programmes, victim assistance and child-centred rehabilitation, thereby reducing the number and the plight of child victims; 17. Decides, with regard to the draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts: (a) To invite the Chairperson of the Working Group to continue broad informal consultations, with the aim of promoting an early agreement on the optional protocol, and, if possible, to produce a report thereon by the end of 1999, including recommendations on how to finalize the formal negotiations; (b) To request the Working Group to meet early in 2000 in order to make further progress with the aim of finalizing its work before the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention, and to report to the Commission at its fifty-sixth session; (c) To request the Secretary-General to give the necessary support to the Working Group to meet for a maximum of two weeks, and to transmit the report of the Working Group to Governments, relevant United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Special Representative on the question of the impact of armed conflict on children, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and to invite their comments in time for circulation prior to the next session of the Working Group, and invites the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to consider being represented and the Special Representative to consider being present at the next session of the Working Group; 18. Decides, with regard to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the question of the impact of armed conflict on children: (a) To recommend that the Special Representative and the relevant parts of the United Nations system continue to develop a concerted approach on the rights, protection and welfare of children affected by armed conflict, and to increase cooperation among their respective mandates and with national and international non-governmental organizations including, as appropriate, in the planning of field visits and follow-up to the recommendations of the Special Representative; (b) To request the Secretary-General to ensure that the necessary support is made available expeditiously to the Special Representative for the effective performance of his mandate, and encourages the United Nations system, including the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to continue to provide support to the Special Representative, including with regard to his field visits, and calls upon States and other institutions to continue to provide voluntary contributions to the Special Representative; 19. Decides, with regard to preventive measures, to request the Secretary-General, in cooperation with States, international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations, to continue to encourage page 13