against humanity and war crimes, calling upon States not to grant amnesties for such crimes and acknowledging the contribution of the international criminal tribunals and special courts in ending impunity for the most serious crimes against children, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, Welcoming the reports of the Special Representative for children and armed conflict (A/62/228) and the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (A/HRC/7/8), Welcoming also the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and taking note of the issuance of its general comments Nos. 6 and 7 (2005), Nos. 8 and 9 (2006) and No. 10 (2007), Profoundly concerned that the situation of children in many parts of the world remains critical and convinced that urgent and effective national and international action is called for, Mindful that regional instruments should contribute to the strengthening of the norms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Reaffirming the importance of the family as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members, and particularly children, and that as such should be strengthened; that it is entitled to receive comprehensive protection and support; that the primary responsibility for the protection, upbringing and development of children rests with the family; that all institutions of society should respect children’s rights and secure their well-being and render appropriate assistance to parents, families, legal guardians and other caregivers so that children can grow and develop in a safe and stable environment and in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding, bearing in mind that, in different cultural, social and political systems, various forms of family exist, Underlining the need for mainstreaming a gender perspective and recognizing the child as a rights holder, in all policies and programmes relating to children, Concerned that, in conflict situations, children continue to be the victims and deliberate targets of attacks or the use of force, including indiscriminate and excessive