A/HRC/18/38
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
21 July 2011
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Eighteenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
for children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy*, **
Summary
In the present report, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
children and armed conflict presents her activities undertaken in discharging her mandate,
including information on her field visits and on the progress achieved, as well as challenges
remaining on the children and armed conflict agenda. The report covers the period from
May 2010 to May 2011.
In the report, the Special Representative highlights how children continue to be
disproportionately affected by armed conflict and to have their basic rights violated. She
sheds light on the growing trend of attacks on schools and hospitals, which increasingly
deprives children in situations of armed conflict of education and access to health care. She
also discusses the complex issue of accountability of children involved in armed conflict
and children’s access to justice, by examining how the current system enables child
witnesses and victims to give evidence against perpetrators.
The Special Representative acknowledges the progress made since the previous
reporting period, especially with regard to the ratification of the Optional Protocol on the
involvement of children in armed conflict and the signing of action plans to release children
from armed groups. She nevertheless emphasizes the remaining challenges in addressing
grave violations against children, such as the limited progress in the development of plans
of action for the release of children in some countries and the continued impunity of
violating parties.
Lastly, the Special Representative outlines a series of recommendations addressed to
States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, States that are under review of
the Human Rights Council universal periodic review mechanism, the Human Rights
Council and Member States to further the protection of children’s rights and to alleviate the
suffering of children in armed conflict.
* Late submission.
** The annexes to the present document are reproduced as received, in the language of submission only.
GE.11-15092 (E)
050911