A/68/267 Through this predeployment training, Member States can sensitize peacekeepers to the concerns of children, equip them to better respond to those concerns and alert child protection actors to violations committed against children. 65. The Office of the Special Representative and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations have jointly developed an online training tool for rank and file soldiers deployed in NATO operations. This training, especially if adopted by all the 28 NATO member States along with its 54 partner countries, can play an important role in furthering the mainstreaming of child protection in multinational military operations. To complement this achievement, the Special Representative has called upon NATO leadership to promote the development of specific training for their commanders. IV. Way forward 66. The protection of civilians and children affected by conflict remains the primary responsibility of Member States. Working closely with governments and regional organizations in support of their efforts will continue to be the principal avenue by which the Special Representative will carry her mandate forward for the effective protection of children affected by armed conflict. 67. A number of children remain associated with armed groups, however. As a humanitarian imperative and in the best interest of children, the Special Representative has reached out, where appropriate, to non-State parties to conflict. In this regard, she encourages Member States to facilitate contacts between the United Nations and non-State armed groups. A. Ending the recruitment and use of children by national armed forces by 2016 68. During the reporting period, progress in ending the recruitment and use of children by government forces has been steady. Five Member States have ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which brings the total number of ratifications to 152. The joint and complementary efforts of Member States and child protection actors have reached an important milestone, as an international consensus against the use of children under 18 in conflicts is emerging. 69. Achieving global compliance with international norms for the protection of children must start with ensuring that no children remain in any national army. Accordingly, among the eight government armed forces listed in the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/67/845-S/2013/245, annex I), six have already signed action plans with the United Nations, and active dialogue is ongoing with the remaining two. 70. Building on the campaign for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocol in the 2010-2012 period, the Special Representative has decided to launch a global initiative to end the recruitment and use of children by government armed forces in conflict by 2016, jointly with UNICEF and other United Nations partners. This campaign will provide additional political momentum, renew high-level advocacy and further elicit commitments to end underage recruitment. Through this 12/18 13-41862