UN Security Council applauds Sri Lankan govt. report on children and armed conflict

By NNN-Govt Portal

Colombo: UN Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict commended the comprehensive report based on Sri Lanka’s Zero-Tolerance Policy on using underage children in armed conflict, submitted to its special session in New York Thursday (Feb 21).


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In addition, the Working Group also expressed serious concern about the charges leveled against the LTTE, allegations of misconduct by other armed groups including the LTTE’s breakaway group Karuna faction for the continuing recruitment of children.

The Working Group of the Security Council praised the actions taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to follow-up on recommendations made by the Working Group at its meeting last year, and the commitment of the Government to work with the Working Group to stop the recruitment of children for violent purposes.

Recently, the UN singled out LTTE in a report as being among the top six blatant human rights violators in the world, especially with regard to the recruitment of child soldiers. The UN has called for punitive action against groups which continue this practice. The LTTE had earlier pledged to stop the recruitment of children to its fighting ranks.

While strongly condemning the practice the Security Council has also called for the full implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism on children in armed conflict.

The Working Group will formulate its conclusions and recommendations shortly on the basis of presentations made by Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, and the Sri Lanka delegation as well as views of the member States of the Security Council.

The Sri Lanka delegation was headed by Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, and included Hon. C.R. de Silva, Attorney-General of Sri Lanka, Mr Suhada Gamlatha, Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and Mr Yasantha Kodagoda, Deputy Solicitor General.

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