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G8 Miyazaki Initiatives for Conflict Prevention
Miyazaki, Japan, 13 July 2000 4. Children in Armed Conflict The plight of war-affected children, a group which includes, in particular, child soldiers, child orphans, sexually exploited children and children traumatized by armed conflict, but also comprises all the children affected by the effects of war in wider sense , is one of the most disturbing human security issues facing the world today. The G8 is particularly concerned by the issues raised by children in armed conflict both as participants and victims. In this context, the G8 agreed upon the following approaches. Pressure Against Those Who Involve or Target Children in Armed Conflict in Breach of International Standards The G8:  will concert G8's pressure in UN and other fora against individual governments and armed groups when access to assistance is denied to children or when children are specifically targeted as victims and/or participants in a conflict. will take account of, and promote international standards on the non-use of child soldiers in considering our military assistance to armed forces in third countries.(2) Support for International Standards and Mechanisms The G8: urges universal adherence to the ILO Convention 182 on Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor. welcomes the adoption of and supports the universal adherence to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. provides support for the office of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in its role as an advocate on behalf of war-affected children, and to UN agencies including UNICEF. will cooperate in the UN and other international fora when there is a need to ensure assistance to children in armed conflicts or when children are specifically targeted as victims and/or participants in a conflict.(3) Outreach The G8: supports action by the UN, regional organizations, NGOs and media in raising awareness of problems of children in armed conflict. commits to include child rights training in military assistance training programs. supports the 2001 UN Special Session to review the achievement of the goals of the World Summit for Children and works to ensure that any document it adopts has a strong section addressing the issue of war-affected children. encourages and supports other national and regional efforts to highlight the issue of children in armed conflict, including the Conference on War Affected Children in West Africa (April 2000) and the international conference to be hosted by Canada in September 2000 on this subject.(4) Reintegration and Rehabilitation The G8: commits to promote the protection, welfare and rights of children during peace negotiations and throughout the process of consolidating peace in the aftermath of conflict, including through reintegration of former child soldiers in peace support operations. commits to prioritize assistance for war-affected children, including former child soldiers, in expenditure for post-conflict reconstruction. makes close contact, through UNICEF and other fora, on individual reintegration programs e.g. to identify and share best practice, noting the particular needs of displaced and vulnerable children in rehabilitation and reintegration programs and being sensitive to gender differentiated experiences.URL: story url
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