A/72/276 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 71/177, the General Assembly requested the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to continue to submit reports to it and the Human Rights Council on the activities undertaken in the fulfilment of her mandate, including information on her field visits and on the progress achieved and the challenges remaining on the children and armed conflict agenda. The request stemmed from the mandate given by the Assembly in its resolution 51/77, in which it recommended, inter alia, that the Special Representative raise awareness and promote the collection of information about the plight of children affected by armed conflict and foster int ernational cooperation to ensure respect for children’s rights in these situations. In line with that mandate, and as requested by the Assembly in its resolution 71/177, the present report provides information on the progress of the “Children, not soldiers” campaign. It also highlights progress made in the past year and outlines the immediate priorities, as well as a longer-term vision, to advance the children and armed conflict agenda in collaboration with States Members of the United Nations, United Nations entities, regional and subregional organizations and civil society. II. Taking stock of the children and armed conflict agenda A. A vision going forward following 20 years of the children and armed conflict mandate 2. Since the inception of the mandate, the Special Representative and her Office have played a central role in strengthening the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including through raising awareness and ensuring that the issue is prioritized on the international agenda. The appointment of the new Special Representative, Virginia Gamba, in early May 2017, therefore presents a timely opportunity to look forward and analyse how efforts can be elevated to end and prevent grave violations against children in conflict. To that end, the recently appointed Special Representative is aiming to enhance her mandated activities on both raising public awareness to mobilize global action and garnering lessons learned and developing best practices to aid practitioners and Member States. 3. In the two decades since the establishment of the mandate, the United Nations has developed innovative methods to engage with both Governments and armed groups for the benefit of children most affected by war. As a result, 28 action plans have been signed with parties to conflict to end violations against children and establish mechanisms to prevent them. Where the context was conducive and political will was strong, steady progress was attained, which led to the full implementation of action plans and the subsequent delisting of nine parties to conflict from the annexes to the annual report of the Secretary General on children and armed conflict. 4. The public awareness campaign, entitled “Children, not soldiers”, launched jointly with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2014, catalysed further progress to protect children affected by armed conflict. The campaign, which focused on one of the six grave violations, namely ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children, led to tangible results. With greater awareness of the issue, the Special Representative, together with UNICEF, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs, was able to speed up progress, and child protection advisers in situations of armed conflict played a critical role in operationalizing action plans and further strengthening the overall 2/15 17-13272