rehabilitation centre.
20. A total of 3,149 children (2,226 boys, 910 girl s, 13 sex unknown) were killed
(874 children) and maimed (2,275 children), mainly as a result of ground
engagements (1,213), by non-suicide attacks with the use of improvised explosive
devices (575), and suicide and complex attacks (460). Additionally, exp losive
remnants of war and aerial attacks caused 403 and 341 casualties, respectively. The
remaining 157 casualties resulted mostly from search operations, targeted or
deliberate killings, and escalation of force. Armed groups caused 1,535 casualties,
which were attributed to the Taliban (1,238), ISIL -KP (242) and unidentified armed
groups (55). Government and pro -government forces were responsible for 1,032
casualties, including the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (610) (mainly
Afghan National Army (491), the National Directorate of Security (38) and Afghan
National Police (30)), international forces (248), pro -government militia (45), joint
operations of government and pro -government forces (117) and undetermined
government and pro-government forces (12). Another 403 casualties were jointly
attributed to government and pro-government forces and armed groups, responsibility
for 140 casualties was unattributed, and 39 casualties resulted from cross -border
engagements at the border with Pakistan.
21. Sexual violence affecting 18 children (13 boys, 5 girls) was attributed to the
Taliban (14), Afghan National Police (3) and one incident was jointly attributed to
Afghan Local Police and pro-government militia. Two boys were used as bacha bazi.
22. Some 145 attacks against schools (70), hospitals (75) and protected personnel
were verified. Armed groups were responsible for 113 attacks, attributed to the
Taliban (101), ISIL-KP (8) and unidentified armed groups (4). A total of 26 attacks
were attributed to government and pro-government forces, including the Afghan
National Defence and Security Forces (20) (Afghan National Army (10), National
Directorate of Security (8), Afghan National Police and Afghan Local Police (1 each))
__________________
7 Bacha bazi is a harmful practice whereby boys are used by men for entertainment. The boys are
made to dance at parties, and are often dressed in female clothes and subjected to sexual
violence, as reported by UNAMA and OHCHR in their annual report on the protection of
civilians in armed conflict.
8 Additional information on Afghanistan is included in the twenty -fifth report of the Analytical
Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to resolution 2368 (2017)
concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities ( S/2020/53).
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and international forces (6). Five attacks were attributed both to government and
pro-government forces and armed groups, and one consisted of cross -border shelling
from the Pakistan territory. Among all the attacks, 24 attacks against schools (21) and
hospitals (3) resulted from election-related violence. Other attacks included targeting
or damaging facilities and the killing, injuring or abduction of protected personnel,
or such personnel being subjected to threats.
23. The military use of six schools by the Afghan National Army and o ne school by
government and pro-government forces was verified. Two medical facilities were
used by the Afghan National Army, and jointly by the Afghan National Army, the
Afghan Local Police and pro-government militia.
24. The abduction of 14 boys as young as 11, by the Taliban (12), Afghan National
Police and pro-government militia (1 each), mostly for family association or alleged
association with the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and in one case
for sexual purposes, were verified.
25. A total of 20 incidents of denial of humanitarian access by the Taliban (13),
ISIL-KP (4), unidentified armed groups (2) and international forces (1) were verified.
Armed groups continued to intimidate, abduct, kill and injure humanitarian personnel,
including polio vaccinators.
Developments and concerns
26. I commend the Government for progress in implementing the 2011 action plan
and 2014 road map to end and prevent child recruitment and use, and for the
presidential enactment of the Child Rights Protection Law in March 2019, prohibiting
bacha bazi and the recruitment and use of children, and I call for its swift
implementation, particularly in Logar Province. I note that child protection units
within the Afghan National Police recruitment centres rejected 439 child applicants.
I recommend the adoption of a standardized referral system for the reintegration of
children who have been separated from parties to conflict, released from detention
and/or rejected from recruitment centres.
27. I am extremely concerned about the increased number of children killed an d
maimed by all parties, in particular by the 67 per cent increase in incidents resulting
from suicide attacks involving the use of improvised explosive devices and from
complex attacks. I remain concerned about casualties caused by government and
international forces, and I urge them to review, strengthen and implement current
tactical protocols to prevent child casualties. I note the measures taken by the
international forces and the decrease in the number of child casualties from aerial
operations. I encourage the Government to engage with the United Nations to broaden
the existing action plan and road map to end and prevent all grave violations by its
forces. I request my Special Representative to continue to engage proactively and
follow up on the implementation of all measures taken by the government and
international forces to mitigate child casualties.
28. I am concerned that polio vaccinators are denied access by the Taliban and
affiliated groups. I urge the Taliban to include child protection direct ives in their
operational commands, in order to protect all children under the age of 18. I encourage
them to sign an action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent violations
against children. I further urge all parties to cease the use of improvi sed explosive
devices and complex attacks.
29. I welcome efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement to the conflict in
Afghanistan. I urge the Government and the Taliban to work with my Special
Representative and the United Nations in considering t he use of the “Practical
guidance for mediators” in order to include child protection in the peace process.
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Central African Republic
30. The United Nations verified 517 grave violations against 413 children
(249 boys, 164 girls).
31. The recruitment and use of children was verified, affecting 208 children
(165 boys, 43 girls) between the ages of 11 and 17. The children were recruited and
used between 2016 and 2019, but the verification occurred in 2019, upon their
separation. The perpetrators were anti-balaka (91), Retour, réclamation et
réhabilitation (3R) (51), ex-Séléka factions (51) (Front populaire pour la renaissance
de la Centrafrique (FPRC) (36), Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) (14),
Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) (1) ), PK5 groups (11), Armed
Forces of the Central African Republic (2), Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Front
démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC) (1 each). Some girls were used for
sexual purposes.
32. Four boys detained by national authorities for association with armed groups
were released with no charges.
33. A total of 96 children (68 boys, 28 girls), some as young as 6 months old, were
killed (61) and maimed (35) by ex-Séléka factions (37), including UPC (20),
Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ) (10) and FPRC (7);
unidentified armed elements (30); 3R (5); PK5 groups (4); anti -balaka (3); and
LRA (1). Casualties also occurred during clashes between FPRC and MLCJ (8), anti -
balaka and UPC (7), and anti-balaka and the national armed forces (1). Most child
casualties resulted from shootings (81), including 14 boys killed or maimed during
their association with armed groups. Ouaka and Vakaga Prefectures were the most
affected, followed by Bangui.
34. Rape and other forms of sexual violence were perpetrated against 76 girls,
between the ages of 6 and 17, including one case which was verified at a later date.
The main perpetrators were ex-Séléka factions (38), including FPRC (14),
unidentified ex-Séléka (7), UPC (6), joint operations by FPRC and MPC (6) and
MPC (5); unidentified armed elements (15); anti-balaka (10); the national armed
forces (5); 3R (4); and Révolution et justice (RJ) -Sayo, LRA, Siriri, and PK5 groups
(1 each). One RJ-Sayo element and one anti-balaka element were arrested for sexual
violence.
35. A total of 33 children (16 boys, 17 girls), between the ages of 6 months and
16 years, were abducted by ex-Séléka (17), including FPRC (8), UPC (8) and
MPC (1); unidentified armed elements (7); anti-balaka (3); FDPC (3); 3R (2); and
LRA (1) for recruitment purposes (27) and ransom (6). Nine girls were raped in
captivity.
36. A total of 14 attacks against schools (4) and hospitals (10) were attributed to
ex-Séléka factions (6), including FPRC (4), MPC (1) and unidentified ex -Séléka (1);
anti-balaka (5); unidentified armed element s, FDPC and internal security forces
(1 each). Six incidents of the military use of schools were attributed to UPC (4), 3R
and anti-balaka (1 each). Two schools continued to be used by UPC in Haut -Mbomou
and Basse-Kotto Prefectures.
37. There were 90 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access. The main
perpetrators were ex-Séléka factions (36), including UPC and FPRC (9 each),
MPC (5) and other ex-Séléka factions (13); and anti-balaka (17). Nana-Grébizi,
Ouham and Ouaka Prefectures were the most affect ed.
38. Dialogue with armed groups enabled the separation of 208 children. In addition,
647 self-demobilized children (437 boys, 210 girls) from RJ -Belanga, anti-balaka,
FPRC, UPC and Rassemblement patriotique pour le renouveau de la Centrafrique
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(RPRC) were identified, and 963 children (744 boys, 219 girls) entered reintegration
programmes.
Developments and concerns
39. I welcome the signature of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation
in the Central African Republic in February 2019 be tween the Government and armed
groups. I encourage the Government, parties to the conflict and civil society to
develop a national strategy to prevent grave violations against children. I welcome
the adoption of the Child Protection Code in February 2020, criminalizing the
recruitment and use of children, and urge its implementation. I urge the adoption of
the protocol for the handover of children associated with armed groups to civilian
child protection actors.
40. I welcome the signing of action plans with FPRC and UPC. MPC and UPC
issued command orders prohibiting grave violations. UPC appointed a child
protection focal point for the implementation of the action plan. However, I remain
concerned by continued violations against children by FPRC, UPC and M PC, and
urge them to transfer perpetrators to competent authorities in order to ensure
accountability and to implement their action plans. I note that dialogue with armed
groups led to the release of 208 children. In addition, 647 self -demobilized children
(437 boys, 210 girls) from RJ-Belanga, anti-balaka, FPRC, UPC and RPRC were
identified and some 963 children (744 boys, 219 girls) accessed reintegration
programmes.
41. I reiterate my recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in the Central African Republic (S/2019/852).
Colombia
42. The United Nations verified 176 grave violations against 168 children (88 boys,
68 girls, 12 sex unknown).
43. The recruitment and use of children was verified, affecting 107 children
(54 boys, 41 girls, 12 sex unknown) between the ages of 12 and 17. The perpetrators
were the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) (40), dissident groups of the Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) (40),
unidentified armed groups (11), Los Caparrapos and Autodefensas Gaitanistas de
Colombia (AGC) (7 each), Ejército Popular de Liberación (EPL) (1), and the
Colombian armed forces, who used a girl as an informant. According to the
Government, 180 children (112 boys, 68 girls) were separated from armed groups and
entered the protection programme of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute.
44. A total of 46 children (33 boys, 13 girls), between the ages of 5 and 17, were
killed (23) and maimed (23). Casualties were attributed to ELN (9), the Colombian
armed forces (8), AGC and dissident FARC-EP groups (6 each), EPL and Los
Caparrapos (1 each), and unidentified armed groups (15). Children were mostly
affected by anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices, crossfire and air
strikes.
45. Rape and other forms of sexual violence affected 11 girls, between the ages of
13 and 16, with responsibility attributed to AGC, ELN and the Colombian armed
forces (3 each), and dissident FARC-EP groups (2). The three cases attributed to the
Armed Forces are under investigation.
46. Four children, between the ages of 2 and 15, were abducted (1 boy, 3 girls), with
responsibility attributed to ELN (3) and dissident FARC -EP groups (1). All children
were released from captivity, including one girl rescued by the Colombian armed
forces.
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47. Three attacks affected schools and related protected personnel. Two were
attributed to unidentified armed groups and one occurred during crossfire between
AGC and the Colombian armed forces, after the school was used by AGC.
48. There were five unattributed incidents of the denial of humanitarian access. The
incidents involved restrictions to freedom of movement owing to the control of
territory by armed groups and a rmed confrontations in Chocó, Cauca and Antioquia
Departments. Several indigenous communities were confined, thereby restricting
their access to crops, health and education services.
49. Monitoring and reporting remains challenging owing to security condi tions in
Chocó, Arauca, Norte de Santander and Putumayo Departments. Communities and
victims also fear reporting violations.
Developments and concerns
50. I welcome the Government’s efforts to end and prevent violations against
children, notably the policy to prevent the recruitment and use of children and sexual
violence against children, issued in November 2019 by the Presidential Council for
Human Rights and International Affairs. I encourage the Government to develop plans
of action to implement the policy at the local level and allocate adequate financial
and human resources for their implementation in the areas most affected by the armed
conflict, particularly in indigenous and Afro -Colombian communities.
51. I remain concerned about the continuing recruitment and use of children by
armed groups, in particular by ELN and dissident FARC -EP groups, and I urge all
armed groups to adopt and implement commitments to end all grave violations, and
to immediately release all children.
52. I encourage the National Reintegration Council to accelerate the response for
the 218 young people identified by FARC-EP for inclusion in the dedicated
reintegration programme entitled “A different path of life”. I urge the Government to
ensure the effective reintegration of all children who have left FARC-EP and to
strengthen security measures for programme participants.
53. I reiterate my recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Colombia (S/2019/1017).
Democratic Republic of the Congo
54. The United Nations verified 3,831 grave violations, affecting 3,796 children
(2,908 boys, 888 girls).
55. The recruitment and use of children affected 601 children (533 boys, 68 girls),
all of whom were recruited and separated in 2019, 30 per cent of whom were under
the age of 15 at the time of recruitment. The perpetrators were Nyatura (167),
Mai-Mai Mazembe (103), the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) (55), Nduma défense
du Congo-Rénové (49), Kamuina Nsapu (37), Forces démocratiques de libération du
Rwanda-Forces combattantes abacunguzi (22), Raia Mutomboki (18), Conseil
national pour la renaissance et la démocratie (CNRD) and unidentified armed groups
(17 each), Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) (13), and
other armed groups (103). Most cases were verified in North Kivu, followe d by South
Kivu, Ituri and the Kasais. A total of 22 girls were used for sexual purposes, 204
children were used as combatants and others were used in support roles.
56. In addition, 2,506 children (2,062 boys, 444 girls) were recruited in 2008 or
later, and used until their separation in 2019, by 38 armed groups, mainly by Kamuina
Nsapu (1,102), Twa militias (280), CNRD (125), Mai -Mai Mazembe (101) and the
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1). The latter case refers to
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a 15-year-old boy who participated in combat and was released, following an
intervention by the United Nations, after one year. A total of 1,753 children were
under the age of 15 when recruited, and 1,331 were used as combatants. Most children
were separated during demobilization processes, others were voluntarily released,
following engagement by the United Nations, or escaped from armed groups.
57. The armed forces and the Congolese National Police detained 111 children
(106 boys, 5 girls) for alleged association with a rmed groups, 90 of whom were
released. In addition, 21 children who had been detained since May 2018 for alleged
association with Kamuina Nsapu, in Kasai Province, were released in 2019.
58. The United Nations verified the killing (68) and maiming (67) of 135 children
(87 boys, 48 girls), in the majority of cases by armed groups (79) (ADF (35) and
Lendu militia (26), Mai-Mai Omera (8), other groups (10)), followed by government
forces (38) (armed forces (29) and national police (9)). Of the total number of child
casualties, 18 resulted from anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war. All
the casualties occurred during clashes, attacks on villages and intercommunal
violence between Hema and Lendu communities in Ituri.
59. The perpetration of sexual violence affecting 249 girls was attributed to
government forces (126) (armed forces (97), national police (25), Agence nationale
de renseignements (4)); and armed groups (123) (Bantu and Twa militias (23 each),
Raia Mutomboki (19), Nyatura (12), other arme d groups (46)). The incidents occurred
in North Kivu (64), South Kivu (50), Tanganyika (49), the Kasais (42) and other
provinces (44). Almost half of the cases involving government forces were committed
in the residences of the victim or the perpetrator; 2 6 per cent were attacks on girls
returning from agricultural work; and 11 per cent occurred during military operations.
Some 102 government elements were subsequently arrested. Among the 123 cases
attributed to armed groups, 22 girls were used for sexual s lavery and 101 girls were
raped.
60. There were 30 attacks on schools (20) and hospitals (10), mostly attributed to
armed groups: Twa militia (8), Mai-Mai groups (6), ADF (5), Lendu militia (4), Raia
Mutomboki (3), APCLS and Kamuina Nsapu (1 each). Two at tacks were attributed to
the armed forces. Most schools were deliberately burned and/or looted. A high
number of reported attacks on schools (108) linked to the Hema -Lendu
intercommunal violence could not be verified.
61. One school was used by the armed forces for the demobilization of the Twa
militia, in Tanganyika Province, and vacated after two months.
62. A total of 305 children were abducted (226 boys, 79 girls). The main
perpetrators included Nyatura (86), ADF (83) and Mai -Mai Mazembe (23).
Government forces abducted four children for sexual purposes and ransom. In 69 per
cent of the cases, children were abducted for recruitment purposes (209). Most
abductions occurred in North Kivu (187), Ituri (63), Tanganyika (31) and South Kivu
(21). The United Nations continued its advocacy for the release of children abducted
by Bana Mura militias in 2017 and forced into labour and sexual slavery. While
56 children returned to their families in 2019, another 54 are still being held captive.
63. There were five incidents of the denial of humanitarian access by Twa militia
(3), Mai-Mai Mazembe (1) and Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituri (FRPI) (1).
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Developments and concerns
64. I welcome the Government’s continued efforts to prevent child recruitment and
use. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued to screen
new recruits and 141 children were identified and separated before enrolment. I
commend the sentencing of two commanders of Coalition des patriotes résistants
congolais and Nyatura armed groups, including for the recruitment and use of
children, and the ongoing trials of commanders of Nduma défense du Congo, FRPI
and Nyatura for child recruitment. I call upon the Government to pursue
accountability efforts.
65. I am encouraged that the demobilization and surrender of several armed groups
allowed for the release of children. I urge the Government to facilitate the access of
child protection actors to all pre -cantonment and demobilization sites in order to
separate children. The Government must guarantee that all surrendered combatants
and their dependants, including children, are treated with dignity and receive support,
including health care and nutrition, when hosted in camps under its care.
66. I welcome the engagement of armed groups with the United Nations to end and
prevent child recruitment and other grave violations, with 21 new commanders
signing commitments to protect children and the release of 920 children. I urge these
armed groups, notably Kamuina Nsapu, Mai-Mai Mazembe, Raia Mutomboki and
Nyatura, to expeditiously release any remaining children from their ranks and end
other violations, and for other groups to engage with the United Nations.
67. I am concerned at the persistent high number of cases of sexual v iolence
perpetrated by government forces. I urge the Government to continue to prioritize
prevention and to continue its accountability efforts, and to continue providing
medical support to survivors and expediting the implementation of its 2012 action
plan and other commitments to end sexual violence.
Iraq
68. The United Nations verified 186 grave violations affecting 184 children
(133 boys, 42 girls, 9 sex unknown).
69. Four boys were recruited and used by the Iraqi Security Forces (3), and by the
Popular Mobilization Forces (1) in 2016, which was verified at a later date.
70. As at 31 December, 984 children (947 boys, 37 girls), some as young as 9, were
detained on national security-related charges, including for their actual or alleged
association with armed groups, primarily Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
71. A total of 141 children were killed (61) and maimed (80) by ISIL (68), the Iraqi
police (11), Iraqi Security Forces (5) and Operation Claw 9 (3), while responsibility
for 54 casualties could not be attributed. Almost half of the casualties (67) were
caused by explosive remnants of war in areas previously under ISIL control; most
such casualties were attributed to ISIL (36), while the remainder were unattributed
(31). In addition, 32 casualties resulted from the use of improvised explosive devices,
with 12 of the casualties attributed to ISIL and the perpetrators of the others unknown.
Indirect attacks or crossfire incidents resulted in the killing of 15 children and the
maiming of 13 children. Among those casualties, 16 were attributed to ISIL, 5 to the
Iraqi police, 5 to the Iraqi Security Forces, and 2 casualties were unattributed. A total
of 14 children were killed (12) and maimed (2) in targeted attacks. Four of those
casualties were attributed to ISIL, six to the Iraqi police, three to Operation Claw, and
one remained unattributed.
__________________
9 Turkey launched “Operation Claw” in northern Iraq, in May 2019.
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72. Incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which affected three girls
and took place in 2014, were attributed to ISIL and were v erified at a later date.
73. Two attacks, on a school and a hospital (1 each) resulted from the use of
improvised explosive devices, and both remain unattributed. Four incidents of the
military use of schools by the Popular Mobilization Forces were verifi ed.
74. The abduction of 36 children was attributed to ISIL, including the late
verification of 34 children between the ages of 6 and 13 (33 boys, 1 girl) who had
been abducted between 2014 and 2018.
75. While no incident of the denial of humanitarian ac cess was verified in 2019,
humanitarian actors faced bureaucratic impediments and restrictions of movement.
Developments and concerns
76. I commend the Government of Iraq for its ongoing discussion with the United
Nations on developing an action plan to prevent the recruitment and use of children
by the Popular Mobilization Forces, the implementation of which the United Nations
is ready to support. I note that no new cases of recruitment and use by those Forces
have been documented since 2016.
77. I note the finalization of a national child protection policy in December 2017
and call for its implementation. I urge the Government to adopt a comprehensive law
on the rights of the child to criminalize the recruitment of individuals below the age
of 18 and establishing the minimum age of criminal responsibility, in line with
international juvenile justice standards.
78. I remain deeply concerned about the situation of children detained on security -
related charges. Children must be treated primarily as victi ms and in line with
international juvenile justice standards. Detention should be used only as a measure
of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time, with respect for due process.
The United Nations is committed to supporting the Government in the reintegration
of children formerly associated with parties to conflict within its mandate. I welcome
the provision of reintegration programming by the Government, with United Nations
support, for 100 boys separated from parties to conflict and urge the Government to
develop and implement a national reintegration programme for children affected by
armed conflict.
79. I welcome the efforts of the Government to facilitate the return of children
actually or allegedly associated with ISIL, and call upon all countries concerned to
facilitate the voluntary repatriation of these children, in line with international law
principles, including the principle of non -refoulement and with respect for the best
interests of the child, and I commend those countries t hat have begun the voluntary
repatriation of children.
80. I am concerned by the ongoing killing and maiming of children caused by
landmines and explosive remnants of war. I urge the Government to fully implement
international legal instruments on anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of
war, and to promote mine clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance and
stockpile destruction.
81. I reiterate the recommendations included in my third report on children and
armed conflict in Iraq (S/2019/984).
Israel and the State of Palestine
82. The United Nations verified 3,908 violations against 1,565 Palestinian and
6 Israeli children (1,486 boys, 85 girls).
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83. No incidents of the recruitment and use of children were verified. Of concern,
in Gaza, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades and Hamas’ al-Qassam
Brigades organized weeklong “summer camps” for adults and children as young as
14, exposing them to military content and activities. One c hild reported that the Israeli
forces attempted to recruit him as an informant.
84. A total of 529 Palestinian children (528 boys, 1 girl) were detained for alleged
security offences by Israeli forces (527) in the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem (527, including 374 in East Jerusalem), and by de facto authorities in
Gaza (2). The United Nations received testimonies of 166 children who reported ill -
treatment and breaches of due process by Israeli forces, including physical violence
and one threat of sexual violence.
85. A total of 32 Palestinian children (29 boys, 3 girls) and 1 Israeli girl were killed
in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (6), and the Gaza Strip (27).
Most casualties were attributed to Israeli forces (29) an d caused by live ammunition
(15), air strikes (10) or tear-gas canisters (4). One case was attributed to a Palestinian
armed group, while two children were killed in incidents involving explosive
remnants of war. One Israeli girl was killed by an improvise d explosive device in the
occupied West Bank, attributed to unidentified perpetrators.
86. A total of 1,539 Palestinian children (1,460 boys, 79 girls) and 8 Israeli children
(5 boys, 3 girls,) were maimed. Casualties were attributed to Israeli forces (1,4 96),
Israeli settlers (19), Palestinian armed groups (7), Hamas (3), explosive remnants of
war (17), unidentified perpetrators (3) and stabbing attacks not attributed to any
party (2). The causes of maiming and injuries of children by Israeli forces were l ive
ammunition (415), tear-gas inhalation (358), tear-gas canisters (311), rubber-coated
metal bullets (229), ammunition shrapnel (121), air strikes (34), physical assault (22)
and other causes (6). Children were maimed by Israeli forces during demonstrati ons
(1,036) and other circumstances (1) at the Israel -Gaza perimeter fence, during air
strikes by Israeli forces on Gaza (34) and on the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem (425). Of the eight Israeli children maimed, three were injured in Hamas
rocket attacks. The maiming or injuring of 532 additional children (510 boys, 22 girls)
by Israeli forces during demonstrations in Gaza in 2018 was verified at a later date,
in 2019.
87. Some 208 attacks on schools (15) and hospitals (193) and protected per sonnel,
attributed to Israeli forces (201) and settlers (7), occurred in Gaza (168) and in the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem (40), and involved hospitals being damaged by
air strikes (1) or affected by tear gas disrupting their functioning (3), incid ents of
injuring or killing of medical personnel (189) and threats against teachers or
students (15). The United Nations verified 4 incidents of the military use of schools
by Israeli forces and 242 other interferences with education by Israeli forces (229 )
and Israeli settlers (13), affecting over 48,000 Palestinian children, mostly involving
Israeli forces firing live ammunition, tear gas or sound grenades in and around
schools. Conflict escalation significantly affected children’s education: rocket fire by
Palestinian armed groups, on the one hand, and air strikes by Israeli forces on Gaza,
on the other, each caused school closures for five days, affecting 1.3 million children
respectively. Incendiary balloons were launched from Gaza towards Israel, some of
which reportedly landed near schools.
88. The denial of humanitarian access by Israeli forces was verified in the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza. In the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, medical and other emergency services were pre vented from reaching
children injured in four incidents. As for Gaza, 23 per cent of applications to Israeli
authorities to gain access to specialized medical treatment outside Gaza were delayed
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until after the scheduled appointment and 5 per cent were den ied, affecting 2,127
children (1,281 boys, 846 girls).
Developments and concerns
89. I note the decrease in the killing and maiming of children but remain extremely
concerned by the high incidence of this violation in Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. I welcome the increased dialogue on grave violations of Israel
and the State of Palestine with my Special Representative and the United Nations on
the ground, following my previous report, and request my Special Representative to
continue her efforts to engage with all parties to end grave violations against children
and to further examine grave violations against children, including recruitment and
use by armed groups and killing and maiming by Israeli forces.
90. I urge all parties to end and prevent grave violations against children, in
particular killing and maiming, and to apply all feasible measures to ensure the
protection of, and care for, children affected by armed conflict.
91. I urge Israel to put in place measures to end any exces sive use of force against
children and to ensure accountability in all cases involving the killing and maiming
of children. I reiterate my call upon Israel to uphold international juvenile justice
standards, as well as to cease the use of administrative de tention for children and end
all forms of ill-treatment in detention or any attempted recruitment of detained
children as informants, and I exhort Israel to better protect schools as places of
learning.
92. I urge all Palestinian armed groups to uphold the ir responsibility to ensure the
safety of children, including by preventing them from being exposed to the risk of
violence or by abstaining from instrumentalizing them for political purposes,
including by exposing them to military content and activities. I call upon Hamas and
other armed groups in Gaza to cease all indiscriminate launching of rockets, mortars
and incendiary balloons.
Lebanon
93. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 43 children (42 boys,
1 girl), between the ages of 11 and 17, by unidentified armed groups (20), Bilal Badr
(10), Fath al-Islam (9), Hizbullah and Al-Nasri Front (2 each). Four children were
Lebanese and 39 were Palestinian. Five children were recruited as combatants and
38 were used in support roles.
94. Children continued to be detained for association with armed groups, with
20 new verified detentions of boys, between the ages of 15 and 17, of Palestinian (9),
Syrian (7) and Lebanese (4) origin. As at 31 December 2019, nine children
(6 Palestinian, 3 Syrian) remained in custody, with one serving a custodial sentence
and eight in pretrial detention.
95. Three children between the ages of 7 and 13 were killed (1) and maimed (2) as
a result of cluster munition or explosive remnants of war in southern Lebanon .
96. Sporadic armed clashes in Palestine refugee camps continued to disrupt
education and health services, leading to temporary closures of schools and hospitals.
Security concerns also limited the operations of humanitarian actors.
Developments and concerns
97. I welcome the issuance of the Code of Conduct and the Code of Ethics by the
Palestinian National Security Forces in Lebanon to protect people living in Palestine
refugee camps.
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98. I am concerned about the detention of child ren for alleged association with
armed groups and urge the Government to treat children associated with armed groups
primarily as victims, detain them only as a measure of last resort for the shortest
possible period of time and promptly refer them to rein tegration programmes. I
reiterate my call to the Government to accede to the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict.
99. I reiterate my concern about the recruitment and use of childr en and call upon
armed groups to immediately cease this practice.
Libya
100. No incidents of the recruitment and use of children were verified. The United
Nations verified the arrest and ongoing detention of eight boys between the ages of
14 and 17 by the Government of National Accord for their association with the Libyan
National Army (LNA).
101. A total of 77 children between the ages of 6 and 17 were killed (35) or maimed
(42) (60 boys, 17 girls), with responsibility attributed to LNA and affiliat ed forces
(50), unidentified armed groups (9), Tebu armed groups (5), forces affiliated with the
Government of National Accord (2) and Tripoli -based armed groups (1). Child
casualties occurred during clashes between LNA and forces affiliated with the
Government of National Accord (10). The vast majority occurred during the offensive
by LNA on Tripoli and were caused by artillery shelling, air strikes, including by
uncrewed aerial vehicles, and explosive remnants of war.
102. Reports of rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against refugee
and migrant girls were received, including incidents of forced prostitution by criminal
networks, some of which are associated with armed groups.
103. The United Nations verified 24 attacks on schools (9) and hospitals (15), all of
which were unattributed. Unverified reports of a further 24 attacks on health facilities
were received. The hostilities forced nearly 220 schools to close in and around Tripoli,
depriving at least 116,000 children of their right to education.
104. A total of 12 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed to
LNA and affiliated forces (5), Tripoli -based armed groups (3), the Seventh Brigade
and affiliates (2), Tebu and Zawiyah armed groups (1 each). Access to Tripoli and
southern Libya, where humanitarian needs are the greatest, remained restricted.
Developments and concerns
105. I am concerned about the prevalence of killing and maiming of children and
attacks on schools and hospitals. I urge all parties to abid e by their obligations under
international law, particularly the principle of distinction between civilians and
persons taking a direct part in hostilities and between civilian objects and military
objectives.
106. I reiterate my concern about the abuse o f refugee and migrant children,
including through human trafficking, the deprivation of liberty, torture and sexual
violence. I call upon the Government to end child detention and to pursue alternatives.
The denial of humanitarian access to children, inclu ding those in detention, is
worrisome.
107. I urge the Government to engage with my Special Representative and the United
Nations so as to adopt measures to end and prevent violations against children.
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Mali
108. The United Nations verified 745 grave violations against 547 children
(381 boys, 139 girls, 27 sex unknown).
109. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 215 children (189 boys,
26 girls), between the ages of 9 and 17. In 140 of those incidents, it was verified at a
later date that the victims had been recruited and used in previous years. Most children
were recruited in Kidal (131) and Gao (49) Regions. The perpetrators were the
Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) (136) (including Mouvement
national de libération de l’Azawad (MNLA) (88), Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad
(MAA) (30), Haut Conseil pour l’unité de l’Azawad (HCUA) (18)), Platform (27)
(including Ganda Lassal Izo (12), Ganda Izo (8), Groupe d’autodéfense des Touaregs
Imghad et leurs alliés (GATIA) (5) and ot her Platform members (2)), Front de
libération du Macina (FLM) (12), other armed groups (16), and the Malian armed
forces (24) for the first time since 2014.
110. A total of 56 boys between the ages of 14 and 17 were captured by the Malian
Defence and Security Forces (25), Operation Barkhane (18) and in joint operations of
the Malian armed forces and Barkhane (13) for their alleged association with armed
groups, including 10 children captured and handed over by Barkhane, who had
identified them as adults to the anti-terrorism prosecutor in Bamako. Of the
56 children, 17 were still detained by the Government at the time of writing.
111. A total of 296 children (179 boys, 91 girls, 26 sex unknown), some as young
as 2, were killed (185) and maimed (111), mostly in Mopti Region (269), resulting
from intercommunal conflict, crossfire and improvised explosive devices. The
perpetrators were dozo traditional hunters (147), unidentified armed elements (93),
Fulani armed elements (31), other armed groups (17), Malian Defence and Security
Forces (3) and Operation Barkhane (1). Four children were maimed during clashes
between an unidentified armed group and Barkhane.
112. Sexual violence affected 19 girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, in incidents
attributed to unidentified armed groups in Mopti (12), Gao (5), Ménaka and Timbuktu
(1 each) Regions.
113. A total of 69 attacks on schools (55) and hospitals (14) were attributed to
unidentified perpetrators (66), Dan Nan Ambassag ou (2) and FLM (1). The most
affected regions were Timbuktu and Mopti (23 each). Attacks involved the destruction
and burning of school premises and equipment, threats, and the abduction and killing
of education and health personnel. As at 31 December, 1,113 schools remained closed,
leaving more than 333,000 children out of school.
114. Eight cases of the military use of schools were verified in Mopti, Timbuktu and
Gao Regions by the Malian armed forces (4), dozo traditional hunters, HCUA,
Congrès pour la justice dans l’Azawad/MNLA, and MAA-Platform (1 each). Two
schools continue to be used by the Malian armed forces at the time of writing.
115. A total of 17 children (13 boys, 3 girls, 1 sex unknown), some as young as 6,
were abducted by unidentified armed groups (13), FLM (2), dozo traditional hunters
and Fulani armed elements (1 each).
116. Responsibility for 129 incidents of denial of humanitarian access remained
unattributed, except for one incident each by FLM, GATIA, CMA, the Malian
Defence and Security Forces and dozo traditional hunters. Most of the incidents
occurred in Gao (34), Mopti (34) and Timbuktu (27) Regions.
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Developments and concerns
117. I encourage the Government to continue efforts to strengthen its national legal
framework and to finalize the revision of the Child Protection Code, criminalizing the
recruitment and use of all children, including those between the ages of 15 and 18. I
call upon the Government to reinforce national systems to prevent child recruitment
and use in armed forces.
118. I commend the continued collaboration between CMA and the United Nations,
including through meetings and workshops to accelerate the implementation by CMA
of its action plan. I note that most incidents of child recruitment and use verified in
2019 and attributed to CMA had occurred in previous years. I welcome this and call
upon CMA to continue implementing the action plan. I commend the ongoing
dialogue between Platform and the United Nations and its commitment to adopt an
action plan addressing the recruitment and use of children, as reiterated to my Special
Representative, in July, and to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict,
in December. I urge the swift adoption and implementation of the plan.
119. I am extremely worried by the rise in child casualties, mostly in central Mali,
and urge all parties to take all necessary measures to prevent the killing and maiming
of children.
120. I welcome the continued cooperation between the United Nations and Operation
Barkhane, and between the United Nations and the Joint Force of the Group of Five
for the Sahel, on the protection of children during military operations.
121. I remain concerned by the detention of children for their alleged association
with armed groups and call upon national authorities and international forces to treat
those children primarily as victims and for their detention to be used only as a measure
of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time.
Myanmar
122. The United Nations verified 432 grave violations against 420 children
(351 boys, 67 girls, 2 sex unknown).
123. The recruitment and use of 50 children, between the ages of 12 and 17, mainly
in Kachin and Shan States, was attributed to armed groups (33) (Kachin Independence
Army (KIA) (30), United Wa State Army (2) and Shan State Progress Party/Shan State
Army (1)) and the Tatmadaw (17). Of those recruited by the Tatmadaw, nine boys
were recruited by the Tatmadaw between 2012 and 2017 and the incidents were
verified at a later date, and eight boys were recruited in 2019.
124. The use of 197 children by the Tatmadaw, in functions such as camp
maintenance, brick carrying and rice paddy harvesting, some of which were on an
intermittent basis, were verified in Rakhine (196) and Kachin (1) States , mostly at the
end of 2019.
125. The detention of 18 boys, between the ages of 15 and 17, by the Myanmar Police
was verified, for alleged association with Arakan Army (16) in Rakhine State and
with Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) (2) in Shan State.
126. The killing (41) and maiming (120) of 161 children (108 boys, 51 girls, 2 sex
unknown), some as young as 6 months, were verified. The total includes two child
casualties from crossfire, which occurred prior to the reporting period and were
verified at a later date. Child casualties occurred in Rakhine (95), Shan (50),
Kachin (8), Kayin (4), Kayah and Chin (1 each) States, and in Mandalay and Magway
Regions (1 each). While responsibility for 136 casualties was unattributed,
25 incidents were attributed to the Tatmadaw. Most of the casualties resulted from
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crossfire (66), anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war (59), shooting (14)
and artillery shelling (12).
127. There were 12 attacks on schools, including one attributed to the Tatmadaw that
occurred prior to the reporting period and was verified at a later date, in Rakhine (7),
Shan (3), Kachin and Chin (1 each) States. The attacks were attributed to the
Tatmadaw (8) and the Arakan Army (2). Two attacks occurred during fighting
between the Tatmadaw and TNLA. The attacks involved artillery shelling (5),
crossfire and looting (3 each) and shooting (1). The United Nations also verified the
military use of 51 schools in Rakhine (44) and Shan (7) States attributed to the
Tatmadaw (44), a combined force of the Tatmadaw and Border Guard Police (5), and
the Border Guard Police (2).
128. The United Nations verified the abduction of 12 children (6 boys, 6 girls),
between the ages of 12 and 17, in Shan State by TNLA (6), Myanmar National
Democratic Alliance Army (3) and Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State
Army-South (1), and in Kachin State (2) by KIA.
129. Humanitarian access, particularly in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin States,
continued to deteriorate owing to insecurity and unpredictable and oner ous
governmental travel authorization requirements and processes.
Developments and concerns
130. I welcome the adoption by the Government of the Child Rights Law,
criminalizing the six grave violations against children, and the ratification of the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict. I urge the Government to ensure their implementation. I
note the efforts towards ending child recruitment by the Government, and the
Government’s initiative to create a national plan to prevent killing and maiming and
sexual violence, but I urge the Government to address protection gaps by engaging
with the country task force to develop a joint action plan, as requested by my Special
Representative.
