A/HRC/RES/19/37 Welcoming the study of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on challenges, lessons learned and best practices in a holistic, child rights and gender-based approach to protect and promote the rights of children working and/or living on the street,7 Taking note with appreciation of the adoption by the General Assembly of the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on a communications procedure,8 and of the signing ceremony held on 28 February 2012, at which 20 States signed the Optional Protocol, Recognizing the contribution of the International Criminal Court in ending impunity for the most serious crimes against children, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, calling upon States not to grant amnesties for such crimes and acknowledging the contribution of the international criminal tribunals and special courts in ending impunity for the most serious crimes against children, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, Welcoming the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and taking note with interest of recent general comments, in particular general comment No. 10 (2007) on children’s rights in juvenile justice, Welcoming also the attention paid by the special procedures of the Human Rights Council to the rights of the child in the context of their respective mandates, inter alia, the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, 9 the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children,10 and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, 11 Profoundly concerned that the situation of children in many parts of the world remains critical, and convinced that urgent and effective national and international action is called for, Mindful that regional instruments can play an important role in protecting and promoting the rights of the child, Deeply concerned that more than seven million six hundred thousand children under the age of 5 die each year, mostly from preventable and treatable causes, caused by lack of access to health care and services, including access to skilled birth attendants and immediate newborn care, as well as to health determinants, such as clean and safe water and sanitation, and safe and adequate nutrition, and that mortality remains highest among children belonging to the poorest and most marginalized communities, Underlining the need to mainstream a gender perspective and to recognize the child as a rights-holder in all policies and programmes relating to children, Welcoming the progress made towards the universal ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, ahead of the tenth anniversary in 2012 of their entry into force, Recognizing that environmental damage and hazards have potentially negative effects on children and their enjoyment of their rights to life, to the highest attainable standards of health and to an adequate standard of living, 7 8 9 10 11 2 A/HRC/19/35. General Assembly resolution 66/13. A/HRC/17/29. A/HRC/17/35. A/HRC/18/30.