Press briefing about the visit of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and

00:57 AM November, 28 2017

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MEDIA ADVISORY


What: Press briefing about the visit of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (SCWG-CAAC) to Sudan.

Where: UNDP Compound in Khartoum, Marawi Conference Room

When: Wednesday 29th November 2017 at 12:00noon

Who: A delegation of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict led by H.E Ambassador Olof Skoog of Sweden, in his capacity as Chair of the Working Group. The three Co-Chairs of the United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR); UNAMID, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNICEF.

Why: Key objectives of the visit
1. Advocate on the basis of the Security Council Working Group Conclusions on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan (S/AC.51/2017/3);
2. Assess progress and challenges in the implementation of Action Plans signed by the parties to conflict in Sudan with the United Nations, including the Action plan signed by the Government of the Sudan;
3. Gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the CTFMR in the implementation of the UN Security Council mandate on children and armed conflict in Sudan.
4. Gain first-hand insights, including through a field visit, of the impact of the conflict on children in Sudan and the role the SCWG-CAAC can play in addressing the situation.
Over the last three days, the team has met with key Government officials including the Ministries of Defense, Interior, Social Welfare, Justice, the Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration Commission, and the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) as well as conducted a field visit to El Fasher, North Darfur.

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Note to Editors:

- On 27 March 2016, the Government of Sudan and the United Nations – including UNICEF, the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN African Union Hybrid Mission in Sudan the order should RC/HC, UNAMID, and UNICEF-- signed the Action Plan for Protection of Children from Violations in Armed Conflict with the support of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. The National Council for Child Welfare played an important role in coordinating the Action Plan negotiations on the part of the Government.

- Key milestones in implementation include the Government’s release of 21 children formerly associated with armed groups. In addition, the Government has enacted laws and policies to prevent the recruitment and use of children in its forces, and provided the UN with access for the purpose of monitoring and verification. Meanwhile, the Vice-President engaged with Walis and established state level committees for the implementation of the Action Plan (can you put Action Plan in capital letters).

- The UN encourages the Government to address the remaining gaps in the implementation of the Action Plan. Key steps remaining include continued monitoring snd verification in all states; the establishment of clear procedures for identification and screening of any children in the Armed Forces; Standard Operationg Procedures for the handover of children to civilian child protection actors and the implementation of complaint procedures and awareness-raising activities.

- The UN continues to work with the armed groups listed in the Secretary-General’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict. Notably, the SPLM-North on 23 November 2016 signed an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. JEM and SLA/Minni Minawi have agreed implementation plans to fulfil their commitments to prevent and end recruitment and use of children.


For more information please, contact:

UNAMID:
Mr. Carlos Araujo, [email protected], Chief, Communications and Public Information, AU-UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

UNICEF:
Ms. Alison Parker: [email protected], Chief of Communication, Media and External Relations Section, UNICEF

Resident Coordinator’s Office Office:
Mr. Khaled Moualem: [email protected], Communications Specialist, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office

United Nations News Center:
Mr. Ayman Suliman: [email protected], National Information Officer (UNIC, Khartoum)