131. I welcome the release of 59 boys and young men and note the disciplinary action
taken against 18 military personnel for not following proper recruitment procedures.
I urge the Tatmadaw to continue to collaborate with the United Nations in releasing
children in compliance with the joint action plan and in expediting the age verification
of the remaining 125 recruits who are believed to be children, identified by the United
Nations and the Tatmadaw in their joint action plan. I am concerned by the use of
children in Rakhine State and call upon the Tatmadaw to immediately cease this
practice. The detention for alleged association with armed groups in contravention of
the Child Rights Law is concerning. I call upon the Government to treat children
formerly associated with armed groups primarily as victims and detain them only as
a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible time.
132. As discussed by my Special Representative during her visit in January 2020, I
am alarmed by the sharp increase in the number of incidents of killing and maiming,
including by anti-personnel mines, and in the number of attacks on and incidents of
the military use of schools. Ongoing grave violations against children are extremely
worrisome and I call upon all parties t o immediately end violations. I call upon the
Government to sign the Safe Schools Declaration and to ratify the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti -Personnel Mines
and on Their Destruction. I urge all parties to take all possible measures to protect
civilians, including by demining and marking contaminated areas.
133. I welcome the engagement of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, KIA, the
Karen National Liberation Army, Karen National Union/Karen Nation al Liberation
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Army Peace Council, and the Karenni Army and Shan State Army, with the United
Nations, including the release of 25 children (17 boys, 8 girls) by KIA, and urge them
to sign joint commitments to end and prevent the recruitment and use of child ren.
134. I am extremely worried by persistent access restrictions in some States and call
upon all parties to allow access to the United Nations and child protection actors for
humanitarian and monitoring purposes.
135. I urge all parties to engage in n ational peace dialogues and use the “Practical
guidance for mediators” to place children at the heart of discussions.
Somalia
136. The United Nations verified 3,709 grave violations against 2,959 children
(2,436 boys, 523 girls).
137. The recruitment and use of 1,442 boys and 53 girls was verified, with some
children as young as 8. Al-Shabaab remained the main perpetrator (1,169); followed
by government security forces, including the Somali Police Force (100) and the
Somali National Army (74); and regional forces, including Puntland forces (40),
Galmudug forces (30), Jubbaland forces (19), Galmudug police (4) and Jubbaland
police (1). Violations were also attributed to clan militia (56) and the Westland militia
(2). A total of 300 children were used in support roles such as escorts, guards at
checkpoints and for cleaning, and 269 children were used as fighters.
138. A total of 236 children, between the ages of 13 and 17, were detained for alleged
association with armed groups by the Soma li Police Force (164), the Somali National
Army (37), Jubbaland forces (24), the National Intelligence and Security Agency (7)
and Galmudug forces (4).
139. A total of 703 children were killed (222) or maimed (481) (518 boys, 185 girls).
The casualties were attributed to Al-Shabaab (252); government security forces,
including the Somali National Army (43) and the Somali Police Force (35); and
regional forces, including Jubbaland forces (19), Galmudug forces (10), Puntland
forces (5), Jubbaland police (3), Galmudug police (2) and Southwest forces (1).
Violations were also attributed to clan militias (28), the African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) (5), the Kenya Defence Forces (3), the Ethiopian National
Defence Forces (1) and unidentified armed elements (296). The main causes of child
casualties were improvised explosive devices (158), crossfire between armed forces
and armed groups (155), gun shots (127) and explosive remnants of war (54).
140. Responsibility for rape and other forms of sexual violence a gainst 227 girls was
attributed to government security forces, including the Somali National Army (25)
and the Somali Police Force (14), and to regional forces including Jubbaland forces
(16), Galmudug forces (5), Southwest forces (3) Puntland forces and J ubbaland police
(1 each). Al-Shabaab (26), clan militias (17) and the Westland militia (1) were also
responsible for violations. One violation each was attributed to the Ethiopian National
Defence Forces and AMISOM, respectively. In 116 cases, perpetrators could not be
identified. The cases of sexual violence included rape (148), attempted rape (42),
forced marriage (19), sexual harassment (17) and sexual assault (1).
141. A total of 76 attacks on schools (64) and hospitals (12) were attributed to
Al-Shabaab (60), government security forces (including Somali National Army (5)
and Somali Police Force (1)), clan militia (4), Galmudug forces (2), AMISOM (1) and
unidentified perpetrators (2). Incidents included the abduction of teachers and pupils,
the killing of and threats against teachers, and the destruction and looting of facilities.
In addition, one school was used for military purposes by the Somali Police Force
and one health centre was used by clan militias.
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142. A total of 1,158 children (1,065 boys, 9 3 girls) were abducted, the
overwhelming majority by Al-Shabaab (1,142), mainly for the purpose of recruitment
and use. Other perpetrators include unidentified armed elements (11), Westland
militia (4) and clan militias (1).
143. Responsibility for 50 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were
attributed to Al-Shabaab (22), clan militias (12), unidentified armed elements (6),
Galmudug forces (4), Jubbaland forces (2), as well as the National Intelligence and
Security Agency, Southwest forces, Puntland police and Puntland administration
(1 each). Incidents included threats and violence against humanitarian personnel and
assets, the abduction or detention of personnel and beneficiaries, entry restrictions,
disruption and looting.
Developments and concerns
144. I welcome the signature between the Federal Government and my Special
Representative, in October, of a road map to expedite the implementation of the 2012
action plans on ending and preventing the recruitment and use and the killing and
maiming of children. It includes renewed commitments to protect children, and I call
upon the Federal Government to fully implement the commitments, including at the
level of the federal member states.
145. High numbers of grave violations committed against children by all parties to
conflict in Somalia are concerning, in particular the staggering numbers of child
abductions and the recruitment and use of children by Al -Shabaab. Also concerning
is the growing number of violations attributed to government sec urity forces, in
particular the sharp increase in the recruitment and use and the killing and maiming
of children, as well as sexual violence perpetrated against children and attributed to
the Somali Police Force and regional forces, and the detention of c hildren for their
actual or alleged association with armed groups. I call upon all parties to immediately
cease all violations and abide by their obligations under international humanitarian
law and international human rights law.
146. I urge the Federal Government to treat children formerly associated with armed
groups primarily as victims in line with the best interests of the child, according to
the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed
Groups (the Paris Principles), as endorsed by Somalia, and to fully apply the 2014
standard operating procedures for the handover of children, including at the federal
member state level. I urge the Government to fast -track the adoption of legislation,
including the child rights bill.
147. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Somalia (S/2020/174).
South Sudan
148. The United Nations verified 270 grave violations against 250 children
(188 boys, 62 girls).
149. Responsibility for the recruitment and use of 161 children (149 boys, 12 girls)
was attributed to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA -IO) (80),
government security forces (30), including the South Suda n People’s Defence
Forces (20), South Sudan National Police Service (6) and National Security
Services (4). Violations were also attributed to the South Sudan United Front/Army
(SSUF/A) (21), the National Salvation Front (NAS) (19), the South Sudan Opposit ion
Alliance (SSOA) (10) and the National Democratic Movement (NDM) (1).
150. A total of 51 children (39 boys, 12 girls) were killed (25) and maimed (26).
Casualties were attributed to government security forces (12) (including South Sudan
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People’s Defence Forces (8), South Sudan National Police Service (3) and National
Security Services (1)). Casualties were also attributed to NAS (8) and SPLA -IO (1).
Among the casualties, 10 children were killed and maimed in crossfire between the
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and armed groups. Twenty children were
affected by explosive remnants of war.
151. Rape and other forms of sexual violence were perpetrated against 35 girls, and
in three cases there were multiple perpetrators. Most of the violations were att ributed
to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (23), followed by unknown armed
elements (6), SPLA-IO (5) and NAS (1).
152. Three girls were abducted by NAS (2) and the South Sudan People’s Defence
Forces (1).
153. Among 14 attacks on schools (10) and hospitals (4), responsibility was
attributed to SPLA-IO (5) and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (1). Seven
attacks occurred in the context of crossfire between SPLA -IO and the South Sudan
People’s Defence Forces (6), and between NAS and the South S udan People’s
Defence Forces (1). The attacks mainly involved the destruction and looting of
facilities. In addition, 18 schools and 3 hospitals were used for military purposes by
government security forces (17) (including South Sudan People’s Defence Forc es (15)
and National Security Services (2)), followed by SPLA -IO (3) and SSUF/A (1).
154. Six incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed to SPLA -IO
(3), the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and unidentified armed elements
(1 each). One incident occurred in the context of crossfire between the South Sudan
People’s Defence Forces and NAS. The incidents involved the killing of humanitarian
workers, harassment of humanitarian workers, the confiscation of humanitarian assets
and the denial of access to clear landmines.
Developments and concerns
155. I welcome the signing by the Government and the United Nations, in February
2020, of the comprehensive action plan to end and prevent all six grave violations
and note that in view of the unification of their forces with the South Sudan People’s
Defence Forces, foreseen in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the
Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, SPLA-IO and SSOA have bound themselves
to this action plan. I call for its full implementation. I welcome the establishment of
a Joint Verification Committee in May 2019 composed of the United Nations, the
Government, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, SPLA -IO and SSOA. The
Committee conducted screenings to identify and release children associated with
armed groups and armed forces and conducted awareness-raising on grave violations
in 24 barracks of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, and in SPLA -IO and
SSOA cantonments. In cooperation with the National Disarmament, Demobi lization
and Reintegration Commission and the parties to conflict, the United Nations
supported the release and reintegration of 280 children, including 76 girls, from the
South Sudan National Liberation Movement (201), SPLA -IO (58) and SSUF/A (21).
156. I commend the cooperation between parties to conflict and the United Nations
on child protection and in the release of children. I call upon all parties to immediately
release all children recruited or abducted and call upon the international community
to continue supporting programmes for the reintegration of these children. I remain
concerned about continuing grave violations committed in South Sudan, including by
emerging armed groups and in the context of intercommunal fighting. I call upon all
parties to end violations and urge the Government to ensure accountability.
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The Sudan
Darfur
157. The United Nations verified 208 violations against 199 children (123 boys,
76 girls).
158. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of three boys b y the Sudan
Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW). The United Nations is in the process of
verifying 14 alleged cases of recruitment and use by the Rapid Support Forces.
159. Some 119 children were killed (38) and maimed (81) (103 boys, 16 girls) by
unidentified armed elements (71), including 47 casualties caused by explosive
remnants of war. The remaining casualties were attributed to government security
forces (42) (Rapid Support Forces (19), the General Intelligence Service (formerly
National Intelligence and Security Service) (13), joint Sudanese Armed Forces/Rapid
Support Forces/Sudan Police Force operations (5) and Sudanese Armed Forces (5)),
and SLA-AW (6). Most children were killed and maimed in the context of public
demonstrations or during inter-factional fighting between SLA-AW splinter groups.
160. Incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against
59 children (2 boys, 57 girls) were attributed to government security forces (21)
(Rapid Support Forces (9), Sudanese Armed Forces (8), Popular Defence Forces and
Sudan Police Force (2 each)), the SLA-AW faction of Salih Borsa (4), and
unidentified armed elements (34). Children living in camps for internally displaced
persons and in remote areas in Jebel Marra remained vulnera ble to sexual violence
while carrying out livelihood activities, including farming, herding cattle or
collecting firewood.
161. Six attacks on schools (2) and hospitals (4) were attributed to SLA -AW (4), joint
operations by the Rapid Support Forces and Ara b armed elements (1) and unidentified
armed elements (1). The military use of nine schools by government security
forces (6) (Sudanese Armed Forces (2), Rapid Support Forces (2), Sudan Police
Force (1), National Intelligence and Security Service (1)) and b y SLA-AW (3) was
verified. Five schools that had been used by the Rapid Support Forces (2) and
SLA-AW (3) were vacated following United Nations advocacy.
162. The abduction of 18 children (15 boys, 3 girls) was attributed to SLA -AW Salih
Borsa (5) and unidentified armed elements (13). Among the armed elements, 11 were
described as armed nomads, and they abducted children for ransom or to force them
to work as cattle herders.
163. Three incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed to the
Sudanese Armed Forces (2) and SLA-AW Salih Borsa (1).
South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei
164. Access restrictions hindered monitoring and reporting by the United Nations.
165. One baby was killed by unidentified armed elements in Abyei.
166. Two girls were raped by the Sudanese Armed Forces and unknown armed
elements (1 each) in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. In the case attributed to the
Sudanese Armed Forces, the perpetrator was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in
prison.
167. The military use by the Sudanese Armed Forces of two schools and one hospital
in South Kordofan was verified.
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Developments and concerns
168. I welcome the opening of humanitarian space from October 2019, thereby
allowing the United Nations to visit areas that had been in accessible since 2011,
including areas of Jebel Marra or areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile controlled
by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.
169. I welcome the engagement by the Government with the United Nations for the
screening of 1,346 Rapid Support Forces soldiers in South and West Darfur, during
which no child was identified. I further note the command orders issued by the
Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces prohibiting the recruitment of
children.
170. I encourage the Government to further engage with the United Nations on
preventative measures for the protection of children so as to sustain the gains of the
action plan on ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children, which was
completed in 2018. I call upon all parties listed in the annexes to the present report to
engage with the United Nations on action plans or renew their engagement with the
United Nations in order to continue the implementation of action plans, including
through time-bound road maps. I call upon all parties to take into account child
protection in the ongoing peace process.
171. I remain concerned about grave violations committed in the Sudan, especially
incidents of killing and maiming and sexual violence. I call upon the Government to
refrain from the excessive use of force against children, and to ensure accountability
for the perpetrators of grave violations. I further encourage all parties to fully
cooperate with demining efforts.
Syrian Arab Republic
172. The United Nations verified 2,638 violations affecting 2,292 children
(1,612 boys, 401 girls, 279 sex unknown).
173. The recruitment and use of 820 children (765 boys, 55 girls) was verified, 798 of
whom served in combat and 147 of whom were below the age of 15. Cases were
attributed to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) (283) under the
umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Hay’at Tahrir al -Sham led by
Nusrah Front (245), Syrian armed opposition groups (formerly known as the Free
Syrian Army)10 (191), Ahrar al-Sham (26), other components of SDF (23), the Internal
Security Forces (ISF) (22), unidentified armed groups (11), Syrian government forces
(10), pro-government militia (5), Nur al-Din al-Zanki (3) and Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) (1). Most cases occurred in Aleppo, Idlib and Raqqah. In
addition, within the framework of the action plan signed in June 2019 with SDF,
51 girls were released.
174. At least 218 children (216 boys, 2 girls) were detained or deprived of liberty for
their alleged association with opposing parties, by YPG/YPJ (194) under the umbrella
of SDF, ISF (20), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (2) and Syrian government forces (2). In
October, the United Nations verified the deprivation of liberty of 150 boys, some as
young as 9, of Syrian nationality and of at least 22 other nationalities, by YPG/YPJ
under the umbrella of SDF, for alleged association with ISIL.
175. The killing (897) and maiming (557) of 1 ,454 children (834 boys, 342 girls, 278
sex unknown) were verified, with 678 of the violations occurring in Idlib. Half of the
casualties were attributed to government and pro -government forces (723) (including
government and pro-government air forces (487), government forces and
__________________
10 Formerly referred to as groups self -affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.
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pro-government militias (231) and government forces (5)), unidentified perpetrators
(580), Operation Peace Spring11 (65), YPG/YPJ (21) under the umbrella of SDF,
ISIL (23), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (14), the international counter-ISIL coalition (11),
Syrian armed opposition groups (10), other components of SDF (6) and ISF (1). The
casualties mainly resulted from air strikes (515), shelling (332), unexploded ordnance
(301) and attacks with the use of improvised explosive devices (165). T he last quarter
of 2019 witnessed a significant spike in the number of high -casualty incidents during
military escalations in north -western and north-eastern parts of the country.
176. Sexual violence perpetrated against children and attributed to parties remained
underreported. The United Nations verified 11 cases of sexual violence against girls
in detention by government forces, which occurred in previous years and were
verified at a later date.
177. There were a total of 262 attacks on schools (157) an d hospitals (105), including
on protected personnel, attributed to the Syrian government and pro -government
forces (226) (including government and pro -government air forces (147), government
forces and pro-government militias (75) and government forces (4) ), unidentified
perpetrators (14), Operation Peace Spring (6), Syrian armed opposition groups (5),
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (5), ISIL (3), YPG/YPJ and other components of SDF (2),
international counter-ISIL coalition (1). The majority of those attacks (192) o ccurred
in Idlib, with most involving air strikes (158), shelling (50), explosions of unknown
nature (34) and attacks using improvised explosive devices (6).
178. Some 32 schools and 2 medical facilities were used for military purposes by
YPG/YPJ (17), government forces (10), ISF (3), other components of SDF (1)and
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (1), mainly in Hasakah (22).
179. The abduction of 17 children (12 boys, 4 girls, 1 sex unknown) was attributed
to YPG/YPJ (8), other components of SDF (1) and ISF (1), Syr ian armed opposition
groups (4) and government forces (3). In the majority of incidents, children were
abducted owing to the alleged affiliation of relatives with opposing groups or as a
precursor to their recruitment.
180. A total of 84 incidents of the d enial of humanitarian access included attacks on
water facilities (46), incidents of the removal or blocking of humanitarian supplies
(21) and attacks on humanitarian facilities, transports and personnel (17). The
incidents were attributed to government an d pro-government forces (58) (including
government forces and pro-government militias (30), government and
pro-government air forces (26) and government forces (2)), unidentified perpetrators
(10), YPG/YPJ (3), self-administration in northern and eastern S yrian Arab Republic
(7), Operation Peace Spring (3), ISF (1), Hay’at Tahrir al -Sham (1) and the Syrian
Salvation Government (1).
Developments and concerns
181. I welcome the commitment by SDF to the action plan signed in June 2019 with
my Special Representative and the progress in its implementation, in particular the
issuance of a military order reiterating the prohibition of recruitment of children, the
establishment of an implementation committee, the training of 100 commanders, the
appointment of senior focal points and the release of 30 children in 2019 and 51 girls
in early 2020, as well as the separation of 18 boys awaiting formal release. I further
welcome the fact that United Nations child protection partners were granted access to
Centre Houry in Hasakah, which mainly houses Syrian children formerly associated
__________________
11 Turkish forces and Syrian armed groups operate in the context of Operation Peace Spring.
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with ISIL as so-called “cubs of the caliphate”. I note that the start of Operation Peace
Spring in October 2019 affected the implementation of the action plan.
182. I note the dialogue between the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and
the United Nations on non-military use of schools to implement the recommendations
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, including recommendations concerning
the recruitment and use of children. I call upon the Government to engage with the
United Nations in Damascus and with my Special Representative to strengthen the
protection of children affected by armed conflict, including through the signature of
dedicated joint action plans for which the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic is
listed.
183. I am appalled by the persistent high levels of all grave violations endured by
children and perpetrated by all parties in the country, including by government and
pro-government forces. I am particular ly disturbed by the increase in the number of
attacks against schools and hospitals. I am extremely concerned by the drastic
increase in the detention of children on security -related charges. The rising number
of incidents of the denial of humanitarian acc ess and emerging trend of attacks on
water facilities are also concerning. I urge all parties to take all necessary measures
to better protect children in armed conflict, including precautionary measures to
mitigate child casualties, and to protect schools and health facilities in the conduct of
military operations.
184. I reiterate my call upon all concerned countries that have not already done so,
to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of foreign women and children with suspected
family ties to ISIL who are currently in camps in the north-east of the country, in line
with international law principles, including the principle of non -refoulement and with
respect for the best interests of the child.
Yemen
185. The United Nations verified 4,042 grave v iolations against 2,159 children
(1,708 boys, 451 girls).
186. The recruitment and use of 686 children (643 boys, 43 girls) was attributed to
the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) (482), Yemeni armed forces (136),
Security Belt Forces (41), Shabwani Elite Forces (14), unidentified armed
elements (7), popular committees (4), a Salafist armed group and Hirak Southern
Movement (1 each). Most children served in combat roles (514), 19 per cent of whom
were below the age of 15.
187. The United Nations verified the deprivation of liberty and/or detention of
97 boys between the ages of 12 and 16, by the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the
Houthis) (68), Yemeni armed forces (26) and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in
Yemen (3) for their alleged association with opposing parties. Children were held for
periods ranging from six months to three years. Among those children, 25 were
captured and detained by the Coalition and handed over to the Government of Yemen,
who further detained them before releasing them into an interim care centre in Ma’rib
in October 2019. A total of 93 children were released as of January 2020, including
the 68 who had been held by the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis).
188. Killing (395) and maiming (1,052) of 1,447 children (1,041 boys, 406 girls) was
attributed to the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) (313), the
Coalition (222), the Yemeni armed forces (96), popular committees (40), Security
Belt Forces (11), Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (5) and ISIL (2). Responsibility
for 482 child casualties could not be attribu ted and a further 276 casualties occurred
during crossfire between various parties to the conflict. Of the total number of
casualties, 865 resulted from ground fighting, 306 from landmines and explosive
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remnants of war, 171 from air strikes, and 68 from bo mbs, including suicide and
attacks with the use of improvised explosive devices. Hudaydah, Ta‘izz and Dali‘
Governorates were the most affected.
189. Incidents of sexual violence against three boys by the Houthis/Ansar Allah
(previously the Houthis) and o ne girl by the Yemeni armed forces, between the ages
of 12 and 16, were verified. The lack of access to conflict -affected areas, stigma and
the fear of retaliation remain reasons for underreporting of this violation.
190. There were 35 attacks on schools (20) and hospitals (15). The attacks were
attributed to the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) (15), the Yemeni armed
forces (6), the Coalition (4), Security Belt Forces (2) and Shabwani Elite Forces (1).
Responsibility for four attacks could not be attributed and three occurred in the
context of confrontations between the Yemeni armed forces and popular committees
(2) and between the Yemeni armed forces and the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously
the Houthis) (1). Most attacks occurred in Dali‘ (15) a nd Ta‘izz (13) Governorates.
191. The military use of 37 schools was attributed to the Houthis/Ansar Allah
(previously the Houthis) (35), the popular committees (1) and an unidentified armed
group (1). The military use of three hospitals by the Houthis/An sar Allah ( previously
the Houthis) (2) and the Yemeni armed forces (1) was also verified.
192. The United Nations verified the abduction of 22 children (21 boys, 1 girl) by
the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) (19), Security Belt Forces (2) a nd
popular committees (1). In most cases, children were used for recruitment, while the
girl was abducted for marriage.
193. A total of 1,848 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed
to the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) (1,553), the Coalition (186) and
the Yemeni armed forces and other components of the Government (109). This
represents a dramatic increase from the figure recorded for 2018 and involved
restrictions of movements within the country, interference with the d elivery of
humanitarian assistance, violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and
facilities, and restrictions of movement into the country. Denials were prevalent in
Sana’a and Amanat Al-Asimah Governorates, followed by governorates adjacent to
active frontlines, including Hudaydah, Ibb, Hajjah and Sa‘dah.
Developments and concerns
194. I welcome the continued commitment of the Government of Yemen to protect
conflict-affected children, including through its interim care centre in Ma’rib, through
which children are reunited with their families, and I encourage further efforts,
including the adoption of a handover protocol on the release of children. The
implementation of its action plan and road map progressed in the first half of 2019,
with the appointment of 90 child protection focal points within the Yemeni armed
forces, 40 of whom were trained to identify associated children. That progress stalled,
however, in August 2019, with tensions erupting between the Government and the
southern transitional council. In this context, the political directive issued by the
President in February 2020, instructing all forces to comply with the action plan and
road map, is welcomed.
195. I commend the endorsement of a programme of time -bound activities by the
Coalition, through an exchange of letters with my Special Representative, in order to
support the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed in March
2019. I am encouraged by the efforts demonstrated in the context of the memorandum
and call upon the Coalition to expedite the implementation of agreed activities,
including accountability provisions. I note the decrease in child casualties attributed
to the Coalition in 2019.
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196. I am encouraged by the ongoing dialogue with the Houthis/Ansar Al lah
(previously the Houthis) to develop an action plan to end and prevent violations for
which they are listed, and the military use of schools. I note that a senior focal point
and technical committee were appointed and that a directive for the handover o f
children captured and/or detained during military operations was signed in April
2020. I welcome the release of 68 children detained for association with opposition
parties by the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) in early 2020 and urge
that their reintegration be prioritized.
197. I am extremely worried, however, about the rise in the overall number of grave
violations, including the continued recruitment of children by parties to conflict, and
in particular by the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis), and the shrinking
space for humanitarians in Yemen.
198. I urge all parties to abide by their obligations and responsibilities under
international law and to take all measures necessary to end and prevent violations and
facilitate humanitarian access to children.
199. I welcome the progress made towards ending the conflict that is the cause of
this suffering. I urge all parties to continue their negotiations to bring lasting peace to
Yemen.
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
India
200. The United Nations verified the killing (8) and maiming (7) of 15 children
(13 boys, 2 girls), between the ages of 1 and 17, by or during joint operations of the
Central Reserve Police Force, the Indian Army (Rashtriya Rifles) and the Special
Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (10), Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (1),
unidentified armed elements (1), or during shelling across the line of control (3). The
casualties that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir were mainly caused by torture in
detention, shootings, including from pellet guns, and cross -border shelling.
201. The United Nations verified attacks on nine schools in Jammu and Kashmir by
unidentified elements.
202. Of concern, 68 children between the age s of 9 and 17 have been detained by
Indian security services in Jammu and Kashmir on national security -related charges,
including 1 for actual or alleged association with armed groups.
203. In Jharkhand State, approximately 10 children were reportedly resc ued by
Indian police from Naxalite insurgency groups, who allegedly abducted them or used
them in support or combat capacities.
Developments and concerns
204. I remain concerned by child casualties in Jammu and Kashmir and call upon the
Government to take preventive measures to protect children, including by ending the
use of pellets against children. I am concerned by the detention of children, including
their arrest during night raids, internment at army camps, torture in detention and
detention without charge or due process, and urge the Government to immediately
end this practice. I note that the Government conducted age verification for some
detainees and urge for its systematization. I note the decline, as a result of government
efforts, in the number of reports of child recruitment and of the killing and maiming
of children relating to the Naxalite insurgency. However, children’s access to
education and health services continues to be of concern owing to this insurgency, in
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particular in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand States. I am concerned by attacks on schools,
yet I am encouraged that the Government has commenced legal proceedings against
the perpetrators.
205. I reiterate my encouragement to the Government to put in place national
preventive and accountability measures for all grave violations, as soon as possible.
Nigeria
206. The United Nations verified 788 grave violations against 733 children
(596 boys, 131 girls, 6 sex unknown).
207. Responsibility for the recruitment and use of 46 children (28 boys, 18 girls),
between the ages of 13 and 17, was attributed to Boko Haram (33) and the Nigerian
Security Forces (13). The Nigerian Security Forces used children for menial jobs at
military checkpoints. In addition, 516 children (458 boys, 58 girls) were verified at a
later date as having been recruited and used by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF)
between 2013 and 2017. No new recruitment and use by CJTF has verified beyond
2017, when the action plan was signed with the United Nations. Furthermore, Boko
Haram recruited and used 71 children in the Far North Region of Cameroon, 36 in the
Niger and 8 in Chad.
208. The Nigerian authorities released 160 children (158 boys, 2 girls) from military
detention following their arrest for alleged association with Boko Haram. The United
Nations was unable to verify the number of children still in detention, as access to
detention facilities was denied.
209. A total of 120 children (95 boys, 25 girls), b etween the ages of 11 and 17, were
killed (56) and maimed (64) by Boko Haram (105), unidentified perpetrators (7), the
Islamic State West Africa Province and the Nigerian Security Forces (3 each) and
CJTF (1). One casualty occurred during crossfire between the Nigerian Security
Forces and Boko Haram. Of the total child casualties attributed to Boko Haram,
41 were due to explosions of improvised explosive devices borne by civilians,
including 9 children who were used as carriers. In addition, 103 child casua lties in
the Far North Region of Cameroon, 13 in the Niger and 3 in Chad were attributed to
Boko Haram (109), government forces (9) and unidentified armed elements (1).
210. Sexual violence perpetrated by Boko Haram affected 30 girls, between the ages
of 12 and 16, including 23 who were abducted and subsequently raped or forcibly
married to Boko Haram elements. Furthermore, five girls were subjected to sexual
violence in Chad and the Niger, two of whom were attacked by Boko Haram.
211. A total of 15 attacks on schools (4) and hospitals (11) were attributed to Boko
Haram in Nigeria. Furthermore, Boko Haram attacked one school and seven hospitals
in the Diffa Region of the Niger, and one school and one hospital in the Far North
Region of Cameroon. Unidentified armed elements attacked one hospital in the Niger.
212. Responsibility for the abduction of 44 children (15 boys, 23 girls, 6 sex
unknown), between the ages of 11 and 17, was attributed to Boko Haram. In addition,
children were abducted in the Niger (67), Cameroon (49) and Chad (5) by Boko
Haram (104) and unidentified perpetrators (17).
213. There were 17 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access attributed to Boko
Haram (12), Islamic State West Africa Province (3) and the Nigerian Security
Forces (2). Incidents included the killing and abduction of humanitarians by Boko
Haram. Separately, two unattributed incidents were verified in the Niger.
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Developments and concerns
214. I welcome the constructive role played by the Government in support of t he
United Nations engagement with CJTF under the 2017 action plan on ending and
preventing the recruitment and use of children. As a result, of the thousands of
children released from CJTF, 1,355 children (1,138 boys, 217 girls) attended
ceremonies marking their separation from the group in 2019. I encourage the
authorities to ensure the reintegration of released children and further encourage
CJTF to complete the implementation of its action plan.
215. While the release of 160 children from detention is e ncouraging, I am concerned
about the children remaining in detention for their alleged association with Boko
Haram. I reiterate my call upon Nigerian authorities to treat all children formerly
associated with armed groups as victims, with detention as a la st resort, and to release
all children in its custody. I urge the Nigerian authorities to adopt a handover protocol
for the handing over of children associated with armed groups to civilian child
protection actors, and to provide access for the United Nati ons to all detained
children.
216. The brutality of grave violations perpetrated by Boko Haram in north -east
Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region remains a grave concern, notably the
continued use of children, particularly girls, as carriers of improvis ed explosive
devices, and I request my Special Representative to promote enhanced monitoring
capacity in the Lake Chad Basin. I urge Boko Haram to immediately cease all
violations against children.
Pakistan
217. A total of 23 children (2 boys, 4 girls, 17 sex unknown) were reportedly
killed (5) and injured (18) during armed clashes or by shelling or targeted fire across
the line of control (10), by improvised explosive devices (3) and explosive remnants
of war (10) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Provinces. Responsibility could not be attributed for any of those
casualties.
218. Three attacks against schools (2) and hospitals (1) were reported, but
responsibility was not attributed. The two schools in P akistan-administered Kashmir
were reportedly attacked across the line of control. The hospital in Balochistan
Province was attacked with the use of an improvised explosive device. The Global
Polio Eradication Initiative reported over 660 attacks or threats of attacks against its
staff and facilities, mostly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces.
Developments and concerns
219. I welcome the Government’s continued efforts to protect the workers who are
conducting the polio campaign. I note the decrease in the number of attacks against
schools and in the number of child casualties, but call upon the Government to
continue preventive measures to protect children, especially around the line of
control. I reiterate my call for the Government to endorse the Safe Schools
Declaration and to protect schools.
Philippines
220. The United Nations verified 79 grave violations against 67 children (42 boys,
25 girls).
221. The recruitment and use of 18 children (14 boys, 4 girls), between the ages of
15 and 17, were attributed to armed groups, namely the New People’s Army (NPA)
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(12), ISIL-inspired armed groups (5) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (1),
in Maguindanao, Quezon and North Cotabato Provinces.
222. The United Nations verified the detention of 35 children (13 boys, 22 girls),
some as young as 11, arrested by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (5), the
Philippine National Police (2) and during joint operations of the armed forces and the
police (28), for alleged association with armed g roups, and detained for periods
ranging from 1 day to 10 months. Two boys aged 15 and 16 were still in police custody
as at December 2019, having been arrested in August and September 2019 in Basilan
and North Cotabato Provinces.
223. The killing (12) and maiming (37) of 49 children (28 boys, 21 girls), some as
young as 1 year old, were attributed to Abu Sayyaf Group (10), Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (15) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (4), including in
Maguindanao and Sulu (18 each), North Cotabato (4), Negros Occidental, Basilan,
Lanao del Sur and Sorsogon (2 each) and Misamis Oriental (1) Provinces.
Responsibility for 20 casualties could not be attributed. Over half of the children were
victims of explosive remnants of war and the use of improvised explosive
devices (25) in Cotabato City and Sulu Province.
224. No incidents of rape or other forms of sexual violence could be verified,
although information was received pertaining to such incidents.
225. There were 12 attacks on schools and protected personnel, as well as threats
against 20 teachers, including an indigenous teacher. Attacks were attributed to the
Philippine National Police (3), unidentified armed elements (2) and NPA (1), while
6 attacks occurred during crossfire between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and
NPA (4) and between the armed forces and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (2).
In addition, two schools and one health centre were used by the armed forces during
military operations in Maguindanao Province. Of conce rn, threats against schools run
by non-governmental organizations in indigenous communities and harassment of
their personnel and students by government security forces and paramilitary groups
triggered an escalation of violence, notably in Mindanao, North Cotabato and Davao
del Norte Provinces.
226. No incidents of the abduction of children nor of the denial of humanitarian
access were verified. The monitoring and verification of violations was impeded by
access restrictions, due to the volatile security s ituation and restricted freedom of
movement imposed under martial law in Mindanao, thrice extended since 2017.
Verification in some areas was limited owing to a lack of trained capacity.
Developments and concerns
227. I commend the adoption in June 2 019 by the Government of the Implementing
Rules and Regulations for the Law on Children in Situations of Armed Conflict. I
urge the Government to swiftly disseminate and implement those domestic legal
obligations. I am concerned about the increased detenti on of children due to joint
operations of the armed forces and the police and I urge the Government to implement
existing national protocols and standards on children arrested and detained for alleged
association with armed groups.
228. I am encouraged by the inauguration of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority in
March 2019, marking the culmination of the peace process between the Government
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. I call upon the Bangsamoro Transition
Authority to continue to implement the peace agreement and use the lessons learned
and best practices collected by the United Nations Children’s Fund in the Philippines
and by my Special Representative to end and prevent violations against children. I
welcome the lifting of martial law in the r egion after almost three years.
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229. Improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war continue to kill
and maim children. I call upon the Government to implement the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer o f Anti-Personnel Mines
and on their Destruction and to prioritize the drafting of legislation providing
compensation for destroyed and damaged houses.
230. I remain concerned about persistent attacks and threats on schools and protected
personnel, particularly in indigenous communities. I urge the Government to comply
with the “National policy framework on learners and schools as zones of peace”
issued in November 2019 by the Department of Education. I reiterate my call upon
the Government to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.
IV. Recommendations
231. I welcome the enhanced engagement by parties to conflict, notably
Governments and non-State actors, with the United Nations to develop and implement
action plans and other commitments to protect children in armed conflict. I reiterate
my call upon Member States to continue supporting the implementation of action
plans and commitments, including by facilitating United Nations engagement with
non-State actors. I call upon the Security Council to ensure that child protection
provisions are included in all rele vant mandates of United Nations operations,
including peacekeeping and special political missions. I request my Special
Representative to engage with parties on action plans and strengthen the monitoring
and reporting on children and armed conflict in coor dination with United Nations
system entities.
232. I call upon Member States to respect the rights of the child, including through
accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on
the involvement of children in armed conf lict, if they have not yet done so, and the
endorsement and implementation of the Paris Principles, the Safe Schools Declaration
and the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment
and Use of Child Soldiers.
233. I am concerned by the continued high level of verified grave violations
committed against children. I call upon all parties to fully comply with international
humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law. I call
upon all parties to immediately end and prevent grave violations, including through
mitigation measures, appropriate orders and training on preventing violations.
234. I call for the adoption and implementation of legislation to criminalize grave
violations against children. I encourage Member States to proactively ensure strong
national accountability measures, and to cooperate with relevant international
accountability mechanisms. I call for the inclusion of accountability provisions in
action plans signed between the United Nations and parties listed in the annexes, and
for the implementation thereof.
235. I am deeply concerned at the growing number of children in detention, and I
reiterate that this should only be used as a measure of last resort, and for the shortest
possible period of time, and that alternatives to detention should be prioritized
whenever possible. I urge Member States to treat children allegedly associated with
armed forces or groups, including groups designated as terrorist by the United
Nations, primarily as victims, and to give child protection actors full access to these
children. I call upon all concerned Member States that have not already done so to
take steps for the voluntary repatriation of children stranded in conflict zones, in line
with international law principles and standards. I encourage parties to adopt standard
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operating procedures for the handover and release of all children detained in order to
facilitate their reintegration and, when applicable, repatriation.
236. I call upon all parties to allow safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access,
in order to provide assistance to children, and to ensure the safety and security of
humanitarian personnel and assets. Parties to conflict should order that humanitarian
assistance and protection services for children be allowed and facilitated, and
humanitarian deliveries protected.
237. I enjoin the donor community to address funding gaps for the reintegration of
children, including by ensuring long-term alternatives to military life, providing
education and long-term reintegration support, including psychosocial and mental
health services, as well as funding for monitoring and reporting on grave violations
against children. I further ask that the specific needs of girls and of children with
disabilities be prioritized in such programmes.
238. I encourage Member States and regional organizations to strengthen child
protection capacities and to engage with the United Nations in order to develop
strategies to prevent grave violations.
