A/65/219 funds and programmes and NGOs are urged to continue to reinforce efforts to ensure timely implementation of the range of protection and programmatic measures outlined in the recommendation. 71. Member States which have not already done so are encouraged to sign and/or ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on involvement of children in armed conflict, to secure universal ratification of the Protocol by 2012. To facilitate the process, Member States with the capacity to do so are encouraged to take the lead at the regional level to advocate for ratification in the context of the regional organizations of which they are members. 72. In light of continued grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict, Member States are strongly urged to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators through national judicial processes, including high-ranking officials and members of the armed forces as necessary. Furthermore, at the international level Member States are encouraged to take action against persistent perpetrators through the imposition of sanctions and other targeted measures. 73. To address the scourge of sexual violence in conflict, Member States are strongly encouraged to prepare and implement, with the support of the United Nations, comprehensive national strategies on sexual violence that address accountability of perpetrators and programmatic response and services for survivors. Donors are urged to ensure that adequate funding is allocated to such initiatives. 74. Given the primacy of protecting children, Member States are urged to facilitate as necessary dialogue with all parties to a conflict for the exclusive purpose of eliciting concrete child protection commitments and action plans to address grave violations. Such dialogue is not intended to prejudge the legal status of non-state parties, nor does it confer legitimacy upon them. 75. In view of the disturbing trend of civilian casualties, especially children, during the course of military operations, Member States are urged to ensure that national and multinational forces adopt standard operating procedures to mitigate the direct targeting or collateral death and injury of children. Regional and United Nations peacekeeping missions are also urged to support the development of such procedures. If support is given to national forces by international peacekeeping operations it must be on the condition that those forces have procedures in place for the protection of civilians. 76. In the context of the global campaign for education in emergencies and in light of trends related to attacks in conflict situations against educational facilities, teachers and students, Member States, United Nations entities and civil society organizations are encouraged to take all measures necessary to promote and enforce the concept of schools as zones of peace. This should extend to the development of curricula with an emphasis on peace education and fostering cultures of tolerance. 77. Member States are urged to continue to include child protection as a priority in the mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and political missions, and furthermore to ensure that key child protection 10-47421 17