A/71/205 III. Dialogue, commitments and action plans with parties to conflict A. Reflections on 20 years of the children and armed conflict mandate 25. The 1996 report to the General Assembly by Graça Machel on the impact of conflict on children and resolution 51/57 were catalysts for action to improve the protection of children affected by conflict. In accordance with the recommendations of the report and the resolution, the Secretary-General named a Special Representative to strengthen child protection mechanisms, foster international cooperation and give children affected by war a voice. The three Special Representatives who have been appointed have sought ways to translate international standards into commitments that can make a tangible difference in the fate of children. 26. The Security Council, in its resolution 1261 (1999), added its support to the efforts of the General Assembly, recognizing children and armed conflict as a peace and security issue and identifying and condemning grave violations against children. During the last 17 years, the Council has created practical instruments designed to work in complementarity with the mandate of the Asse mbly to address such violations. In its resolution 1379 (2001), the Council requested the Secretary General to attach to his report on the protection of children in armed conflict a list of parties that recruited or used children. By its resolution 1612 (2005) the Council established a monitoring and reporting mechanism on children and armed conflict, and underlined the fact that the mechanism was to collect and provide timely, objective, accurate and reliable information on the recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of applicable international law and on other violations and abuses committed against children affected by armed conflict. In recent years, in the light of progress made in addressing recruitment and use of children, four more grave violations against children have been identified as triggers for listing in the annual report of the Secretary-General. The United Nations was also asked to engage in dialogue with listed parties to develop action plans to end and prevent grave violations. To date, 25 action plans have been signed with parties to conflict, and nine parties have completed their action plans and have been delisted from the annexes of the annual report of the Secretary-General. 27. Since 2000, more than 115,000 children associated with parties to conflict have been released as a result of coordinated dialogue and awareness-raising by the United Nations. Most importantly, the advocacy generated by the mandate has brought about a global consensus among Member States that children should not be recruited and used in conflict. That achievement has been consolidated by the “Children, not soldiers” campaign. The majority of non-State armed groups listed are active in the countries where government forces are concerned by the campaign. The campaign’s momentum has led to the development of stronger frameworks for the protection of children in the majority of those countries. Engagement has contributed to over 8,000 children being separated from non -State armed groups in 2015 alone. 28. This progress in addressing recruitment and use over the last 20 years, which would not have been achieved without the strong support of the General Assembly 8/18 16-12896