V. Lists contained in the annexes to the present report
239. There will be no new listing for 2019. In my previous report ( A/73/907-
S/2019/509), I requested my Special Representative to further examine cases in a
number of situations, however, unforeseen delays due to political and security
developments were encountered. In the case of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, delays were caused by multiple electoral processes ongoing throughout late
2019 and early 2020 and the subsequent closures caused by the impact of the
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the region. My Special Representative is
continuing to dialogue with parties until such an examination can be completed;
meanwhile, I urge all parties, in p articular the Israeli forces, to refrain from the use
of violence against children and to put in place measures that will prevent these
violations from occurring in the first place.
240. In Myanmar, the Tatmadaw will continue to be listed under section A o f annex I
for the violations of sexual violence and killing and maiming. The Tatmadaw will be
delisted for the violation of recruitment and use, following a continued significant
decrease in recruitment, ongoing prosecutions and an agreement to continue to trace
and release cases that were identified in previous years. The delisting with respect to
recruitment and use is conditioned on the immediate ending and preventing of the
ad hoc use of children in non-combat roles. A continued United Nations monitorin g
and engagement period of 12 months will ensure the sustainability of all existing
measures, including the prevention of use of children, as verified by the United
Nations, and continued engagement with my Special Representative. Any failure in
this regard would result in a relisting for the same violation in my next report. In
Yemen, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen will be delisted for the
violation of killing and maiming, following a sustained significant decrease in killing
and maiming due to air strikes and the signature and implementation of the
programme of time-bound activities to support the implementation of the
memorandum of understanding signed in March 2019. A continued United Nations
monitoring and engagement period of 12 months wi ll ensure the sustained
implementation of the programme of time-bound activities and the further decrease
in the number of affected children as verified by the United Nations. Any failure in
this regard would result in a relisting for the same violation in my next report.
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241. Other modifications to the list have resulted from changes in the landscape of
armed conflict in the respective situations or changes in measures taken by parties to
protect children. In this regard, in the Central African Republic, Front populaire pour
la renaissance de la Centrafrique and Union pour la paix en Centrafrique, both part of
the former Séléka coalition, will be listed in section B of annex I in recognition of the
measures put in place within their respective action plans . Similarly, in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kamuina Nsapu and Mai -Mai Mazembe will be
listed in section B of annex I for their existing violations, while Raia Mutomboki will
be listed in section B of annex I but only with regard to their listing for recruitment
and use and abduction, following their respective engagement with the United
Nations through signed commitments. In Myanmar, the Karen National Liberation
Army will be listed in section B of annex I, as a result of their enhanced engagement
to end the recruitment and use of children within their ranks. In South Sudan, the
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army -in-Opposition – pro-Machar will move
to section B of annex I as a result of their engagement with and endorsement of the
comprehensive action plan to end and prevent all six violations, signed in February
2020 between the United Nations and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces,
including Taban Deng-allied South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, and as a result of
the measures taken to release children.
242. Modifications to terminology and to names of parties resulted from changes on
the ground and are aimed at reflecting the name of parties more accurately. In
Somalia, the Somali National Army is now listed as the Somali Federal Defen ce and
Police Forces, and includes the Somali Police Force, remaining on list B of annex I,
conditioned on their timely implementation of the October 2019 road map to expedite
the implementation of the 2012 action plans on ending and preventing the recruit ment
and use and the killing and maiming of children and on the immediate application of
the road map to the Somali Police Force, which is now included in the action plans.
In the Syrian Arab Republic, the groups self -affiliated with the Free Syrian Army are
now listed as Syrian armed opposition groups (formerly known as the Free Syrian
Army). In Yemen, the Houthis will be listed as the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously
the Houthis) and, owing to recent command orders to stop the recruitment and use of
children and to release children, and to enhanced dialogue with the United Nations,
will be listed in section B of annex I for recruitment and use, while remaining listed
under section A of annex I for killing and maiming and for attacks on schools and
hospitals.
243. In view of the gravity and number of violations reported and, where possible,
verified in Cameroon (recruitment and use, killing and maiming, abduction, attacks
on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access) and in Burkina Faso
(attacks on schools, and killing and maiming) during 2019, both countries will be
added as situations of concern with immediate effect and will be included in my next
report.
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Annex I
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict on the agenda of the Security Council*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
Non-State actors
1. Haqqani Networka,b
2. Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a,b
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan Provincea,b,d
4. Taliban forces and affiliated groupsa,b,d,e
Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
1. Local defence militias known as the anti-balakaa,b,c
2. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Non-State actors
1. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d,e
2. Bana Mura militiasc,e
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda -Forces combattantes
abacunguzia,c,d,e
4. Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituria,c,d,e
5. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
6. Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain a
7. Union des patriotes congolais pour la paix (also known as Mai -Mai Lafontaine)a
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan, joint c ommitment or similar measure with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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8. Mai-Mai Simbaa,c
9. Nduma défense du Congoa,b
10. Nduma défense du Congo-Rénovéa,b
11. Nyaturaa,c,e
12. Raia Mutombokic
Parties in Iraq
Non-State actors
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Ansar Eddinea,c
2. Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest a,c
3. Platform, including affiliated groups a
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated Border Guard forces b,c
Non-State actors
United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
Non-State actors
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,c,d,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘aa
Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Justice and Equality Movementa,f
2. Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahida
3. Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawia,f
4. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Northa,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
State actors
Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro -
government militiasa,b,c,d
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Non-State actors
1. Ahrar al-Shama,b
2. Syrian armed opposition groups (formerly known as the Free Syrian Army) a
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
4. Army of Islama
5. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led by Nusrah Front (Levant Liberation Organization) a,b
Parties in Yemen
Non-State actors
1. Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) b,d
2. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsulaa
3. Pro-government militias, including the Salafists and popular committees a
4. Security Belt Forcesa
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
State actors
Afghan National Police, including the Afghan Local Police a,f
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique, Mouvement patriotique
pour la Centrafrique and Union pour la paix en Centrafrique as part of the
former Séléka coalitiona,b,c,d,f
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
State actors
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo c,f
Non-State actors
1. Kamuina Nsapua,d,e,f
2. Mai-Mai Mazembea,b,e,f
3. Raia Mutombokia,e,f
Parties in Iraq
State actors
Popular Mobilization Forcesa
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Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawad a,c,f
Parties in Myanmar
Non-State actors
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army a
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karenni Armya
4. Karen National Liberation Army Peace Councila
5. Shan State Armya
6. Karen National Liberation Armya
Parties in Somalia
State actors
Somali Federal Defence and Police Forces a,b,f
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, including Taban Deng -allied South
Sudan People’s Defence Forcesa,b,c,d,e,f
Non-State actors
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army -in-Opposition – pro-Machara,b,e,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
Non-State actors
Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) a,f
Parties in Yemen
State actors
Government forces, including the Yemeni armed forces a,f
Non-State actors
Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) a
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Annex II
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council, or in
other situations*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, also known as Boko
Harama,b,c,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
Non-State actors
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. New People’s Armya
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
Civilian Joint Task Forcea,f
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan, joint commitment or similar measure with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/75/873–S/2021/437
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
6 May 2021
Original: English
21-06004 (E) 210621
*2106004*
General Assembly Security Council
Seventy-fifth session Seventy-sixth year
Agenda item 68 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
promotion and protection of the rights of children
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, prepared following consultations and covering the period
from January to December 2020, is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution
2427 (2018). The report includes trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on
children and information on violations committed, as requested by the Council in its
resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions.1 Where possible, violations are
attributed to parties to conflict and the annexes to the present report include a list of
parties engaging in violations against children, namely the recrui tment and use of
children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence
against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons in relation to
schools and/or hospitals,2 and the abduction of children.
2. The information contained in the present report was vetted for accuracy by the
United Nations. Where information is not verified, it is qualified as such. Where
incidents were committed earlier but verified only in 2020, that information is
qualified as relating to an incident that was verified at a later date. The information
presented does not represent the full scale of violations against children, as
verification depends on many factors, including access. The report presents trends
__________________
1 See also the relevant reports of the Secretary -General on children and armed conflict in specific
country situations, in particular in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (S/2020/1030), Mali
(S/2020/1105), Myanmar (S/2020/1243), Nigeria (S/2020/652), the Philippines (S/2020/777),
Somalia (S/2020/174), South Sudan (S/2020/1205) and the Sudan (S/2020/614), and the report of
the Special Representative of the Secretary -General for Children and Armed Conflict to the
Human Rights Council on children and armed conflict ( A/HRC/46/39).
2 For the purposes of the present report, the phrase “protected persons in relation to schools and/or
hospitals”, used in Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011), 2143 (2014) and 2147 (2018), as
well as in the statements by the President of the Security Council of 17 June 2013
(S/PRST/2013/8) and 31 October 2017 (S/PRST/2017/21), refers to teachers, doctors, other
educational personnel, students and patients.
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and patterns of violations, and engagement with parties responsible for violations that
might lead to behavioural change, including promotion of accountability and
inclusion of child protection provisions in peace processes. In the report, it is noted
that attacks or threats of attacks on community and civic leaders, on human rights
defenders and on monitors of violations against children are a cause for concern and
a strain on the monitoring capacity.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict adopted a pragmatic approach to promote broad and
effective protection for children. Reference to a situation is not a legal determination,
and reference to a non-State actor does not affect its legal status. Accordingly, the
report documents situations in which apparent violations of international norms and
standards are of such gravity as to warrant international concern, given their impact
on children. My Special Representative brings these situations to the attention of
Governments, which bear the primary responsibility for protecting children, in order
to encourage them to take remedial measures. Where measures undertaken by listed
parties had a positive impact on children or where ongoing conduct is of concern, this
is highlighted. On the basis of enhanced engagement with parties, the annexes
distinguish between listed parties that have put in place measures aimed at improving
the protection of children during the reporting period and those that have not.
II. Situation of children and armed conflict
A. Overview of trends and patterns
4. In 2020, the situation of children in armed conflict was marked by a sustained
high number of grave violations. The United Nations verified 26,425 grave violations,
of which 23,946 were committed in 2020 and 2,479 were committed earlier but
verified only in 2020. Violations affected 19,379 children (14,097 boys, 4,993 girls,
289 sex unknown) in 21 situations. The highest numbers of violations were the
recruitment and use of 8,521 children, followed by the killing (2,674) and maiming
(5,748) of 8,422 children and 4,156 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. 3
Children were detained for actual or alleged associa tion with armed groups (3,243),
including those designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, or for national
security reasons. Escalation of conflict, armed clashes and disregard for international
humanitarian law and international human rights la w had a severe impact on the
protection of children. Cross-border spillover of conflicts and intercommunal
violence affected children, in particular in the Sahel and Lake Chad basin regions.
5. The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Afgha nistan, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen.
Verified cases of abduction and sexual violence against children increased alarmingly
by 90 and 70 per cent, respectively. Abduction is often combined with the recru itment
and use of children and sexual violence. Continued high levels of denial of
humanitarian access to children remained a concern. While attacks on hospitals
decreased and attacks on schools increased, both continued to endanger children.
6. Grave violations affect boys and girls differently. Whereas 85 per cent of
children recruited and used were boys, 98 per cent of sexual violence was perpetrated
against girls. Sexual violence remained vastly underreported, owing to stigmatization,
__________________
3 Information related to the den ial of humanitarian access to children is presented pursuant to
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and follows guidelines of the monitoring and reporting
mechanism on children and armed conflict. The information presented herein does not
necessarily give an exhaustive view of the full humanitarian access situation in the countries
concerned.
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cultural norms, absence of services and safety concerns (see also S/2021/312).
Abduction and killing and maiming also affected boys more severely (76 and 70 per
cent, respectively).
B. Challenges and the way forward
7. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic aggravated existing
vulnerabilities of children, including by hampering their access to education, health
and social services, limiting child protection activities and shrinking safe spaces. The
socioeconomic impact of the pandemic exposed these children to grave violations,
notably recruitment and use, abduction and sexual violence. Attacks on schools and
hospitals, and the military use thereof, exacerbated the plight of children. 4 While
engagement to end and prevent grave violations was challenging, my Special
Representative and country task forces made progress in Afghanistan, the Central
African Republic, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab
Republic. Engagement with parties to conflict r esulted in the release of 12,643
children from armed groups and armed forces.
8. As emphasized in Security Council resolution 2427 (2018) and by the Secretary-
General, the protection of children affected by armed conflict is crucial to prevent
conflict and sustain peace. National and regional stakeholders should develop and
expand initiatives to prevent grave violations. Prioritization of data analysis is crucial
for early identification and response to prevent the impact of armed conflict on
children, through enhanced information collection and analysis, support for national
capacities and inclusion of child protection concerns in mediation. 5 Strategies and
mechanisms for information exchange, while re specting individual data protection, in
particular on cross-border issues, need to be researched.
9. Access challenges and escalation of conflict challenged child protection
capacity and the monitoring and reporting of violations. While child protection a ctors
adapted their working methods, strengthened the use of technology and maximized
partnerships, child protection remained overstretched. The response to survivors was
hampered, which led to delays in the separation of children from parties to the confl ict
and in family reunification and reintegration. Child protection advisers mainstream
child protection and lead monitoring and prevention efforts. It is therefore important
that their number and roles be assessed, protected and increased to adequately pr otect
children.
III. Information on grave violations
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
10. The United Nations verified 3,061 grave violations against 2,863 children
(2,020 boys, 840 girls, 3 sex unknown).
11. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 196 boys, attributed to
the Taliban (172), Afghan National Police (5), Afghan National Army Territorial
__________________
4 United Nations, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary -General for Children and
Armed Conflict, “Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on violations against children in situations
of armed conflict”, April, 2021.
5 United Nations, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary -General for Children and
Armed Conflict, Practical Guidance for Mediators to Protect Children in Situations of Armed
Conflict (New York, 2020).
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Force (4), pro-government militia (7) and jointly by the Afghan Local Police and
pro-government militias (8), mainly in the northern (124) and north -eastern (51)
regions. Children were used in combat, including in attacks with improvised
explosive devices, intelligence gathering, staffing checkpoints and subjected to sexual
violence. Nine boys were killed and injured in combat.
12. As at 31 December 2020, 165 children (164 boys, 1 girl) were detained on
national security-related charges in juvenile rehabilitation centres for periods up to
3.5 years. In addition, 318 children, predominantly of non -Afghan nationality, were
in prison with their mothers who were detained for alleged or actual association with
the Taliban and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP).
13. The United Nations verified the killing (760) and maiming (1,859 ) of 2,619
children (1,789 boys, 827 girls, 3 sex unknown) attributed to armed groups (1,098)
(including the Taliban (940), unidentified armed groups (115) (including from
crossfire between the Taliban and ISIL-KP (3)) and ISIL-KP (43)); and government
and pro-government forces (962) (including the Afghan National Army (708),
unidentified government and pro-government forces (111), international forces (46),
pro-government militia (23), the Afghan National Police (22), unidentified
components of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (16), the National
Directorate of Security (14), the Afghan National Civil Order Force (10), the Afghan
National Border Force (9) and the Afghan Local Police (3)). Remaining casualties
were attributed to unidentified perpetrators (512) (including from crossfire between
pro-government forces and armed groups (404)) and cross -border shelling from
Pakistan (47). Child casualties resulted from ground engagement ( 1,195), non-suicide
improvised explosive devices (517), explosi ve remnants of war (315) and air strikes
(299). Other causes of casualties included targeted killings, suicide and complex
attacks,6 threats, search operations and abduction.
14. Sexual violence affecting 13 children (9 boys, 4 girls) was attributed to th e
Afghan National Police (6), including 5 boys used as bacha bazi,7 Taliban (3), Afghan
National Army (1), Afghan Local Police (1), pro -government militia (1) and Afghan
National Army Territorial Force (1).
15 A total of 152 attacks on schools (62), hosp itals (90) and protected persons in
relation to schools and/or hospitals were verified. Armed groups were responsible for
110 attacks, attributed to the Taliban (101), ISIL -KP (3) and unidentified armed
groups (6). A total of 30 attacks were attributed to government and pro-government
forces, including the Afghan National Army (16), Afghan National Border Force (1),
pro-government militia (2), international forces (1) and unidentified government and
pro-government forces (10). In addition, 12 attacks were a ttributed to unidentified
perpetrators in crossfire between armed groups and government and pro -government
forces.
16. The military use of schools (5) and hospitals (2) by elements of the Afghan
National Defence and Security Forces (2), pro -government militias (2), the Taliban
(1), the Afghan National Army (1) and the Afghan National Police (1) was verified.
__________________
6 A deliberate and coordinated attack that includes all of the three following elements: a suicide
device, more than one attacker and more than one type of device, as defined in the annual report
of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the protection of civilians in armed
conflict.
7 Bacha bazi is a harmful practice whereby boys are used by men for entertainment. The boys are
made to dance at parties and are often dressed in female clothes and subjected to sexual violence,
as reported by UNAMA and OHCHR in their annual report on the protection of civilians in
armed conflict.
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17. The abduction of 55 children (46 boys, 9 girls) by the Taliban (54) and a
pro-government militia (1) was verified. Of those, 42 children were relea sed, 4 were
killed, 1 remained with the pro -government militia and the whereabouts of 8 children
remain unknown.
18. A total of 26 incidents of denial of humanitarian access by the Taliban (24),
Afghan National Police (1) and government forces (1) were ve rified.
Developments and concerns
19. I commend the Government for the continued progress in implementing the
2011 action plan and the 2014 road map to end and prevent child recruitment and use,
including through the launch of the child protection pol icy by the Ministry of the
Interior in November 2020, which includes provisions on the recruitment and use of
children, bacha bazi, and the screening of children in Afghan National Police
recruitment centres, with 187 child applicants prevented from enroll ing in 2020. I call
upon the Government to sustain the gains made in the implementation of the action
plan since 2011 and to continue to prioritize the implementation of the road map,
notably in terms of legal and policy reforms related to children detaine d on national
security-related charges for actual or alleged association with armed groups and
whose age assessment must be accelerated and subject to standard operating
procedures, and in addressing reintegration policy gaps by adopting a referral system
for the reintegration of children who have been separated from parties to conflict,
released from detention and/or rejected from recruitment centres, as they remain at
risk of recruitment and use. I also urge the Government to prioritize accountability
for perpetrators and assistance for survivors and their families, and I urge the
parliament to adopt the Child Rights Protection Law.
20. I continue to be concerned by the high number of children killed and maimed
by all parties, as well as by landmines and explosive remnants of war, and at the high
number of attacks on schools and hospitals. I urge the Government and the
international community to invest in mine clearance and education. I am seriously
concerned over the continuing increase in casualties caused by air strikes carried out
by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and urge the Government to
strengthen and implement protocols to prevent child casualties. I note the reduction
in aerial operations by the international forces that has resulted, inter alia, in a sharp
decrease in the number of child casualties attributed to these forces. I request my
Special Representative to engage proactively on the implementation of measures
taken by the Government to mitigate grave violation s and to support the development
of an action plan between the Afghan National Army and the United Nations on the
killing and maiming of children.
21. I condemn all grave violations committed by parties to the conflict and am
particularly concerned about the increase in the recruitment and use and the abduction
of children by the Taliban. I appeal to all parties to the conflict to end and prevent
grave violations against children, and I urge the Taliban to cease violations and
engage with the United Nation s to sign an action plan to end and prevent violations
against children.
22. I welcome efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement to the conflict in
Afghanistan and urge the Government and the Taliban to include child protection
concerns in these negotiations.8
__________________
8 United Nations, Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Practical
Guidance for Mediators.
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Central African Republic
23. The United Nations verified 899 grave violations against 731 children (440
boys, 291 girls) which occurred during the reporting period. In additionally, 201 grave
violations against 201 children (130 b oys, 71 girls) which occurred in previous years
were verified at a later date.
24. A total of 584 children (400 boys, 184 girls) were verified as recruited and used
by ex-Séléka factions (412), including Front populaire pour la renaissance de la
Centrafrique (FPRC) (374), Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) (19),
Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) (15), joint UPC/MPC (2) and
Rassemblement patriotique pour le renouveau de la Centrafrique (RPRC) (2);
Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ) (46); Retour,
réclamation et réhabilitation (3R) (45); anti-balaka (42); the Lord’s Resistance Army
(LRA) (31); internal security forces (4); joint Armed Forces of the Central African
Republic/internal security forces (3); and unidentified perpetrators (1). Children were
used as combatants (111) and in support roles (464) and subjected to sexual violence (9).
In addition, the recruitment and use of 190 children (124 boys, 66 girls) by anti -balaka in
previous years was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
25. Four boys were arrested by the internal security forces for alleged association
with armed groups; two were released. The United Nations advocated the release of
the remaining 2 boys, as well as 10 children arrested i n previous years. Four boys
arrested in previous years were released in 2020.
26. The United Nations verified the killing (21) and maiming of (21) of 42 children
(23 boys, 19 girls), mostly from gunshots. Violations were attributed to unidentified
perpetrators (20) (including from crossfire between anti -balaka and UPC (2) and
between the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic and UPC (1) and explosive
remnants of war (5)), ex-Séléka factions (9) (FPRC (8), UPC (1)), anti -balaka (7), 3R
(5) and Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC) (1). In addition, the
killing (5) and maiming (3) of 8 children (6 boys, 2 girls) in previous years by UPC
(4) and unidentified perpetrators during crossfire (4) (between anti -balaka and FPRC
(2) and between traders and the PK-5 group “YOU” (2)) was verified at a later date
by the United Nations.
27. Rape and other forms of sexual violence against 82 girls were verified and
attributed to ex-Séléka factions (27) (FPRC (12), unidentified ex -Séléka, MPC and
UPC (4 each), Séléka Rénovée (2) and joint FPRC/MPC (1)), 3R (14), unidentified
perpetrators (15), anti-balaka (13), LRA (7), the Armed Forces of the Central African
Republic (4) and internal security forces (2). Perpetrators were arrested in two cases
(1 each from the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic and internal security
forces). In addition, sexual violence against three girls in 2019 by anti -balaka,
unidentified ex-Séléka and 3R (1 each) was verified at a later date by the United
Nations.
28. A total of 30 attacks on schools (23) and hospitals (7) were verified and
attributed to Coalition des patriotes pour le changement (CPC) (14), unidentified
perpetrators (6), ex-Séléka factions (5) (MPC (2) and FPRC, UPC and unidentified
ex-Séléka (1 each)), anti-balaka (3) and 3R (2).
29. A total of 11 schools (10) and hospitals (1) were used for military purposes by
the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (4), UPC (2), joint FPRC/MPC
(1 school/1 hospital) and unidentified ex-Séléka, Révolution et justice-Sayo Branch
(RJ-Sayo) and unidentified perpetrators (1 each). As at December 2020, three schools
were still in use for military purposes.
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30. Some 58 children (33 boys, 25 girls) were abducted by LRA (35), 3R (12),
anti-balaka (6), FPRC (3) and unidentified perpetrators (2), including for recruitment
purposes (29), sexual violence (10) and ransom (5).
31. The United Nations verified 103 incidents of denial of humanitarian access
attributed to unidentified perpetrators (46), anti -balaka (21), ex-Séléka factions (20)
(joint FPRC/MPC (8), FPRC (6), UPC (3), unidentified ex -Séléka (2) and MPC (1)),
CPC (11) and 3R (5).
Developments and concerns
32. I welcome the appointment of a Minister Counsellor to the President on child
protection and the promulgation of the Child Protection Code criminalizing child
recruitment and use, and I encourage the Government to prevent the recruitment and
use of children into armed and security forces. I welcome the conviction of 110
perpetrators of violations against children and urge the authorities to continue to
pursue accountability for violations against children. I call upon the Government to
submit its initial report on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and I continue to urge the
adoption of the protocol for the handover of children associated with armed groups
to civilian protection actors.
33. I welcome the release of 497 children following United Nations engagement
with armed groups, including 255 children from FPRC. In addition, 190 self -
demobilized children from anti-balaka were identified. The United Nations initiated
dialogue with an LRA splinter group.
34. I am alarmed at the elevated numbers of grave violations, including the sharp
increase in recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and attacks on schools,
including by parties that have signed action plans with the United Nations. I call upon
all parties to immediately cease all grave violations and to release children from their
ranks.
35. I am concerned over the impact of electoral violence, leading to an increase in
incidents of sexual violence and recruitment and use, and I ca ll upon the signatories
of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African
Republic to continue to implement it, including its child protection provisions.
Colombia
36. The United Nations verified 210 grave violations again st 184 children
(123 boys, 61 girls).
37. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 116 children (77 boys,
39 girls). Perpetrators were dissident groups of the former Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) (66), the Ejército de
Liberación Nacional (ELN) (22), unidentified perpetrators (12), the Autodefensas
Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC) (9) and Los Caparrapos (7). According to the
Government, 144 children (105 boys, 39 girls) were separated from armed groups and
entered the protection programme of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute.
38. A total of 69 children (48 boys, 21 girls) were killed (48) and maimed (21) by
unidentified perpetrators (36), dissident FARC -EP groups (18), AGC (7), the
Colombian armed forces (4), Los Caparrapos (3) and ELN (1). Children were killed
and maimed by gunshots (49), landmines (12) and improvised explosive devices (8).
39. Rape and other forms of sexual violence affected nine children (2 boys, 7 girls).
Violations were attributed to unidentified perpetrators (4), the Colombian armed
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forces (3) and dissident FARC-EP groups (2). The perpetrators were arrested in the
three cases attributed to the Colombian armed forces, and investigations are ongoing.
40. Six attacks on schools (4) and hospitals (2) were verified and attributed to
unidentified perpetrators (4) and AGC and ELN (1 each).
41. One school was used for military purposes by a dissident FARC -EP group in
March.
42. Two children (1 boy, 1 girl) were abducted by dissident FARC-EP groups,
including one for recruitment. Their whereabouts are unknown.
43. Eight incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified and attributed to
dissident FARC-EP groups (3), AGC and unidentified armed groups (2 each) and ELN (1).
Developments and concerns
44. In July, the Government approved a national action plan to implement the 2019
policy to prevent the recruitment and use of children and sexual violence against
children and launched the programme “Súmate por mí” to prevent c hild recruitment
and use by armed groups. I encourage the Government to allocate adequate financial
and human resources for their implementation, in particular in vulnerable areas,
including in indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.
45. I welcome advances in accountability, including through Case No. 07 of the
Special Jurisdiction for Peace, concerning the recruitment and use of children, and I
also welcome that the Truth Commission is addressing the disproportionate impact of
armed conflict on children.
46. I am concerned about the continuing recruitment and use of children by armed
groups, in particular by FARC-EP dissident groups and ELN, and by the increase in
killing and maiming of children. I urge all armed groups to immediately release all
children and to adopt and implement commitments to end and prevent all grave
violations. I encourage the Government to continue its demining and mine risk
education activities. As of February 2021, the crime of sexual violence against
children is imprescriptible in Colombia. I urge the authorities to implement a zero -
tolerance policy on sexual violence by the armed and security forces and to strengthen
prevention and response for survivors.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
47. The United Nations verified 3,470 grave violations against 2,912 children
(2,113 boys, 799 girls). In addition, 1,786 grave violations against 1,294 children (787
boys, 507 girls) which occurred in previous years were verified at a later date.
48. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 788 children (687 boys,
101 girls), all of whom were recruited, used and separated in 2020. Perpetrators were
Mai-Mai Mazembe (209), Nyatura (109), Alliance des forces de résistance
congolaises (101), Nduma défense du Congo-Rénové (NDC-Rénové) (66), Mai-Mai
Apa Na Pale (62), Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO) (34),
Raia Mutomboki (34), Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda -Forces
combattantes abacunguzi (FDLR-FOCA) (29) and other armed groups (143). One boy
was recruited by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to spy
on Mai-Mai elements. The incidents occurred in North Kivu (544), South Kivu (117),
Ituri (65) and Tanganyika (62). Fifty girls were subjected to sexual violence, and 240
children were used as combatants and 456 in support roles. In addition, the
recruitment and use of 1,164 children (747 boys, 417 girls) by armed groups (1,162)
(including Kamuina Nsapu (1,047) and Mai-Mai Mazembe (30)) and the armed forces
(2) were verified at a later date.
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49. In addition, 1,313 children (1,135 boys, 178 girls) were recruited in previous
years and used, until their separation in 2020, by 36 armed groups: Mai -Mai Mazembe
(296), Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale (187), Nyatura (185), Kamuina Nsapu (126),
NDC-Rénové (93), Raia Mutomboki (67) and other armed groups (357). Two boys
were used by the armed forces as servants for one year. The incidents occurred in
North Kivu (764), Tanganyika (188), the greater Kasai region (177), South Kivu (119)
and Ituri (65). A total of 592 children were used as combatants. Some children escaped
and others were released following United Nations advocacy or through
demobilization processes.
50. The United Nations verified the detention of 85 children (72 boys, 13 girl s), by
the armed forces (80) and the Congolese National Police (5) for alleged association
with armed groups. Most (76) were released upon advocacy by the United Nations
following detention periods of up to three years.
51. The United Nations verified the killing (220) and maiming (143) of 363 children
(217 boys, 146 girls), mostly attributed to armed groups (294): CODECO (140),
NDC-Rénové (27), the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) (26), Nyatura (23),
unidentified Mai-Mai groups (16), Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale (14) and other armed groups
(48). Government forces were responsible for 59 child casualties (armed forces (43)
and the national police (16)), while another 10 casualties resulted from landmines and
explosive remnants of war. The main causes were ethnically motivated raids on
villages (146); crossfire between armed groups and the armed forces (25); and armed
group clashes (23). A spike in casualties occurred during ethnic violence in Ituri and
of armed groups fighting in North Kivu, with 83 per cent of all cas ualties verified in
these two provinces. In addition, the killing (18) and maiming (32) of 50 children
(34 boys, 16 girls) mainly by armed groups (46), including CODECO (15), Nyaturya
(8) and Bana Mura (6), and by the armed forces (4) were verified at a la ter date.
52. The United Nations verified that 396 girls and 2 boys were subjected to sexual
violence by armed groups (261) (Nyatura (50), NDC-Rénové (40), CODECO (31),
Mai-Mai Mazembe (20), other groups (120)) and by government forces (137) (armed
forces (92), national police (41), Agence nationale de renseignements (4)). Violations
occurred in North Kivu (192), the greater Kasai region (58), Ituri (50) and other
provinces (98) and involved rape (245), gang rape (77), forced marriage (46) and
sexual slavery (23). Of the government elements, 45 suspects were arrested and 4
were convicted. Two armed group members were also arrested. In addition, sexual
violence against 170 children (2 boys, 168 girls) by armed groups (148), including
Kamuina Nsapu (67), Mai-Mai Mazembe (18) and Nyatura (7), and by State actors
(22), namely the armed forces (12), the national police (9) and the Agence nationale
de renseignements (1) was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
53. The United Nations verified 145 attack s on schools (101) and hospitals (44) and
on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals in Ituri (83), North Kivu
(33), South Kivu (15) and other provinces (14), mostly attributed to armed groups
(128): CODECO (66), NDC-Rénové (14), Twigwaneho (14), Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale
(10) and other groups (24). Seventeen attacks were attributed to the armed forces.
CODECO deliberately destroyed 53 schools during attacks in Ituri. In addition,
28 attacks on schools (22) and hospitals (6) by Twigwaneho (26), Bana Mura (1) and
the armed forces (1) were verified at a later date.
54. Five schools were used by the armed forces in North Kivu (4) and Tanganyika
(1) for up to four months for military operations and subsequently vacated.
55. There were 460 children (307 boys, 153 girls) abducted by Mai -Mai Mazembe
(106), Nyatura (53), ADF (48), CODECO (42), Mai -Mai Apa Na Pale (38),
NDC-Rénové (31) and other groups (135). Seven girls were abducted by government
forces (armed forces (4), national police (2), Agence na tionale de renseignements
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(1)). Children were abducted for purposes of recruitment (273), sexual violence (88)
and ransom (4) and for unknown reasons (95). Most abductions occurred in North
Kivu (270), Ituri (94) and South Kivu (42). Separately, 52 children abducted in 2017
by the Bana Mura in Kasai province were returned to their families following United
Nations advocacy. In addition, the abduction of 374 children (296 boys, 78 girls) by
armed groups (370), including Mai-Mai Mazembe (71), Nyatura (55), Bana Mura (52)
and Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale (48), and by State forces, namely the armed forces (3) and
the national police (1), were verified at a later date.
56. Three incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified and attributed to
the armed forces, Mai-Mai Yakotumba and Mai-Mai Mazembe (1 each).
Developments and concerns
57. The armed forces continued to screen new recruits, separating 53 children
before enrolment. I commend the Government for its continuing efforts to sustainably
prevent child recruitment and use by its forces. I call upon the Government to durably
address sexual violence against children, by implementing the 2012 action plan and
prioritizing access to services for survivors.
58. I welcome the conviction of the former leader o f Nduma défense du Congo,
Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, for war crimes, including child recruitment and use. The
conviction of 17 soldiers of the armed forces and 11 police officers for the rape of
children and the trials of suspected child recruiters are positive developments. I
commend the Government for its efforts to hold perpetrators of grave violations
accountable and urge them to continue to do so.
59. The signature of seven new commitments by commanders to end and prevent
the recruitment and use of children and other grave violations, following United
Nations engagement, is encouraging. As a result of similar commitments, 838
children were released in 2020. I encourage remaining armed groups to engage with
the United Nations to end and prevent grave violations against children.
60. The separation of 2,101 children is a positive development. I urge the
Government to facilitate access of child protection actors to demobilization sites to
separate children. I call upon the Government to approve, fund and implement a
national community-based disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
programme. I appeal to the donor community to support the reintegration of children
formerly associated with parties to conflict.
61. Despite a noted decrease, I am gravely concerned by the persistent prevalence
of violations, particularly the recruitment and use, abduction and sexual violence
against children, and the increased attacks on schools. I call upon all parties to conflict
to end and prevent grave violations against children.
62. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( S/2020/1030).
Iraq
63. The United Nations verified 85 grave violations against 82 children (62 boys,
19 girls, 1 sex unknown) that occurred during the reporting period. In addition,
32 grave violations against 22 children (8 boys, 14 girls) that occurred in the previous
reporting period were verified at a later date.
64. The recruitment and use of one boy by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)
was verified. The boy was recruited in 20 18, used, and killed in a military operation
in May 2020. In addition, the recruitment and use of a boy by Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) in 2015 was verified at a later date.
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65. As at 31 December, 1,114 children (1,071 boys, 43 girls) remain ed in detention
on national security-related charges, including for their actual or alleged association
with armed groups, primarily ISIL.
66. A total of 79 children (61 boys, 17 girls, 1 sex unknown) were killed (24) and
maimed (55) by ISIL (36), Operation Claw9 (2), Companions of the Cave10 (1) and
unidentified perpetrators (40). Some 65 incidents took place in areas previously under
ISIL control, and 25 casualties were caused by indirect attacks or crossfire, 17 by
improvised explosive devices and 17 by explosive remnants of war. In addition, the
killing (4) and maiming (2) of six children (3 boys, 3 girls) that took place in 2016
and 2017 in Mosul (Ninawa) was verified at a later date and attributed to ISIL (3) and
the international counter-ISIL coalition (3).
67. Incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence against nine girls by ISIL
that took place in 2014 were verified at a later date.
68. The United Nations verified an Operation Claw air strike in Sulaymaniyah
Governorate that hit a health centre. A total of 27 instances of military use of schools
by the Iraqi police (22), the Peshmerga (1) and the Iraqi Army (4) were verified.
69. The United Nations verified the abduction of three children (1 boy, 2 girls) by
ISIL. In addition, the abduction of 16 children (5 boys, 11 girls) attributed to ISIL
that occurred between 2014 and 2016 was verified at a later date.
70. One incident of denial of humanitarian access was verified in 2020, claimed by
the Guardians of Blood.
Developments and concerns
71. I welcome the decrease in cases of recruitment and use of children attributed to
PMF and the ongoing engagement between the Government and the United Nations
to develop an action plan to prevent the recruitment and use of children by PMF. I
urge the Government to speedily agree to and sign the action plan. I encourage the
Interministerial Committee on Monitoring and Reporting on Grave Child Rights
Violations to resume consultations with the United Nations.
72. I remain deeply concerned at the ongoing killing and maiming of children by
landmines and explosive remnants of war. I urge the Government to implement
international legal instruments on landmines and ex plosive remnants of war and to
promote mine clearance and mine risk education, including prior to any movement by
internally displaced persons back to contaminated areas.
73. I remain concerned about the situation of children detained on national security -
related charges, including for their alleged association with armed groups, and recall
that children should be treated primarily as victims and in line with international
juvenile justice standards. The detention of children should be used only as a measu re
of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, with respect for due
process. The United Nations is committed to supporting the Government in the
reintegration of children actually or allegedly associated with parties to conflict. I
welcome the reintegration of 355 children (259 boys, 96 girls) through United
Nations-supported programmes, in coordination with the Government, and urge the
Government to develop and implement a national reintegration programme for
children affected by armed conflict.
74. I commend the Government for its efforts to release 194 children (95 girls)
allegedly affiliated with ISIL and to facilitate their return to their countries of origin.
__________________
9 Launched by Turkey in northern Iraq in May 2019.
10 Ashab al-Kahf, an armed group.
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I call upon all countries concerned to facilitate the voluntary repatriat ion of their
children, in line with the principle of non -refoulement, with respect for family unity
and the best interests of the children, and in accordance with international law.
Israel and the State of Palestine11
75. The United Nations verified 1,031 grave violations against 340 Palestinian and
3 Israeli children (327 boys, 13 girls) in the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and Israel. In addition, 96 grave violations against
96 children (92 boys, 4 girls) which occurred in previous years were verified at later
date.
76. The United Nations verified the recruitment of two Palestinian boys by Hamas’
al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza.
77. The United Nations verified the detention of 361 Palestinian children for alleged
security offences by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem (361, including 283 in East Jerusalem). Eighty -seven children reported illtreatment
and breaches of due process by Israeli forces while in detention, with 83 per
cent reporting physical violence.
