Security Council resolution 1998 (2011) [on children and armed conflict]
Symbol: S/RES/1998(2011)
Date: 2011-07-12
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/66 [187] CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS
Subjects: UN. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict|UN. Security Council. Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict|CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS|CHILD ABUSE|HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING|CHILD WELFARE|CHILD SOLDIERS|COUNTRY TEAMS|CRIMINAL JUSTICE|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|SPECIAL MISSIONS|DISARMAMENT|MILITARY DEMOBILIZATION|REINTEGRATION|INFORMATION EXCHANGE
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
vote: yes
country: BRAZIL
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: COLOMBIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GABON
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: INDIA
vote: yes
country: LEBANON
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: PORTUGAL
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                     S/RES/1998 (2011)
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General

                                                                                12 July 2011




               Resolution 1998 (2011)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 6581st meeting, on
               12 July 2011

                    The Security Council,
                     Reaffirming its resolutions 1261 (1999) of 25 August 1999, 1314 (2000) of
               11 August 2000, 1379 (2001) of 20 November 2001, 1460 (2003) of 30 January
               2003, 1539 (2004) of 22 April 2004, 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, and 1882 (2009)
               of 4 August 2009, and all relevant Statements of its President, which contribute to a
               comprehensive framework for addressing the protection of children affected by
               armed conflict;
                    Reiterating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international
               peace and security and, in this connection, its commitment to address the
               widespread impact of armed conflict on children;
                     Calling on all parties to armed conflicts to comply strictly with the obligations
               applicable to them under international law for the protection of children in armed
               conflict, including those contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and
               its Optional Protocol on the involvement of Children in armed conflict, as well as
               the Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949 and their Additional Protocols of
               1977;
                     Acknowledging that the implementation of its resolutions 1612 (2005) and
               1882 (2009) has generated progress, resulting in the release and reintegration of
               children into their families and communities, and in a more systematic dialogue
               with the United Nations country-level task force and parties to the armed conflict on
               the implementation on time-bound action plans, while remaining deeply concerned
               over the lack of progress on the ground in some situations of concern where parties
               to conflict continue to violate with impunity the relevant provisions of applicable
               international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict;
                     Stressing the primary role of Governments in providing protection and relief to
               all children affected by armed conflict, and reiterating that all actions undertaken by
               United Nations entities within the framework of the monitoring and reporting
               mechanism must be designed to support and supplement, as appropriate, the
               protection and rehabilitation roles of national Governments;
                    Convinced that the protection of children in armed conflict should be an
               important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict;

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                    Recalling the responsibilities of States to end impunity and to prosecute those
               responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other egregious
               crimes perpetrated against children;
                     Stressing the need for alleged perpetrators of crimes against children in
               situations of armed conflict to be brought to justice through national justice systems
               and, where applicable, international justice mechanisms and mixed criminal courts
               and tribunals in order to end impunity;
                    Noting also relevant provisions of the Rome Statute of the International
               Criminal Court;
                     Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 11 May 2011
               (A/65/820-S/2011/250) and stressing that the present resolution does not seek to
               make any legal determination as to whether situations which are referred to in the
               Secretary-General’s report are or are not armed conflicts within the context of the
               Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols thereto, nor does it prejudge the
               legal status of the non-State parties involved in these situations;
                     Expressing deep concern about attacks as well as threats of attacks in
               contravention of applicable international law against schools and/or hospitals, and
               protected persons in relation to them as well as the closure of schools and hospitals
               in situations of armed conflict as a result of attacks and threats of attacks, and
               calling upon all parties to armed conflict to immediately cease such attacks and
               threats;
                     Recalling the provisions of the resolution of the General Assembly on “The
               right to education in emergency situations” (A/RES/64/290) related to children in
               armed conflict;
                     Noting that Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes
               the right of the child to education and sets forth obligations for State parties to the
               Convention, with a view to progressively achieving this right on the basis of equal
               opportunity;
                     1.   Strongly condemns all violations of applicable international law
               involving the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict, as well as
               their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other sexual violence,
               abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals and denial of humanitarian access by
               parties to armed conflict and all other violations of international law committed
               against children in situations of armed conflict;
                     2.   Reaffirms that the monitoring and reporting mechanism will continue to
               be implemented in situations listed in annex I and annex II (“the annexes”) to the
               reports of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, in line with the
               principles set out in paragraph 2 of its resolution 1612 (2005), and that its
               establishment and implementation shall not prejudge or imply a decision by the
               Security Council as to whether or not to include a situation on its agenda;
                    3.    Recalls paragraph 16 of its resolution 1379 (2001) and requests the
               Secretary-General to also include in the annexes to his reports on children and
               armed conflict those parties to armed conflict that engage, in contravention of
               applicable international law;
                    (a)   in recurrent attacks on schools and/or hospitals



