Rangoon, Burma (BBN)– The United Nations and the Government of Burma, officially known as Myanmar have signed an action plan to prevent the recruitment and use of children by Burmese armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, and allow for the release of under-age recruits.
“UNICEF welcomes the signing of the action plan and is ready to support the Government to take forward these key commitments,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in the South-East Asian nation, Ramesh Shrestha, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The most important work begins now to ensure that children are released from the Tatmadaw as soon as possible and are returned to their families and communities and receive support to promote their well-being, learning and livelihoods,” he added.
The action plan sets a timetable and measurable activities for the release and reintegration of children associated with Government armed forces, as well as the prevention of further recruitment.
The plan was signed in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, by senior military officers on behalf of the Burmese government, and the UN Resident Coordinator, Ashok Nigam, and Mr. Shrestha.
Among those witnessing the signing was the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, according to the statement.
According to UNICEF, the plan is the result of years of negotiation between the Government and the United Nations, on behalf of a Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting of grave violations of child rights in armed conflict (CTFMR), with the latter made up of various UN agencies and programs, as well as international non-governmental organizations.
The action plan was negotiated under the mandate of Security Council resolution 1612, which established the UN-led Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism to report on six grave violations of children’s rights in situations of armed conflict.
BBN/SSR/AD-28June12-12:30 am (BST)