78. Twelve children (11 Palestinian boys, 1 Israeli boy) were killed in the occupied
West Bank, including East Jerusalem (9), in Gaza (2) and in Israel (1) by Israeli forces
(8), Palestinian security forces (1), Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades (1), unidentified
perpetrator (1) and explosive remnants of war (1). Of the eight Palestinian children
killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, seven were killed by
Israeli forces by live ammunition (6) and physical assault du ring arrest (1), during
law enforcement operations (3), demonstrations and confrontations involving stone
throwing (2) and Molotov cocktails (1), and a shooting attack against Israeli forces
(1). The child killed by Palestinian security forces was shot with live ammunition in
a law enforcement operation. One Israeli boy was killed in the occupied West Bank
while being pursued by Israeli police after allegedly throwing stones at Palestinians.
79. A total of 326 children (324 Palestinian children, 2 Israeli c hildren; 313 boys,
13 girls) were maimed12 in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (304),
and in Gaza (22) by Israeli forces (294), Israeli settlers (20), Palestinian armed groups
(2) and unidentified Palestinian perpetrators (2) and explosive remnants of war (8).
The main causes of maiming of children by Israeli forces were tear gas inhalation
(170), rubber-coated metal bullets and sponge-tipped bullets (70) and live
ammunition (34). Eight children were maimed by Israeli forces during demonstrations
at the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence. In Gaza, six Palestinian children were maimed
during air strikes by Israeli forces on Gaza, and two Palestinian boys were maimed
by a rocket fired by a Palestinian armed group landing near their home. Separately,
the maiming of another 96 children (92 boys, 4 girls) by Israeli forces that occurred
during demonstrations in Gaza in 2018 and 2019 was verified at a later date. Two
Israeli children were maimed in stone-throwing incidents attributed to Palestinian
perpetrators.
80. The United Nations verified 30 attacks on schools (11) and hospitals (19),
including on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, attributed to
Israeli forces (26) and Israeli settlers (4) in Gaza (4) and the occupied West Bank,
including East Jerusalem (26). Incidents involved air strikes (4), settler attacks (1),
attacks on medical personnel (18) and threats against teachers or students (7). The
United Nations verified one incident of a school being used for military purposes in
__________________
11 For the purposes of the present report, the present section provides information on grave
violations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and Israel.
12 Any action that causes a serious, permanent, disabling injury, scarring or mutilation to a child.
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Gaza by unidentified perpetrators. Separately, 94 other interferences with health (5)
or education (89) by Israeli forces (90), affecting the education of more than 6,900
Palestinian children, and Fatah’s Tanzim (4) were verified in the occupied West Bank.
Most verified interferences involved Israeli force closures or denial of teachers’ and
students’ access through checkpoints (39), Israeli forces firing tear gas or other
weapons in and around schools (22), or threats of demolition (9). Self -identified
members of Fatah’s Tanzim dismissed students and teachers from four schools owing
to demonstrations.
81. The denial of humanitarian access by Israeli forces (661) was verified in the
occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza. Two incidents occurred
in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, through the delay and/or
prevention by the Israeli forces of medical care being provided to fatally injured
children. The suspension of coordination between the authorities of the State of
Palestine and Israel in response to the plans by Israel to annex parts of the occupied
West Bank continued to pose additional obstacles to children in need of medical
treatment in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. Some 28
per cent of permit applications to Israeli authorities for children to exit through the
Erez crossing to access specialized medical treatment outside Gaza were delayed and
3 per cent were denied, affecting 659 children (397 boys, 262 girls). Three Palestinian
children died while waiting for permission to access medical care outside Gaza.
Developments and concerns
82. I welcome the collaboration extended by the Israeli and Palestinian parties to
my Special Representative following my request in 2019 to further examine the ca ses
of maiming and injuries caused by Israeli forces and of the recruitment and use of
children by armed groups (see A/73/907-S/2019/509), reiterated in June 2020 (see
A/74/845-S/2020/525). I take note of the findings resulting from these consultations,
which I have shared with the authorities of Israel and the State of Palestine. I welcome
that both authorities reported that corrective measures had been taken and existing
protection frameworks had been strengthened and that both expressed commitment to
continuing to engage to better protect children. I note that investigations by Israeli
authorities are ongoing and call for these investigations to follow internatio nal
standards. My Special Representative will continue to engage with all parties to
protect children, and I encourage the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to reinforce
their dialogue with the United Nations at the country level, in particular in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory.
83. While I note a decrease in grave violations in 2020, I remain deeply concerned
by the number of children killed and maimed, including through the use of live
ammunition during law enforcement operations, and I urge Israel to continue to
investigate each case where live ammunition was used, as required by procedure, and
urge the authorities to pursue accountability for violations against children.
84. I urge the Israeli authorities to review and strengthen measures to preve nt any
excessive use of force, to ensure that force be used only when necessary and to
minimize the effects of its forces’ operations on children and ensure accountability in
all cases involving the killing and maiming of children. I further call upon Isra el to
better protect schools as places of learning. Taking note of the decrease in detentions,
I reiterate my call upon Israel to uphold international juvenile justice standards,
including use of detention as a measure of last resort and for the shortest a ppropriate
period of time, and end the administrative detention of children, prevent all forms of
ill-treatment in detention, and halt any attempted recruitment of detained children as
informants. Of concern are continued allegations of attempts to recruit detained
Palestinian children as informants.
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85. I am also concerned by the two incidents of children recruited by al -Qassam
Brigades. I call upon al-Qassam Brigades to cease the recruitment and use of children
and to abide by its domestic and internation al legal obligations. I urge all Palestinian
armed groups to protect children, including by preventing them from being exposed
to the risk of violence or by abstaining from instrumentalizing them for political
purposes.
86. I call upon all parties to engage with the United Nations, including at the country
level, to end and prevent grave violations against children and to better protect
children and respect international humanitarian law and international human rights
law.
Lebanon
87. The United Nations verified 16 grave violations against 16 children (14 boys, 2
girls).
88. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of nine children (8 boys,
1 girl) by Jund Ansar Allah13 (3), unidentified perpetrators (2), Fath al -Islam (2) and
ISIL (2). Three children were used as combatants.
89. Children continued to be arrested and prosecuted under military jurisdiction on
national security-related charges, including allegations of terrorism, with the verified
detention of two boys. As at December 202 0, an additional three boys were detained.
90. Seven children (6 boys, 1 girl) were killed (6) and maimed (1) by unidentified
perpetrators.
Developments and concerns
91. I reiterate my call upon the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict.
92. I reiterate my call upon armed groups to immediately cease the recruitment and
use of children.
93. I am concerned about the continued detention of children for alleged association
with armed groups, including those designated as terrorist groups by the United
Nations, and urge the Government to treat children associated with armed groups
primarily as victims, detain them only as a measure of last resort for the shortest
appropriate period of time and refer them to reintegration programmes.
Libya
94. The United Nations verified 166 grave violations against 117 children (94 boys,
23 girls).
95. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of nine boys by the Libyan
National Army (LNA) and affiliated forces (3), forces affiliated with the former
Government of National Accord (3) and Syrian armed opposition groups formerly
known as the Free Syrian Army (Muʽtasim and Samarqand brigades) (3), which
trafficked them from the Syrian Arab Republic to Libya.
96. The United Nations verified the detention of one boy by LNA and affiliated
forces, and of 67 children and their mothers, from s everal nationalities, by the Judicial
__________________
13 A Palestinian armed group based mainly in the Ein El Hilweh and Mieh Mieh Palestine refugee
camps of Lebanon.
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Police for the mothers alleged association with ISIL, in Judaydah prison in Tripoli.
As at December, 12 children had been repatriated to their countries of origin.
97. The verified killing (31) and maiming (65) of 96 children (79 boys, 17 girls)
was attributed to LNA and affiliated forces (71), forces affiliated with the former
Government of National Accord (8) and unidentified perpetrators (17), and caused by
shelling (50), air strikes (20) or explosive remnants of wa r (26).
98. Five verified cases of sexual violence (3 boys, 2 girls) were attributed to forces
affiliated with the former Government of National Accord (4) and unidentified
perpetrators (1).
99. A total of 48 verified attacks on schools (22) and hospital s (26) were attributed
to LNA and affiliated forces (16), forces affiliated with the former Government of
National Accord (1) and unidentified perpetrators (31), including crossfire between
LNA-affiliated groups and forces affiliated with the former Govern ment of National
Accord (8).
100. The verified abduction of seven children (3 boys, 4 girls) was attributed to LNA
and affiliated forces (Ninth Brigade, also known as Al -Kaniyat) (3), forces affiliated
with the former Government of National Accord (3) and unidentified perpetrators (1).
101. One verified denial of humanitarian access was attributed to forces affiliated
with the former Government of National Accord.
Developments and concerns
102. I welcome the efforts of the Government to mitigate t he effect of landmines and
explosive remnants of war, and I call upon Libya to become a party to the Convention
on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti -Personnel
Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) and the Convention on
Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May
Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (Protocol V).
I call upon the Government to enforce laws on weapons and ammunition and to
reinforce the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with emphasis on
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of children.
103. I am concerned about the prevalence of killing and maiming of children and
attacks on schools and hospitals. I urge all parties to abide by their obligations under
international humanitarian law. I call upon parties to cease the recruitment and use of
children and their trafficking across borders from the Syrian Arab Republic to Libya.
I am concerned over the risk of se xual violence against children.
104. I welcome the initial efforts by the Government to facilitate the return of women
and children allegedly associated with ISIL in Libya and call upon all countries
concerned to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of th ese children, in line with
international law principles, including the principle of non -refoulement and with
respect for the best interests of the child.
105. I urge the Government to engage with my Special Representative and the United
Nations to develop and adopt measures to end and prevent violations against children,
and to ensure that child protection provisions are included in ceasefire and peace
processes. I reiterate my concern about the abuse of refugee and migrant children,
including through trafficking in persons, the deprivation of liberty, torture and sexual
violence. I call upon the Government to take immediate action to end child detention
and to pursue alternatives to detention and facilitate United Nations and other
humanitarian agencies access to detention centres. The denial of humanitarian access
to children, including those in detention, is deeply concerning.
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Mali
106. The United Nations verified 809 grave violations against 535 children (394
boys, 135 girls, 6 sex unknown) which occurred during the reporting period. In
addition, 204 grave violations against 183 children (145 boys, 38 girls) which
occurred in previous years were verified at a later date.
107. Some 284 children (221 boys, 63 girls) were recruited and used by th e
Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) (141), including Mouvement
national de libération de l’Azawad (MNLA) (70), Haut Conseil pour l’unité de
l’Azawad (HCUA) (45) and Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad (MAA) (26) ; Platform
(70), including Ganda Lassal Izo (31), Groupe d’autodéfense des Touaregs Imghad et
leurs alliés (GATIA) (15), Ganda Koy (15) and Mouvement pour le Salut de l’Azawad
(MSA) (9); Dan Nan Ambassagou (DNA) (19), Front de libération du Macina (FLM)
(17), unidentified perpetrators (13), Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique
de l’Ouest (MUJAO) (1) and the Malian armed forces (23). Most children were
recruited in the Kidal (112) and Gao (74) regions. Children were used in combat roles
(120) and support roles and were subjected to sexua l violence. In addition, the
recruitment and use of 170 children (137 boys, 33 girls) which occurred in previous
years was verified at a later date. Perpetrators were Platform (84) (GATIA (38), Ganda
Koy (18) and other Platform members (28)), CMA (44) (MNL A (31) and other CMA
members (13)) and other armed groups (42).
108. Eleven boys were arrested by the Malian Defence and Security Forces (10) and
Operation Barkhane (1) 14 for alleged association with armed groups. They were
released after periods ranging from 1 to 21 days, except for one boy held by the
national authorities for five months. Of the 17 children held in government detention
since 2019, 15 remained detained as at December 2020.
109. A total of 173 children (115 boys, 52 girls, 6 sex unknown) were killed (87) and
maimed (86), mostly in the Mopti region (134), as a result of attacks on villages,
crossfire, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war. The
perpetrators were unidentified (116), Fulani armed elements (19), Dogon armed
elements (8), Dozo traditional hunters (7), Dan Nan Ambassagou (DNA) (6), Jama ‘a
Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) (5), joint JNIM/Islamic State in the Greater
Sahara (ISGS) (2), joint Dozo traditional hunters/FLM (1) and ISGS (1). Seven child
casualties were attributed to FDSM and the maiming of a boy to Operation Barkhane.
In addition, the killing (5) and maiming (2) of seven children by unidentified
perpetrators (6) and DNA (1) in previous years was verified at a later date by the
United Nations.
110. Sexual violence affected 12 girls, attributed to unidentified perpetrators (10) and
the Malian armed forces (2). In addition, sexual violence against 24 girls by GATIA
(10), MNLA (9) the Malian armed forces (3) and MSA (2) which occurred in previous
years was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
111. A total of 61 attacks on schools (36) and hospitals (25) were verified and
attributed to unidentified perpetrators (57) and to JNIM, ISGS, DNA and the Malian
armed forces (1 each). In addition, one attack on medical personnel by unidentified
perpetrators in 2019 was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
112. Four schools were used for military purposes by unidentified perpetrators (3)
and Dozo traditional hunters (1) in the Mopti regio n.
113. A total of 80 children (48 boys, 32 girls) were abducted by unidentified
perpetrators (63), DNA (6), Dogon armed elements (5), Dozo traditional hunters (4)
__________________
14 The status of the victim was misrepresented at the moment of arrest.
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and Fulani armed elements and Malian Defence and Security Forces (1 each) for
sexual violence (8), retaliation (3) and unknown purposes (65). Four children were
killed. The abduction of two boys by Dozo traditional hunters (1) and FLM (1) which
occurred in previous years was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
114. The United Nations verified 199 incidents of denial of humanitarian access by
unidentified perpetrators, mostly in the Mopti (60), Gao (39) and Ménaka (35)
regions.
Developments and concerns
115. I welcome the Government’s issuance of orders to military commanders
prohibiting the use of children under 15 and curbing the presence of children around
military barracks. I note the release in 2020 of 23 children recruited and used by the
Malian armed forces. I call upon the Government to take measures to end a nd prevent
sexual violence against children, to continue reinforcing systems to prevent child
recruitment and use by armed forces, and to swiftly finalize the revision of the Child
Protection Code, criminalizing the recruitment and use of children, includi ng those
aged 15 to 17, as well as to release children detained for actual or alleged association
with armed groups.
116. I welcome advances in the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration,
including on a draft law on the protection of education from attacks, the swift
adoption and implementation of which I encourage.
117. I am alarmed by the elevated numbers of grave violations against children,
particularly recruitment and use, killing and maiming, abduction, attacks on schools
and hospitals, and denials of humanitarian access. I urge all parties to immediately
prevent and put an end to violations and call upon armed groups to respect the
protocol on the release and transfer of children associated with parties signed in 2013.
I am gravely concerned by the continued recruitment and use of children by CMA and
Platform. I call upon CMA to continue implementing its 2017 action plan, and I call
upon Platform to adopt and swiftly implement an action plan addressing child
recruitment and use.
118. I reiterate my recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Mali (S/2020/1105).
Myanmar
119. The United Nations verified 1,039 grave violations against 1,012 children (920
boys, 88 girls, 4 sex unknown). In addition, two grave violations against two girls
which occurred in previous years were verified at a later date.
120. The recruitment and use of 790 children (778 boys, 12 girls), mainly in Rakhine
(698) and Kachin (49) States, was attributed to the Tatmadaw Kyi (726), the Kachin
Independence Army (KIA) (62) and the Arakan Army (AA) (2). Of those attributed
to the Tatmadaw Kyi, 7 children were recruited and released in 2020, 22 children were
recruited between 2010 and 2019 and were still b eing used in 2020, 697 children were
used in Rakhine (689) and Shan (1) States, including as guides or porters, for camp
maintenance or agricultural work, or in unsafe mine clearance. With regard to cases
attributed to armed groups, 36 children (27 boys, 9 girls) were released by KIA,
including 26 children following engagement between KIA and the United Nations.
121. The detention of 8 children (7 boys, 1 girl) for up to 10 months by the Tatmadaw
Kyi, for alleged association with AA was verified in Rakhine State. Subsequently, the
children were released.
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122. The killing (56) and maiming (160) of 216 children (138 boys, 74 girls, 4 sex
unknown) was verified and attributed to unidentified perpetrators (152), including
from crossfire between the Tatmadaw Kyi and armed groups (20), Tatmadaw Kyi (62),
Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) (1) and KIA (1). Child casualties occurred
in Rakhine (155), Chin (29), Shan (24), Kayin (5) and Kachin (3) States. Most
resulted from landmines and explosive remnants of war ( 74), shelling (62), air strikes
(33) and crossfire (23).
123. The rape of one girl by SSA in Shan State was verified. In addition, the rape of
two girls by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) (1) and the Tatmadaw Kyi
(1) that occurred in previous years was verified by the United Nations.
124. The United Nations verified 11 attacks on schools (10) and hospitals (1)
attributed to the Tatmadaw Kyi (6) and unidentified perpetrators (5), including
resulting from crossfire between the Tatmadaw Kyi and AA (2) in Rakhine (9) and
Chin (2) States.
125. The United Nations verified the military use of 30 schools and 1 hospital by the
Tatmadaw Kyi in Rakhine (30) and Shan (1) States. Facilities were vacated after one
day to a month.
126. The abduction of 17 children (16 boys, 1 girl) by the Tatmadaw Kyi (10), Shan
State Army (SSA) (3), Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) (2), AA (1) and
KIA (1) in Rakhine (13), Shan (3) and Kachin (1) States was verified. Children
abducted by the Tatmadaw Kyi were used, including as human shields (7) and guides
(2). All children were released, except one child whose whereabouts remain unknown.
127. Humanitarian access in Rakhine and Shan States deteriorated, despite an
informal ceasefire between the Tatmadaw Kyi and AA in Rakhine State in November
and December. Movement restrictions in areas affected by the Tatmadaw Kyi-AA
conflict in seven townships prevented over 100,000 people from accessing assistance.
Continued onerous and unpredictable travel authorization requirements continued,
particularly in Kachin, northern Shan and Rakhine States.
Developments and concerns
128. I note the ratification by the Government of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973
(No.138) in June 2020 and the establishment of a national complaint mechanism to
eliminate forced labour, prohibiting the recruitment and use of children in February
2020. I call upon all parties to respect international standards on impartiality, victim
protection and the best interests of the child in the implementation of these standards.
129. I commend the November 2020 signature of a joint action plan between the
Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and the United Nations to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children, the first action plan with an armed group in Myanmar.
I am encouraged by the engagement between KIA and the United Nations on
recruitment and use resulting in the release of 26 children. I encourage other armed
groups to continue to engage with the United Nations to end and prevent grave
violations against children.
130. I condemn all grave violations committed against children by all parties to
conflict, and reiterate my call for the accountability of perpetrators.
131. I call upon the Tatmadaw Kyi to continue implementing the joint action plan on
non-recruitment of children signed in 2012. I am gravely concerned and alarmed by
the continued use of children by the Tatmadaw Kyi, predominantly in Rakhine State.
I am disappointed at the failure of the Tatmadaw Kyi to immediately cease the use of
children and again urge the Tatmadaw Kyi to cease this practice and to comply with
the Joint Action Plan by swiftly implementing its road map, in line with the Child
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Rights Law. While I note the issuance of four military directives on the use of children
and the development of a road map by the Tatmadaw Kyi and the United Nations to
end and prevent the use of children, I am concerned that these directives have not led
to a significant decrease in the use of children during 2020. I urge the release of all
children within the framework of the Joint Action Plan, and I welcome the release of
32 children and young men by the Tatmadaw Kyi in 2020. I urge the immediate
clearance of 156 pending cases of suspected minors .
132. I am gravely concerned by the increase in the killing and maiming of children,
including by landmines, explosive remnants of war and shelling, and the contin uous
attacks on schools and their use for military purposes. I reiterate my call to the
Tatmadaw Kyi to sign a joint action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent
sexual violence and the killing and maiming of children. I call upon Myanmar to
become a party to the Ottawa Convention and to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.
133. I am worried by persistent restrictions to humanitarian access and call upon all
parties to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to
United Nations and child protection actors.
134. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Myanmar (S/2020/1243), pending a review of the situation in 2021 owing to the
brutal violence taking place in Myanmar since February 2021.
Somalia
135. The United Nations verified 4,714 grave violations against 3,810 children
(3,038 boys, 772 girls).
136. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 1,716 children (1,655
boys, 61 girls) by Al-Shabaab (1,407); government security forces, including the
Somali Police Force (101), the Somali National Army (62) and the National
Intelligence and Security Agency (5); regional forces, including Jubaland forces (36),
Galmudug forces (31), Puntland forces (21), Jubaland police (3), Puntland police (2)
and Galmudug police (1); and clan militia (47). Children were used in support roles
(255) or in combat (165).
137. A total of 212 children (211 boys, 1 girl) were detained for alleged association
with armed groups by the Somali Police Force (127), the Somali National Army (40),
Jubaland forces (27), Puntland forces (8), Galmudug forces (1), Jubaland police (4),
Galmudug police (3) and Puntland police (2). Some 128 children were release d,
whereas 83 remained in detention and 1 child is not accounted for.
138. The killing (206) and maiming (881) of 1,087 children (825 boys, 262 girls) was
attributed to Al-Shabaab (329), government security forces (including the Somali
National Army (70), the Somali Police Force (56) and the National Intelligence and
Security Agency (1)) and regional forces (including Puntland forces (28), Jubaland
forces (14), Galmudug forces (1), Puntland police (24), Jubaland police (1),
Galmudug police (1), and Southwest forces (8)). Violations were also attributed to
clan militia (90), the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (8), the Ethiopian
National Defence Forces (1) and unidentified perpetrators (455) (including from air
strikes (4)). The four main causes of child casualties were crossfire between armed
forces and groups (318), gunshots (183), improvised explosive devices (173) and
physical assault (119). The majority of casualties occurred in Banaadir/Mogadishu
(236), Shabelle Hoose (171) and Juba Hoose (155) .
139. Some 406 children (6 boys, 400 girls) were raped and were victims of other
forms of sexual violence by government security forces, including the Somali
National Army (21) and the Somali Police Force (19), and regional forces, including
Jubaland forces (8), Puntland forces (4), Jubaland police (2) and Puntland police (2).
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Al-Shabaab (60), clan militia (55) and unidentified armed elements (235) were
responsible for the remaining incidents. The violations included rape (272), attempted
rape (59), forced marriage (44), sexual harassment (20) and sexual assault (11).
140. The United Nations verified 58 attacks on schools (53) and hospitals (5),
attributed to Al-Shabaab (55), the Somali Police Force (1), and clan militia (2).
141. A total of 1,430 children (1,348 boys, 82 girls) were abducted by Al -Shabaab
(1,413), clan militia (9), unidentified perpetrators (7) and the Westland armed group
(1). Children were abducted for recruitment and use (868), alleged association with
armed forces (174) and non-compliance with Al-Shabaab-imposed codes (93). Some
136 children were released 52 escaped and 42 were rescued, whereas 1,168 remained
held, 6 were killed and 26 are unaccounted for.
142. The United Nations verified 17 incidents of denial of humanitarian access by
Al-Shabaab (12), government security forces, including the Somali National Army
(2) and the Somali Police Force (1), clan militia (1) and unidentified perpetrators (1).
Developments and concerns
143. I reiterate my call upon the Government to expedite the implementation of the
2012 action plans on ending and preventing the recruitment and use and the killing
and maiming of children and of the 2019 road map, including at the federal member
states level. While I recognize the steps taken by the Government in implementing
the action plans, I am concerned at the increase in violations attributed to the Somali
Police Force and the federal member states forces and especially urge that
implementation be expedited, including at the federal member states level.
144. I call upon the Government to provide more information on the integration of
Ahl al Sunna wal-Jama‘a into the Somali Federal Defence and Police Forces to enable
the United Nations to conduct a screen ing.
145. I am seriously concerned at the staggering numbers of grave violations by all
parties to conflict, in particular the recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and
abduction of children. I am concerned at the rising levels of sexual violence against
children, in particular the cases attributed to the Somali Federal Defence and Police
Forces. I urge the Government to immediately cease this violation and request my
Special Representative and the United Nations country task force to engage to secure
a rapid development, signature and implementation of an action plan to that effect. I
call upon all parties to immediately cease all violations and abide by their obligations
under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
146. I reiterate my call to the Government to treat children formerly associated with
armed groups according to the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with
Armed Forces or Armed Groups (the Paris Principles), endorsed by Somalia, and to
apply the standard operating procedures for the reception and handover of children
separated from armed groups to child protection actors, endorsed in 2014.
147. I urge the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, to fast-track the endorsement of the child
rights bill and to ensure that any sexual violence legislation is in line with human rights
commitments and meets regional and international standards. In this regard, I call for
the immediate adoption of the 2018 sexual offences bill and urge the endorsement by
the Cabinet of the juvenile justice bill and the age verification guidelines.
148. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Somalia (S/2020/174).
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South Sudan
149. The United Nations verified 165 grave violations against 154 children (125
boys, 28 girls, 1 sex unknown). In addition, 11 grave violations against children that
occurred in 2019 were verified at a later date.
150. A total of 62 children (61 boys, 1 girl) were recruited and used by the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition – pro-Machar (SPLA-IO) (55),
the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, including the Taban Deng -allied South
Sudan People’s Defence Forces (6), and the South Sudan National Police Service (1).
Violations occurred in Central Equatoria (31), Unity (17), West ern Equatoria (9),
Western Bahr el-Ghazal (2), Jonglei, Lakes and Warrap (1 each) states. Children were
used as combatants, bodyguards and servants.
151. The killing (22) and maiming (41) of 63 children (53 boys, 9 girls, 1 sex
unknown) were verified and attributed to unidentified perpetrators (54), including
from explosive remnants of war (47); crossfire between the South Sudan People’s
Defence Forces and armed Misseriya cattle keepers (5) and between SPLA -IO and
forces loyal to General Ochan Puot (2); th e National Salvation Front (NAS) (6); and
SPLA-IO (3). In addition, the maiming of 11 boys by explosive remnants of war in
December 2019 was verified at a later date.
152. Rape and other forms of sexual violence against 17 girls were attributed to
SPLA-IO (10), the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (4), NAS (2) and forces
loyal to General Ochan (1). Four girls were also abducted, and one girl was also
recruited and used.
153. Four attacks on hospitals were verified and attributed to NAS (2) and SPLA -IO
(2). Incidents included the looting of facilities. In addition, the military use of 10
schools and 1 hospital by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (10) and SPLA -
IO (1) was verified.
154. A total of 17 children (11 boys, 6 girls) were abducted by NAS (10), SPLA-IO
(5) and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (2), including 4 girls who were
abducted and subjected to sexual violence. Thirteen children were released or
escaped, and four children are missing.
155. Two incidents of denial of humanitaria n access were attributed to unidentified
perpetrators.
Developments and concerns
156. I welcome the signature on 7 February 2020 of the Comprehensive Action Plan
to End and Prevent All Grave Violations against Children by parties to the Revitalized
Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan and the
establishment of national and state-level committees. I reiterate my call for the
implementation of the Action Plan and call upon the Government to budget for its
implementation.
157. I note the decrease in grave violations and the cooperation of parties to conflic t
with the United Nations, including joint efforts with the National Disarmament,
Demobilization and Reintegration Commission resulting in the release of 44 children
in 2020. I call upon the Commission to engage with NAS to ensure the demobilization
and reintegration of associated children, and I underline the need for child -sensitive
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and demining processes and
encourage international support in this regard.
158. I remain concerned that parties, including gover nment security forces, continue
to perpetrate grave violations against children. I call upon the Government and other
parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and
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international human rights law. I reiterate my concern over escalating intercommunal
violence and am concerned over the increase in violations by NAS. I urge all parties
to immediately release children recruited or abducted. I encourage the international
community to support gender-sensitive and survivor-centred reintegration and
assistance programmes, including for survivors of sexual violence.
159. I urge the Government to remedy the prevalent impunity for grave violations
and to hold perpetrators accountable. I encourage the Government to endorse the Paris
Principles and the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the
Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers and to submit its initial report on the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children
in armed conflict.
160. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in South Sudan (S/2020/1205).
Sudan
Darfur
161. The United Nations verified 292 grave violations against 274 children (143
boys, 131 girls). In addition, 24 violations against 19 children (14 boys, 5 girls) in
December 2019 were verified at a later date.
162. Thirteen boys were verified as recruited an d used by the Sudan Liberation
Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) (12) and the Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM) (1).
163. Seven children (6 boys, 1 girl) were detained for alleged association with armed
groups by the Sudanese Armed Forces and later released.
164. The killing (53) and maiming (120) of 173 children (116 boys, 57 girls) was
attributed to government security forces (35) (including the Rapid Support Forces (20),
the Sudanese Armed Forces (13) and the Sudan Police Force (2)); the Sudan L iberation
Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) (33) (including SLA-AW splinter groups (32); and
unidentified perpetrators (105). Five children were killed (1) and maimed (4) during
crossfire in fighting between SLA-AW splinter groups in Jebel Marra and
intercommunal violence in West Darfur. In addition, the killing (7) and maiming (9) of
16 children (14 boys, 2 girls) by the Rapid Support Forces was verified at a later date.
165. Rape and other forms of sexual violence against 57 girls were attributed to
government security forces (15) (including the Sudanese Armed Forces (12), the
Rapid Support Forces (2) and the Sudan Police Force (1)); SLA -AW (15); and
unidentified perpetrators (27). In addition, the rape of and sexual violence against
three girls in December 2019, attributed to unidentified perpetrators, were verified at
a later date.
166. The United Nations verified 13 attacks on schools (6) and hospitals (7),
attributed to the Central Reserve Police (1); SLA -AW (1); and unidentified
perpetrators (11). In addition, five attacks on schools by the Rapid Support Forces in
December 2019 were verified at a later date.
167. The military use of four schools and two hospitals by the Sudanese Armed
Forces (4), the Rapid Support Forces (1) and the Central Reserve Police (1) w as
verified. Except for one school, all facilities continued to be used as at December
2020. The military use of three schools by government security forces (including the
Sudanese Armed Forces (2) and SPF (1)), previously verified, continued in 2020.
168. A total of 31 children (14 boys, 17 girls) were abducted by government security
forces (12) (including the Rapid Support Forces (9) and the Sudanese Armed Forces
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(3)); SLA-AW (11); and unidentified perpetrators (8). Children were abducted for
sexual purposes, recruitment or ransom.
169. Five incidents of denial of humanitarian access were attributed to the Sudanese
Armed Forces (4) and Military Intelligence (1).
South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei
170. The United Nations verified 25 grave violatio ns against 19 children (15 boys, 4
girls).
171. The killing (13) and maiming (4) of 17 children (14 boys, 3 girls) was attributed
to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (2), unidentified perpetrators (15),
explosive remnants of war (8), stray bullets (1) and intercommunal violence between
the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya tribes (6).
172. Six attacks on schools (4) and hospitals (2) attributed to unidentified perpetrators
were verified, as was the military use of one school by the Rapid Support Forces.
173. The verified abduction of two children (1 boy, 1 girl) was attributed to Misseriya
tribe gunmen.
Developments and concerns
174. I welcome the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement on 3 October 2020 and the
improvement of humanitarian access in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, while
noting that access restrictions hindered monitoring and reporting by the United Nations.
I take note of the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians, adopted in 2020.
175. I am concerned about the continuing grave violations, in particular the prevalence
of the killing and maiming of children by government security forces and armed groups,
and the recruitment drives by signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement. I call upon all
parties to immediately cease and prevent all grave violations against children and to
release all children from their ranks and hand them over to the Ministry of Labour and
Social Development in coordination with the United Nations. I further call upon the
Government to refrain from any excessive use of force against children, cease the
military use of schools and strengthen accountability for perpetrators of grave violations.
176. I call upon the Government to end all grave violations and to engage with the
United Nations on a national prevention plan to prevent all grave violations and sustain
the gains of the action plan on ending and preventing the recruitment and use of
children. I encourage the Government to continue to make use of the National Council
for Child Welfare and the Technical Committee for the Protection of Children from
Violations. I further call upon SLA-AW, including its factions, to engage with the
United Nations to sign an action plan, and upon JEM, the Sudan Liberation Army -Minni
Minawi and the Sudan People’s Liberation Mov ement-North Abdelaziz al-Hilu and
Malik Agar factions to recommit to their existing action plans with the United Nations
through road maps for implementation. I further urge the transitional Government and
armed groups to agree upon handover protocols for children associated with them.
177. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in the Sudan (S/2020/614).
Syrian Arab Republic
178. The United Nations verified 2,388 grave violations against 2,250 children
(1,618 boys, 419 girls, 213 sex unknown). In addition, 51 grave violations against 51
children (39 boys, 10 girls, 2 sex unknown) that occurred in previous years were
verified at a later date.
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179. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 813 children (777 boys,
36 girls) by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (390); Syrian armed opposition groups formerly
known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) (170); the Kurdish People’s Protection Units
and Women’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) (119) under the umbrella of the Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF); pro -government militia (42); Ahrar al-Sham (31), Nur
al-Din al-Zanki (3) and Army of Islam (Jaysh al -Islam) (3), all nominally operating
under the umbrella of the opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) since October
2019; the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG -H) (30); the Internal
Security Forces (13); Hurras al-Din (6); ISIL (4); and Syrian government forces (2).
Cases were verified mainly in Idlib (477) and Alep po (119). Of those, 99 per cent
(805) were used in combat. In addition, the recruitment and use of 24 children
(20 boys, 4 girls) by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (7), Syrian armed opposition groups
formerly known as FSA (6), YPG/YPJ (8), ISIL, pro -government militia and the
Kurdish Revolutionary Youth (1 each) were verified at a later date.
180. The deprivation of liberty of 870 children (642 boys, 2 girls, 226 sex unknown)
was verified and attributed to SDF (777), the Internal Security Forces (91) and the
Syrian government forces (2) in Hasakah (868), Damascus (1) and Dayr al -Zawr (1).
In addition, over 64,000 women and children with suspected family ties to ISIL and
from an estimated 60 countries of origin continued to be held in the Hawl and Rawj
camps in the north-eastern Syrian Arab Republic at the end of 2020.
181. The United Nations verified the killing (512) and maiming (699) of 1,211 children
(765 boys, 233 girls, 213 sex unknown) attributed to Syrian government and
pro-government forces (568) (including government and pro-government air forces
(465)); SDF (37); Syrian armed opposition groups formerly known as FSA (26); ISIL
(22); joint operations of Syrian armed opposition groups and Turkish armed forces (10);
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (7); and unidentified perpetrators (541). Casualties resulted
mainly from air strikes (472); explosive remnants of war (288); improvised explosive
device attacks (231); and shelling (139). Most occurred in Idlib (496) and Aleppo (359).
The first quarter of 2020 witnessed a spike in child casualties in the north-west. As of
March 2020, attacks using explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices
became the primary cause of child casualties. In addition, the killing (6) and maiming
(12) of 18 children (15 boys, 3 girls) by pro-government air forces (11) and unidentified
perpetrators (7) were verified at a later date.
182. Seven children (2 boys; 5 girls) were subjected to sexual violence by ISIL (4)
and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (3). In addition, sexual violence c ommitted by ISIL
affecting one girl was verified at a later date.
183. The United Nations verified 90 attacks on schools (61) and hospitals (29),
including on protected personnel, attributed to Syrian government and pro -government
forces (77), including government and pro-government air forces (61), unidentified
perpetrators (7), SDF (4), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (1) and ISIL (1). Most attacks
occurred in Idlib and were conducted by air strikes (62) and shelling (17).
184. The military use of 30 schools and 4 medical facilities was verified and
attributed to SDF (15), Syrian armed opposition groups (10), Syrian government
forces (6) and Turkish armed forces (3). 15 In addition, the military use of five schools
by YPG/YPJ was verified at a later date.
185. The United Nations verified the abduction of 219 children (74 boys, 145 girls)
by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (211), ISIL (4), YPG and YPJ (2), Syrian government forces
(1) and Syrian armed opposition groups formerly known as FSA (1). Only 10 children
__________________
15 My Special Representative was informed by the Government o f Turkey that it had repaired and
made 426 schools operational in the Ra’s al-Ayn and Tall Abyad area, which provided education
for approximately 45,000 students.
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were released or escaped. In addition, the abduction of eight children (6 boys, 2 girls)
by YPG/YPJ (6), ISIL (1) and unidentified perpetrators (1) was verified at a later date.
186. There were 48 denials of humanitarian access verified and attributed to Syrian
government and pro-government forces (9), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (9), joint
operations of Syrian armed opposition groups and Turkish armed forces (8), the self -
administration in the northern and eastern parts of the country (4), Syrian armed
opposition groups formerly known as FSA (4); SDF (2); and unidentified perpetrators
(12). Incidents included attacks (24), interference (14) and attacks on or disruption of
water facilities (10).
Developments and concerns
187. I note the dialogue between the Government and t he United Nations on
humanitarian and child protection issues, including on access to education and
education curricula in areas outside of government control, and the situation of
foreign and Iraqi women and children in the Hawl and Rawj camps. I note the vacating
of 11 schools by the Government. I call upon the Government to engage with the
United Nations and with my Special Representative to strengthen the protection of
children affected by armed conflict, including through the signature of a joint actio n
plan to prevent violations for which the Government is listed.
188. I note the progress in the implementation of the June 2019 action plan signed by
SDF that resulted in the disengagement of 150 children from SDF ranks and the
screening out of 908 children. SDF established an age assessment committee. A child
protection committee and a “child protection office” were created to resolve complaints
regarding incidents of recruitment. In December 2020, SDF and the United Nations
agreed to a road map to accelerate implementation of the action plan. The former issued
a military order to prohibit military use of schools and vacated 18 schools.
189. I note that SNA issued a statement prohibiting recruitment under the age of 18
by its forces, including accountability measures. I encourage armed groups, including
those operating under the SNA umbrella, to engage with the United Nations to adopt
action plans to end and prevent grave violations against children.
