A/HRC/RES/37/20
of humanitarian emergencies, measures to address the increased vulnerability of girls to
child, early and forced marriage and to protect children, especially girls, from sexual and
gender-based violence, exploitation and abuse during humanitarian emergencies and
situations of forced displacement, armed conflict and natural disaster, including by ensuring
that health-care and education services, goods and facilities are available, accessible,
acceptable and of quality and that safe counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms
are available to and accessible by all child victims of violence, including sexual violence;
15.
Reminds States of their obligation to register all births without discrimination
of any kind, and also reminds States that birth registration should take place immediately
after birth, in the country where children are born, including the children of migrants, nonnationals, asylum seekers, refugees, displaced and stateless persons, in accordance with
their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments, that late
birth registration should be limited to those cases that would otherwise result in a lack of
registration and that the child has the rights from birth to a name, to acquire a nationality
and, as far as possible, to know and be cared for by his or her parents;
16.
Calls upon States to take all appropriate measures to permanently store and
protect civil registration records and to prevent the loss or destruction of records due to,
inter alia, natural disasters, emergencies or armed conflict situations, including through the
use of digital and new technologies as a means to facilitate and universalize access to civil
registration records, including birth registration;
17.
Urges States, with the collaboration of relevant stakeholders and considering
their obligation to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of
the child, to take all measures necessary to ensure that no child is denied access to
humanitarian assistance and to meet the needs of children in the context of humanitarian
situations, including protection from all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse,
including sexual and gender-based violence, the provision of safe drinking water and
sanitation, food, shelter and health-care services, including with regard to immunization,
nutrition, mental and psychological support and sexual and reproductive health-care
services, rehabilitation and education;
18.
Calls upon States to ensure that all decision-making and assessments
regarding children in the context of humanitarian situations are age-, gender- and disabilitysensitive, and that civil registration and vital statistics are an integral part of humanitarian
assessments;
19.
Strongly condemns acts of violence, attacks and threats against the wounded
and sick, medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical
duties, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical
facilities, and the long-term consequences of such attacks for the civilian population, in
particular children, and for the health-care systems of the countries concerned;
20.
Urges States, in accordance with their obligations under relevant provisions
of international human rights law, including the right of the child to the enjoyment of the
highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, to promote the availability,
quality, accessibility and acceptability of health-care services;
21.
Calls upon States to respect, protect and fulfil the right of all children to
education, including through increased emphasis on inclusive and quality education, and to
promote school enrolment and retention among girls and children in vulnerable situations,
such as children with disabilities, including in secondary school;
22.
Strongly condemns all attacks directed against civilian objects dedicated to
educational purposes and on their students and staff, including attacks aiming at spreading
terror among the civilian population, calls upon States to continue to make efforts to
strengthen the protection of preschools, schools and universities against attacks, including
by taking measures to deter the military use of schools in violation of applicable
international law, recognizes the negative impact that such attacks have on the progressive
realization of the right to education, and encourages efforts to provide an inclusive,
enabling and secure environment to ensure the safety of schools;
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