A/68/267 critical protection that children need in times of conflict. Incorporating specific commitments in political settlements, ceasefire arrangements, peace agreements and relevant implementation mechanisms can provide important opportunities and entry points for the rapid release of children from armed forces and groups and their reintegration. Early consideration of children’s issues in peacemaking processes also facilitates planning and resource mobilization. 82. Only minimal references to children’s rights and needs have been incorporated in recent peace agreements, however, and the mainstreaming of children’s issues in peace processes has not yet been translated into a systematic practice. While each conflict poses specific challenges for children, there are core principles that should guide peacemaking efforts and be referenced in peace agreements when appropriate. 83. Any peace agreement should explicitly recognize that children’s lives have been affected by the armed conflict, in particular through forced recruitment, displacement and sexual and gender-based violence. At a minimum, parties to the conflict should commit to immediately stopping and protecting children from all violations, including their recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape and sexual violation. 84. A specific commitment to uphold international legal obligations such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child should also be referenced, and no blanket amnesty should be granted to parties having committed grave violations against children. In addition to a general guarantee of safe humanitarian passage for civilians and humanitarian organizations, peace agreements should expressly prohibit the use of schools for military purposes. The inclusion of these provisions provides legitimacy to child protection actors and facilitates dialogue with the parties to end and prevent grave violations. 85. Ceasefire arrangements and peace agreements should include explicit demands for the immediate cessation of the recruitment and use of children, as well as the swift and orderly release, return and reintegration of children associated with armed actors. In view of the elevated number of child victims of mines and unexploded ordnance, parties should commit to refraining from any further use of those weapons and should swiftly undertake and facilitate efforts to eliminate explosive remnants of war. 86. If a peace agreement exclusively refers to the separation of child combatants, many children and youth, especially girls and those serving in so-called support functions, in particular victims of sexual violence, are at risk of being excluded from adequate reintegration assistance. Peace agreements should acknowledge the special needs of girls and provide for the establishment of rehabilitation programmes, health-care and counselling services for all boys and girls separated from armed forces and groups. Specific consideration should also be given to concerns regarding the protection of vulnerable children, such as refugee and internally displaced children, children separated from their families, unaccompanied minors and children orphaned by war. 87. Mainstreaming child protection in peace agreements paves the way for the development of time-bound measures to address the needs of conflict-affected children. Where a previous action plan exists, a peace process can offer an opportunity to revitalize commitments and accelerate its implementation. The Special Representative strongly encourages Member States and other mediation 13-41862 15/18