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reintegration of children associated with armed forces or groups is strongly linked to
security arrangements in peace processes. It is also an integral part of the
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, which requ ires a specific
focus on provisions for children, in particular girls. In that regard, the Special
Representative commends the General Assembly for its continued call to States and
regional organizations to support the inclusion of such commitments in peac e
agreements (see resolution 68/147). However, this aspect often remains neglected.
25. Mainstreaming child protection in peace processes can also pave the way for
the development of time-bound measures to address the needs of conflict-affected
children. Where a previous action plan exists, a peace process can offer an
opportunity to revitalize commitments and accelerate action plan implementation.
Alternatively, dialogue on child protection with parties to a peace process can
provide an entry point for mediation efforts. Agreeing on minimum standards for
children, for example, the early demobilization of child soldiers, can serve as a
confidence- and trust-building measure. This was the case in Nepal, where
negotiations on the action plan to end the recruitment and use of children in 2009
served as an entry point for the overall dialogue on the implementation of the
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, as stipulated in the 2006
Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
26. In the context of her mandate, the Special Representative has continued to
engage with mediators, special envoys and regional organizations to integrate the
protection of children into peacemaking initiatives on a case -by-case basis, trying to
ensure that all those who can influence and have access to parties in a conflict do
not overlook issues related to conflict-affected children. This has implied reaching
out to and holding regular meetings with special representatives and special en voys
to find mutually reinforcing ways to cooperate.
27. In that spirit, the Special Representative reached out to the Special Envoy of
the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region to ensure that the issue of children
remained central in her engagements with pertinent parties. Similarly, she liaised
closely with the former Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the
League of Arab States for Syria. Regarding the conflict in the Central African
Republic, the Special Representative engaged with mediators involved in peace
efforts, such as representatives of the Economic Community of Central African
States, the African Union and the United Nations, to advocate for the inclusion of
specific commitments. Regarding the situation in Yemen, the Special Representative
reached out to the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen and engaged
with representatives of the countries of the Gulf Initiative to ensure that the
protection of children, including in respect of implementing the action p lan and
reintegration, will be included in their discussions and initiatives. More recently, she
engaged with Intergovernmental Authority on Development mediators to identify
ways of strengthening cooperation in the context of the peace talks in South Suda n.
28. The recent commitments that the Special Representative was able to obtain
from the Government of South Sudan and the opposition forces demonstrate that, in
some cases, eliciting commitments by parties to conflict in the context of a
mediation process to end grave violations committed against children can only be
achieved through complementary and synergistic actions by different actors. In that
regard, the Special Representative is engaging with a number of partners to identify
and refine key elements of guidance that can be used in mediation processes, with
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