190. I am appalled by the persistent high levels of all violations against children in
the Syrian Arab Republic by all parties to the conflict, particularly the continued high
numbers of recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children and
attacks on schools and hospitals, and related gaps in a ccountability. I urge all parties
to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and international
human rights law.
191. I remain alarmed by the deprivation of liberty of children for their alleged
association with parties to conflict. I welcome the access to them provided to child
protection actors by SDF and call upon other parties in the Syrian Arab Republic to
also facilitate United Nations access to children deprived of liberty. I reiterate my call
to treat them primarily as victims, and that deprivation of liberty should be a measure
of last resort and for the shortest appropriate time possible and should be in line with
international juvenile justice standards.
192. I remain seriously concerned by the humanitarian situation of women and children
in the Hawl and Rawj camps and in places of detention in the north -east. I reiterate my
call upon all concerned countries of origin and relevant authorities inside the Syrian
Arab Republic to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of women and children currently
in these camps, including those with suspected family ties to ISIL, consistent with the
principle of non-refoulement and with respect for family unity and the best inter est of
the child, and in line with the Global Framework on United Nations Support to Member
States on Individuals Returned from the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, adopted in 2020.
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193. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed c onflict
in the Syrian Arab Republic (S/2021/398).
Yemen
194. The United Nations verified 4,418 grave violations against 1,287 children (944
boys, 343 girls). In addition, 63 grave violations against 54 children (43 boys, 11
girls) which occurred in previous years were verified at a later date.
195. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 163 children (134 boys, 29
girls) by Houthis (who call themselves Ansar Allah) (115), the Yemen Armed Forces
(34), the Security Belt Forces (10) and unidentified perpetrators (4). Most children (92)
were used in combat roles, and a third of these children were victims of other violations
during their association with parties to conflict, including killing and maiming. In
addition, the recruitment and use of 9 boys by the Houthis (8) and the Yemen Armed
Forces (1) in previous years was verified at a later date .
196. The deprivation of liberty of 14 boys for their alleged association with parties,
some for up to two years, was verified and attributed to the Yemen Armed Forces
(11), the Houthis (2) and the Security Belt Forces (1).
197. The United Nations verified the killing (269) and maiming (855) of 1,124
children (816 boys, 308 girls) attributed to the Ho uthis (255), the Coalition to Support
Legitimacy in Yemen (194), the Yemen Armed Forces (121), the Security Belt Forces
(49), Islamic State in Yemen (11), Popular Resistance (8), Al -Qaida in the Arabian
Peninsula (2) and unidentified perpetrators (484), in cluding in crossfire, mainly
between the Houthis and the Yemen Armed Forces (228) and between other parties
(43). The main causes for child casualties were mortar and artillery shelling (339),
gunshots and crossfire (305), explosive remnants of war (212) a nd air strikes (150).
Most casualties occurred in Hudaydah (242), Ta‘izz (239), Ma’rib (132) and Jawf
(129) Governorates. In addition, the killing (14) and maiming (27) of 41 children (32
boys, 9 girls) in previous years was verified at a later date and at tributed to the
Coalition (20), the Houthis (10) and other perpetrators (11).
198. Sexual violence against seven children (3 boys, 4 girls) was verified and
attributed to the Houthis (4), the Yemen Armed Forces (1), the Security Belt Forces
(1) and the Salafists (1). In addition, incidents of sexual violence affecting three
children (1 boy, 2 girls) that occurred in previous years and attributed to the Houthis
were verified at a later date.
199. There were 36 verified attacks on schools (16) and hospitals ( 20) attributed to the
Houthis (24), the Yemen Armed Forces (7), Popular Resistance (2), the Coalition (1), the
Security Belt Forces (1) and unidentified perpetrators (1). In addition, one attack on a
school by the Houthis that occurred in previous years wa s verified at a later date.
200. The military use of 34 schools and 1 hospital was verified and attributed to the
Houthis (30) and the Yemen Armed Forces (5).
201. A total of 55 children (53 boys, 2 girls) were abducted by the Yemen Armed
Forces (27), the Houthis (22), the Hadhrami Elite Forces (3), the Security Belt Forces
(2) and the Yemeni Islah party (1), including 12 boys also recruited. The abduction of
nine boys that occurred in previous years was verified at a later date and attributed to
the Houthis (5) and the Yemen Armed Forces (4).
202. A total of 3,033 incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children were verified
and attributed to the Houthis (2,502), the Yemen Armed Forces (479) and unidentified
perpetrators (52). Incidents included attacks, restrictions of movements in and out of
Yemen, and interference in implementation. Incidents were prevalent in Amanat
al-Asimah (1,048), Sa‘dah (597), Aden (378) and Hudaydah (371) Governorates.
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Developments and concerns
203. I welcome the continued commitment of the Government to protecting children,
including through the implementation of the 2014 action plan and the 2018 road map
to end and prevent child recruitment and use, and welcome efforts to apply the
presidential directive of 12 Februar y 2020 and the military directive of 3 March 2020,
including plans to establish child protection units. I note the significant decrease in
the recruitment and use of children in 2020. I encourage the Government’s
engagement with the United Nations on prior ity actions, including to restore the
interministerial committee, to adopt a handover protocol on the release of children
and to implement measures to prevent violations against children, such as reinforced
training of its Armed Forces in the prevention of violations, including the recruitment
and use of children. I am concerned at the noticeable increase in the killing and
maiming of children attributed to government forces and urge the Government to put
in place immediate measures to mitigate and reduce t his trend.
204. I welcome the continued engagement of the Coalition with my Special
Representative to sustainably end and prevent grave violations against children in
Yemen, and I call upon the Coalition to pursue the implementation of the
memorandum of understanding signed in March 2019 and the related programme of
time-bound activities endorsed in January 2020. I urge the Coalition to continue to
comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. Although their
numbers have decreased, I remain concerned by incidents of air strikes resulting in
child casualties, including those being investigated by the Coalition . I commend the
Coalition for the swift investigation of two of these incidents that took place in 2020
and I urge it to swiftly conclude these investigations and to ensure that investigations
are undertaken for all incidents with child casualties. I also urge the Coalition to
expedite justice, accountability and redress to child victims and their families. I
welcome the training and high-level workshop on child protection conducted in
March and May 2021 by the Office of my Special Representative with the Coalition.
Continuous monitoring and engagement to ensure the sustained implementation of
the programme of time-bound activities and the further decrease in the number of
affected children, as verified by the United Nations, is expected and will be closely
observed. Any failure in sustained progress in this regard will lead to relisting .
205. I note the continued dialogue between the Houthis and the United Nations to
develop an action plan to end and prevent grave violations against children, and I urge
the Houthis to promptly finalize and sign it. I welcome the handover protocol signed
in April 2020, as well as the release of 68 children, and urge the protocol’s continued
implementation and the release of additional children.
206. I am gravely concerned by the continuing rise in the number of grave violations,
including the recruitment of children, particularly by the Houthis; by the persistent
high numbers of children killed and maimed; and by the increase in denials of
humanitarian access. I am also concerned about the persistent level of grave violations
by the Government.
207. I urge all parties to abide by their obligations and responsibilities under
international humanitarian law and international human rights law. I also urge all
parties to end and prevent violations and to allow and facilitate safe, timely and
unimpeded humanitarian access to children.
208. I call upon parties to the conflict to declare a nationwide ceasefire and to
continue their engagement with my Special Envoy for Yemen towards the resumption
of an inclusive political process to reach a comprehensive negotiated settle ment, with
a view to ending the conflict and bringing lasting peace to Yemen. I also call upon
them to include child protection concerns in the peace process.
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B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
Burkina Faso
209. The United Nations verified 171 grave violations against 83 children (45 boys,
37 girls, 1 sex unknown). Most violations occurred in the East (62), Central North
(52) and Sahel (36) regions.
210. Four children, all boys, were recruited and used by unidentified perpetrators in
the Sahel region.
211. Ten boys, including nationals of Mali, the Niger and Nigeria (1 each), have been
detained in Ouagadougou since 2018 for alleged association with armed groups. One
boy associated with an armed group was released and placed in a transit centre.
212. The United Nations verified the killing (24) and maiming (30) of 54 children
(27 boys, 26 girls, 1 sex unknown) attributed to JNIM (29), unidentified perpetrat ors
(17), ISGS (5), the Defence and Security Forces (2) and Volontaires pour la défense
de la patrie (1). Child casualties resulted from gunshots (33), including 22 during
crossfire between the Defence and Security Forces and armed groups, and improvised
explosive devices (15).
213. Rape and other forms of sexual violence affecting three girls were verified and
attributed to JNIM (2) and unidentified perpetrators (1).
214. A total of 80 attacks on schools (70) and hospitals (10) were verified and
attributed to unidentified perpetrators (30), ISGS (44) and JNIM (6).
215. A total of 22 children (14 boys, 8 girls) were abducted for unknown purposes
by unidentified perpetrators (16), JNIM and ISGS (3 each). Twenty of the children
were released.
216. The United Nations verified eight incidents of denial of humanitarian access
attributed to unidentified perpetrators (4), JNIM (3) and ISGS (1).
Developments and concerns
217. I welcome the development of a handover protocol between the Government
and the United Nations for the transfer of children allegedly associated with armed
groups to civilian child protection actors, and I call upon the Government to endorse
and implement it, in cooperation with the United Nations, and to release all children
from detention. I also call upon the national authorities to treat these children
primarily as victims and to uphold international juvenile justice standards.
218. I am alarmed at the elevated number of attacks and threats of attacks against
schools and hospitals and protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals by
armed groups. I call upon the parties to conflict to end such attacks.
219. I am concerned by the killing and maiming of children. I urge all parties not to
target children and to minimize the effect of their operations on children. I call upon
all parties to engage with the United Nations to end and prevent violations. I urge the
Government to ensure that perpetrators of grave violations against children are held
accountable.
Cameroon
220. The United Nations verified 285 grave violations against 232 children (118
boys, 92 girls, 22 sex unknown), in the Far North (161), North -West (83) and South-
West (41) Regions.
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221. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 15 children (10 boys , 5
girls) in the Far North by Boko Haram-affiliated or splinter groups (15), including
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) (3) and unidentified affiliated or
splinter groups (12). Eight boys were used in hostilities and seven children as carr iers
of improvised explosive devices.
222. A total of 16 boys were detained by security forces on national security -related
charges in the South-West (11), North-West (3), West (1) and Far North (1) Regions.
The United Nations could not establish their st atus as at December 2020.
223. A total of 165 children (87 boys, 66 girls, 12 sex unknown) were killed (77) and
maimed (88) by Boko Haram-affiliated or splinter groups (97), including JAS (37)
and unidentified affiliated or splinter groups (60); unidentif ied armed groups in the
North-West (3); unidentified perpetrators (50) (including 5 during crossfire between
armed groups and the Cameroon Armed Forces); and the Cameroon Armed Forces
(15). Casualties occurred in the Far North (97), South -West (35) and North-West (33)
Regions and resulted from gunshots, suicide attacks and explosive remnants of war.
224. The attempted rape of one girl by unidentified perpetrators was verified in the
North-West Region.
225. A total of 26 attacks on schools (20) and hospitals (6) were verified in the North -
West (18), South-West (4) and Far North (4) Regions and were attribu ted to
unidentified perpetrators (22) (including 1 that occurred during crossfire between
armed groups and the Cameroon Armed Forces) and to Boko Haram -affiliated or
splinter groups (4), including JAS (2) and unidentified affiliated or splinter groups (2).
226. The United Nations verified 19 incidents of military use of schools attributed to
the Cameroon Armed Forces in the Far North. Schools continued to be used as at
December 2020.
227. The United Nations verified the abduction of 68 children (32 boys, 2 6 girls, 10 sex
unknown) attributed to Boko Haram-affiliated or splinter groups (45), including JAS
(37) and unidentified affiliated or splinter groups (8), and to unidentified perpetrators
(23), occurring in the Far North (45) and North-West (23) Regions. Of those, 32 children
were released or escaped, while the status of 36 children is unknown.
228. Ten incidents of denial of humanitarian access were verified and attributed to
unidentified perpetrators (8) (including 1 during crossfire between armed groups and
the Cameroon Armed Forces) and to the Cameroon Armed Forces (2).
Developments and concerns
229. I welcome the creation of a commission of inquiry following the attack in Ngarbuh,
North-West Region, on 14 February 2020, which resulted in 14 c hildren killed. In June
2020, the Government announced the arrest of two Cameroon Armed Forces soldiers
and a gendarme, whose trial began in December. I also welcome the conviction of
members of a vigilante committee for the killing in April 2015 of two ch ildren allegedly
associated with Boko Haram in the Far-North Region. I call upon the Government to
pursue its efforts towards accountability for all grave violations against children.
230. According to the Government, 72 children (34 boys, 38 girls) forme rly
associated with Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or splinter groups, were
released in 2020 and transited through a disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration centre in Méri, Far North Region. I welcome this development and call
upon the Government to transfer the children to civilian child protection actors and
to ensure that children have access to child - and gender-specific disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration programmes and that their rights are protected.
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231. I am concerned about the detention of children for their alleged association with
armed groups and on national security-related charges. I call upon the Government to
treat all children formerly associated with armed groups as victims, in line with
international juvenile justice standards, including the use of detention as a measure
of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, and to release all detained
children. I urge authorities to adopt a protocol for the handover of children allegedly
associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors.
232. The brutality of grave violations perpetrated by JAS and other Boko Haram -
affiliated or splinter groups remains a grave concern, notably the use of children,
particularly girls, as carriers of improvised explosive devices. I am deeply concerned
by the grave violations in the North-West and South-West Regions, including denial
of humanitarian access and attacks on schools and protected persons in relation to
schools, resulting in the killing and maiming of children. I urge all parties in
Cameroon to immediately cease all violations against children.
India
233. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of two boys by unidentified
perpetrators. The United Nations is reviewing reports of the use of three boys by
Indian security forces for less than 24 hours.
234. Four children were detained by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir
for alleged association with armed groups.
235. A total of 39 children (33 boys, 6 girls) were killed (9) and maimed (30) by
pellet guns (11) and torture (2) by unidentified perpetrators (13) (including resulting
from explosive remnants of war (7), crossfire between unidentified armed groups and
Indian security forces (3), crossfire between unidentified ar med groups, and grenade
attacks (3)), Indian security forces (13), and crossfire and shelling across the line of
control (13).
236. The United Nations verified the use of seven schools by Indian security forces
for four months. Schools were vacated by the end of 2020.
237. The United Nations did not verify grave violations in the context of the Naxalite
insurgency.
Developments and concerns
238. I welcome the positive engagement of the Government with my Special
Representative to put in place national preventive and accountability measures for all
grave violations.
239. I remain concerned by grave violations against children in Jammu and Kashmir
and call upon the Government to take preventive measures to protect children,
including by ending the use of pellets against children, ensuring that children are not
associated in any way to security forces, and endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration
and the Vancouver Principles. I am alarmed at the detention and torture of children
and concerned by the military use of schools. I urge the Government to ensure that
children are detained as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period
of time, and to prevent all forms of ill-treatment in detention. I also urge the
Government to ensure the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection
of Children) Act, 2015, to address the use of children for illegal activities and the
situation of detained children.
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Lake Chad basin
240. The United Nations verified 762 grave violations ag ainst 685 children (382
boys, 260 girls, 43 sex unknown) in the Lake Chad basin region, namely in the Far
North Region of Cameroon (161), Lac Province in Chad (145), Diffa Region in the
Niger (206) and north-east Nigeria (250). Violations were perpetrated primarily by
Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or splinter groups. 16 Information on
violations in the Far North Region of Cameroon and north -east Nigeria is included
under the respective country sections.
241. The United Nations verified the r ecruitment and use of 73 children in Chad (40:
35 boys, 5 girls) and the Niger (33: 26 boys, 7 girls) by Boko Haram, including
unidentified affiliated or splinter groups.
242. A total of 21 children were detained by the respective Governments in Chad (11)
and the Niger (10) for alleged association with armed groups. In Chad, the
whereabouts of the detained children remain unknown. In the Niger, three boys were
detained for 11 months.
243. The United Nations verified the killing (46) and maiming (13) of 59 children in
Chad (28: 2 boys, 26 sex unknown) and the Niger (31: 21 boys, 10 girls) attributed to
Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or splinter groups (55). A case of
maiming was attributed to the Niger Armed Forces (1). Three casualties were
attributed to unidentified perpetrators during crossfire between unidentified Boko
Haram-affiliated or splinter groups and armed forces in the Niger (2) and Chad (1).
244. The United Nations verified rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated
by Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or splinter groups, against 23 girls
in Chad (6) and the Niger (17). In the Niger, the 17 girls were also abducted.
245. The United Nations verified seven attacks on schools (1) and hospitals (6) in the
Niger, all attributed to Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or splinter groups.
246. A total of 188 children (95 boys, 85 girls, 8 sex unknown) were abducted in
Chad (70) and the Niger (118) by Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or
splinter groups (149), and by unidentified perpetrators in Chad only (39). The
whereabouts of most of the children are unknown, although 13 children were rescued
by the Chadian National Army (9) or escaped (4).
247. The United Nations verified one incident of deni al of humanitarian access in
Chad by Boko Haram, including unidentified affiliated or splinter group.
Developments and concerns
248. I welcome the interest and action of the Government of the Niger in relation to
the protection of schools, and I note the efforts undertaken by the Government of
Chad to train armed forces during 2020 and ask that these efforts be sustained. I call
upon the Government of Chad to release all children in detention, in line with the
protocol for the handover of children associated with armed groups to civilian child
protection actors adopted in September 2014, and to provide access for the United
Nations to children detained or in centres. I note the adoption in 2017 of the handover
protocol in the Niger and call upon the Go vernment to continue implementing it,
including through the release of all children in detention. Children actually or
allegedly associated with armed forces and groups must be treated primarily as
victims, with detention as a measure of last resort and fo r the shortest appropriate
period of time, in line with international juvenile justice standards.
__________________
16 Including JAS and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
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249. I am gravely concerned at the scale of grave violations perpetrated by Boko
Haram, including affiliated or splinter groups in the Lake Chad basin region, notably
the recruitment and use and the killing and maiming of children, sexual violence and
abduction. I call upon the groups to immediately cease all grave violations and release
all children.
Nigeria
250. The United Nations verified 250 grave violations against 208 children (114 boys,
92 girls, 2 sex unknown) in North-East Nigeria. Most violations occurred in Borno State.
251. Seven children (4 boys, 3 girls) were recruited and used by Boko Haram -
affiliated or splinter groups, including JAS (4) and Islamic State West Africa Province
(ISWAP) (1); and by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) (2). Two girls were used in
combat. Two boys were used by CJTF at a checkpoint.
252. The Nigerian authorities released 230 children (215 boys, 15 girls) held for
periods ranging from one week to several years for alleged association with armed
groups. Nine other children (4 boys, 5 girls) remain detained as at December 2020.
The United Nations was unable to verify the numb er of children in detention, as
access to detention facilities was denied.
253. The United Nations verified the killing (77) and maiming (47) of 124 children
(83 boys, 39 girls, 2 sex unknown) by JAS (46); ISWAP (30); unidentified
perpetrators (27), including 9 in crossfire between the Nigerian Security Forces/CJTF
joint operations and ISWAP; and the Nigerian Security Forces (21).
254. Ten girls were raped by JAS (9), following their abduction, and by CJTF (1).
255. The United Nations verified 15 attacks o n schools (5) and hospitals (10)
attributed to JAS (9) and ISWAP (6).
256. A total of 76 children (27 boys, 49 girls) were abducted by JAS (63) and ISWAP
(13) for sexual violence (9) and unknown purposes (67). The whereabouts of 73
children are unknown, while 3 children escaped.
257. The United Nations verified 18 incidents of denial of humanitarian access
attributed to ISWAP (11), JAS (5) and unidentified perpetrators (2).
Developments and concerns
258. I commend CJTF efforts to implement the action plan to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children, including the separation of 2,203 children in previous
years, and I note the significant decrease in recruitment. I welcome the Government’s
constructive role in the implementation of the action plan. I encourage CJTF to ensure
the sustainability of the action plan, by creating child protection units in all its
formations, instituting accountability mechanisms and enforcing zero tolerance of
child recruitment and use. I note the Government’s inves tigation into the sexual
violence case attributed to CJTF.
259. While the release of 230 children is encouraging, I am concerned about the
children remaining in detention for alleged association with armed groups. I reiterate my
call upon Nigerian authorities to treat all children formerly associated with armed groups
as victims, with detention as a measure of last resort, and to release all children in its
custody. I reiterate my call upon the Nigerian authorities to adopt a protocol for the
handover of children associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors,
and to immediately provide access for the United Nations to all detained children.
260. I remain seriously concerned about grave violations perpetrated by JAS and
ISWAP, in particular the abduction of children, attacks on schools and the killing and
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maiming of children. I urge all parties to end and prevent violations and to allow and
facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to children.
Pakistan
261. A total of 39 children (6 boys, 6 girls, 27 sex unknown) were reportedly killed
(8) and maimed (31) by unidentified perpetrators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1 6),
Pakistan-administered Kashmir (13) and Balochistan (10). Incidents included clashes
across the line of control (13) and improvised explosive devices (6).
262. One attack on a school was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when
unidentified perpetrators placed an improvised explosive device. The Global Polio
Eradication Initiative reported 127 incident s by unidentified armed elements.
Developments and concerns
263. I welcome the engagement of the Government with my Special Representative
to develop preventive measures to protect children. I reiterate my call for the
Government to better protect children through the endorsement of international
commitments such as the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles.
Philippines
264. The United Nations verified 60 grave violations against 57 children (34 boys,
23 girls). In addition, nine grave violations against nine children (5 boys, 4 girls) that
occurred before the reporting period were verified at a later date.
265. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 12 children (5 boys, 7 girls)
attributed to the New People’s Army (NPA) in Misamis Oriental (4), Davao Oriental (2),
Negros Oriental (2), Leyte (2), Bukidnon (1) and Negros Occidental (1) provinces. At
least three of the children were used in combat. All children were separated from the
group. In addition, the recruitment and use and the subsequent release of one boy by
NPA in Samar province was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
266. The United Nations verified the detention of five children (2 boys, 3 girls) by
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Mis amis Oriental (3) and Zambales (2)
provinces. Three children remained detained as at December 2020.
267. The killing (14) and maiming (31) of 45 children (28 boys, 17 girls) were
verified and attributed to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) (14), NPA (6), AFP (9) and
unidentified perpetrators (16) as a result of crossfire and shelling between AFP and
the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) (12), explosive remnants of war
(3) and improvised explosive devices (1). Child casualties occurred in Maguindanao
(15), Sulu (14), Surigao del Sur (5) and other provinces (11). In addition, the killing
(2) and maiming (4) of six children (4 boys, 2 girls) by NPA (5) and AFP (1) that
occurred in previous years was verified at a later date by the United Nations.
268. No incidents of sexual violence were verified. Sexual violence affecting two
girls attributed to AFP (2) that occurred in 2018 and 2019 was verified at a later date
by the United Nations.
269. Two attacks on schools were verified and attributed to NPA (1) and uni dentified
perpetrators (1) in Bukidnon (1) and Agusan del Sur (1) provinces.
270. The United Nations verified the abduction of one boy by NPA in Agusan del Sur
province.
Developments and concerns
271. I welcome the adoption by the Government of a protocol on handling children
in situations of armed conflict in September 2020. I encourage the Government to
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implement the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act and
its Implementing Rules and Regulations. I urge AFP to sign a strategic plan to halt,
prevent and respond to grave violations against children in armed conflict, as agreed
in November 2019.
272. I am concerned over child casualties in the context of military operations against
BIFF, ASG and Islamic State-inspired groups, and over the impact of improvised
explosive devices and explosive remnants of war on children.
273. I call upon the Government to continue its collaboration with the United Nations
to address violations against children, to support the implementation of national child
protection procedures and guidelines and to facilitate access to conflict -affected areas
for child protection actors. I also call upon the Government to implement the Ottawa
Convention and become a party to Protocol V to the Convention on Certain Conventional
Weapons and to endorse the Paris Principles and the Vancouver Principles.
274. I remain concerned about the attacks on schools and protected persons in relation
to schools, particularly in indigenous communities. I reiterate my call upon the
Government to implement the 2019 National policy framework on learners and schools
as zones of peace and to better protect children through the Safe Schools Declaration.
275. I urge NPA and other armed groups to immediately end the recruitment and use
of children and to release children. I call upon listed armed groups to engage in
dialogue with the United Nations with a view t o developing action plans to end and
prevent child recruitment and use.
276. I call upon the Government and armed groups to integrate the protection of
children into peace negotiations.
277. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and ar med conflict
in the Philippines (S/2020/777).
IV. Recommendations
278. I welcome the continued engagement by parties to conflict with the United
Nations to develop and implement action plans and commit ments to protect children
in armed conflict. I reiterate my call upon Member States to continue to support this
engagement, including by facilitating United Nations engagement with non -State
actors. I encourage Member States to adopt and implement protocol s for the handover
of children to civilian child protection actors. I request my Special Representative, in
support of the country task forces, to engage with parties to prevent grave violations,
including through engagement with regional organizations, an d to strengthen the
monitoring and reporting on children and armed conflict in coordination with United
Nations system entities.
279. I call upon the Security Council to ensure that child protection provisions and
capacity are included in all relevant mand ates of United Nations peacekeeping
operations and special political missions, in line with the 2017 policy on child
protection in United Nations peace operations. I underline the importance of
mainstreaming child protection concerns in early warning, conf lict analysis, peace
processes, transitional justice and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. My
Special Representative will continue to disseminate and encourage the use of the
Practical Guidance for Mediators to Protect Children in Situations o f Armed Conflict.
280. I call upon Member States to respect the rights of the child, including by
becoming parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
on the involvement of children in armed conflict, if they have not yet done so. I
welcome the widespread ratification of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention,
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1999 (No. 182), and call upon States parties to implement their obligations under the
Convention. I call upon Member States to endorse and implement the Paris Pri nciples,
the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles.
281. I remain concerned by the scale and severity of grave violations committed
against children. I call upon all parties to comply with their obligations under
international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international
refugee law and to immediately end and prevent grave violations.
282. I call for the adoption and implementation of legislation criminalizing violations
of the rules of international law pertaining to the protection of children in armed
conflict and encourage Member States to adopt national accountability measures and
to cooperate with relevant international accountability mechanisms. I call for the
inclusion of accountability provisions in action plan s signed between the United
Nations and parties listed in the annexes, and for their implementation.
283. I am deeply concerned at the numbers of children held in detention, and I
reiterate that this should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time, that alternatives to detention should be prioritized
whenever possible and that children should never be detained solely for their or their
parents’ association with armed groups. I urge Member States to treat chil dren
actually or allegedly associated with armed forces or groups, including those
designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, primarily as victims, to give
child protection actors access to them and to continue to search for solutions towards
voluntary repatriation and reintegration of these children, including those with
alleged links to ISIL being held in camps in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, in line
with the Global Framework on United Nations Support to Member States on
Individuals Returned from the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq. I am concerned about
the impact of counter-terrorism operations on the protection of children.
284. I call upon all parties to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded
humanitarian access, as well as access to services by children, in order to provide
assistance to children, and to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel
and assets. I underline that hospitals, schools and their personnel should be protected.
Furthermore, I urge parties to r efrain from the military use of schools and hospitals.
285. I am deeply concerned about the adverse impact of the pandemic on conflict -
affected children and urge all parties to adhere to my appeal for a global ceasefire. I
call upon Member States to take into account child protection concerns in the design
of pandemic response measures and in recovery plans.
286. I call upon the donor community to provide urgently needed financial support
and technical assistance for sustainable, timely, gender - and age-sensitive, survivorcentred
and inclusive reintegration, services and assistance programmes for children,
including for survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence. I encourage the
international community to provide funding for monitoring and reporti ng on grave
violations against children.
287. I encourage Member States and regional and subregional organizations to
strengthen child protection capacities and to engage with the United Nations in order
to improve analysis, develop strategies to prevent g rave violations, and foster
partnerships on child protection.
V. Lists contained in the annexes to the present report
288. Following an increase in child casualties in Afghanistan, the Afghan National
Army has been listed under section B of annex I for the killing and maiming of
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children; the listing reflects the measures that it put in place during the reporting
period aimed at improving the protection of children. In the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, two armed groups have been listed: CODECO has been listed under
section A of annex I for the killing and maiming of children and for attacks on schools
and hospitals, following a substantial increase of these violations since my previous
report, in which they were referred to as the Lendu militia. Mai -Mai Apa Na Pale has
been listed for the recruitment and use and the abduction of children, following a
substantial increase of these violations since my previous report, in which they were
referred to as the Twa militia. I urge both parties to eradicate these practices, including
by swiftly engaging with the United Nations through action plans.
289. The following parties were prev iously listed and have had additional violations
added to their listing. In Myanmar, the Tatmadaw Kyi, including the integrated border
guard forces, has been relisted under section B of annex I for the recruitment and use
of children, following its failure to end and prevent the ad hoc use of children in
non-combat roles. I urge the Tatmadaw Kyi to take immediate action to address the
implementation gaps of the joint action plan to sustainably end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children and to immed iately refrain from the continued use of
children. The Tatmadaw Kyi will continue to be listed under section A of annex I for
the violations of killing and maiming children and rape and other forms of sexual
violence against children. I urge the Tatmadaw K yi to engage in ending these
violations, including through the development of a joint action plan to this effect. In
Somalia, the violation of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children has
been added to the listing of the Somali Federal Defe nce and Police Forces under
section B of annex I, following an increase of this violation. I urge the Government
of Somalia to implement the provisions relating to rape and other forms of sexual
violence contained in the road map signed in 2019 and in the joint communiqué on
the prevention of sexual violence signed in 2013. I further urge the federal member
states of Somalia to immediately address the patterns of grave violations against
children, specifically the recruitment and use and the killing and mai ming of children
committed by the Jubaland, Galmudug and Puntland forces and to engage with the
United Nations in developing and implementing a prevention plan. In the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, as a result of the continuous increase in cases of rap e and
other forms of sexual violence by the Nduma défense du Congo -Rénové armed group,
the party has been listed under section A of annex I for this violation.
290. In Afghanistan, the Afghan National Police has been delisted for the violation
of recruitment and use of children owing to the sustained progress in the
implementation of its action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of
children and to the significant continued decrease in cases under this violation. This
delisting is conditioned on the finalization of all pending action plan activities and
the continued decrease in the recruitment and use of children by the Afghan National
Police, failure of which will lead to its relisting in my next report. In Nigeria, the
CJTF armed group has been delisted following a significant decrease in the
recruitment and use of children through the continued implementation of its action
plan, which was signed with the United Nations in 2017. I urge the party to complete
its obligations under the action plan, as well as to develop and implement prevention
measures in coordination with the United Nations and my Special Representative.
Such measures should include swiftly implementing the remaining activities of the
action plan, namely establishing child protec tion units in all CJTF formations in
Borno State and training the units on children’s rights, establishing accountability
mechanisms and subjecting CJTF members to disciplinary measures when standing
orders that are in line with the action plan are violate d and raising awareness among
CJTF and community members through outreach activities. A lack of progress in this
regard may lead to the relisting of the party for that violation in my next report.
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291. There have been technical delistings of some of the listed parties following their
dissolution or cessation of activities. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the
Kamuina Nsapu and the Bana Mura militias have been removed, as these armed
groups are no longer active. I urge the Government and relevant pa rtners to ensure
the swift demobilization of all children formerly associated with these groups, or with
their residual elements, and to ensure accountability for those who committed
violations against children. Nduma défense du Congo has been removed, as the armed
group is no longer active and its former leader, Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, was convicted
by a Congolese military court in November 2020. The Union des patriotes congolais
pour la paix (also known as Mai-Mai Lafontaine) has been removed, as the group
ceased to exist. In Mali, the Mouvement pour l’unification et le jihad en Afrique de
l’Ouest has been removed, as the armed group ceased to exist.
292. Other modifications to the list have resulted from changes in the landscape of
armed conflict in the respective situations or from changes in measures taken by
parties to protect children. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Alliance des
patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain armed group will be listed in section B of
annex I, following the signing of a road map in 2020 to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children and other grave violations. Both the Mai -Mai
Mazembe and Raia Mutomboki armed groups have been relisted under section A of
annex I, the former for the recruitment and use, kill ing and maiming, and abduction
of children and the latter for the recruitment and use and the abduction of children;
both groups have been relisted owing to the lack of action in implementing signed
commitments and because the parties were the main perpetr ators of grave violations
against children in 2020.
293. Modifications to terminology and to names of parties resulting from changes on
the ground are aimed at reflecting the name of parties more accurately. In Myanmar,
the Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council armed group is now listed as
Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council to accurately
represent the party’s name. In the Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement -
North armed group is now listed as two separate entities, namely the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement-North Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction and the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement-North Malik Agar faction, to accurately represent the separate
chains of command of the two groups. I urge both part ies to grant access to the United
Nations to the areas under their respective control and to implement the action plan
signed in 2016, which is now applicable to both. In the Syrian Arab Republic, Hay’at
Tahrir al-Sham led by the Nusrah Front (Levant Liber ation Organization) is now listed
as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham to accurately reflect the name of the armed group in the
current context. In Nigeria, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal -Jihad, also known
as Boko Haram, is now listed as Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups, including
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad and Islamic State West Africa Province,
as it more accurately reflects the structure and organization of the armed group. In
Yemen, the Houthis/Ansar Allah (previously the Houthis) is now listed as the Houthis
(who call themselves Ansar Allah).
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Annex I
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict on the agenda of the Security Council*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
Non-State actors
1. Haqqani Networka,b
2. Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a,b
3. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan Provincea,b,d
4. Taliban forces and affiliated groupsa,b,d,e
Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
1. Local defence militias known as the anti-balakaa,b,c
2. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Non-State actors
1. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d,e
2. Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO) b,d
3. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda -Forces combattantes
abacunguzia,c,d,e
4. Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituria,c,d,e
5. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
6. Mai-Mai Apa Na Palea,e
7. Mai-Mai Mazembea,b,e,f
8. Mai-Mai Simbaa,c
9. Nduma défense du Congo-Rénovéa,b,c
10. Nyaturaa,c,e
11. Raia Mutombokia,c,e,f
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Parties in Iraq
Non-State actors
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Ansar Eddinea,c
2. Platform, including affiliated groupsa
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces b,c
Non-State actors
United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
Non-State actors
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,c,d,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘aa
Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Justice and Equality Movementa,f
2. Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahida
3. Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawia,f
4. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Abdelaziz al-Hilu factiona,f
5. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Malik Agar factiona,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
State actors
Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro -
government militiasa,b,c,d
Non-State actors
1. Ahrar al-Shama,b
2. Army of Islama
3. Hay’at Tahrir al-Shama,b
4. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant a,b,c,d,e
5. Syrian armed opposition groups (formerly known as the Free Syrian Army) a
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Parties in Yemen
Non-State actors
1. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsulaa
2. Houthis (who call themselves Ansar Allah)b,d
3. Pro-government militias, including the Salafists and popular committees a
4. Security Belt Forcesa
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
State actors
Afghan National Armyb
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique, Mouvement patriotique
pour la Centrafrique and Union pour la paix en Centrafrique as part of the
former Séléka coalitiona,b,c,d,f
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
State actors
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo c,f
Non-State actors
Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souveraina
Parties in Iraq
State actors
Popular Mobilization Forcesa
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawad a,c,f
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forcesa,f
Non-State actors
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army a,f
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karen National Liberation Armya
4. Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council a
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5. Karenni Armya
6. Shan State Armya
Parties in Somalia
State actors
Somali Federal Defence and Police Forces a,b,c,f
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, including Taban Deng -allied South
Sudan People’s Defence Forcesa,b,c,d,e,f
Non-State actors
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition – pro-Machara,b,e,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
Non-State actors
Kurdish People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) a,f
Parties in Yemen
State actors
Government forces, including the Yemen Armed Forces a,f
Non-State actors
Houthis (who call themselves Ansar Allah)a
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children .
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan, joint commitment or similar measure with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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Annex II
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council, or in
other situations*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups, including Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda’awati wal-Jihad and Islamic State West Africa Provincea,b,c,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
Non-State actors
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. New People’s Armya
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
None
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan, joint commitment or similar measure with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
United Nations A/76/871-S/2022/493
General Assembly
Security Council
Distr.: General
23 June 2022
Original: English
22-06912 (E) 110722
*2206912*
General Assembly Security Council
Seventy-sixth session Seventy-seventh year
Agenda item 70 (a)
Promotion and protection of the rights of children:
promotion and protection of the rights of children
Children and armed conflict
Report of the Secretary-General
I. Introduction
1. The present report, prepared following consultations and covering the period
from January to December 2021, is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution
2427 (2018). The report includes trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on
children and information on violations committed, as requested by the Council in its
resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions.1 Where possible, violations are
attributed to parties to conflict and the annexes to the present report include a list of
parties engaging in violations against children, namely the recruitment and use of
children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of se xual violence
against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons in relation to
schools and/or hospitals,2 cand the abduction of children.
2. The information contained in the present report was vetted for accuracy by the
United Nations. Where information is not verified, it is qualified as such. Where
incidents were committed earlier but verified only in 2021, that information is
qualified as relating to an incident that was verified at a later date. The information
does not represent the full scale of violations against children, as verification depends
on many factors, including access. The report presents trends and patterns of
__________________
1 See also the relevant reports of the Secretary -General on children and armed conflict in specific
country situations, in particular in Colombia ( S/2021/1022), the Central African Republic
(S/2021/882), Yemen (S/2021/761), Afghanistan (S/2021/662), the Syrian Arab Republic
(S/2021/398), and the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary -General for Children
and Armed Conflict to the Human Rights Council on children and armed conflict
(A/HRC/49/58).
