SOUTH SUDAN / CHILD RECRUITMENT

UNESCO’s head Irina Bokova, Leila Zerrougui the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador, actor Forest Whitaker met in with President Salva Kiir in Juba, capital of South Sudan to reaffirm the country’s action plan to end recruitment and use of children in armed forces and to discuss the rights of children, education and freedom of the press. UNMISS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:27
• Production Date: 24 June 2014
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION - UNESCO
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; CHILD SOLDIERS
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: 1127322

Description

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / CHILD RECRUITMENT (v0004)
TRT: 2.27
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 23 - 24 JUNE, 2014, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

Shotlist

24 JUNE, 2014, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

1. Med shot, UN delegation seated
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Forest Whitaker, Actor and UNESCO special envoy for Peace and Reconciliation:
"What we are going to do here with project is to develop sports fields in POC camp(s), so we are going to develop sporting fields for football for volleyball for basketball. So those who are in the POC camp will able to avail themselves that they love themselves, express themselves to sports and energy. The project we move to and open the project in Eastern Equatoria with my partnership with UNESCO and we see there soon".
3. Med shot, camera journalists
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO:
"South Sudan is passing challenging times, after visiting yesterday with IDPs we saw with our own eyes what the challenge this will present for the unity of the Country but we are also here to pass very strong message that peace is the best way of eradicating and reducing poverty, peace and national dialogue is so much needed nowadays if South Sudan want to advance and I believe we talked about Africa raising as a continent and we not want South Sudan legging behind".
5. Med shot, South Sudan Minister of Education receiving a book for Education and development from UNESCO Director General

23 JUNE, 2014, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

6. Wide shot pan, UN delegation walking to meet the President
7. Med, shot, Forest shaking hands with the President
8. Wide shot, UN delegation Government Leadership seated
9. Med shot, Leila and Irina seated
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Leila Zerrougui, SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict
"And he asked for any Schools that is still occupied by the military to be vacated, he also committed to ensure that no children will be in the SPLA army and security forces."
11. Med. Shot, Leila talking to children in class room
12. Med. Shot, Leila and children in class room
13. Wide shot, UN delegation and IDPs inside hall
14. Wide shot, IDP women dancers
15. Med shot, Leila and dancers
16. Med shot, Forest dancing

Storyline

UNESCO's head Irina Bokova, Leila Zerrougui the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador, actor Forest Whitaker met in with President Salva Kiir in Juba, capital of South Sudan to reaffirm the country's action plan to end recruitment and use of children in armed forces and to discuss the rights of children, education and freedom of the press.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference today (24 Jun) in the capital Juba, Whitaker promised his initiative was going to construct fields on which the youth could play basketball, football and volleyball, as well as organize regular video shows and discussions inside the Protection of Civilians (POC) area where tens of thousands South Sudanese are sheltering since the violence broke out in December last year.

Whitaker said this will help youth "to express themselves."

UNESCO's head expressed her belief that "peace is the best way of eradicating and reducing poverty" and that South Sudan needs a national dialogue if it wants to keep up with the rest of Africa.

President Salva Kiir, who received the delegation on Sunday (23 Jun) in Juba, has reportedly committed to vacate any school still occupied by military and to ensure that "no children will be in the SPLA army and security forces", according to Zerrougui after the meeting.

The delegation then visited a Protection of Civilians (POC) area where they've met with displaced youth.

While Bokova and Whitaker had wrapped up their visit today, Special Representative Leila Zerrougui will stay in South Sudan until 27 June to assess the impact of the conflict on children, follow up on the implementation of the action plan signed by the Government to end the recruitment and use of children in South Sudan's armed forces, and support the work of the United Nations.