A/69/212 10. Sexual violence continues to be committed and to dramatically affect girls and boys in conflict situations. Sexual violence against children has long gone underreported as a result of social stigma and structural challenges, including the often limited access to justice by victims in conflict-affected countries. While it remains difficult to document incidents of rape and sexual violence, the trends and patterns are known. Rape and sexual violence not only happen in the context of attacks on the general civilian population but are also targeted at specific groups or communities, sometimes based on ethnicity. This creates havoc in communities where underage girls are found pregnant from rape and babies born out of rape are not always accepted. While most of the perpetrators of sexual violence against children are often known, they enjoy impunity in the majority of cases. The lack of accountability and the non-prosecution of perpetrators present a disheartening picture. The response to rape and sexual violence against children mu st continue to be multifaceted and encompass medical, psychosocial and legal assistance. The global advocacy and political momentum created by the June 2014 Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, in which the Special Representative participated, sent a powerful signal in this regard. III. Dialogue, commitments and action plans with parties to conflict A. “Children, Not Soldiers”: ending the recruitment and use of children by Government forces in conflict 11. On 6 March 2014, the Special Representative and UNICEF launched the campaign “Children, Not Soldiers” to end the recruitment and use of children by Government forces in conflict by 2016. The campaign was launched under the auspices of the Government of Luxembourg, Chair of the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. 12. The campaign Children, Not Soldiers involves the eight Governments whose national security forces are listed in the annexes to the report of the Secretary General on children and armed conflict (A/67/845) for their engagement in the recruitment and use of children. They are Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan and Yemen. All concerned Member States endorsed the objectives of the campaign and committed to ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children by their security forces by 2016. 13. The campaign aims to strengthen cooperation with Governments to ensure that children are protected from recruitment by national armed forces and the national police. The Special Representative and UNICEF are mobilizing support to accelerate the full implementation of those action plans. During the launch in March 2014, a large number of Member States expressed their support for the campaign and willingness to assist concerned Governments on their path to compliance. 14. Prior to the campaign launch, the armed forces of six of the eight Governments — Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia and South Sudan — had signed action plans with the United Nations. Subsequent to the campaign launch, in May 2014, the Yemeni authorities signed an action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. In June 4/18 14-58528

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