2 For the purposes of the present report, the phrase “protected persons in relation to schools and/or
hospitals”, used in Security Council resolutions 1998 (2011), 2143 (2014) and 2427 (2018), as
well as in the statements by the President of the Security Council of 17 June 2013
(S/PRST/2013/8) and 31 October 2017 (S/PRST/2017/21), refers to teachers, doctors, other
educational personnel, students and patients.
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violations, and engagement with parties responsible for violations that might lead to
behavioural change, including promotion of accountability and inclusion of child
protection provisions in peace processes. In the report, it is noted that attacks or
threats of attacks on community and civic leaders, on human rights defenders and on
monitors of violations against children are a cause for concern and a strain on the
monitoring capacity.
3. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), my Special Representative
for Children and Armed Conflict adopted a pragmatic approach to promote broad and
effective protection for children. Reference to a situation is not a legal determination,
and reference to a non-State actor does not affect its legal status. Accordingly, the
report documents situations in which app arent violations of international norms and
standards are of such gravity as to warrant international concern, given their impact
on children. My Special Representative brings these situations to the attention of
Governments, which bear the primary respons ibility for protecting children, in order
to encourage them to take remedial measures. Where measures undertaken by listed
parties had a positive impact on children or where ongoing conduct is of concern, this
is highlighted. On the basis of enhanced engag ement with parties, the annexes
distinguish between listed parties that have put in place measures aimed at improving
the protection of children during the reporting period and those that have not.
II. Situation of children and armed conflict
A. Overview of trends and patterns
4. In 2021, children in armed conflict suffered a high number of grave violations.
The United Nations verified 23,982 grave violations, of which 22,645 were
committed in 2021 and 1,337 were committed earlier but verified o nly in 2021.
Violations affected 19,165 children (13,633 boys, 5,242 girls, 290 sex unknown) in
21 situations and one regional monitoring arrangement. The highest numbers of
violations were the killing (2,515) and maiming (5,555) of 8,070 children, followe d
by the recruitment and use of 6,310 children and 3,945 incidents of denial of
humanitarian access.3 Children were detained for actual or alleged association with
armed groups (2,864), including those designated as terrorist groups by the United
Nations, or for national security reasons.
5. My Special Representative and country task forces made progress in engaging
with parties in a number of countries, including Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines, South
Sudan, Somalia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen to protect children.
Engagement with parties to conflict resulted in the release of 12,214 chil dren from
armed groups and armed forces.
6. Conflict escalation, the multiplication of armed actors, the use of mines,
improvised explosive devices, explosive remnants of war and explosive weapons in
populated areas, intensified humanitarian crises, and v iolations of international
humanitarian law and international human rights law had a severe impact on the
protection of children. Cross-border conflicts and intercommunal violence affected
children, in particular in the central Sahel and Lake Chad basin re gions, while coups
__________________
3 Information related to the denial of humanitarian access to children is presented pursuant to
Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and follows guidelines of the monitoring and reporting
mechanism on children and armed conflict. The information presented herein does not
necessarily give an exhaustive view of the full humanitarian access situation in the countries
concerned.
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and takeovers aggravated the situation of children in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso,
Mali, Myanmar and the Sudan.
7. The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Afghanistan, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. The number of cases of abduction
increased by over 20 per cent and cases of sexual violence against children continued
to increase, by over 20 per cent. The number of attacks on s chools and hospitals
increased by 5 per cent in a context of school closures, the military use of schools and
disregard for children’s right to education and health, and the situation was
compounded by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Non-State armed
groups were responsible for 55 per cent of violations, State forces for 25 per cent, and
the remainder of the violations resulted from crossfire, the use of improvised
explosive devices, explosive remnants of war and landmines, or were committed by
unidentified perpetrators. Over 25 per cent of child casualties resulted from
improvised explosive devices, explosive remnants of war and landmines, for a total
of 2,257 child casualties.
8. Whereas 70 per cent of children affected by grave violations are boys, the
number of violations affecting boys has decreased, while the number of girls who
were casualties of killing and maiming, or subjected to abduction and sexual violence,
increased, particularly in the Lake Chad basin. Cases of sexual violence conti nued to
be vastly underreported, owing to stigmatization, the fear of reprisals, harmful social
norms, the absence of services, impunity, the lack of humanitarian access and safety
concerns (S/2022/272). Children with disabilities and displaced children were
particularly vulnerable.
B. Challenges and the way forward
9. Compared with the proportion of casualties among adults, children were
disproportionately affected by explosive remnants of war, the us e of improvised
explosive devices and mines, with a steady increase in the number of children killed
or maimed by such weapons (9 per cent increase compared with the previous report,
A/75/873-S/2021/437). Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Myanmar, South Sudan, the
Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen and the Lake Chad basin (areas affected by Boko
Haram-affiliated and splinter groups) are particularly affected by the use and impact
of such weapons. Efforts must be prioritize d to clear explosive remnants of war,
improvised explosive devices and mines, provide child -sensitive risk education, and
promote assistance to victims. Similarly, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks
using explosive weapons in populated areas have had a severe impact on children,
and parties to conflict must avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
10. The number of attacks on schools continues to rise, including attacks on students
and on educational personnel, as well as the military use of schools, depriving
children of their right to education and reducing the availability of safe and child -
friendly spaces, thus jeopardizing children’s future and their access to essential
services, as well as making children more vulnerable to other violations. Children are
abducted, killed or maimed, and suffer sexual violence, in or on the way to school.
Some parties to conflict also use schools as recruitment grounds. In addition, the
abduction of girls has increased by 41 per cent. Girls’ educati on has been undermined
by targeted attacks on girls’ schools and the denial of schooling, particularly in
Afghanistan and in the Lake Chad basin region. These attacks further affect girls’
already limited access to education in the long term. In Afghanista n, Burkina Faso,
Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, Mali, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic, attacks on schools
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were devastating for children. The Security Council, in its resolution 2601 (2021),
called for measures to protect schools and mitigate the military use of schools.
11. The pandemic aggravated the existing vulnerabilities of children, including by
hampering the fulfilment of their rights, reducing child protection activities and safe
spaces. The socioeconomic impact of the pandemic exposed children to grave
violations and threatens to undo recent gains in the areas of child protection, human
rights and the Sustainable Development Go als, by exposing children, their families
and communities to renewed risks, including: economic insecurity; exploitative and
hazardous relationships; negative coping mechanisms; social isolation; and reduced
access to services and humanitarian assistance. In some contexts, girls may never be
able to go back to school, because they have to earn an income or were forcibly
married to support their families. We should continue monitoring and adapting
programmatic and advocacy responses towards child protection, with a particular
focus on girls.
III. Information on grave violations
A. Situations on the agenda of the Security Council
Afghanistan
12. The United Nations verified 2,577 grave violations against 2,430 children
(1,579 boys, 798 girls, 53 sex unknown). In addition, 35 grave violations that occurred
in previous years were verified in 2021. Serious safety and security challenges were
faced by the country task force for monitoring and reporting on violations against
children, following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban on 15 August 2021. Parties
to conflict affiliated with the government and pro -government parties ceased to exist.
Most of the figures presented herein were verified for the period 1 January to
15 August 2021. Reporting by the monitoring and reporting mechanism was
temporarily suspended from that moment until 31 December 2021 owing to the lack
of access to monitor and verify violations. Reporting resumed in January 2022.
13. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 58 boys, some as young
as 12, by the Taliban (34), pro-government militia (16), the Afghan National Police (7),
Afghan National Police jointly with the Afghan National Army (1), in the north -eastern
(20), south-eastern (14), northern (13), southern (6) central (2), eastern (2) and western
(1) regions. Among these boys, 47 were recruited and used prior to 15 August. Children
were used in combat, including in suicide attack squads, and support roles, including to
make and transport improvised explosive devices for the Taliban.
14. As at mid-August 2021, 166 boys were detained on national security -related
charges in juvenile rehabilitation centres. In addition, 168 children (90 boys, 78 girls)
were kept in the Kabul female detention centre wit h their mothers who were detained
for alleged or actual affiliation with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan
(ISIL-KP). After August 2021, the Taliban announced the release of all prisoners from
Pul-e-Charkhi prison, juvenile rehabilitation centr es and National Directorate of
Security detention facilities, but the United Nations confirmed the continued presence
of unknown numbers of children detained with adults in prisons and juvenile
rehabilitation centres.
15. The United Nations verified the killing (626) and maiming (1,713) of 2,339
children (1,491 boys, 795 girls, 53 sex unknown), attributed to armed groups (1,047)
(Taliban (690), unidentified armed groups (260), ISIL -KP (94), crossfire between
Taliban and ISIL-KP (1), self-proclaimed Da’esh (1), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (1));
and to government and pro-government forces (698) (Afghan National Defence and
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Security Forces (582), joint operations of government and pro -government forces
(72), pro-government militia (20), unidentified pro -government forces (15),
international forces (9)). The remaining casualties were attributed to unidentified
perpetrators (238), crossfire between pro -government forces and armed groups (346)
and cross-border shelling from Pakistan (10). Child casualties mainly resu lted from
ground engagement (912), non-suicide improvised explosive devices (699), explosive
remnants of war (261), air strikes (224), targeted killings (79) and suicide attacks
(65). Of the total number of casualties, 2,074 casualties occurred before 15 A ugust.
In addition, the killing (7) and maiming (10) of 17 children (15 boys, 2 girls) in 2020
by unidentified armed groups (8), pro -government forces (5) and unidentified
perpetrators (4) were verified in 2021.
16. Cases of sexual violence perpetrated aga inst 8 children (7 boys, 1 girl) by the
Afghan National Police (6), Taliban (1) and the Afghan National Army (1) were
verified. Six boys were used as bacha bazi by the Afghan National Police.4
17. The United Nations verified 116 attacks on schools (53) a nd hospitals (63),
including attacks on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, which
were attributed to armed groups (65) (Taliban (46), unidentified armed groups (11),
ISIL-KP (8)); to government and pro-government forces (32) (Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces (26), pro-government militia (3), unidentified
pro-government forces (3)); and to unidentified perpetrators (19), including as a result
of crossfire between armed groups and government and pro -government forces (17),
a grenade (1) and an improvised explosive device (1). Of the total number of attacks,
111 occurred before 15 August. In addition, one attack on a school in 2020 was
verified in 2021.
18. As at mid-August, the military use of 35 schools (26) and hospitals (9) by the
Taliban (24), and government and pro-government forces (11) (Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces (7), pro-government militias (3), pro-government forces
operating jointly (1)) was verified.
19. The abduction of 25 children (23 boys, 2 girls ) by the Taliban was verified.
Twenty children were subsequently released. In addition, the abduction of 17 boys by
the Taliban in 2020 was verified in 2021.
20. The United Nations verified 31 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access
by the Taliban (16), ISIL-KP (8), unidentified armed groups (6) and a pro -government
militia (1). All the incidents occurred before 15 August.
Developments and concerns
21. I appeal to all parties to the conflict to end and prevent grave violations against
children. I am concerned by the persistent high number of children killed and maimed,
including by landmines, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war,
and by the high number of attacks on schools and hospitals. I call for the international
community to invest in mine clearance and education. I urge the immediate reopening
of schools for children in the sixth grade and above, including for all girls.
22. I am further concerned by the impact of the ongoing economic and humanitarian
crisis in terms of exacerbating grave violations against children, such as the
recruitment and use of children.
__________________
4 Bacha bazi is a harmful practice whereby boys are used by men for entertainment. The boys are
made to dance at parties and are often dressed in female clothes and subjected to sexual violence,
as reported by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and t he Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in their annual report on the protection of
civilians in armed conflict.
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23. I urge the Taliban, and other parties, to engage with the United Nations to adopt
concrete measures and sign an action plan to end and prevent violations again st
children, including the recruitment and use of children.
24. I call upon the Taliban to release children from detention and to respect
international juvenile justice standards.
25. I urge the Taliban to define a child as every human being below the ag e of 18
years, and to respect the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Central African Republic
26. The United Nations verified 925 violations against 646 children (344 boys, 302
girls), including 105 children who were victims of multiple violations. In addition,
154 grave violations affecting 151 children (42 boys, 109 girls) that occurred in
previous years were verified in 2021.
27. A total of 329 children (262 boys, 67 girls), some as young as 7, were verified
as having been recruited and used, by armed groups (293): Coalition des patriotes
pour le changement (CPC) (197) (Front populaire pour la renai ssance de la
Centrafrique (FPRC) (143), joint operations by anti -balaka and Retour, réclamation
et réhabilitation (3R) (37), unidentified CPC (8), anti -balaka (6), 3R (3)); Union pour
la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) (71); and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) (25).
Some 84 children were used as combatants. A total of 36 children were used by other
security personnel (28), the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (5), the
Armed Forces of the Central African Republic/internal security forces (2) and the
Armed Forces of the Central African Republic/other security personnel (1) for
intelligence gathering, at checkpoints and to run errands. Most violations (189)
occurred in Haute-Kotto Prefecture. In addition, in 2021 the United Nations verified
cases of the recruitment and use of 80 children (39 boys, 41 girls), by FPRC (70),
jointly by Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) and FPRC (7),
anti-balaka (2) and unidentified perpetrators (1), which occurred in earlier years.
28. Eight boys were detained by national authorities for alleged association with
armed groups. Two remain in detention and the United Nations continues to advocate
their release.
29. The United Nations verified the killing (57) and maiming (47) of 104 children
(68 boys, 36 girls) caused by gunshots and crossfire (78), shrapnel from an exploded
drone (11), mutilations (10), explosive ordnance (3), death resulting from rape (1)
and glass shrapnel (1). Violations were attributed to government and pro -government
forces (47): other security personnel (18), the Armed Forces of the Central African
Republic (12), the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic/other security
personnel (9) and by anti-balaka elements recruited by the Armed Forces of the
Central African Republic/other securi ty personnel (8); to armed groups (32): CPC
(31) (3R (22); anti-balaka/3R (4), jointly by anti-balaka and UPC (2), anti-balaka,
FPRC and FPRC/MPC (1 each)) and UPC (1); and to unidentified perpetrators (25),
including 20 in crossfire between parties. Most violations occurred in Ouaka (36),
Nana-Mambéré (12) and Lobaye (11). In addition, the United Nations verified the
maiming of three children by unidentified perpetrators (2) and unidentified CPC (1),
which occurred prior to 2021.
30. Rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against 211 girls were
verified and mostly attributed to armed groups (171): CPC (145) (unidentified CPC
(52); FPRC (43), 3R (28), anti-balaka (10), UPC (6), jointly by anti -balaka and 3R
(4), MPC (2)); LRA (13); UPC/Guenderou faction (7); and unidentified ex-Séléka (6).
Twenty violations were attributed to government and pro -government forces: the
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Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (13), other security personnel (6) and
special mixed security units (1), unidentified perpetrators (18) and Chadian National
Army elements (2). Cases included rape (205) and forced marriage (6). The United
Nations verified cases of sexual violence perpetrated against 65 girls by CPC factions
(47) (unidentified CPC (22), anti-balaka (13), 3R (5), UPC (3), FPRC and MPC (2
each)); special mixed security units (8); MPC/FPRC (5); UPC/Guenderou faction (2);
the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (2); and unidentified ex -Séléka (1),
all of which occurred prior to 2021.
31. A total of 52 attacks on schools (26) and hospitals (26), including protected
persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, were verified and attributed to
government and pro-government forces (26): other security personnel (15), the Armed
Forces of the Central African Republic/other security personnel (6), the Armed Forces
of the Central African Republic/other security personnel/internal security forces (3)
and the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic (2); to armed groups (21): CPC
(21) (unidentified CPC and UPC (7 each), 3R (3), FPRC and anti-balaka (2 each));
and to unidentified perpetrators (5). Incidents involved looting, destruction and
threats and attacks against related protected persons. The United Nations verified
three attacks on schools (2) and hospitals (1) attributed to anti-balaka/3R, unidentified
CPC and unidentified perpetrators, which occurred prior to 2021.
32. A total of 55 schools and 4 hospitals were used for military purposes by the
Armed Forces of the Central African Republic/other securit y personnel (23), other
security personnel (15), UPC (10), the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic
(5), unidentified CPC (3), 3R (2) and unidentified perpetrators (1). Four schools
continued to be used as at December 2021 by the Armed Forces of th e Central African
Republic/other security personnel (2), other security personnel (1) and unidentified
CPC (1).
33. The United Nations verified the abduction of 111 children (47 boys, 64 girls) by
CPC (76) (FPRC (51), 3R (10), anti-balaka (6), unidentified CPC (6), UPC (3)); LRA
(24); unidentified perpetrators (5); by the Armed Forces of the Central African
Republic and by other security personnel (2 each); and by UPC/Guenderou faction
and by unidentified ex-Séléka (1 each). Most children were abducted for the purposes
of recruitment and use and/or sexual violence (94). One child was killed, 15 children
were released, 89 children escaped and the status of 6 children is unknown. The
United Nations verified the abduction of children by anti -balaka (2) and FPRC (1),
which occurred in previous years.
34. The United Nations verified 118 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access,
most of which were attributed to armed groups (70): CPC (66) (unidentified CPC
(19), anti-balaka and FPRC (12 each), FPRC/UPC (8), 3 R (5), UPC (4), FPRC/MPC
and MPC (2 each), anti-balaka/MPC and 3R/MPC (1 each)); UPC/Guenderou faction
(3); and unidentified ex-Séléka (1). Responsibility for 19 violations was attributed to
government and pro-government forces: other security personnel (7 ), the Armed
Forces of the Central African Republic (6), the Armed Forces of the Central African
Republic/other security personnel (3), internal security forces (2), the Armed Forces
of the Central African Republic/internal security forces (1), and unident ified
perpetrators (29). Most incidents involved robberies, extortion, the destruction of
property and assaults on humanitarian personnel.
Developments and concerns
35. I welcome the development by the Government of interministerial plans to
implement the Child Protection Code. I remain concerned by the surge in the number
of violations against children and by the recurrent attacks on and the military use of
schools and hospitals and by the increased number child casualties caused by the
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Armed Forces of the Central African Republic and other security personnel. I call
upon the Government to swiftly appoint child protection focal points in the Armed
Forces of the Central African Republic, issue command directives applicable to all
forces in the country, and, in cooperation with the United Nations, end and prevent
grave violations by the Armed Forces and other security personnel. I urge the
Government to investigate ongoing violations and hold perpetrators accountable. I
continue to urge the Government to a dopt a protocol for the handover of children
associated with armed groups to civilian protection actors.
36. I urge the Government and other signatories of the Political Agreement for Peace
and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic to cooperate w ith the United
Nations to develop a national strategy to prevent and eliminate grave violations
against children, and I request my Special Representative and the country task force
to engage with the Government and signatories of the Agreement in support o f this
effort.
37. I note that United Nations dialogue with armed groups led to the release of 134
children from FPRC (92) and UPC (42). I am alarmed by the scale of violations
attributed to armed groups, particularly CPC, such as the ongoing recruitment a nd use
of children, and a sharp increase in sexual violence, abductions and in the number of
attacks on schools and hospitals. I urge FPRC, MPC and UPC, all of which have
signed action plans with the United Nations, to comply with their commitments and
call upon all parties to adopt concrete measures to cease all grave violations,
unconditionally release associated children and respect the civilian character of
schools and hospitals.
38. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed c onflict
in the Central African Republic ( S/2021/882).
Colombia
39. The United Nations verified 231 grave violations against 192 children (136
boys, 56 girls), including 26 children who were victims of mu ltiple violations.
40. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 123 children (98 boys,
25 girls), between the ages of 12 and 17. Perpetrators were the Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) dissident groups (75),
Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) (17), Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia
(AGC) (17), unidentified perpetrators (8) and Los Caparrapos (6). Children were used
as combatants and in support roles. During their association, 13 children were kille d
or maimed and three were victims of sexual violence. Most violations occurred in
Nariño (16), Chocó and Antioquia (13 each), Norte de Santander and Caquetá (12
each), and Arauca (10).
41. A total of 70 children (45 boys, 25 girls) were killed (31) and maimed (39) by
unidentified perpetrators (44), ELN (8), the Colombian armed forces (7), AGC (6)
and FARC-EP dissident groups (5) mostly in Cauca (16), Chocó (13), and Antioquia
(9). Child casualties resulted from gunshots (31), landmines, improvised explos ive
devices and explosive remnants of war (30), air strikes (6) and torture and inhuman
treatment (3).
42. Rape and other forms of sexual violence affected 11 girls and the cases were
attributed to FARC-EP dissident groups (6), unidentified perpetrators (3 ), ELN (1)
and the Colombian armed forces (1). Most violations (7) occurred in Nariño
Department.
43. Nine attacks on schools (6), hospitals (3) and protected persons in relation to
schools and/or hospitals were verified and attributed to FARC -EP dissident groups
(5), unidentified perpetrators (2), and ELN and Los Caparrapos (1 each). Incidents
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involved the killing and abduction of, and threats against, protected personnel, and
damage to facilities.
44. Three schools were used by the Colombian armed forces (2) and AGC (1) in
Arauca (2) and Chocó (1) Departments. The Colombian armed forces vacated the
schools after a few hours.
45. A total of 16 children (11 boys, 5 girls) were abducted by ELN (7), Los
Caparrapos (6) and FARC-EP dissident groups (3), mostly for recruitment purposes.
Twelve of the children were released.
46. Two incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were verified and attributed
to FARC-EP dissident groups and unidentified perpetrators in Arauca and Norte de
Santander.
Developments and concerns
47. In January, the Government launched a strategy for the local implementation of
the policy to prevent the recruitment and use of children and sexual violence against
children. The programme, entitled “Súmate por mi” (Join Up for Me), conti nued in
209 municipalities, aimed at preventing child recruitment and use by armed groups. I
commend these initiatives and encourage the Government to allocate adequate
resources for their implementation, particularly at the local level and in vulnerable
areas. I encourage the Government to continue demining and mine risk education
activities. I urge the Government to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration and to end
the military use of schools. I request my Special Representative and the country task
force to further engage with the Government so as to support its protection and
prevention efforts.
48. I welcome the fact that 180 children (126 boys, 54 girls) who were separated
from armed groups entered the protection programme of the Colombian Family
Welfare Institute. I also welcome the fact that the Institute is providing training to the
Colombian armed forces on child rights.
49. I am concerned by the continued increase in the number of grave violations
against children, notably in the cases of recruitmen t and use and abduction of children
by armed groups, particularly by FARC-EP dissident groups and ELN. I urge armed
groups to immediately end violations, unconditionally release children and adopt
measures to end grave violations. I reiterate my call upon all parties to take all
necessary measures to protect children during operations.
50. I urge all parties to end and prevent sexual violence. I commend the Government
for investigating and prosecuting perpetrators, including members of the Colombian
armed forces, and urge it to continue to do so. I further call upon the Government to
ensure that adequate programmes are accessible to all survivors, including child -
friendly and safe reporting and response mechanisms.
51. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Colombia (S/2021/1022).
Democratic Republic of the Congo
52. The United Nations verified 3,546 violations against 2,979 children (2,090 boys,
889 girls). In addition, 790 grave violations against 238 children (162 boys, 76 girls)
which occurred prior to 2021 were verified during the reporting period. At least 650
children were victims of multiple violations.
53. The United Nations verified the new r ecruitment and use of 565 children (487
boys, 78 girls), all of whom were separated in 2021, by Nyatura (120), Alliance des
patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) (101), Mai -Mai Mazembe (80),
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the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) (60) and other ar med groups (198). Six children
were used as spies by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5)
and in hostilities (1). Cases were verified in North Kivu (385), Ituri (105), South Kivu
(56), Maniema (13) and Tanganyika (4). Two children w ere recruited in Burundi and
Uganda and trafficked into the Democratic Republic of the Congo for use by the
Forces nationales de libération and ADF, respectively. Of the total, 241 children were
used in combat and 324 children were used in support roles. I n addition, 42 girls were
also used for and subjected to sexual violence. Furthermore, the recruitment and use
of 128 children (121 boys, 7 girls) by Raia Mutomboki (46), Mai -Mai Mazembe (31),
Nyatura (13) and other armed groups (38), which occurred in pre vious years, were
verified in 2021.
54. In addition, 1,298 children (1,168 boys, 130 girls), recruited in previous years,
were used until their separation in 2021 by Nyatura (237), Mai -Mai Apa Na Pale
(168), Mai-Mai Mazembe (159), Nduma défense du Congo -Rénové (NDC-Rénové)
(118), APCLS (106), Mai-Mai Bilonze Bishambuke (57), Raia Mutomboki (50) and
34 other armed groups (403) in North Kivu (773), South Kivu (231), Tanganyika
(229), other provinces (63) and in Rwanda (2). Some 714 children were used in
combat and 584 children were used in support roles. Two boys and 54 girls were also
used for and subjected to sexual violence.
55. The United Nations verified the detention of 160 children (142 boys, 18 girls)
by the armed forces (152) and the Congolese Nationa l Police (8); 151 children were
released.
56. The United Nations verified the killing (285) and maiming (157) of 442 children
(272 boys, 170 girls) mostly by armed groups (353): ADF (101), Coopérative pour le
développement du Congo (CODECO) (95), Front pat riotique et intégrationniste du
Congo (25), Nyatura (22), Twigwaneho (19), unidentified Mai -Mai groups (16), Mai-
Mai Apa Na Pale (15), APCLS (13), and other groups (47). Government forces were
responsible for 62 child casualties ((armed forces (52); police (10)). The remaining
27 casualties were attributed to unidentified perpetrators, including 25 resulting from
explosive remnants of war. Attacks against civilians (289), crossfire (64) and
explosive remnants of war (32) were the main causes of child casual ties. In addition,
the killing (20) and maiming (12) of 32 children (21 boys, 11 girls) by armed groups
(31) and the armed forces (1), which occurred in previous years, were verified in
2021.
57. The United Nations verified that 436 children (7 boys, 429 girls) were subjected
to sexual violence, mostly by armed groups (336): Nyatura (85), CODECO (72), Mai -
Mai Malaika (42), Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale (33), APCLS (18), ADF (13), Raia
Mutomboki (12), Mai-Mai Mazembe (11) and other armed groups (50). Government
forces were responsible for 100 violations (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (82), police (17); National Intelligence Agency (1)). Most of the
incidents involved rape (268), gang rap e (96) and sexual slavery (47). In addition,
cases of sexual violence against 121 children (3 boys, 118 girls) by armed groups (96)
and government forces (25) (armed forces (18); police (7)), which occurred in
previous years, were verified in 2021.
58. The United Nations verified 112 attacks on schools (69), and hospitals (43) and
on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, attributed to government
forces (40) (armed forces (39); police (1)), CODECO (31), Mai -Mai groups (21), ADF
(18) and other armed groups (2). The incidents included destruction (68), looting (37)
and attacks against related protected persons (7). In addition, one attack on a hospital
by Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale, from a previous year, was verified in 2021.
59. Four schools were used for military purposes by the armed forces.
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60. A total of 684 children (416 boys, 268 girls) were abducted by ADF (181),
Nyatura (104), APCLS (64), Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale (55), CODECO (48), other armed
groups (217) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (15).
The purposes of the abductions included recruitment and use (460) and sexual
violence (94). Abductions occurred in North Kivu (308), Ituri (210), South Kivu (83)
and other provinces (77), and in neighbouring countries (6). In a ddition, the abduction
of 508 children (434 boys, 74 girls) by Nyatura (118), Mai -Mai Apa Na Pale (67) and
other groups (323), which occurred in previous years, was verified in 2021.
61. Nine incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed t o CODECO
(3), unidentified Mai-Mai groups (2), and to the armed forces, Mai -Mai Malaika,
NDC-Rénové and Twigwaneho (1 each). Incidents included threats and violence
against humanitarian personnel and assets, abductions, checkpoints and extortion.
Developments and concerns
62. I welcome the commitment of the Government to sustain the gains made in
preventing child recruitment and use, including through screening mechanisms. I call
upon the Government to pursue those efforts and act to prevent cases of us e of
children by its armed forces.
63. I further call upon the Government to redouble efforts to end and prevent sexual
violence against children, including by its forces, which are responsible for a
persistently high number of violations. I reiterate my c all upon the Government to
implement the 2012 action plan and other commitments to address conflict -related
sexual violence and prioritize access to services for survivors.
64. I commend the Government for its efforts to hold perpetrators of grave
violations accountable and urge them to continue to do so, including for cases of child
recruitment and use, and for cases of sexual violence.
65. I am troubled by the staggeringly high number of violations against children,
particularly those committed by armed g roups, and amid rising intercommunal
violence, hate speech and attacks on civilians. I am concerned by the increase in the
number of violations by government forces, particularly the killing and maiming of
children and attacks on schools and hospitals, mos tly in Ituri and North Kivu
Provinces. I urge all parties to cease and prevent violations against children, to protect
children during operations and immediately and unconditionally to release children.
I call upon the Government to implement the Safe Scho ols Declaration, which it
endorsed in 2016.
66. I call upon the Government to release children detained for alleged association
with armed groups and to treat them in line with the 2013 governmental directives
and international juvenile justice standards.
67. The signature by six commanders of unilateral commitments to protect children,
following United Nations advocacy, and the release of 430 children, are welcomed. I
urge groups that have not done so, including ADF, CODECO, and Mai -Mai groups
operating in the Hauts Plateaux (South Kivu) to cease violations, immediately and
unconditionally release children, and to engage with the United Nations to end and
prevent violations.
68. I welcome the new disarmament, demobilization and reintegration community
and stabilization programme and urge the Government to give children special
consideration in the implementation thereof. I call upon international partners to
support and fund reintegration programmes for children separated from armed groups.
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Iraq
69. The United Nations verified 288 grave violations against 167 children (131
boys, 32 girls, 4 sex unknown). In addition, 16 grave violations against 16 children
(4 boys, 12 girls), which occurred in previous years, were verified in 2021.
70. No cases of the recruitment and use of children were verified during the
reporting period. The recruitment and use of one boy by Da’esh (in 2017) was verified
in 2021.
71. As at December 2021, 1,267 children (1,251 boys, 16 girls) remained in
detention on national security-related charges, for up to five years, including for their
actual or alleged association with armed groups, primarily Da’esh.
72. A total of 159 children (127 boys, 28 girls, 4 unknown sex) were killed (72) and
maimed (87) by unidentified perpetrators (1 01), Da’esh (37), Iraqi security forces
(12), Operation Claw 5 (6) and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) (3). The
majority of incidents occurred in areas previously under the control of Da’esh. Child
casualties resulted from explosive remnants of war ( 127), ground engagement (24),
crossfire (1) and air strikes (7). In addition, the killing of two boys in 2017 by
unidentified perpetrators was verified in 2021.
73. Rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against 6 girls by Da’esh
in 2014 were verified in 2021.
74. Three attacks on schools (1) and hospitals (2) were verified and attributed to
Da’esh (2) and Operation Claw (1). A total of 33 instances of the military use of
schools by the Iraqi police (25), PMF (4), the Iraqi army (3) and the Pes hmerga (1)
were verified in Kirkuk (29), Ninawa (3) and in Salah al -Din (1) Governorates.
75. The United Nations verified the abduction of 8 children (4 boys, 4 girls) by
Da’esh. In addition, the abduction of 7 children (1 boy, 6 girls) by Da’esh in 2014
was verified in 2021.
76. A total of 118 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed to
Iraqi security forces (89), PMF (16), the Iraqi police (10), Operation Claw (1),
national security services (1) and to unidentified perpetrators (1).
Developments and concerns
77. I welcome the absence of cases of the recruitment and use of children attributed
to PMF and the engagement between the Government and the United Nations to
prevent grave violations, and the progress made towards the develo pment of an action
plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by PMF. I urge the
Government to prioritize the adoption and implementation of the action plan. The
prompt signature and implementation of the action plan may make PMF eligible for
delisting from the annexes to my report on children and armed conflict upon United
Nations verification that the terms of the action plan have been fulfilled, including
that the violations mentioned therein have ceased, and that measures are in place t o
prevent their reoccurrence.
78. I am concerned that explosive remnants of war are the leading cause for rising
child casualties. I urge the Government to fully implement international legal
instruments on mines and explosive remnants of war. I call upon the Government to
continue demining, mine risk education and victim assistance, including prior to any
movement by internally displaced persons to contaminated areas.
__________________
5 Launched by Türkiye in northern Iraq in May 2019.
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79. I am troubled by the increase in the number of children detained on national
security-related charges, including for their actual or alleged association with Da’esh.
These children should be treated primarily as victims and in line with international
juvenile justice standards. Children should only be detained as a last resort and for
the shortest period of time. I call upon the Government to release these children to
child protection actors.
80. I welcome the adoption of the Law on Support to Female Yazidi Survivors. I
encourage the Government to address the needs of other minorities, of boys and men
who are survivors of Da’esh atrocities and of children born of rape.
81. I commend the Government for the repatriation of 336 Iraqi families, including
858 children, from Hawl camp in the Syrian Arab Republic. I welcome the
repatriation of 223 children from Iraq to their countries of origin. I reiterate my call
upon all countries concerned to facilitate the voluntary repatriation and reintegration
of children, in line with the principle of non -refoulement, with respect for family
unity and the best interests of the child, and in accordance with international law.
82. I encourage the Government to facilitate the reintegration of all children
affected by armed conflict, with the support of the United Nations.
83. I reiterate my recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Iraq (S/2022/46).
Israel and the State of Palestine6
84. The United Nations verified 2,934 grave violations against 1,208 Palestinian
children and 9 Israeli children (915 boys, 302 girls) in the occupied West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and Israel.
85. The United Nations verified the recruitment of one Palestinian boy by the
Mujahidin Brigades in Gaza. In addition, the recruitment and use of one boy by
Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in 2019 was verified in 2021. In Gaza,
Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades, Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades,
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades and
Palestinian Mujahidin Movement Mujahidin Brigades, organized “summer camps”
for adults and children as young as 14, exposing them to military content and
activities.
86. The United Nations verified the detention of 637 Palestinian children for alleged
security offences by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, including 557 in East
Jerusalem. Among those children, 85 reported ill -treatment and breaches of due
process by Israeli forces while in detention, with 75 per cent reporting having
experienced physical violence.
87. A total of 88 children (86 Palestinians, 2 Israelis; 64 boys, 24 girls) were killed
in Gaza (69), in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerus alem (17) and in Israel
(2), by Israeli forces (78), Palestinian armed groups (8), unidentified perpetrators and
explosive remnants of war (2). All 17 children in the occupied West Bank, including
East Jerusalem, were killed by Israeli forces using live am munition mainly during
demonstrations (9), and in relation to alleged or attempted attacks on Israeli civilians
or forces (7). In Gaza, 59 children were killed by air strikes and 1 by live ammunition
by Israeli forces during the escalation of hostilities i n May, 6 by rockets fired by
Palestinian armed groups, one by Israeli forces during a demonstration at the Israel -
Gaza perimeter fence, one by explosive remnants of war and one by unidentified
__________________
6 For the purposes of the present report, the present section provides information on grave
violations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and Israel.
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perpetrators. The two Israeli children were killed by rockets f ired by Palestinian
armed groups.
88. A total of 1,128 children (1,121 Palestinians, 7 Israelis; 850 boys, 278 girls)
were maimed in Gaza (661), in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem
(464) and in Israel (3), by Israeli forces (982), Israeli s ettlers (28), Palestinian armed
groups (46), including Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al -Quds Brigades (18), Palestinian
perpetrators (4), and unidentified perpetrators (68), including by explosive remnants
of war (10). The main causes of maiming by Israeli f orces were shelling and air strikes
(539), tear gas inhalation (153), rubber-coated metal bullets (133) and live
ammunition (116). Of the children maimed by Israeli forces in the occupied West
Bank, including East Jerusalem, 196 were maimed during demonstr ations against
settlement activities. A total of 43 Palestinian children were maimed by Palestinian
armed groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al -Quds Brigades (18), in Gaza,
by rockets fired during the escalation in May (18), as a result of the e xplosion of
stored weapons (23) and as a result of accidents involving children who were near to
military training exercises (2). The 7 Israeli children were maimed by rockets fired
by Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas’ al -Qassam Brigades, striking Israel
(3), and by Palestinian perpetrators during stone -throwing incidents in the occupied
West Bank, including East Jerusalem (4).
89. The United Nations verified 134 attacks on schools (22) and hospitals (112),
including on protected persons in relatio n to schools and/or hospitals (61), attributed
to Israeli forces (128), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al -Quds Brigades (5) and
Palestinian armed groups (1), in Gaza (72), the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem (61) and in Israel (1). Incidents invo lved air strikes (67), attacks on medical
personnel (59), the explosion of munitions stored in the vicinity of schools and/or
hospitals (5), threats against school personnel (2) and a rocket attack (1). Separately,
156 other interferences with health (54) and education (102) by Israeli forces (152)
and Israeli settlers (4) were verified. Most involved Israeli forces firing weapons at
health facilities (4), at ambulances and paramedics (45), at or in the vicinity of schools
(27) and closures of checkpoints or the denial of teachers’ and students’ access
through checkpoints (45). Of concern, in the context of a subsequent investigation
into how to secure a school of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East that had bee n struck by two Israeli missiles, the
existence of a possible tunnel under the school was discovered, for potential use by
Palestinian armed groups, with no indication of the existence of any entry or exit
points for the tunnel within the premises.
90. The denial of humanitarian access by Israeli forces (1,582) and Palestinian
armed groups (1) was verified in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,
and in Gaza. Some 38 per cent of permit applications to Israeli authorities for children
to exit through the Erez crossing to access specialized medical treatment outside Gaza
were delayed or denied, affecting 1,581 applications (933 boys, 648 girls).
Developments and concerns
91. I welcome the collaboration extended by Israeli and Palestinian parti es to my
Special Representative.
