A/HRC/25/46 violations, and to obtain and facilitate the implementation of commitments from parties to protect children, as well as enhanced coordination and humanitarian assistance for children, and to follow up on the recommendations of the Secretary-General. In addition, the Special Representative visited Côte d’Ivoire (October 2013). A. Yemen 36. In light of the listing in the “Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict” of Government forces, Al-Houthi and Ansar al-Sharia for recruiting and using children since 2011, the Special Representative’s visit to Yemen was primarily focused on seeking commitments from the Government and the Al-Houthi armed group to end violations and to initiate dialogue to develop an action plan. 37. The Special Representative held meetings with President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwah and other senior Yemeni officials. During her visit, President Hadi issued a statement prohibiting the recruitment and use of children by all elements of the country’s military and security forces. 38. Following the Special Representative’s visit, an interministerial committee composed of the Ministers of Defence, the Interior, and Human Rights, and chaired by the Minister of Legal Affairs, was established to develop an action plan to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The action plan was drafted with the support of UNICEF and was approved by the Cabinet in September 2013. In addition, the United Nations provided technical support to the National Dialogue Conference to ensure that the definition of a child as being a person below the age of 18 is used with regard to recruitment into the national security forces. 39. The Special Representative also travelled to Sa’dah to meet with the leader of the Al-Houthi armed group; the meeting opened avenues for the United Nations team on the ground to engage with Al-Houthi on the issue of the recruitment and use of children. B. Syrian Arab Republic 40. In view of the extensive grave violations committed against children by both the Government and armed groups, the Special Representative visited the Syrian Arab Republic in December 2012 to directly advocate with the Government and opposition forces to end grave violations against children. This visit also aimed to appeal for humanitarian support for Syrian children who had sought refuge in neighbouring countries, and to raise awareness about grave violations committed against those children. 41. At the time of the visit, violations against children were ongoing, and the damage and destruction to schools and medical facilities was already extensive, rendering thousands of schools and 40 per cent of hospitals non-functional. In Damascus, the Special Representative engaged with the Government on a range of issues. These included the use of air strikes and heavy weapons in densely populated areas, the targeting and military use of schools and hospitals by Government forces, and the humanitarian needs of children affected by the conflict. 42. As a result of the Special Representative’s visit, a United Nations country task force for monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children was established in the Syrian Arab Republic, with the Government’s consent, on 6 March 2013. However, serious security and access limitations have constrained its ability to carry out effective monitoring, verification and reporting. On 14 March 2013, the Government shared a report on grave violations against children in the Syrian Arab Republic with the country task force, 9