UN General Assembly
1999

governmental forces around the world refrain from using child soldiers. The vast majority of United Nations Member States have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We have committed ourselves to certain actions to promote children's rights. Causing children to take part in armed conflicts or otherwise putting them at risk of becoming victims of such hostilities is clearly against the best interests of the child, which should always be our primary consideration. There is another powerful reason to protect children: they are our future. Protecting today's children is in itself an important contribution towards peace and towards creating a culture of prevention. We should also strive to ensure that children are able to enjoy their rights during transitional periods following armed 30 conflicts or other emergency situations until enough stability has been achieved to start reconstruction. It seems that not a week goes by in our world without countries and indeed the international community having to watch in horror as cowardly terrorists target people going about the business of their everyday lives. The murdering