Austria successfully advocates the protection of children in armed conflicts in the UN Security Council

"Today, the United Nations Security Council has taken an important and necessary step toward better protection of children in armed conflicts. The new UN resolution will increase the pressure on conflict parties to stop the violation of children's rights and attacks against children", said Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger on the 4th of August 2009 in connection with the adoption of UN resolution 1882. This resolution calls upon the UN Secretary General to present a black list to the Security Council every year, containing armed groups who recruit child soldiers and kill, maim, rape or commit other forms of sexual violence against children. "In many current conflicts worldwide, children are the victims of brutal violence. They are abducted and forced to take part in armed conflicts and acts of violence. They themselves are victims of murder, rape, and mutilation. The perpetrators must be condemned and pilloried on an international level", said Spindelegger.

"It is utterly shocking that so many children are still being deprived of their childhood and thus of their future by becoming victims of conflicts or by even being forced to take part in the fighting", the Minister continued. "This brutal violence against children must not remain unpunished. The global struggle against crimes committed against children is one of Austria's main priorities during its membership in the UN Security Council", stressed Spindelegger. "The successful adoption of the resolution is partly the result of active engagement on the part of Austria. Austria participated intensively in the negotiations and supported concrete measures by the Security Council toward prevention or as a reaction to violations of children's rights".

The UN resolution further widens the protection of children in armed conflicts. In addition to the recruitment of child soldiers, which had already sufficed for including conflict parties on the black list, now the killing, maiming and sexual violence against children will also be punished accordingly. All conflict parties are obliged to take measures to protect the life and physical integrity of children. The Security Council may impose specific sanctions in case of a violation of this resolution.

Austria has successfully advocated the protection of children in armed conflicts for quite some time. For instance, it has supported a series of concrete projects in Congo, Uganda, or Iraq, which focus on the prevention of violence against children and the reintegration of children after armed conflicts. Moreover, Austrian soldiers participating in international peace missions are trained specifically on the topics of children's rights and the protection of children prior to their mission.

Contact:

Federal Ministry for
European and international Affairs
Press Department
Tel.: ++43 (0) 50 1150-3262, 4549, 4550
Fax: ++43 (0) 50 1159-213
abti3(at)bmeia.gv.at