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                 (b) in recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected persons in
           relation to schools and/or hospitals in situations of armed conflict, bearing in mind
           all other violations and abuses committed against children, and notes that the
           present paragraph will apply to situations in accordance with the conditions set out
           in paragraph 16 of its resolution 1379 (2001);
                 4.   Urges parties to armed conflict to refrain from actions that impede
           children’s access to education and to health services and requests the Secretary-General to continue to monitor and report, inter alia, on the military use of schools
           and hospitals in contravention of international humanitarian law, as well as on
           attacks against, and/or kidnapping of teachers and medical personnel;
                5.    Invites the Secretary General, through the Special Representative of the
           Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, to exchange appropriate
           information and maintain interaction from the earliest opportunity with the
           governments concerned regarding violations and abuses committed against children
           by parties which may be included in the annexes to his periodic report;
                 6.   While noting that some parties to armed conflict have responded to its
           call upon them to prepare and implement concrete time-bound action plans to halt
           recruitment and use of children in violation of applicable international law;
                 (a) Reiterates its call on parties to armed conflict listed in the annexes of the
           Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict that have not already
           done so to prepare and implement, without further delay, action plans to halt
           recruitment and use of children and killing and maiming of children, in violation of
           applicable international law, as well as rape and other sexual violence against
           children;
                 (b) Calls upon those parties that have existing action plans and have since
           been listed for multiple violations to prepare and implement separate action plans,
           as appropriate, to halt the killing and maiming of children, recurrent attacks on
           schools and/or hospitals, recurrent attacks or threats of attacks against protected
           persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, in violation of applicable
           international law, as well as rape and other sexual violence against children;
                 (c) Calls upon those parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s
           report on children and armed conflict that commit, in contravention of applicable
           international law, recurrent attacks on schools and/or hospitals, recurrent attacks or
           threats of attacks against protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, in
           situations of armed conflict, to prepare without delay, concrete time-bound action
           plans to halt those violations and abuses;
                (d) Further calls upon all parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict, to address all other violations and
           abuses committed against children and undertake specific commitments and
           measures in this regard;
                (e) Urges those parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report
           on children and armed conflict to implement the provisions contained in this
           paragraph in close cooperation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the United Nations country-level task
           forces on monitoring and reporting;




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                     7.    In this context, encourages Member States to devise ways, in close
               consultations with the United Nations country-level task force on monitoring and
               reporting and United Nations country teams, to facilitate the development and
               implementation of time-bound actions plans, and the review and monitoring by the
               United Nations country level task force of obligations and commitments relating to
               the protection of children and armed conflict;
                    8.    Invites the United Nations country-level task force on monitoring and
               reporting to consider including in its reports the relevant information provided by
               the government concerned and to ensure that information collected and
               communicated by the mechanism is accurate, objective, reliable, and verifiable;
                     9.   Reiterates its determination to ensure respect for its resolutions on
               children and armed conflict, and in this regard:
                    (a) Welcomes the sustained activity and recommendations of its Working
               Group on Children and Armed Conflict as called for in paragraph 8 of its resolution
               1612 (2005), and invites it to continue reporting regularly to the Security Council;
                     (b) Expresses deep concern that certain parties persist in committing
               violations and abuses against children and expresses its readiness to adopt targeted
               and graduated measures against persistent perpetrators, taking into account the
               relevant provisions of its resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009);
                     (c) Requests enhanced communication between the Working Group and
               relevant Security Council Sanctions Committees, including through the exchange of
               pertinent information on violation and abuses committed against children in armed
               conflict;
                     (d) Encourages its relevant Sanctions Committees to continue to invite the
               Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict to
               brief them on specific information pertaining to her mandate that would be relevant
               to the work of the committees, and encourages the Sanctions Committees to bear in
               mind the relevant recommendations of the Secretary-General’s report on children
               and armed conflict and encourages the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to share specific information contained in the Secretary-General’s reports
               with relevant Sanctions Committees expert groups;
                     (e) Expresses its intention, when establishing, modifying or renewing the
               mandate of relevant Sanctions regimes, to consider including provisions pertaining
               to parties to armed conflict that engage in activities in violation of applicable
               international law relating to the rights and protection of children in armed conflict;
                      10. Encourages Members States that wish to do so to continue to
               communicate relevant information to the Security Council on the implementation of
               its resolutions on children and armed conflict;
                     11. Calls upon Member States concerned to take decisive and immediate
               action against persistent perpetrators of violations and abuses committed against
               children in situations of armed conflict, and further calls upon them to bring to
               justice those responsible for such violations that are prohibited under applicable
               international law, including with regard to recruitment and use of children, killing
               and maiming, rape and other sexual violence, attacks on schools and/or hospitals,
               attacks or threats of attacks against protected persons in relation to schools and/or
               hospitals through national justice systems, and where applicable, international



