A/67/256
also enhanced the visibility of child protection concerns and provided focus and
clarity on generic child protection priorities within United Nations missions. The
Office of Special Representative, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and
the Department of Political Affairs are currently working together to update the
policy directive and to integrate the perspective of the Department of Political
Affairs, which adopted the policy directive in 2010.
25. Ensuring adequate child protection capacity in peacekeeping and special
political missions is crucial for the mainstreaming of child protection concerns
among uniformed and civilian peacekeepers and staff members, and for the
collection of accurate, objective, reliable and verifiable information on the plight of
children. Child protection advisers are currently deployed in eight peacekeeping
missions and three special political missions.
26. The role of the General Assembly, through its Third and Fifth Committees, in
supporting child protection capacity in the challenging and fragile environments in
which United Nations missions are deployed has been vital to ensuring an adequate
response by the Organization to child protection concerns. Child protection advisers
and officers play a critical role in ensuring that uniformed and civilian personnel are
aware of the ethical criteria against which they are held with regard to child
protection, in making certain that the mission’s substantive activities are sensitive to
children’s needs and in gathering information on violations against children taking
place in the mission’s area of operations.
F.
Collaboration with child protection partners
27. Central to the mandate of the Special Representative is collaboration and
coordination with other United Nations entities, Member States and non-governmental
bodies involved in child protection. The principles of complementarity and
partnership underpin the Special Representative’s strategic plan and have
characterized her tenure to date. Collaboration on three broad areas of work merit
highlighting in this regard.
28. With a view to strengthening the collection of information on the plight of
children affected by armed conflict, the Office of the Special Representative has
worked closely with UNICEF, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the
Department of Political Affairs and other partners with a field presence to develop
technical guidance on monitoring and reporting violations against children. To
ensure that the mechanism in place for information collection and advocacy is
responsive and adaptive, the good practice study described in paragraphs 18 and 19
of the present report was conducted in partnership with key United Nations child
protection actors. Collaborative efforts continue to expand, with new partnerships
being developed with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization and the World Health Organization for the implementation of Security
Council resolution 1998 (2011) and with the International Labour Organization on
economic reintegration.
29. UNICEF has been a key partner in the signature and implementation of action
plans to end grave violations against children. Its role ensures implementation of
and follow-up to reintegration programmes for children being separated from armed
forces or groups. This complementary approach marries the role of the Special
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