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<p>The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers
and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict. As a permanent member of
the UN Security Council (UNSC), we are using our membership to ensure that conflict-related
child protection issues remain a key part of the Council discussions and to ensure
that UN operations retain the necessary capacity to address all child protection issues,
including the continued use of child soldiers in conflict zones.</p><p>For example,
to mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) the
UK took part in a UNSC Arria meeting on protecting children in shrinking humanitarian
spaces. The UK called for better integration of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)
portfolio into UNSC country specific discussions and for all states to sign up to
the key international commitments pertaining to ending the recruitment and use of
children in conflict; the Paris Principles and Commitments; the Vancouver Principles;
and the Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict. The UK also highlighted the
importance of mainstreaming child protection in peacekeeping missions.</p><p>We will
be participating in the annual CAAC debate in August and will continue to use our
position on the UNSC to engage with the international community and advocate greater
protection for children in armed conflict against all grave violations, including
recruitment and use. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Minister of State responsible
fpr Children and Armed Conflict, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon champions this agenda and
is committed to raising it's profile and driving progress across Government and internationally.</p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><p>The
UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict
(CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and
child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict, listed in the
UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC, to enter into concrete action plans
with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups
and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. The UK is the largest single financial contributor
to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) for
CAAC, contributing £800,000 in the last five years, and a member of the 'Global Coalition
for Reintegration', a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes
for children formerly associated with armed groups.</p><p> </p>
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