New countries to endorse the Paris Commitments to end the use of children in conflict

WHAT: France, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF will hold a 5th anniversary Ministerial Forum to welcome new endorsements of the Paris Commitments to end child recruitment and use. This year’s meeting will focus on prevention, including the need to address the underlying causes of recruitment, as well as the fight against impunity as an important deterrent to recruitment and use.

WHERE: Conference Room 4, North Lawn Building, United Nations Headquarters, New York

WHEN: Monday, 3 December 2011, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

WHO: Included among the speakers are:

— Mr. François Zimeray, Ambassador for Human Rights, Government of France

— Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict

— Mr. Martin Mogwanja, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF

— Mr. Richard Clarke, Child Soldiers International and representative of the Paris Principles Steering Group

— Moderator: Mr. Warren Hoge, Senior Adviser for External Relations, International Peace Institute

WHY:
Thousands of children continue to be recruited and used in different regions around the world by both government forces and armed groups. Adopted in 2007, the Paris Commitments to Protect Children from Unlawful Recruitment or Use by Armed Forces or Armed Groups (Paris Commitments) and The Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (Paris Principles) together consolidate global humanitarian knowledge and experience in working to prevent recruitment, protect children, support their release from armed forces or groups and reintegrate them into civilian life.

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Attention journalists: To obtain a credential to attend the event, please visit:
http://www.un.org/media/accreditati...

For further information, please contact:
Muriel Gschwend, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Tel +1 917 367 35 62, Mobile +1 347 749 52 76, e-mail: gschwend@un.org

Rita Ann Wallace, UNICEF New York—Tel + 1 212-326-7586, Mobile + 1 917-213-4034, rwallace@unicef.org

Website: http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/
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