92. I am alarmed by the increase in grave violations against children, particularly
the dramatic rise in killing and maiming, including in the context of the escalation of
hostilities in May 2021, despite commitments by Is raeli and Palestinian parties to
implement corrective measures and strengthen protection frameworks following
consultations with my Special Representative ( A/75/873–S/2021/437). I urge the
Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups to abide by their obligations under
international humanitarian and international human rights law, including by ensuring
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that operations are conducted in line with the principles of d istinction, proportionality
and precaution, and to immediately correct and reinforce existing measures to ensure
the protection of children affected by armed conflict. I reiterate my call upon all
parties to continue to engage with my Special Representativ e and the United Nations,
including at the country level, to end and prevent grave violations against children
and to better protect children and respect international humanitarian law and
international human rights law.
93. I am shocked by the number of children killed and maimed by Israeli forces
during hostilities, in air strikes on densely populated areas and through the use of live
ammunition during law enforcement operations, and by the persistent lack of
accountability for these violations. I expres s serious concern regarding the excessive
use of force and reiterate that security forces must exercise maximum restraint and
use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life and put in
place preventive and protective measures to end and prevent any excessive use of
force against children. I note the existing procedures, which have been shared with
my Special Representative, and I urge Israeli authorities to review and strengthen
their procedures to prevent any excessive use of force. I further urge Israel to continue
to investigate each case where live ammunition was used, as required by procedure,
and to pursue accountability for violations against children. I exhort Israel to better
protect schools.
94. I am concerned by the increase in the number of children detained by Israel and
by the reports by children of physical violence directed against them during detention.
I reiterate my call upon Israel to uphold international juvenile justice standards,
including the use of detention as a measure of last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time, to end the administrative detention of children, and to
prevent any violence and ill-treatment in detention.
95. I am concerned by the increase in the killing and maiming of children by
Palestinian armed groups and by recurrent incidents of recruitment and use of
children. I call upon Palestinian armed groups to cease the recruitment and use of
children and to abide by their domestic and international legal obligations. I call upon
Palestinian armed groups to cease all indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars
from densely populated areas in Gaza towards Israeli civilian population centres. I
urge all Palestinian armed groups to protect children, including by preventing t hem
from being exposed to the risk of violence or by abstaining from instrumentalizing
them for political purposes.
Lebanon
96. The United Nations verified 55 grave violations against 51 children (45 boys, 6
girls).
97. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 32 boys, between the
ages of 11 and 17, by unidentified armed groups (24), Fath al -Islam (3), Hizbullah
(2), Jund Ansar Allah (1), Saraya al-Muqawama7 (1) and Da’esh (1).
98. Children continued to be arrested and prosecuted under military jurisdiction on
national security-related charges, with the verified detention of three boys.
99. A total of 19 children (13 boys, 6 girls) were killed (9) and maimed (10) by
unidentified perpetrators as a result of armed clashes (12), cluster munitions or
explosive remnants of war (7).
__________________
7 The Lebanese Resistance Brigades, known in Arabic as Saraya al -Muqawama, is a
non-denominational paramilitary group affilia ted with Hizbullah.
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100. The United Nations verified four attacks on schools by unidentified perpetrators
in Palestine refugee camps.
Developments and concerns
101. I reiterate my call upon the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict.
102. I am concerned about the continued detention of children. I urge the Government
to release these children to reintegration actors and treat them primarily as victims.
The detention of children should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the
shortest appropriate period of time.
103. I am concerned about the increasing recruitment and use of children and call
upon armed groups to cease this practice.
104. I am disturbed by continuing armed clashes in Palestine refugee camps and their
negative impact on children. I urge the Palestinian National Security Forces to fully
apply their Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics in these cam ps.
Libya
105. The United Nations verified 63 grave violations against 52 children (32 boys,
20 girls).
106. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of one boy by forces
affiliated with the former Government of National Accord, which occur red before
March 2021.
107. The United Nations verified the detention of 125 children and their mothers, of
several nationalities, for their mothers’ alleged association with Da’esh, by the
Judicial Police, in Judaydah prison (93), by the Deterrent Agency for Combating
Organized Crime and Terrorism, in Mitiga prison (22), and by the Libyan National
Army (LNA) and affiliated forces (10) in Kuwayfiyah prison. Eighteen of the children
were repatriated to their countries of origin.
108. The verified killing (17) and maiming (21) of 38 children (28 boys, 10 girls)
was attributed to unidentified perpetrators (28), including in crossfire between the
Deterrent Agency for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism and the Stability
Support Apparatus (1), and LNA and affiliated forces (10), and were mostly caused
by explosive remnants of war (20) mortar shelling (6) and landmines (6).
109. Sexual violence was verified as having been perpetrated against seven girls by
the Abu Issa Brigade and Tripoli Revolutionaries Brig ade in control of detention
facilities of the Department for Combating Illegal Migration.
110. One attack on a school by unidentified perpetrators was verified in Tripoli.
111. The abduction of six children (3 boys, 3 girls) was attributed to forces affil iated
with the former Government of National Accord (1) before March 2021, the Internal
Security Agency (4) and unidentified perpetrators (1).
112. Ten denials of humanitarian access were attributed to forces affiliated to the
Government of National Unity (1) and unidentified perpetrators (9).
Developments and concerns
113. I welcome the efforts of the Libyan authorities to strengthen the protection of
children, in particular the declaration by the Government of National Unity of
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25 November 2021. 8 I welcome the establishment of specialized courts for the
prosecution of violence against women and children.
114. I am concerned about the prevalence of killing and maiming of children, in
particular by explosive remnants of war. I call upon Libya to become party to
international legal instruments on mines and explosive remnants of war. I call upon
the Libyan authorities to advance the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with
an emphasis on the reintegration of children.
115. I encourage the Libyan authorities to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of
women and children actually or allegedly associated with Da’esh and call upon all
countries concerned to facilitate their voluntary repatriation and reintegration, in line
with the principle of non-refoulement and with respect for the best interests of the
child and in accordance with international law.
116. I urge the Libyan authorities to engage with my Special Representative and the
United Nations to develop and adopt measures to end and prevent violations against
children, particularly the denial of humanitarian access to children.
117. I am appalled by reports of abuse of refugee and migrant children, including
torture and sexual violence. I urge the Libyan authorities to immediately end child
detention, pursue alternatives to detention and facilitate access by the United Nations
and other humanitarian agencies to detention centres and disembarkation points.
Mali
118. The United Nations verified 994 grave violations against 648 children (478
boys, 149 girls, 21 sex unknown), including 22 children who were victims of m ultiple
violations. in addition, 42 grave violations affecting 39 boys and 3 girls that occurred
in earlier years were verified in 2021.
119. A total of 352 children (288 boys, 64 girls), some as young as 6, were recruited
and used by Coordination des mouv ements de l’Azawad (CMA) (151) (Haut Conseil
pour l’unité de l’Azawad (HCUA) (60), Mouvement national de libération de
l’Azawad (MNLA) (57), Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad (MAA) -CMA (19) and
unidentified CMA (15)); unidentified perpetrators (66); Dozo traditi onal hunters (48);
Platform (47) (Ganda Izo (24), Mouvement pour le salut de l’Azawad (MSA) of the
Dawsahak (13), Groupe d’autodéfense des Touaregs Imghad et leurs alliés (GATIA)
(7), Ganda Koy (2), and MAA-Platform (1)); Front de libération du Macina (FLM)
(16); Jama ‘a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) (10); the Malian armed forces
(8); Mouvement pour le salut de l’Azawad (MSA) of the Chamanamas (3); and
Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) (3). Children were mostly recruited in
Kidal (115), Gao (94), Mopti (61), Ménaka (30) and Timbuktu (27) Regions. Children
were used in hostilities (39), in support roles and for sexual violence. In addition, in
2021 the United Nations verified earlier cases of the recruitment and use of 42
children (39 boys, 3 girls) by CMA/MNLA (22); Platform (15) (Ganda Izo (7), Ganda
Koy (5), MSA of the Dawsahak (3)); and Coalition du peuple de l’Azawad (CPA) (5).
120. Seven boys were arrested by national authorities for their alleged association
with armed groups. Five boys remain in detention. In accordance with the handover
protocol signed in 2013 by the Government of Mali and the United Nations, 10
children captured during military operations were transferred to civilian child
protection services.
121. A total of 201 children (132 boys, 56 girls, 13 sex unknown) were killed (73)
and maimed (128) by unidentified perpetrators (142), ISGS (40), the Malian armed
__________________
8 Available at www.genevacall.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Signed -Libya-eventstatement_
EN1.pdf.
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forces (12), Operation Barkhane (2), Ganda Izo (2), FLM (2) and JNIM (1). Most
child casualties resulted from gunshot wounds during attacks on villages and
improvised explosive devices or explosive remnants of war (40), and most of them
occurred in Gao (79) and Mopti (70) Regions.
122. Sexual violence affected 35 girls, in cases attributed to unidentified perpetrators
(30), the Malian armed forces (4) and JNIM (1). Violations occurred mostly in Gao
(15) and Mopti (10) Regions and involved rape (17), forced marriage (15), sexual
assault (2) and attempted rape (1). No perpetrators were arrested.
123. The United Nations verified 153 attacks on schools (120), hospitals (33) and
protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals attributed to unidentified
perpetrators (135), JNIM (9), FLM (6), ISGS (2) and Dan Nan Ambassagou (DNA)
(1). Incidents involved the abduction of and threats against related protected persons,
the destruction and burning of facilities and looting. They occurred mostly in Mopti
(60), Ségou (45) and Timbuktu (32) Regions.
124. One school has been used for over two years by Dozo traditional hunter s in
Mopti Region.
125. Some 94 children (67 boys, 19 girls, 8 sex unknown) were abducted by
unidentified perpetrators (76), DNA (8), FLM (6), ISGS (3) and MAA (1), including
for forced marriage (12), intelligence gathering (9), recruitment and use (6), a s a result
of accusations of treason (3) and for sexual violence (1). Most incidents occurred in
Gao (41) and Mopti (36) Regions. One child was killed, 5 escaped and 44 were
released.
126. The United Nations verified 159 incidents of the denial of humanit arian access
by unidentified perpetrators (155) and JNIM (4), mostly in Mopti (71), Gao (30),
Timbuktu (21) and Ségou (14) Regions. Incidents involved violence and threats
against humanitarian personnel, including killing, abduction, carjacking and robbery.
Developments and concerns
127. I welcome the engagement of the transitional Government with the United
Nations to establish a framework between the Malian armed forces and the United
Nations to address grave violations against children by armed forces and I call for its
endorsement and implementation, including by notifying the United Nations of
children associated with the Malian armed forces and releasing them. I call upon the
transitional Government to finalize the revision of the Child Protec tion Code,
criminalizing the recruitment and use of children, including those between the ages
of 15 and 17, and to work with the United Nations to develop a national prevention
strategy on grave violations against children. I request my Special Representa tive and
the country task force to further engage with the transitional Government.
128. I welcome advances in the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and
in revising the bill on the protection of education from attacks. I call for its adoption
and implementation.
129. I welcome the signature by two Platform factions on 26 August of action plans
to end and prevent child recruitment and use. Furthermore, CMA and the United
Nations organized two workshops to accelerate the implementation of the 201 7 action
plan. I remain concerned by the continued recruitment and use of children by CMA
and Platform and I call upon these parties to prevent further recruitment and use and
implement their action plans with United Nations support.
130. I remain alarmed at the elevated number of grave violations against children,
notably the sharp increase in attacks on schools. I urge all parties to immediately
cease all violations, unconditionally release associated children, protect schools and
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hospitals and allow the safe and unimpeded access of humanitarian actors to affected
populations.
Myanmar
131. The United Nations verified 503 grave violations against 462 children (390
boys, 69 girls, 3 sex unknown). In addition, an earlier violation against one child was
verified in 2021. The monitoring and reporting mechanism faced serious safety,
security and access challenges following the military takeover on 1 February 2021.
132. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 280 children (260 boys,
20 girls), some as young as 12, attributed to the Tatmadaw (222), Kachin
Independence Army (KIA) (50), Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army
— South (RCSS/SSA-South) (6), Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army
(SSPP/SSA) (1) and the Arakan Army (AA) ( 1), in Rakhine (203), Kachin (40), Shan
(16), Mon (13) Chin (2), Kayah (1), Magway (1), Mandalay (1), Sagaing (1),
Taninthayi (1) states and regions and in Yangon (1). A total of 13 children (10 boys,
3 girls) were released by KIA, following advocacy by th e United Nations, civil society
or their parents.
133. The United Nations verified the detention of 87 children (75 boys, 12 girls) by
the police and the Tatmadaw for their alleged association with armed groups. In
addition, a boy who had been detained by the Tatmadaw since September 2020 was
released in 2021.
134. The United Nations verified the killing (65) and maiming (104) of 169 children
(119 boys, 47 girls, 3 sex unknown), which were attributed to the Tatmadaw (75),
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) (2), Pyu Saw Htee (1) and KIA (1), as well
as unidentified perpetrators (90), including as a result of explosive remnants of war
(29), improvised explosive devices (21), landmines (17) and crossfire (16), in Shan
(41), Rakhine (23), Chin (22), Sagaing (18), Kachin (16), Magway (14), Kayah (12),
Kayin (10), Mon (9) and Taninthayi (4) states and regions. In addition, the maiming
of one girl by the Tatmadaw in 2020 was verified in 2021.
135. The United Nations verified the rape of one girl by the Tatmadaw.
136. The United Nations verified 27 attacks on schools (14) and hospitals (13),
including protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, attributed to the
Tatmadaw (17) and unidentified perpetrators (10), including crossfire between
RCSS/SSA-South, Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and SSPP/SSA (1) in
Kayin (7), Shan (7), Kayah (6), Kachin (4), Mon (2) and Chin (1) States.
137. The United Nations verified the military use of 53 schools (51) and hospitals
(2) by the Tatmadaw (52) and AA (1) in Rakhine (31), Kayah (7), Kayin (6), Chin (6)
and Kachin (3) States.
138. The abduction of 24 children (22 boys, 2 girls) by the Tatmadaw (10), AA (5),
KIA (4), SSPP/SSA (3) and RCSS/SSA-South (2), in Shan (7), Rakhine (5), Kachin
(4), Kayah (4), Chin (2), Mon (1) States and in Taninthayi (1) was verified by the
United Nations.
139. Two incidents of the denial of humanitarian access by the Tatmadaw in Shan
State (2) were verified by the United Nations. Administrative impediments, security
threats, control and restrictions of passage severely affected the delivery of
humanitarian assistance to children. The expansion of armed conflict in new areas
and the intensification of clashes in both the north -west and south-east regions
increased humanitarian needs.
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Developments and concerns
140. I note the intention of the Tatmadaw to continue implementing the 2012 joint
action plan on the recruitment and use of children, but I am extremely concerned by
the continued high number of children used, predominantly in Rakhine. I call upon
the Tatmadaw to implement all activities of the joint action plan, in close cooperation
with the United Nations, in order to immediately cease the use of children and prevent
their recruitment and use.
141. I am gravely concerned by the surge in the number of attacks targeting children,
and I strongly urge the Tatmadaw to comply with their obligations under international
humanitarian law and international human rights law. I reiterate my call upon the
Tatmadaw to sign a joint action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the
killing and maiming of children and the perpetration of sexual violence against
children.
142. I welcome the implementation of the joint action plan on the recruitment and
use of children by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA). I welcome the
engagement between KIA and the United Nations, leading to the release of 13
children.
143. I note that the National Unity Government 9 reported the development of
guidelines and awareness-raising regarding the prevention of grave violations against
children.
144. I strongly condemn the violations against children resulting from the military
takeover by the Tatmadaw, including the killing and maiming of children, as well as
the attacks on and the use of schools and hospitals. I am alarmed by the spread of
clashes in new areas, and by the multiplication of the number of armed groups.
145. I condemn the ongoing grave violations and the increase in abductions and
attacks on schools and hospitals by a ll parties to the conflict, and the increase in the
military use of schools and hospitals. I remain concerned by casualties caused by
explosive remnants of war, improvised explosive devices and landmines. I call upon
all parties and those with influence ov er parties to end and prevent these violations. I
reiterate my call for the accountability of perpetrators.
146. I am concerned by the increase in the number of cases of detention of children,
and their being denied due process, as well as cases of tortur e and mistreatment of
children. I call for the implementation of the 2019 Child Rights Law, and I urge the
Tatmadaw to immediately release detained children and recall that children should be
treated primarily as victims. Children should only be detained a s a last resort and for
the shortest appropriate period of time.
147. I am concerned by the severe and increased restrictions to humanitarian access
and call upon the Tatmadaw, as well as all other parties, to allow and facilitate safe,
timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to children.
Somalia
148. The United Nations verified 3,340 grave violations against 2,687 children
(2,041 boys, 646 girls), including 604 children who were victims of multiple
violations.
149. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 1,161 children (1,116
boys, 45 girls) by Al-Shabaab (854); government security forces (138) (Somali Police
__________________
9 National League for Democracy parliamentarians who had won seats in the 2020 elections
established the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, which then formed the National
Unity Government opposing the military (A/HRC/49/72, para. 4).
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Force (75), Somali National Army (60) and National Intelligence and Security
Agency (3)); regional forces (73) (Puntland forces ( 26), Jubbaland forces (21),
Galmudug forces (14), Galmudug police (5), Jubbaland police (2), “Somaliland”
forces (2), Hirshabelle police (2) and Puntland police (1)); clan militia (63) and Ahl
al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (33). Children were used in support roles ( 176), in combat (69)
or for unknown purposes (916).
150. A total of 195 children (192 boys, 3 girls) were detained for their alleged
association with armed groups by the Somali Police Force (101), the Somali National
Army (35), Jubbaland forces (20), Jubbaland police (9), Galmudug police (9), the
National Intelligence and Security Agency (7), Puntland forces (6), Puntland police
(6) and Galmudug forces (2).
151. The killing (200) and maiming (593) of 793 children (573 boys, 220 girls) was
attributed to unidentified perpetrators (335); Al-Shabaab (256); government security
forces (92) (Somali National Army (54) and Somali Police Force (38)); clan militia
(58); regional forces (48) (Puntland police (14), Jubbaland forces (11), Jubbaland
police (8), Puntland forces (8), Galmudug forces (4), Galmudug police (1),
Hirshabelle police (1) and “Somaliland” police (1)); Da’esh (3); and Westland militia
(1). The two main causes of casualties were crossfire between armed forces and
groups (263) and explosive devices, including improvised explosive devices, mines
and explosive remnants of war (187).
152. Responsibility for the perpetration of sexual violence against 307 children (1
boy, 306 girls) was attributed to unidentified perpetrators (205); Al -Shabaab (50),
government security forces (26) (Somali National Army (18) and Somali Police Force
(8)); clan militia (18); and regional forces (8) (Puntland police (3), Puntland forces
(2), Jubbaland police (2) and Galmudug police (1)). Violations included rape (187),
attempted rape (66) and forced marriage (42). Eleven cases were resolved
traditionally, 13 perpetrators were arrested, while 283 perpetrators remained at large.
153. The United Nations verified 33 attacks on schools (30) and hospitals (3),
including protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, by Al -Shabaab
(30), the Somali Police Force (2) and unidentified perpetrators (1). Most incidents
(25) involved the abduction of teachers and students.
154. A total of 1,030 children (933 boys, 97 girls) were abd ucted by Al-Shabaab
(1,012), clan militia (5) and unidentified perpetrators (13). Most children were
abducted for recruitment and use (532), owing to alleged association with armed
forces (104) and as a result of non -compliance with codes imposed by Al-Shabaab
(131). Some were released (123) or escaped (35).
155. The United Nations verified 16 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access
by clan militia (8), Al-Shabaab (5), the Somali National Army (1) and unidentified
perpetrators (2).
Developments and concerns
156. I welcome the Government’s efforts to implement the 2012 action plans on
ending and preventing the recruitment and use and the killing and maiming of children
and the 2019 road map, including at the federal member state leve l. The establishment
of working groups on children and armed conflict at the federal member state level is
a positive development and I recommend expanding these to all states. I urge the
Government to strengthen and expedite the implementation of its comm itments to
combat conflict-related sexual violence
157. I reiterate my call upon the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed
conflict and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, fast-track the
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endorsement of the child rights bill, endorse the juvenile justice bill and age
verification guidelines, and adopt the sexual offences bill of 2018. I underline that all
legislation pertaining to children and sexual violence should be in line with Somalia’s
human rights commitments and meet international and regional standards.
158. I am concerned by the continuing high number of children in detention. I urge
the Government to immediately release these children and to treat them primarily as
victims. Children should only be detained as a last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time. I urge the Government to apply the standard operating
procedures for the reception and handover of children separate d from armed groups
to child protection actors, endorsed in 2014.
159. I am concerned about clashes between Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a and security
forces in Galmudug and call upon the group to cease child recruitment and use. I
reiterate my call upon the Go vernment to provide information on the integration of
Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a into the Somali Federal Defence and Police Forces and
enable the United Nations to conduct screening exercises.
160. I am alarmed by the staggering numbers of grave violations co mmitted by all
parties to conflict, the majority of which were committed by Al -Shabaab. I call upon
all parties to immediately cease and prevent violations and comply with their
obligations under international humanitarian law and international human right s law.
161. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Somalia (S/2022/397).
South Sudan
162. The United Nations verified 196 grave violations against 183 children (148
boys, 35 girls), including two girls who were victims of multiple violations.
Violations occurred in Jonglei (51), Central Equatoria (40), Western Equatoria (35),
Lakes (20), Western Bahr el-Ghazal (17), Northern Bahr el-Ghazal (13), Unity (10),
Upper Nile (9), and Eastern Equatoria (1) States.
163. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 129 children (124 boys,
5 girls), with 30 per cent of the children recruited under the age of 15, by the South
Sudan People’s Defence Forces, includi ng the Taban Deng-allied South Sudan
People’s Defence Forces (69), forces loyal to General James Nando (20), the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition – pro-Machar (SPLA-IO) (14),
the South Sudan National Police Service (12), forces loyal t o General Moses Lokujo
(9), the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) (4) and the National Salvation
Front (NAS) (1). Children were used as combatants, bodyguards and cooks.
164. The killing (12) and maiming (25) of 37 children (21 boys, 16 girls) was
perpetrated by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (2) and unidentified
perpetrators (35), including resulting from explosive remnants of war (27) and
crossfire between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and NAS (2), SPLA -IO
and armed youths (3) and forces loyal to General James Nando and armed youths (1).
165. Rape and other forms of sexual violence were perpetrated against 9 girls by the
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (2), SPLA -IO (6) and NAS (1). In addition, in
2021, the United Nations verified three girls as survivors of sexual violence
perpetrated by SPLA-IO prior to 2021.
166. Four attacks on hospitals were attributed to NAS (1) and unidentified
perpetrators (3). In addition, the military use of 9 schools and 2 hospitals by the South
Sudan People’s Defence Forces (10) and SPLA-IO (1) was verified.
167. A total of 11 children (3 boys, 8 girls) were abducted by the South Sudan
People’s Defence Forces (1), SPLA-IO (5) and NAS (5).
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168. Six incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were a ttributed to unidentified
perpetrators.
Developments and concerns
169. I welcome steps towards the implementation of the 2020 comprehensive action
plan to end and prevent all grave violations against children and reiterate my call for
the expedited implementation of the action plan and for the Government to budget for
this accordingly. I underline the importance of the implementation of the Revitalized
Peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,
including its provisions relating to children.
170. I urge the Government to combat the prevalent impunity for grave violations
and to hold perpetrators accountable, including through the designation of a focal
point on children and armed conflict in the Ministry of Justice.
171. I encourage the continued cooperation of parties to conflict with the United
Nations and the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
Commission. I reiterate the need for child -sensitive disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration, for coordinated mine action and for gender-sensitive and survivorcentred
reintegration and assistance programmes, including for survivors of sexual
violence. I call upon the international community to step up its support in this regard.
172. I welcome the increased access to barracks provided by the Government to the
United Nations for age screening exercises, but I remain concerned by the number of
children recruited and used, particularly by Government security forces. I call upon
the Government and other parties to immediately cease and prevent all violations, to
facilitate humanitarian assistance and protect humanitarian personnel, and to release
associated children.
173. I am concerned about escalating subnational violence and the impact of clim ate
change across South Sudan, and I request my Special Representative to analyse the
impact of these conflict dynamics on children.
Sudan
174. The United Nations verified 202 grave violations against 195 children (137
boys, 57 girls, 1 sex unknown) in the Sudan,10 including one girl who was the victim
of multiple violations. In addition, 8 violations against 4 children (2 boys, 2 girls) that
occurred in previous years were verified in 2021.
175. A total of 11 children (8 boys, 3 girls), some as young as 11, were verified as
having been recruited and used by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army -
Transitional Council (SLM/A-TC) (8), the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid
splinter group led by Ali Hamid “Shakush” (2) and the Sudanese Alliance (1) in
Central Darfur (10) and West Darfur (1). The earlier recruitment of one girl by the
Justice and Equality Movement was verified in 2021.
176. The killing (54) and maiming (112) of 166 children (128 boys, 37 girls, 1 sex
unknown) was attributed to government security forces (27) (Sudanese Armed Forces
(26) and Rapid Support Forces (1)); and unidentified perpetrators (139), including
due to crossfire between the Sudanese Armed Forces and armed groups,
intercommunal violence (83) and explosive remnants of war (41). The maiming of 2
boys by unidentified perpetrators, which occurred prior to 2021, was verified in 2021.
__________________
10 Following the deployment of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the
Sudan (UNITAMS), pursuant to Security Council resolution 2524 (2020), and a reconfiguration
of the country taskforce on monitoring and reporting, reporting on children and armed conflict in
the Sudan now follows a whole-of-country approach.
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177. Rape and other forms of sexual violence were perpetrated against 17 children (1
boy, 16 girls), with responsibility attributed to government security forces (3) (Sudan
Police Force (2) and Sudanese Armed Forces (1)); and unidentified perpetrators (14)
in North Darfur (11), South Darfur (4), West Darfur (1) and Central Darfur (1). The
incidents included gang rape (2), rape (13) and attempted rape (2). Se xual violence
perpetrated against one girl by the Sudan Police Force prior to 2021 was verified in
2021.
178. Two attacks on schools (1) and hospitals (1) in South Kordofan and East Darfur
were attributed to unidentified perpetrators. In addition, four at tacks on schools by
the Sudanese Armed Forces, which occurred in previous years, were verified in 2021.
179. The military use of three schools by the Sudanese Armed Forces in West Darfur
(2) and South Darfur (1) was verified.
180. The United Nations verified the abduction for sexual violence of one girl by the
Sudanese Armed Forces (1) in North Darfur.
181. Five incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed to the
Sudanese Armed Forces (1), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement -North
Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction (1), and unidentified perpetrators (3) in East Darfur (2),
Central Darfur (1), North Darfur (1) and Blue Nile (1).
Developments and concerns
182. I welcome the collaboration between the transitional authorities and the United
Nations to strengthen the protection of children, resulting in the joint commitment by
the transitional authorities and signatories to the Juba Agreement for Peace in the
Sudan to a road map based on the 2016 action plan on ending and preventing child
recruitment and use, and I call for the endorsement of the road map.
183. I reiterate my call upon the transitional authorities to engage with the United
Nations on a longer-term national prevention plan to prevent all grave violations and
sustain the gains of the 2016 action plan. I welcome the use of child rights and human
rights units within the government security forces to address grave violations. I
encourage the Juba Peace Agreement signatories to ensure their child protection focal
points are embedded in these units. I encourage the transitional Government to
continue to engage with the United Nations on ending and preventing grave violations
within the framework of the Darfur Permanent Ceasefire Committee.
184. I am concerned about the stalled implementatio n of the Juba Peace Agreement,
uncertainties surrounding the Sudanese transition following the military coup of
25 October 2021, rising intercommunal tensions in the Sudan, particularly in Darfur,
and ongoing access restrictions to conflict -affected areas. I urge all parties to conflict
to enable unhindered and safe access for the United Nations and humanitarian
partners to conflict-affected populations.
185. I call upon the transitional authorities and security forces to refrain from the
excessive use of force against children and to cease the military use of schools and
hospitals. I urge the transitional Government to investigate all allegations of
violations, including in the context of civil unrest, and to hold perpetrators
accountable.
186. I am concerned about ongoing violations, particularly the killing and maiming
of children and the perpetration of sexual violence against them. I call upon all parties
to cease and prevent all grave violations against children. I urge the transitional
authorities to ensure the safety of and access for mine action operations. I urge all
parties to release associated children and hand them over to reintegration actors in
accordance with the national framework on children affected by armed conflict.
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187. I urge the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid, including all its factions, to
engage with the United Nations in order to sign an action plan, and call upon the
Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Army -Minni Minawi and the
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Abdelaziz al-Hilu and Malik Agar
factions to fully implement their respective action plans and other child protection
commitments, including under the 2021 road map.
Syrian Arab Republic
188. The United Nations verified 2,271 grave violations against 2,202 children
(1,824 boys, 235 girls, 143 sex unknown). In addition, 74 grave violations against 73
children (58 boys, 14 girls, 1 sex unknown) that occurred in previous years were
verified in 2021.
189. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 1,296 children (1,258
boys, 38 girls) by the opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) (569) (Faylaq al -Sham
(103), Hamzah Division (48), Ahrar al -Sham (41), Suqur al-Sham (38), Jabhah
al-Sharqiyah (23), Sultan Murad Brigade (19), Jabhah al-Shamiyah (16), Jabhah
al-Islamiyah (16), Jaysh al-Nusrah (8), Jaysh al-Sharqiyah (7), Samarqand Brigade
(5), Dir‘ al-Furat (4), Hizb al-Turkmani (2), Mu‘tasim Brigade (2), Ahrar
al-Sharqiyah (1), Jaysh al-Sunnah (1), unidentified factions (235)); Hay’a t Tahrir
al-Sham (380); the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) (221) (the Kurdish People’s
Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) (220) and other
components of SDF (1)), Syrian government forces and pro -government forces (46);
pro-government militias, including the National Defence Forces (NDF) (35); the
Internal Security Forces under the authority of the self -administration in northern and
eastern Syria (24) (the Internal Security Forces); the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth
Movement (10); Nur al-Din al-Zanki (5); Afrin Liberation Forces (2); and
unidentified perpetrators (4). Cases were verified mainly in Idlib (591) and Aleppo
(401). Most of the children (1,285) were used in combat. In addition, the recruitment
and use of 5 children (4 boys, 1 girl) by YPG/YPJ that occurred prior to 2021 were
verified in 2021.
190. The deprivation of liberty of 62 children (11 boys, 1 girl, 50 sex unknown) was
verified and attributed to the Internal Security Forces (43), SDF (9), Syrian
government forces (5), NDF (3), Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (1) and opposition SNA (1).
At the end of 2021, over 800 children, including foreigners, reportedly remained in
detention for alleged association with Da’esh in the north -eastern Syrian Arab
Republic. In addition, over 53,000 women and children with suspected family ties to
Da’esh and from an estimated 50 countries of origin continued to be held in the Hawl
and Rawj camps in the north-eastern Syrian Arab Republic at the end of 2021.
191. The United Nations verified the killing (424) and maiming (474) of 898 children
(564 boys, 191 girls, 143 sex unknown) attributed to Syrian government forces and
pro-government forces (301) (including pro -government air forces (86)); SDF (55)
(YPG/YPJ (26) and other components of SDF (29)), Da’e sh (25); opposition SNA
(20); Afrin Liberation Forces (17); border area fire from Türkiye (4) and Turkish
armed forces operations in support of opposition SNA (2); Internal Security Forces
(2); the international counter-Da’esh coalition (1); Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (1); Youth
of Aleppo al-Shahba’ Squadron for Special Tasks (1); and unidentified perpetrators
(469). Casualties resulted mainly from explosive remnants of war (297), shelling
(290), attacks with the use of improvised explosive devices (173), and ai r strikes (98).
Most incidents occurred in Aleppo (291) and Idlib (290). In addition, the killing (24)
and maiming (39) of 63 children (54 boys, 8 girls, 1 sex unknown) that occurred in
previous years and were attributed to pro -government air forces (4), Internal Security
Forces (1) and unidentified perpetrators (58) were verified in 2021.
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192. Sexual violence against 4 girls trafficked in 2014 from Iraq by Da’esh was
verified in 2021.
193. The United Nations verified 45 attacks on schools (28) and hospital s (17),
including protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, attributed to Syrian
government forces and pro-government forces (23), including pro-government air
forces (3); SDF (8); the Internal Security Forces (3); opposition SNA (3); Afri n
Liberation Forces (1); Hay’at Tahrir al -Sham (1); and unidentified perpetrators (6).
Most attacks occurred in Idlib (18), Dar‘a (9) and Aleppo (8) and resulted from
shelling (20), assault on or the arrest of protected persons (12), air strikes (3) and
raids (3). In addition, an earlier attack on a hospital by pro -government air forces was
verified in 2021.
194. The military use of 20 schools (17) and hospitals (3) was attributed to YPG/YPJ
(12), the Internal Security Forces (3), NDF (2), Syrian government forces (1), and
opposition SNA (2).
195. The United Nations verified the abduction of 8 children (2 boys, 6 girls) by the
Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (3) and unidentified perpetrators (5). In
addition, the earlier abduction of one girl by Da’es h was verified in 2021.
196. A total of 24 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were verified and
attributed to Syrian government forces and pro -government forces (5), including
pro-government air forces (2); Internal Security Forces (4); Da’esh (3); SDF (2);
opposition SNA (2); Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (2); Afrin Liberation Forces (1); and
unidentified perpetrators (5). Incidents included attacks (15), the denial of
humanitarian services or disruption to water facilities (7) and the encirclement of
areas (2).
Developments and concerns
197. I welcome the dialogue between the Government and the United Nations on
measures to end and prevent grave violations against children, the reactivation of the
interministerial committee, and the organization o f a joint workshop on child
protection on 14 March 2022. I note the issuance of law No. 21/2021 on the rights
and protections afforded to children and the commitment reaffirmed by the
Government to support the humanitarian response by the United Nations an d its
partners. I urge the Government to increase its engagement with the United Nations,
and with my Special Representative, to strengthen the protection of children,
including through the signature of concrete time -bound commitments, and I welcome
the ongoing development of a draft comprehensive action plan.
198. I note the continuing progress in the implementation of the 2019 action plan by
SDF, resulting in the disengagement of a further 182 children from their ranks and
the screening out of 568 boys through age assessment procedures. I also note the
adoption by SDF of new guidelines for the release and exclusion of children from
their ranks, and procedures for protecting children detained for alleged association
with Da’esh. The disciplinary measures a gainst SDF personnel who violate the
commitments under the action plan are a positive development. However, I remain
concerned by the increased number of verified cases of recruitment and use by SDF
and I urge SDF to immediately end all violations.
199. I note the engagement between factions of the opposition SNA and the United
Nations, including an exchange of letters aiming at the development of an action plan,
and the fact that the opposition SNA issued a statement in September 2021 on
measures to comply with international humanitarian law to protect children, including
the prohibition of child recruitment and use. I urge the opposition SNA to scale up its
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engagement with the United Nations to end and prevent grave violations and to adopt
an action plan.
200. I remain alarmed by the deprivation of liberty of children for their alleged
association with parties to conflict. I welcome the access provided by SDF for United
Nations partners to visit two detention facilities in Aleppo Governorate and I call
upon other parties in the Syrian Arab Republic to also facilitate United Nations access
to children deprived of liberty. I reiterate my call to treat children primarily as victims,
and that deprivation of liberty should be a measure of last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time, and in line with international juvenile justice standards
and the best interest of the child.
201. I remain seriously concerned by the humanitarian situation of women and
children in the Hawl and Rawj camps and in places of detention in the north -east. I
reiterate my call upon all concerned countries of origin and relevant authorities inside
the Syrian Arab Republic to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of women and
children who are currently in these camps, including those with suspected family ties
to Da’esh, in line with international law and in full respect for the principle of
non-refoulement and with respect for family unity and the best interest of the child,
and in line with the Global Framework on United Nations Support to Member States
on Individuals Returned from the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, adopted in 2020.
202. I am appalled by the persistently high number of violations against children
committed by all parties to the conflict, particularly the significant increase in child
recruitment and use, and by the continued high number of cases of killing and
maiming and of attacks on schools and hospitals, and by widespread impunity. I urge
all parties to end and prevent grave violations and comply with their obligations under
international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
203. I call upon the Syrian Arab Republic to become a party to international legal
instruments on mines and explosive remnants of war.
204. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in the Syrian Arab Republic (S/2021/398).
Yemen
205. The United Nations verified 2,748 grave violations against 800 children (652
boys, 148 girls), with 99 of those children being victims of multiple violations. In
addition, 209 grave violations against 164 children (120 boys, 44 girls) that occurred
in previous years were verified in 2021.
206. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 174 children (172 boys,
2 girls), between the ages of 9 and 17, by the Houthis (who call themselves Ansar
Allah) (hereafter “the Houthis”) (131), the Yemen Armed Forces (28), the Security
Belt Forces (6), pro-government militias (4), unidentified perpetrators (4) and Islamic
State in Yemen (1). Most children (128) served in combat roles. In addition, the
recruitment and use of 51 boys by the Houth is (37), the Yemen Armed Forces (12),
the Security Belt Forces (1) and Islamic State in Yemen (1) in previous years was
verified in 2021.
207. The deprivation of liberty of 10 boys for their alleged association with parties
to conflict was verified and attributed to Yemen Armed Forces (5) and the Houthis
(5).
208. The United Nations verified the killing (201) and maiming (480) of 681 children
(546 boys, 135 girls) attributed to unidentified perpetrators (280), including in
crossfire (83), mainly between the Houthis and the Yemen Armed Forces (63) and
between other parties (20); the Houthis (180), the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in
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Yemen (the Coalition) (100), the Yemen Armed Forces (74), the Security Belt Forces
(42), Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (3 ), Islamic State in Yemen (1) and the
Hadrami Elite Forces (1). The main causes of child casualties were explosive
remnants of war (181), gunshots and crossfire (176), mortar and artillery shelling
(172), air strikes (83) and children being run over by mil itary vehicles (68). Most
casualties occurred in Ta‘izz (137), Ma’rib (132) and Hudaydah (107) Governorates.