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           justice mechanisms and mixed criminal courts and tribunals, with a view to ending
           impunity for those committing crimes against children;
                12. Stresses the responsibility of the United Nations country-level task forces
           on monitoring and reporting and United Nations country teams, consistent with their
           respective mandates, to ensure effective follow-up to Security Council resolutions
           on children and armed conflict, to monitor and report progress to the Secretary-General in close cooperation with his Special Representative for Children and
           Armed Conflict and ensure a coordinated response to issues related to children and
           armed conflict;
                 13. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to ensure that, in all his
           reports on country-specific situations, the matter of children and armed conflict is
           included as a specific aspect of the report, and expresses its intention to give its full
           attention to the information provided therein, including the implementation of
           relevant Security Council resolutions and of the recommendations of its Working
           Group on Children and Armed Conflict, when dealing with those situations on its
           agenda;
                14. Reaffirms its decision to continue to include specific provisions for the
           protection of children in the mandates of all relevant United Nations peacekeeping,
           peacebuilding and political missions, encourages deployment of Child Protection
           Advisers to such missions and calls upon the Secretary-General to ensure that such
           advisers are recruited and deployed in line with the Council’s relevant country
           specific resolutions and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Policy
           Directive on Mainstreaming the Protection Rights and Wellbeing of Children by
           Armed Conflict;
                 15. Requests Member States, United Nations peacekeeping, peacebuilding
           and political missions and United Nations country teams, within their respective
           mandates and in close cooperation with the Governments of the countries
           concerned, to establish appropriate strategies and coordination mechanisms for
           information exchange and cooperation on child protection concerns, in particular on
           cross-border issues, bearing in mind relevant conclusions by the Security Council
           Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and paragraph 2 (d) of its
           resolution 1612 (2005);
                 16. Welcoming the progress achieved by the Country Task Forces on
           Monitoring and Reporting and stressing that a strengthened monitoring and
           reporting mechanism with adequate capacities is necessary to ensure an adequate
           follow up on the Secretary General’s recommendations and on the conclusions of
           the Working Group of Children and Armed Conflict, in accordance with its
           resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009);
                 17. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the necessary
           measures including, where applicable, to bring the monitoring and reporting
           mechanism to its full capacity, to allow for prompt advocacy and effective response
           to all violations and abuses committed against children and to ensure that
           information collected and communicated by the mechanism is accurate, objective,
           reliable and verifiable;
                18. Stresses that effective disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration
           programmes for children, building on best practices identified by UNICEF and other
           relevant child protection actors, including the International Labour Organization, are



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               crucial for the well-being of all children who, in contravention of applicable
               international law, have been recruited or used by armed forces and groups, are a
               critical factor for durable peace and security, and urges national Governments and
               donors to ensure that these community-based programmes receive timely, sustained
               and adequate resources and funding;
                     19. Calls upon Member States, United Nations entities, including the
               Peacebuilding Commission and other parties concerned to ensure that the protection,
               rights, well-being and empowerment of children affected by armed conflict are
               integrated into all peace processes and that post-conflict recovery and reconstruction
               planning, programmes and strategies prioritize issues concerning children affected
               by armed conflict;
                     20. Invites the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to
               brief the Security Council on the modalities of the inclusion of parties into the
               annexes of the periodic report of the Secretary-General on children and armed
               conflict, enabling an exchange of views;
                    21. Directs its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, with the
               support of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, to consider,
               within one year, a broad range of options for increasing pressure on persistent
               perpetrators of violations and abuses committed against children in situations of
               armed conflict;
                     22. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report by June 2012 on the
               implementation of its resolutions and presidential statements on children and armed
               conflict, including the present resolution, which would include, inter alia:
                     (a) Annexed lists of parties in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of
               the Security Council or in other situations, in accordance with paragraph 19 (a) of
               resolution 1882 (2009) and paragraph 3 of the present resolution;
                     (b) Information on measures undertaken by parties listed in the annexes to
               end all violations and abuses committed against children in situations of armed
               conflict;
                    (c) Information on progress made in the implementation of the monitoring
               and reporting mechanism established in its resolution 1612 (2005);
                     (d) Information on the criteria and procedures used for listing and de-listing
               parties to armed conflict in the annexes of his periodic reports, in accordance with
               paragraph 3 of the present resolution, bearing in mind the views expressed by all the
               members of the Working Group during informal briefings to be held before the end
               of 2011;
                    23.   Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.




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