A/67/256 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 6 August 2012 Original: English 2 Sixty-seventh session Item 66 (a) of the provisional agenda* Promotion and protection of the rights of children: promotion and protection of the rights of children Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Summary The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 66/141, in which the Assembly requested the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to submit a report on the activities undertaken in the fulfilment of her mandate, including information on her field visits and on the progress achieved and the challenges remaining on the children and armed conflict agenda. Covering the period from August 2011 to August 2012, the present report provides an overview of progress on the children and armed conflict agenda, followed by an account of new developments. Section II details progress made over the past year, including in efforts to combat impunity and to end the recruitment and use of children; the identification of good practices in the monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children; steps taken towards universal ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict; the mainstreaming of child protection within the United Nations system; collaboration with child protection partners; and awareness-raising. Section III highlights emerging issues of concern and opportunities for ensuring the protection of conflict-affected children, focusing on three themes: the prevention of recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups; the development of further cooperation with regional organizations on the children and armed conflict agenda; and the challenge posed by explosive weapons, in addition to possible avenues for tackling that challenge. The report concludes with a set of actionable recommendations on the protection of children affected by conflict for the attention of the General Assembly. * A/67/150. 12-45308 (E) 300812 *1245308*

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