In addition, the killing (50) and maiming (96) of 146 children (106 boys, 40 girls)
that occurred in previous years was verified in 2021 and attrib uted to the Houthis
(46), the Coalition (22), Yemen Armed Forces (21), the Security Belt Forces (5),
Da’esh (3), Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (1) and unidentified perpetrators (48).
209. Sexual violence perpetrated against 11 children (6 boys, 5 girls ) was attributed
to the Houthis (5), unidentified perpetrators (3), the Yemen Armed Forces (2), and
jointly to the Security Belt Forces and the Yemen Armed Forces (1). In addition,
sexual violence affecting 7 children (3 boys, 4 girls), in cases which occu rred in
previous years and were attributed to the Houthis (6) and Yemen Armed Forces (1),
was verified in 2021.
210. There were 34 verified attacks on schools (18) and hospitals (16), including
protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, att ributed to the Houthis
(15), the Security Belt Forces (7), the Yemen Armed Forces (6), the Coalition (5) and
unidentified perpetrators (1). In addition, two attacks on hospitals by the Houthis (1)
and the Security Belt Forces (1) that occurred in previous years were verified in 2021.
211. The military use of 53 schools (49) and hospitals (4) was verified and attributed
to the Houthis (46), the Yemen Armed Forces (4) and the Security Belt Forces (3).
212. A total of 35 children (27 boys, 8 girls) were abduct ed by the Houthis (11), the
Security Belt Forces (10), Salafists (3), the Yemen Armed Forces (3), Hadrami Elite
Forces (2) and unidentified perpetrators (6). The purposes of the abductions were for
recruitment and use (2), sexual violence (2) and unknown p urposes (31). The
abduction of three boys in earlier years was verified in 2021 and attributed to the
Houthis (2) and the Yemen Armed Forces (1).
213. A total of 1,813 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were verified and
attributed to the Houthis (1,448), the Yemen Armed Forces (331) and unidentified
perpetrators (34). Incidents included attacks, in -country movement restrictions and
interference in the implementation of humanitarian activities. Incidents were
prevalent in the Governorates of Ama nat Al-Asimah (595), Sa‘dah (331) and Aden
(306).
Developments and concerns
214. I welcome the continued commitment of the Government, through the
identification of priority activities, to implementing the 2014 action plan and the 2018
road map to end and prevent child recruitment and use. I further welcome the
resumption of the interministerial committee activities and the organization of
training sessions on child protection. I note the significant decrease in the number of
verified cases of child recruitment and use by, and the decrease in the number of child
casualties caused by, the Yemen Armed Forces, as well as efforts by the Government
to facilitate humanitarian access. I encourage the Government to continue to
strengthen the measures in place to prevent child casualties during military operations
and implement measures to prevent violations. I note Government efforts to
reintegrate children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups and the
recent roll-out of the Act to Protect Childr en Affected by Conflict campaign in Aden.
I call upon the Government to adopt a handover protocol on the release of children.
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215. I welcome the continued engagement of the Coalition with my Special
Representative to sustainably end and prevent grave viola tions against children and
the progress achieved in the implementation of the programme of time -bound
activities endorsed in January 2020. I note the continued decrease in the number of
child casualties, and I call upon the Coalition to pursue and deepen t he
implementation of the 2019 memorandum of understanding and the related
programme of time-bound activities. I urge the Coalition to swiftly investigate all
incidents involving child casualties and comply with their obligations under
international humanitarian law. I also urge the Coalition to expedite justice,
accountability and redress to child victims and their families. Continuous monitoring
and engagement to ensure the sustained implementation of agreed activities and
further reductions in the number of affected children, as verified by the United
Nations, is expected and will be closely observed.
216. I welcome the signature of an action plan by the Houthis with the United Nations
on 18 April 2022 to end and prevent the recruitment and use and the ki lling and
maiming of children, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals and other grave
violations. I urge the Houthis to implement all the activities of the action plan,
including releasing all children from their ranks, and to immediately end and prev ent
violations. I call upon the Houthis to continue the implementation of the handover
protocol of April 2020 and to allow unimpeded access for the United Nations to all
places of detention.
217. I am alarmed by the high number of children killed and maimed, especially by
explosive remnants of war, by the number of cases of denial of humanitarian access
and by the number of cases of the recruitment and use of children and of the military
use of schools and hospitals, particularly by the Houthis. I urge the Houthis and all
parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and
international human rights law and to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded
humanitarian access to children across the country. I urge all parties to step up the
clearance of mines and explosive remnants of war, as well as and mine risk education.
218. I call upon parties to put an end to the fighting and engage with my Special
Envoy for Yemen towards the resumption of an inclusive political process to reach a
comprehensive negotiated settlement. I also call upon them to include child protection
concerns in the peace process.
219. I reiterate the recommendations from my report on children and armed conflict
in Yemen (S/2021/761).
B. Situations not on the agenda of the Security Council or
other situations
Burkina Faso
220. The United Nations verified 653 grave violations against 509 children (230
boys, 235 girls, 44 sex unknown).
221. Some 68 children (62 boys, 6 girls), some as young as 6, were recruited and
used by Jama‘a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) (59), unidentified
perpetrators (7) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) (2), mostly in the
Sahel (22) and North (21) Regions. Most children (48) were used as combatants.
222. A total of 18 boys were detained in the high security prison of Ouagadougou for
their alleged association with armed groups, including three who have been in
detention since 2018. Three children were release d in 2021.
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223. The United Nations verified the killing (99) and maiming (128) of 227 children
(91 boys, 92 girls, 44 sex unknown) by JNIM (113); unidentified perpetrators (58),
including 11 in crossfire between the Defence and Security Forces and JNIM; I SGS
(48); the Defence and Security Forces (4) and Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie
(4). Casualties resulted mainly from gunshots and physical assault (95 each) and
improvised explosive devices (15). Most violations occurred in the Sahel (121) and
Centre-Nord (85) Regions.
224. The United Nations verified rape and other forms of sexual violence against
nine girls by unidentified perpetrators (5), JNIM (3) and ISGS (1).
225. There were 85 verified attacks on schools (46) and hospitals (39), including
protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, attributed to ISGS (37);
JNIM (37); unidentified perpetrators (10), including four in crossfire between the
Defence and Security Forces and JNIM; and the Defence and Security Forces (1),
mostly in the East (58) Region. Incidents involved the abduction and killing of related
protected persons, threats directed against protected persons, and the destruction,
looting and forced closure of schools.
226. Two schools and one hospital were used for militar y purposes by the Defence
and Security Forces (2) and unidentified perpetrators (1).
227. A total of 250 children (88 boys, 159 girls, 3 sex unknown) were abducted by
JNIM (187), mostly as punishment for not adhering to JNIM norms, by unidentified
perpetrators (55) and ISGS (8). Most violations occurred in the Centre -Nord (177)
and Sahel (66) Regions. Among those abducted, 238 children were subsequently
released.
228. Seventeen incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed to
JNIM (8), ISGS (7) and unidentified perpetrators (2) in the Sahel (10), East (4) and
North (3) Regions. Incidents included threats and violence directed at humanitarians,
the abduction of humanitarians, as well as looting.
Developments and concerns
229. I welcome the fact that the Government progressed with the validation of a
handover protocol for the transfer of children allegedly associated with armed groups
to civilian child protection actors. I call upon the authorities to endorse and implement
the protocol, to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims and
to release all children in its custody.
230. I am deeply troubled by the sharp increase in grave violations. I am alarmed by
the scale of abductions, particularly of girls, and by the recruitment and use of
children, with JNIM as the main perpetrator. I urge JNIM and other parties to cease
all violations and release associated children.
231. I call upon parties to immediately cease the killing and maiming of children and
take necessary measures to protect children during operations, and to cease and
prevent attacks on schools and hospitals and on protected persons and prevent their
military use. I call upon all parties to engage with the United Nations to end and
prevent violations and further urge the authorities, including Volontaires pour la
défense de la patrie, to prevent grave violations committed during security operations
and to pursue accountability.
Cameroon
232. The United Nations verified 174 grave violations aga inst 129 children (62 boys,
57 girls, 10 sex unknown) in the Far North (94), North -West (45) and South-West (35)
Regions, including 7 children who were victims of multiple violations.
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233. Three boys, some as young as 10, were recruited and used by unide ntified Boko
Haram-affiliated and splinter groups as spies and to run errands in the Far North
Region.
234. Five children (2 boys, 3 girls) were detained in Far North by the Cameroon
Armed Forces for their alleged association with armed groups and remain ed in
detention as at December 2021.
235. A total of 75 children (48 boys, 25 girls, 2 sex unknown) were killed (44) and
maimed (31) by Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups (50), including Jama’atu
Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) (25) and Islamic State West Africa
Province (ISWAP) (2); the Cameroon Armed Forces (14) and unidentified
perpetrators (11), including in crossfire between armed groups and the Cameroon
Armed Forces (4). Casualties occurred in the Far North (49), South -West (14) and
North-West (12) regions and resulted mainly from gunshots (55) and improvised
explosive devices or explosive remnants of war (16).
236. Sexual violence perpetrated against one girl by unidentified perpetrators was
verified in the South-West Region.
237. A total of 22 attacks on schools (18) and hospitals (4), including protected
persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals were attributed to unidentified armed
groups in the North-West and South-West (16), ISWAP (2), the Cameroon Armed
Forces (2) and unidentified perpetrators (2), including one attack that occurred during
crossfire between armed groups and the Cameroon Armed Forces. Incidents were
verified in the North-West (11), South-West (8) and Far North (3) Regions and
involved attacks and threats against related protected persons, including their killing
and abduction, and destruction and damage to facilities.
238. The United Nations verified the military use of 21 schools by the Cameroon
Armed Forces in the Far-North for one year. Four schools co ntinued to be used as at
December 2021.
239. The United Nations verified the abduction of 55 children (14 boys, 33 girls, 8
sex unknown) by Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups (39), including JAS (24)
and ISWAP (2), and unidentified armed groups in the North-West and South-West
(16). Violations occurred in Far North (39), North -West (12) and South-West (4)
Regions. Children were abducted for ransom (16), recruitment and use (3) and for
unknown purposes (36). Of the 55 who were abducted, 12 children w ere rescued or
released, 7 remain in captivity, 3 were arrested by the Cameroon Armed Forces, while
the status of 33 is unknown.
240. A total of 18 verified incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were
attributed to unidentified armed groups in the North-West and South-West (14)
Regions, the Cameroon Armed Forces (3) and unidentified perpetrators during
crossfire between armed groups and the Cameroon Armed Forces (1). Incidents
involved the abduction of, and threats and violence against, humanitaria n personnel
and assets, access restrictions and looting in North -West (10) and South-West (8)
Regions.
Developments and concerns
241. I welcome the training of police officers on child protection, including in the
North-West and South-West Regions, by the United Nations. I call upon the
Government to extend the training to all defence and security forces. I also call upon
the Government to ensure that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
programmes consider the specific needs and rights of children formerly associated
with armed groups and to allow child protection actors access to all disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration centres. I further call upon the Government to pursue
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its efforts to strengthen the protection of children, including by ensuring
accountability for grave violations against children.
242. I am concerned about the detention of children for their alleged association with
armed groups. I call upon the Government to treat these children primarily as victims,
with detention as a measure of last resort, and to release all children in its custody. I
urge the Government to adopt a handover protocol for children associated with armed
groups to civilian child protection actors.
243. I am deeply concerned about the continued grave violations in the North -West
and South-West Regions, particularly the denial of humanitarian access, including the
detention of humanitarian personnel and attacks on schools, including the killing and
abduction of teachers and students. I urge all parties to immediately cease all
violations and protect schools and hospitals and prevent their military use.
244. I urge Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups in the Far North Region to put
an end to violations and immediately release associated children.
India
245. The United Nations verified 54 grave violations against 49 children (45 boys, 4
girls).
246. The recruitment and use of 18 boys by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir
was verified.
247. A total of 33 boys were detained by Indian security forces in Jammu and
Kashmir for their alleged association with armed groups or on national security
grounds.
248. A total of 34 children (30 boys, 4 girls) were killed (5) and maimed (29) by
Indian security forces, including by the use of pellets by the Central Reserve Police
Force (19), unidentified perpetrators (4), crossfire between armed groups and
unidentified perpetrators (7), and crossfire and shelling across the line of control (4).
249. The killing of two teachers by an armed group in Srinagar was verified.
Developments and concerns
250. I welcome the ongoing engagement of the Government with my Special
Representative, including the interministerial meeting held in November 2021 and
the appointment of a national focal point to identify priority national interventions so
as to enhance the protection of children. I further welcome the agreement to a joint
technical mission to hold interministerial, technical -level meetings with the United
Nations during 2022 to identify areas of enhanced cooperation for child protection.
This enhanced engagement may lead to the removal of India as a situation of concern
from my next report on children and armed conflict, should all practical measures
agreed to in such meetings be fully implemented by that date.
251. I welcome the legal and administrative framework for the protection of children
and improved access to child protection services in Chhattisgarh, Assam, Jharkhand,
Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, and progress in t he creation of a Jammu and
Kashmir commission for the protection of children’s rights, but I remain concerned
about the risk of child recruitment by armed groups in affected districts.
252. I am concerned by the increased number of violations against chil dren verified
in Jammu and Kashmir. I call upon the Government to strengthen child protection,
including by ending the use of pellet guns against children and building the capacity
of its forces. I am concerned by the detention of children, and I urge the Government
to ensure that children are detained as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate
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period of time, and to prevent all forms of ill -treatment in detention in line, with the
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Lake Chad basin
253. The United Nations verified 928 grave violations against 826 children (393
boys, 425 girls, 8 sex unknown) in the Lake Chad basin region, namely in the Far
North Region of Cameroon (94), Lac Province in Chad (166), Diffa Region in the
Niger (224) and north-east Nigeria (444). Among those children, 68 were victims of
multiple violations. Violations were primarily perpetrated by Boko Haram -affiliated
and splinter groups (890), including Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
(222) and Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) (243). Information
pertaining to violations in Cameroon’s Far North and in north -east Nigeria is included
under the respective country sections.
254. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 11 boys, some as young
as 10, in Chad (8) and the Niger (3) by unidentified Boko Haram -affiliated and
splinter groups. Children in Chad were predominantly recruited through abduction
and were used in support roles.
255. The United Nations verified the killing (11) and maiming (15) of 26 children
(21 boys, 5 girls) in Chad (14) and the Niger (12), by unidentified Boko Haram -
affiliated and splinter groups (23) and unidentified perpetrators (3) during crossfire
between the Niger security forces and unidentifie d Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter
groups. Most child casualties resulted from improvised explosive devices and
explosive remnants of war (15) and gunshots (7).
256. Rape and other forms of sexual violence against two girls were verified and
attributed to the Chadian National Army, in Lac Province.
257. Two attacks on hospitals by unidentified Boko Haram -affiliated and splinter
groups in the Niger were verified. Incidents involved damage to and the looting of
health facilities and equipment.
258. A total of 349 children (167 boys, 182 girls) were abducted in Chad (142) and
the Niger (207) by unidentified Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups. Among
those abducted, 1 child was killed, 35 were released and 6 escaped, while the status
of 307 children is unknown.
Developments and concerns
259. I welcome the commitment by the Government of Chad to the protection of
children, including efforts to comply with its action plan on child recruitment and use,
which was completed in 2014, and regu lar training for its armed forces. These efforts
should be prioritized, including by incorporating such training into the curricula of
military schools. I urge the Government of Chad to pursue accountability for
violations against children, including sexua l violence.
260. I welcome the efforts of the Government of the Niger to enhance the protection
of children, and the fact that children released from armed groups transiting through
the anti-terrorist cell in Diffa were increasingly handed over to civili an child
protection actors. Authorities in the Diffa Region established a reintegration
programme, including for children separated from armed groups.
261. I call upon the Governments of Chad and the Niger to continue to implement
their respective handover protocols for children formerly associated with armed
groups to civilian child protection actors. Children allegedly associated with armed
groups must be treated primarily as victims, with detention as a measure of last resort
and for the shortest appropriate period of time.
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262. The scale of grave violations perpetrated by Boko Haram -affiliated and splinter
groups in the Lake Chad basin region remains a serious concern, notably the
abduction, killing and maiming of and the recruitment and use of child ren. I urge
these groups to end and prevent all grave violations and immediately release all
children.
Nigeria
263. The United Nations verified 444 grave violations against 356 children (165
boys, 190 girls, 1 sex unknown) in north-east Nigeria, including 49 children who were
victims of multiple violations.
264. A total of 63 children (9 boys, 54 girls), some as young as 6, were recruited and
used by Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups: Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) (45) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
(18) in Borno State, mostly following abduction.
265. A total of 45 boys were detained by the Nigerian Security Forces for their
alleged association with armed groups. All but two boys were released following
United Nations advocacy. The United Nations was unable to verify the number of
children in detention, as access to detention facilities was denied by the Nigerian
Security Forces.
266. The United Nations verified the killing (34) and maiming (54) of 88 child ren
(53 boys, 34 girls, 1 sex unknown) attributed to ISWAP (57), unidentified perpetrators
(19), the Nigerian Security Forces (7) and JAS (5) in Borno (77) and Yobe (11) States.
Child casualties resulted mainly from gunshots.
267. The United Nations verified sexual violence perpetrated against 53 girls,
including forced marriage (50) and rape (3), by JAS (44), ISWAP (6) and the Nigerian
Security Forces (3) in Borno State.
268. A total of 15 attacks on schools (4) and hospitals (11) were verified and
attributed to ISWAP (12), JAS (2) and unidentified perpetrators (1) in Yobe (8), Borno
(5) and Adamawa (2) States. Incidents involved destruction and looting.
269. Some 211 children (115 boys, 96 girls) were abducted by ISWAP (110) and JAS
(101) in Borno (167), Adamawa (43) and Yobe (1) States. Most of the children (122)
escaped or were released, while 89 remain unaccounted for.
270. Fourteen verified incidents of the denial of humanitarian access were attributed
to ISWAP (13) and the Nigerian Security Forces (1) in Borno (11) and Yobe (3) States.
Developments and concerns
271. I commend the Civilian Joint Task Force for sustaining the progress on the 2017
action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children, including through
a child protection training plan and the establishment of child protection units in
Civilian Joint Task Force formations in Borno State, in collaboration with the United
Nations.
272. I welcome the signature into law by the Borno State Governor, in January 2022,
of the Child Rights Act, which provides a framework for the protection of conflict -
affected children.
273. I welcome the Government’s commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration,
including the hosting of the fourth International Conference on the Safe Schools
Declaration.
274. I call upon the Government to urgently endorse and implemen t the handover
protocol for children associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors,
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to provide access for the United Nations to all children in detention and to release all
children from detention.
275. I am gravely concerned about the increase in the number of grave violations,
particularly abductions and sexual violence, and by the elevated numbers of child
casualties of killing and maiming, and of cases of the recruitment and use of children,
mostly perpetrated by ISWAP and JAS. I urge all parties to end and prevent violations
and release all children.
Pakistan
276. A total of 44 children (17 boys, 2 girls, 25 unknown) were reportedly killed (19)
and maimed (25) by unidentified armed elements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (19),
Balochistan (16), Sindh (8) and Gilgit-Baltistan (1). Incidents included the use of
improvised explosive devices (18), rockets fired from Afghanistan (8), landmines (8),
explosive remnants of war (7) and attacks of unknown origin (3).
277. Two grenade attacks on schools by unidentified armed elements were reported
in Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in July.
Developments and concerns
278. I am concerned about incidents in the border areas with Afghanistan.
279. I encourage the Government to deepen its engageme nt with my Special
Representative to develop preventive measures to protect children. I reiterate my call
for the Government to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver
Principles.
Philippines
280. The United Nations verified 55 grave violations against 46 children (27 boys,
19 girls). In addition, four grave violations against four children (3 boys, 1 girl) that
occurred in previous years were verified in 2021.
281. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 27 child ren (14 boys, 13
girls), attributed to the New People’s Army (NPA) (23), the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (4), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) (1), Dawlah Islamiyah -Maute Group (1) in
Bukidnon (10), Davao del Norte (7), Agusan del Sur (4), Negros Oriental (2), N egros
Occidental (2), Surigao del Sur (2), Agusan del Norte (1) and Sulu (1) Provinces. Two
children were recruited and used twice by two different perpetrators. Children were
used in combat (1) and support roles (24). In addition, the earlier recruitment and use
of one boy by the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group was verified in 2021.
282. The United Nations verified the detention of 24 children (13 boys, 11 girls) by
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (9), the Philippine National Police (PNP) (3) and
jointly by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (12)
in Sulu (11), Bukidnon (7), Lanao del Sur (2), Agusan del Sur (2), Maguindanao (1)
and Cebu (1) Provinces. Fifteen children were released.
283. The killing (5) and maiming (16) of 21 children (15 boys, 6 girls) was attributed
to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (7), NPA (6), the Philippine National Police
(4), unidentified perpetrators (4), including resulting from crossfire between the
Armed Forces of the Philippines and Ba ngsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)
(2) and between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and NPA (1) and from
improvised explosive devices (1). Child casualties occurred in Maguindanao (10),
Agusan del Sur (2), Albay (2), Masbate (2), North Cotabato (2 ) and other provinces
(2). In addition, the earlier maiming of one girl by NPA was verified in 2021.
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284. No incidents of sexual violence were verified. An earlier case of sexual violence
(forced marriage) affecting one girl and perpetrated by ASG was ve rified in 2021 by
the United Nations.
285. Five attacks on schools and protected persons in relation to schools by the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (2), the Philippine National Police (2) and BIFF (1)
were verified in Sultan Kudarat (2), Maguindanao (1 ), Bukidnon (1) and Cebu (1).
286. One boy was abducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Agusan del
Sur Province. In addition, the earlier abduction of a boy by NPA was verified in 2021
by the United Nations.
Developments and concerns
287. I welcome the signature by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United
Nations of the strategic plan to prevent and respond to grave child rights violations
in situations of armed conflict in June 2021 and call for its implementation. I welcome
efforts by the Council for the Welfare of Children to ensure the timely intervention
and reintegration of children associated with armed groups or detained for alleged
association.
288. I welcome the issuance by the Philippine National Police of its child protection
policy, which incorporates provisions of the Republic Act No. 11188 (Special
Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act) and its Children in
Situations of Armed Conflict Handling Protocol, to prevent grave violations against
children. The training of 3,139 child protection actors by the Government on the Act
and its Protocol are welcomed. I encourage the Government to pursue the
implementation of its child protection policies, including its national policy
framework of 2019 on learners and schools as zones of peace.
289. I welcome the incorporation of the protection of children in situations of armed
conflict in the Bangsamoro Children’s Code in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao. The establishment of a regional reporting system on grave
violations in Northern Mindanao by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao is welcomed.
290. I am concerned by the increase in the number of cases of the recruitment and
use of children, and by ongoing grave violations, in particular the killing and maiming
of children and attacks on schools and threats against school personnel. I urge all
parties to end and prevent violations and reiterate my call upon armed groups to
engage with the United Nations to adopt measures, including action plans to end and
prevent violations.
291. I encourage the Government to endorse the Principles and Guidelines on
Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (the Paris Principles), the
Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles.
IV. Recommendations
292. I welcome the continued engagement by parties to conflict with the United
Nations to develop and implement action plans and commitments to protect children
in armed conflict. I reiterate my call upon Member Sta tes to continue to support this
engagement, including by facilitating United Nations engagement with non -State
actors. I encourage Member States to adopt and implement handover protocols for
children encountered or detained during military operations to ci vilian child
protection actors. I request my Special Representative and the country task forces to
engage with parties to prevent grave violations, including through engagement with
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regional organizations on prevention modalities, and to strengthen the mon itoring and
reporting on children and armed conflict in coordination with United Nations system
entities.
293. I call upon the Security Council to ensure that child protection provisions and
capacity are included in all relevant mandates of United Nations peacekeeping
operations and special political missions in line with the 2017 policy on child
protection in United Nations peace operations, and to ensure that data and capacity
on child protection are preserved and transferred during mission transitions. I
underline the importance of mainstreaming child protection concerns in early
warning, conflict analysis, the pacific settlement of disputes, transitional justice and
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.
294. I call upon Member States to adopt and implement policies to promote the rights
of the child, including by becoming parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, if they
have not yet done so. I call upon Membe r States to endorse and implement the Paris
Principles, the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles.
295. I remain concerned by the scale and severity of grave violations committed
against children. I call upon all parties to comply with th eir obligations under
international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international
refugee law and to immediately end and prevent grave violations. I urge Member
States and parties to conflict to define a child as every human being belo w the age of
18 years.
296. I call for the adoption and implementation of legislation that criminalizes
violations of relevant rules of international law, including on grave violations
pertaining to the protection of children in armed conflict, and encourage Member
States to adopt national accountability measures and to cooperate with international
accountability mechanisms. I call for the inclusion of accountability provisions in
action plans signed between the United Nations and parties listed in the annexes.
297. I am deeply concerned at the number of children deprived of liberty, and I
reiterate that detention should be used only as a last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time, that alternatives to detention should be prioritized and that
children should never be detained solely for their or their parents’ actual or alleged
association with armed groups. I urge Member States to treat children actually or
allegedly associated with armed forces or groups, including those designated as
terrorist groups, primarily as victims, to prioritize their best interest, to give child
protection actors access to them and to continue to search for durable solutions,
including voluntary repatriation and reintegration for those with alleged links to
Da’esh in Iraq and in the Syrian Arab Republic, in line with international law. I am
concerned about the impact of counter-terrorism measures on children and I call upon
Member States to ensure their consistency with the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
298. I call upon all parties to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded
humanitarian access, as well as access by children to services, assistance and
protection, and to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and assets.
I underline that hospitals, schools and their personnel must be protected, in
accordance with international humanitarian law. I urge parties to refrain from the
military use of schools and hospitals.
299. I call upon the donor community to urgently provide financial support and
technical assistance for sustainable, timely, gender- and age-sensitive, survivorcentred
and inclusive reintegration programmes for children, including for survivors
of sexual violence. I encourage the international community to provide funding for
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monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children and for strengthening
child protection capacities on the ground.
300. I encourage Member States and regional and subregional organizations to
engage with the United Nations to improve analysis, develop strategies to prevent
grave violations and foster partnerships.
V. Lists contained in the annexes to the present report
301. In Colombia, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia -Ejército del
Pueblo (FARC-EP) dissident groups have been listed under sec tion A of annex I for
the recruitment and use of children. In Burkina Faso, Jama‘a Nusrat ul -Islam wa
al-Muslimin has been listed under section A of annex II for the recruitment and use,
killing and maiming, and abduction of children. In the Lake Chad Basi n region, Boko
Haram-affiliated and splinter groups, including Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati
Wal-Jihad and Islamic State West Africa Province, have been listed for the abduction
of children under section A of annex II. These parties are listed following a substantial
increase of these violations since my previous report. I request my Special
Representative to promote enhanced monitoring capacity in the Central Sahel region
and to continue to promote monitoring capacity in the Lake Chad Basin region.
302. In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, there were substantial rocket
strikes by the Palestinian armed groups, especially in May 2021, resulting in a
significant increase in the number of cases of violence against children. If the high
number of violations against children were to be repeated in 2022, without meaningful
improvement, Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas’ al -Qassam Brigades and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, should be listed. Palestinian parties
must urgently engage with my Special Representative and the United Nations to
prevent any more violations against children, and they must adopt clear and time -
bound commitments to prevent violations against children.
303. During the May 2021 escalation of hostilities, there were substantial air strikes
by the Israeli armed forces, resulting in a significant increase the number of cases of
violence against children. So far this year, we have not witnessed a similar number of
violations. However, should the situation repeat itself in 2022, without meaningful
improvement, Israel should be listed. Israeli authorities are engaging with my Special
Representative and the United Nations to prevent any more violations against children
and adopt clear and time-bound commitments.
304. The following parties were previously listed and have had additional violations
added to their listing. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, because of the
continuous increase in cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence by the Mai-
Mai Apa Na Pale and by the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo
(CODECO) armed groups, both parties have been listed under section A of annex I
for this violation.
305. In Yemen, the Government forces, including the Yemen Armed Forces, have
been delisted for the violation of recruitment and use of children owing to progress
in the implementation of their action plan and to the significant decrease in the
number of cases of this violation. The delisting is conditional upon the finalization of
all pending action plan activities and the continued decrease in the recruitment and
use of children by the Government forces, including the Yemen Armed Forces. A
continued United Nations monitoring and engagement period of 12 months will
ensure the sustainability of all existing measures, as verified by the United Nations,
and continued engagement with my Special Representative and the United Nations.
Any failure in this regard would result in a relisting for the same violation in my next
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report. In South Sudan, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, including the Taban
Deng-allied South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, having signed a comprehensive
action plan in 2020 and made progress in its implementation while a decrease in
violations has been verified, will be delisted for the violation of attacks on schools
and hospitals. I call upon the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, including the
Taban Deng-allied South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, and other signatories of the
action plan to finalize the implementation of all provisions of the action plan and
continue to significantly reduce cases of other violations against children.
306. There has been a technical delisting of one of the listed parties following their
dissolution or cessation of activities. In Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army has
been removed, as these government forces ceased to exist following the takeover of
Kabul by the Taliban on 15 August 2021.
307. Other modifications to the list have resulted from changes in the landscape of
armed conflict in the respective situations or from changes in measures taken by
parties to protect children. In Afghanistan, the Haqqani Network will be listed jointly
with the Taliban, as the group is now part of the leadership of the Taliban. In the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the armed group Alliance des patriotes pour un
Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) will be listed under section A of annex I owing to
the lack of action in implementing signed commitments and because the party
continued to recruit and use children in large numbers in 2021. In Mali, Platform,
including affiliated groups, will be listed under section B of annex I, following the
signature of action plans with the United Nations on 26 August 2021. In Somalia, the
Somali Federal Defence and Police Forces will be listed as two separate entities for
the same violations under section B of annex I. In the Syrian Arab Republic, the
Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro -government
militias, will be listed under section B of annex I for all violations for which they are
listed, following engagement with the United Nations on a draft comprehensive action
plan and the national measures put in place in 2020 and 2021. This is conditional
upon the signature of an action plan with the United Nations on ending and preventing
grave violations against children and on the continued decrease in the number of
verified cases of recruitment and use. Failure to do so would lead to a reversal of the
listing of Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and
pro-government militias, under section A of annex I in my next report.
308. The Kurdish People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units
(YPG/YPJ) will remain listed under section B of annex I, however I am concerned by
the increase during 2021 of the levels of recruitment and use, despite the signature of
an action plan and the promising start of activities in this regard. I urge the Kurdish
People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units to reverse this negative
trend, to continue engaging with the United Nations and to implement the provisions
of its 2019 action plan. Any failure in this regard would result in being listed in section
A of annex I for the same violation in my next report. The opposition Syrian Na tional
Army, including Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam armed groups (see the change in
terminology in para. 310 below), has been listed under section B of annex I with
respect to the killing and maiming of children following concrete engagement with
the United Nations and the protection measures taken, but will continue to be listed
under section A of annex I for the recruitment and use of children owing to the high
number of children recruited and used during 2021. I urge the opposition Syrian
National Army, including Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam, to continue engaging
with the United Nations for the development of an action plan to end and prevent the
recruitment and use of children.
309. In Yemen, the Houthis (who call themselves Ansar Allah) have been listed under
section B of annex I for the recruitment and use and the killing and maiming of
children and for attacks on schools and hospitals, following engagement with the
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United Nations and the signature of an action plan on grave violations. If the Hou this
implement the action plan and if there is a verified significant decrease in the number
of grave violations, they should as a result be considered for a delisting in the annexes
to my next report. I urge them to commence implementation of the recent a ction plan.
310. Modifications to terminology and to names of parties resulting from changes on
the ground are aimed at reflecting the name of parties more accurately. In the Central
African Republic, the local defence militias known as the anti -balaka will be listed as
local militias known as the anti-balaka to reflect the fact that they do not always act
in self-defence. In Colombia, the dissident groups of the former Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) will be listed as
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia -Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)
dissident groups to align with other United Nations reporting. In Mali, Mouvement
national de libération de l’Azawad will be listed as Mouvement national de libération
de l’Azawad, part of Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad. Should the group
fail to make significant progress in the implementation of its 2017 action plan by the
publication of my next report, I may consider listing the group under section A of
annex I. In addition, Ansar Eddine will be listed as Ansar Eddine, as part of Jama‘a
Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin. In the Syrian Arab Republic, the Syrian armed
opposition groups (formerly known as the Free Syrian Army) will be listed as the
opposition Syrian National Army, including Ahrar al-Sham and Army of Islam, to
reflect the composition of these groups. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
will be listed as Da’esh following the adoption of resolution 75/291 by the General
Assembly.
311. In view of the gravity and number of violations reported and, where possible,
verified in Mozambique during 2021 (recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape
and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospita ls, abduction, and
denial of humanitarian access), this situation will be added as a situation of concern
with immediate effect and will be included in my next report.
312. In view of the gravity of clashes in 2021 between the Ethiopian National
Defence and Federal Police Forces, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and other
parties, including militias and regional forces, and the killing and maiming of
children, rape and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals,
abductions, and the denial of humanitarian access, this situation will be added as a
situation of concern with immediate effect and will be included in my next report.
313. In view of the ongoing war in Ukraine, including violations against civilians,
including children, because of the high intensity of this conflict, this situation will be
added as a situation of concern with immediate effect and will be included in my next
report. I request my Special Representative to engage with all parties to the conflict
to urgently address child protection issues, including the prevention of violations
against children.
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Annex I
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict on the agenda of the Security Council*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Afghanistan
Non-State actors
1. Hizb-i Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a,b
2. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan Provincea,b,d
3. Taliban forces and affiliated groups, including the Haqqani Network a,b,d,e
Parties in Colombia
Non-State actors
1. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP)
dissident groupsa
2. Ejército de Liberación Nacionala
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
1. Local militias known as the anti-balakaa,b,c
2. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Non-State actors
1. Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain a
2. Allied Democratic Forcesa,b,d,e
3. Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO) b,c,d
4. Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda-Forces combattantes abacunguzia,c,d,e
5. Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituria,c,d,e
6. Lord’s Resistance Armya,b,c,e
7. Mai-Mai Apa Na Palea,c,e
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan, joint commitment or similar measure with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
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8. Mai-Mai Mazembea,b,e,f
9. Mai-Mai Simbaa,c
10. Nduma défense du Congo-Rénovéa,b,c
11. Nyaturaa,c,e
12. Raia Mutombokia,c,e,f
Parties in Iraq
Non-State actors
Da’esha,b,c,d,e
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
Ansar Eddine, as part of Jama‘a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimina,c
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces b,c
Non-State actors
United Wa State Armya
Parties in Somalia
Non-State actors
1. Al-Shabaaba,b,c,d,e
2. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘aa
Parties in the Sudan
Non-State actors
1. Justice and Equality Movementa,f
2. Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahida
3. Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawia,f
4. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Abdelaziz al-Hilu factiona,f
5. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Malik Agar factiona,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
Non-State actors
1. Hay’at Tahrir al-Shama,b
2. Da’esha,b,c,d,e
3. The opposition Syrian National Army, including Ahrar al -Sham and Army of
Islama
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Parties in Yemen
Non-State actors
1. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsulaa
2. Pro-government militias, including the Salafists and popular committees a
3. Security Belt Forcesa
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
Parties in the Central African Republic
Non-State actors
Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique, Mouvement patriotique
pour la Centrafrique and Union pour la paix en Centrafrique as part of the former
Séléka coalitiona,b,c,d,f
Parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
State actors
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo c,f
Parties in Iraq
State actors
Popular Mobilization Forcesa
Parties in Mali
Non-State actors
1. Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawad, part of the Coordination des
mouvements de l’Azawada,c,f
2. Platform, including affiliated groups a,f
Parties in Myanmar
State actors
Tatmadaw Kyi, including integrated border guard forces a,f
Non-State actors
1. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army a,f
2. Kachin Independence Armya
3. Karen National Liberation Armya
4. Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council a
5. Karenni Armya
6. Shan State Armya
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Parties in Somalia
State actors
1. Somali Federal Defence Forcesa,b,c,f
2. Somali Police Forcea,b,c,f
Parties in South Sudan
State actors
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, including Taban Deng -allied South
Sudan People’s Defence Forcesa,b,c,e,f
Non-State actors
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition – pro-Machara,b,e,f
Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic
State actors
Government forces, including the National Defence Forces and pro -government
militiasa,b,c,d
Non-State actors
The opposition Syrian National Army, including Ahrar al -Sham and Army of
Islamb
Kurdish People’s Protection Units and Women’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) a,f
Parties in Yemen
Non-State actors
Houthis (who call themselves Ansar Allah)a,b,d,f
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Annex II
Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882
(2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit
grave violations affecting children in situations of armed
conflict not on the agenda of the Security Council, or in
other situations*
A. Listed parties that have not put in place measures during the
reporting period to improve the protection of children
Parties in Burkina Faso
Non-State actors
Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimina,b,e
Parties in the Lake Chad basin
Non-State actors
Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups, including Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda’awati wal-Jihad and Islamic State West Africa Provincee
Parties in Nigeria
Non-State actors
Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups, including Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda’awati wal-Jihad and Islamic State West Africa Provincea,b,c,d,e
Parties in the Philippines
Non-State actors
1. Abu Sayyaf Groupa
2. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightersa
3. New People’s Armya
B. Listed parties that have put in place measures during the
reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children
None
* Parties listed in section A have not put in place adequate measures to improve the protection of
children during the reporting period; parties listed in section B have put in place measures to
improve the protection of children during the reporting period.
a Party that recruits and uses children.
b Party that kills and maims children.
c Party that commits rape and other forms of se xual violence against children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.
f Party that has concluded an action plan, joint commitment or similar measure with the United
Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
Part II (A) 3 - Palestinian Children and Women