Security Council resolution 1314 (2000) [on the protection of children in situations of armed conflicts]
[The protection of children in situations of armed conflicts]
Symbol: S/RES/1314(2000)
Date: 2000-08-11
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/55 [187] CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS
Subjects: UN. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict|UNICEF|UN High Commissioner for Refugees|Geneva Conventions (1949)|Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict|Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)|CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS|CHILD WELFARE|REFUGEE ASSISTANCE|YOUTH POLICY|GIRLS|CAPACITY BUILDING|RIGHTS OF THE CHILD|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|SMALL ARMS|BASIC SERVICES|HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS|SANCTIONS|ABDUCTION|FAMILY REUNIFICATION|SOCIAL INTEGRATION
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ARGENTINA
vote: yes
country: BANGLADESH
vote: yes
country: CANADA
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JAMAICA
vote: yes
country: MALAYSIA
vote: yes
country: MALI
vote: yes
country: NAMIBIA
vote: yes
country: NETHERLANDS
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UKRAINE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                  S/RES/1314 (2000)
               Security Council                                               Distr. General
                                                                              11 August 2000




               Resolution 1314 (2000)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 4185th meeting, on
               11 August 2000

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its resolution 1261 (1999) of 28 August 1999,
                    Further recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999) of 17 September 1999, 1296
               (2000) of 19 April 2000, 1306 (2000) of 5 July 2000 and the statements of its
               President of 29 June 1998 (S/PRST/1998/18), 12 February 1999 (S/PRST/1999/6), 8
               July 1999 (S/PRST/1999/21), 30 November 1999 (S/PRST/1999/34) and 20 July
               2000 (S/PRST/25),
                     Welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly on 25 May 2000 of the
               Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement
               of children in armed conflict,
                     Bearing in mind the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
               Nations, and the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance
               of international peace and security,
                     Underlining the need for all parties concerned to comply with the provisions of
               the Charter of the United Nations and with the rules and principles of international
               law, in particular international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law, and to
               implement fully the relevant decisions of the Security Council, and recalling the
               relevant provisions on the protection of children contained in International Labour
               Organization Convention No. 182 on the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the
               Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, the Rome Statute of the
               International Criminal Court and the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the
               Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their
               Destruction,
                     Noting the regional initiatives on war-affected children, including within the
               Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the West African Conference
               on War-Affected Children held in Accra, Ghana, in April 2000, and the forthcoming
               International Conference on War-Affected Children to be held in Winnipeg, Canada
               from 10 to 17 September 2000,




00-60403 (E)
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S/RES/1314 (2000)


                    Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 19 July 2000 on the
               implementation of resolution 1261 (1999) on Children and Armed Conflict
               (S/2000/712),
                     1.   Reaffirms its strong condemnation of the deliberate targeting of children
               in situations of armed conflict and the harmful and widespread impact of armed
               conflict on children, and the long-term consequences this has for durable peace,
               security and development;
                    2.    Emphasizes the responsibility of all States to put an end to impunity and
               to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war
               crimes, and, in this regard, stresses the need to exclude these, where feasible, from
               amnesty provisions and relevant legislation;
                     3.   Urges all parties to armed conflict to respect fully international law
               applicable to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict, in particular the
               Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the obligations applicable to them under the
               Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the United Nations Convention on the Rights
               of the Child of 1989 and the Optional Protocol thereto of 25 May 2000, and to bear
               in mind the relevant provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
               Court;
                    4.    Urges Member States in a position to do so to sign and ratify the
               Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement
               of Children in Armed Conflict;
                     5.   Expresses support for the ongoing work of the Special Representative of
               the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the United Nations
               Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, other parts
               of the United Nations system and other relevant international organizations dealing
               with children affected by armed conflict;
                    6.    Urges Member States and parties to armed conflict to provide protection
               and assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, as appropriate, the vast
               majority of whom are women and children;
                     7.    Calls upon all parties to armed conflict to ensure the full, safe and
               unhindered access of humanitarian personnel and the delivery of humanitarian
               assistance to all children affected by armed conflict;
                     8.    Expresses its grave concern at the linkages between the illicit trade in
               natural resources and armed conflict, as well as the linkages between the illicit
               trafficking in small arms and light weapons and armed conflict, which can prolong
               armed conflict and intensify its impact on children, and in this regard expresses its
               intention to consider taking appropriate steps, in accordance with the Charter of the
               United Nations;
                     9.    Notes that the deliberate targeting of civilian populations or other
               protected persons, including children, and the committing of systematic, flagrant
               and widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law,
               including that relating to children, in situations of armed conflict may constitute a
               threat to international peace and security, and in this regard reaffirms its readiness to
               consider such situations and, where necessary to adopt appropriate steps;




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      10. Urges all parties to abide by the concrete commitments they have made
to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed
Conflict as well as relevant United Nations bodies to ensure the protection of
children in situations of armed conflict;
     11. Requests parties to armed conflict to include, where appropriate,
provisions for the protection of children, including the disarmament, demobilization
and reintegration of child combatants, in peace negotiations and in peace agreements
and the involvement of children, where possible, in these processes;
     12. Reaffirms its readiness to continue to include, where appropriate, child
protection advisers in future peacekeeping operations;
      13. Underlines the importance of giving consideration to the special needs
and particular vulnerabilities of girls affected by armed conflict, including, inter
alia, those heading households, orphaned, sexually exploited and used as
combatants, and urges that their human rights, protection and welfare be
incorporated in the development of policies and programmes, including those for
prevention, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration;
      14. Reiterates the importance of ensuring that children continue to have
access to basic services during the conflict and post-conflict periods, including, inter
alia, education and health care;
     15. Indicates its willingness, when imposing measures under Article 41 of
the Charter of the United Nations, to consider assessing the potential unintended
consequences of sanctions on children and to take appropriate steps to minimize
such consequences;
     16. Welcomes recent initiatives by regional and subregional organizations and
arrangements for the protection of children affected by armed conflict, and urges
them to:
     (a) Consider establishing, within their secretariats, child protection units for
the development and implementation of policies, activities and advocacy for the
benefit of children affected by armed conflict, including children in the design and
implementation of such policies and programmes where possible;
      (b) Consider including child protection staff in their peace and field
operations and providing training to members of their peace and field operations on
the rights and protection of women and children;
      (c) Undertake initiatives to curb the cross-border activities deleterious to
children in times of armed conflict, such as the cross-border recruitment and
abduction of children, the illicit movement of small arms and the illicit trade in
natural resources;
     (d) Allocate resources, as applicable, during policy and programme
development for the benefit of children affected by armed conflict;
     (e)   Integrate a gender perspective into all policies, programmes and projects;
     (f) Consider declaring regional initiatives towards full implementation of the
prohibition of the use of child soldiers in violation of international law;




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                     17. Encourages Member States, relevant parts of the United Nations system
               and regional organizations and arrangements to undertake efforts to obtain the
               release of children abducted during armed conflict and their family reunification;
                     18. Urges Member States and relevant parts of the United Nations system to
               strengthen the capacities of national institutions and local civil society for ensuring
               the sustainability of local initiatives for the protection of children;
                     19. Calls on Member States, relevant parts of the United Nations system, and
               civil society to encourage the involvement of young persons in programmes for
               peace consolidation and peace-building;
                    20. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue to include in his written
               reports to the Council on matters of which the Council is seized, as appropriate,
               observations relating to the protection of children in armed conflict;
                    21. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Security Council
               on the implementation of this resolution and of resolution 1261 (1999) by 31 July
               2001;
                    22.   Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.




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