A/HRC/25/46 undertake investigations into alleged violations. On a positive note, a first meeting between the country task force on monitoring and reporting and an interministerial committee took place on 12 December 2013, signalling the Government’s intention to work with the United Nations system for the protection of children affected by armed conflict. It is the hope of the Special Representative that the Syrian authorities will sustain this engagement. D. Chad 48. The Special Representative visited N’Djamena in May 2013 to assess progress in implementing the action plan to end the recruitment and use of children by the Chadian National Army (ANT), which had been signed by the Government and the United Nations in June 2011. In the course of this visit, President Idriss Déby Itno renewed his Government’s commitment to enact a legal prohibition on child recruitment by issuing and disseminating clear military instructions banning and penalizing child recruitment and ensuring free and regular access by child-protection actors to ANT installations. Acting on this commitment, the Government of Chad signed a road map with the United Nations outlining ten priority measures to accelerate the implementation of the action plan, including five short-term measures to be implemented prior to 31 October 2013. These measures included the criminalization of child recruitment, the establishment of an age verification mechanism for recruitment into the army, pre-deployment training on child protection for all troops, and support for the family reunification and community reintegration of children released from the ANT. 49. With crucial support from UNICEF, tangible progress has been made and the implementation of the measures has advanced well. The process of screening the national army was undertaken successfully to exclude the presence of children from its ranks, and on 10 October 2013 President Déby issued a presidential directive unequivocally banning the recruitment and use of children in the national army and establishing clear penalties for violators. E. Côte d’Ivoire 50. The Special Representative visited Côte d’Ivoire on 26–30 October 2013 on the occasion of the Fourth High-level Retreat on the Promotion of Peace, Security and Stability in Africa, which was held in Abidjan by the African Union. She took the opportunity to meet with the Ivoirian authorities, particularly with the Minister of Defence and the Minister of the Interior and Security, as well as with the Office of the Military Prosecutor. In addition, she met with the senior leadership of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire and with members of the country team. Despite significant progress having been made with regard to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, the Special Representative is concerned at the prevalence of impunity for sexual violence against girls, and at the obstacles to accessing justice in such cases. The Special Representative calls upon international partners in Côte d’Ivoire to intensify their efforts in supporting the restoration of a functioning and accessible criminal justice system. F. Democratic Republic of the Congo 51. The Special Representative travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 to 23 November 2013 to meet with national, provincial and local authorities in Kinshasa, Goma, Rutshuru and Beni. In light of the recent military and political developments in the east of the country, the Special Representative assessed the situation of children affected by armed conflict, and reviewed progress on the implementation of the action plan signed in 11