UN Security Council Adopts Resolution on Protecting Children During Armed Conflict

On November 20, 2001, the U.N. Security adopted Resolution 1279 (2001) on protecting children during armed conflict. The Resolution addresses the problem of the estimated involvement of as many as 300,000 children in at least fifty countries that have been directly involved in conflict around the world-as soldiers, porters, and even slaves - in violation of international treaties. The Resolution express the importance of the U.N. itself taking action, including protecting children during armed conflict. In that regard, it calls for the inclusion of provisions to protect children, when it considers the requirements of peacekeeping operations and reaffirms its readiness to continue to include, where appropriate, child protection advisers in peacekeeping operations. In this regard, the resolution pledge to support the work of the Secretary-General, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflicts, the U.N. Children’s Fund, the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, other of the U.N. System and other international organizations dealing with children affected by armed conflict.