UN / COOMARASWAMY

Just back from Afghanistan, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radikha Coomaraswamy says there has been a decline in both the killing and maiming of children due to both terrorist and government attacks and other security measures. UNTV / FILE

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:05
• Production Date: 3 February 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY; HUMAN RIGHTS; CRIMES; CRIMINAL JUSTICE
• Geographic Subject: UNITED NATIONS STABILIZATION MISSION IN HAITI - MINUSTAH
• MAMS Id: U110203d

Description

STORY: UN / COOMARASWAMY
TRT: 2.05
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 03 FEBRUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

RECENT 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations HQ

03 FEBRUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations:
“They will all be mandated to monitor de situation to see that anymore children are associated with the police and to take action accordingly. Where the UN has access we feel that monitoring can be done but the large parts of Afghanistan where the UN does not have access that will be more difficult but where there is access I think we can do a pretty good job of monitoring the situation.”
5. Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations:
“We are seeing in the last six months or so a decline of both the killing and maiming of children due to both terrorist and government attacks and also some of the other issues related to security so there seems to be some better situation.”
7. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations:
“So this practice really of sexual abuse of boys is what is of concern and why we are worried is that some of the military commanders and some of the war lords is sort of considered a sort of power and strength how many you have and parade, etc so this practice is something that concerns us. Now what is interesting is that all the moral voices of Afghanistan are against these practices, the government is against the practice, the Taliban and of course civil society and the media are against this practice, everybody is against this practice but it continues with impunity.”

FILE / 30 JANUARY 2011, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

9. Various shots, Staffan de Mistura, Radhika Coomaraswamy and Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Zalmai Rassoul signing agreement

FILE / JANUARY 2011, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

12. Various shots, street children in Kabul market area

Storyline

Following a two day visit to Afghanistan earlier this week (30 and 31 Jan), United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy briefed journalists today at the United Nations (UN) in New York.

The Afghan Government signed an agreement with the UN last Sunday (31 Jan) to stop the recruitment of minors into security forces and to fight other abuses of children. The pact was signed by Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul and Coomaraswamy.

The Special Representative told reporters that the Afghan Government had agreed to work constructively with the UN in order to get themselves off the list naming countries that violate the rights of children caught in war.

Coomaraswamy explained that the UN had a full country-wide task force in Afghanistan dealing specifically with children and armed conflict.

She said that the task force would be mandated to monitor the situation to see that whether there were any children associated with the police and to take action accordingly.

She also said there were still quite a number of children that continued to be killed due to insurgent activity like bombings, but noted that in the last six months there had been a decline of both killing and maiming of children due to both terrorist and government attacks and other security measures.

Coomaraswamy said that over the years, they have collected photographic and other forms of evidence of the Afghan police recruiting children. They also had evidence that children were associated with the police in a practice called “Bacha Bazi”.

Bacha Bazi (also called dancing boys) is a practice where very powerful warlords and regional commanders from all security forces, as well as anti-government forces have young boys dance for them -- they are also sexually exploited.

Coomaraswamy said that although the Taliban and civil society in Afghanistan is against this, the practice still continues, “with impunity”.

In April last year, the Afghan National Police (ANP) was cited in the Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict for the recruitment and use of children into its ranks.

The Government responded by establishing the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Children and Armed Conflict, comprising eight ministries, the head of the National Directorate of Security, and the Presidential Advisor on Education and Health.

The steering committee and the UN-led country task force on children and armed conflict developed the Action Plan signed on Sunday (January 30). The plan sets out various activities that the Government would undertake to address issues such as the strengthening of birth registration and age-verification mechanisms, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of under-age recruitment and sexual violence.