A/70/162 recruitment and use of children by government forces by the end of 2016. Support for the campaign by Member States, regional organizations, United Nations entities, non-governmental organizations and civil society partners has been strong. Seven of the eight Governments listed in the annexes to the annual reports of the SecretaryGeneral on children and armed conflict for recruitment and use of children have signed or recommitted to action plans with the United Nations. Only the Government of the Sudan is yet to sign an action plan, but di scussions with the United Nations are ongoing. 24. The signature of an action plan is the first step towards delisting; it must be followed by the separation and release of children associated with armed forces or groups and the implementation of measures to prevent further recruitment of children. Ending impunity for those who commit grave violations is also a crucial part of efforts to protect children from recruitment and use. Children separated from parties to conflict also require reintegration into their families and communities, which needs a long-term financial commitment. The first year of the campaign resulted in progress through the delisting of the Chadian National Army and notable advances in the implementation of the action plans in other coun tries. 25. The Special Representative undertook a number of initiatives to galvanize support and action for the goals of the campaign. In New York in September 2014, at the invitation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Special Representative moderated a ministerial level round table on the margins of the General Assembly to share experiences and discuss the next steps in the implementation of the campaign. Also in September 2014, the Office of the Special Representative and UNICEF collaborated with a number of non-governmental organizations to organize a one-day workshop on ways to support the campaign and the implementation of action plans at the national level. 26. In December 2014, the European Parliament Subcommittee on Hu man Rights and Committee on Foreign Affairs held a special hearing on the campaign. The Special Representative briefed parliamentarians on the progress of the campaign and highlighted challenges and ways for the European Union to provide support. In Geneva, the Special Representative held a consultative workshop with the non-governmental organization Focus Group on Children Affected by Armed Conflict to take stock of the progress of the campaign and lessons learned in the countries concerned. The non-governmental organization was updated when the Special Representative travelled to Geneva in March 2015 to present her report to the Human Rights Council. In February 2015, two ambassadorial level luncheons were co-hosted with UNICEF and the Chair of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to mobilize political support for the campaign among Member States. The campaign has also reached out to regional organizations to mobilize expertise, advocacy and capacity-building support. 27. The efforts to assist the implementation of the action plans complemented efforts of partners in the field and led to a significant reduction in verified cases of recruitment by listed national forces, in particular in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar. Each country took steps in developing the legal frameworks and structures to ensure the prohibition of and accountability for the recruitment and use of children in national forces. 28. In Afghanistan, a presidential decree criminalizing the recruitment of children under 18 years of age was ratified in the early part of 2015, and a directive 15-12221 7/17