De gezant van de Verenigde Naties voor Kinderen en Gewapende Conflicten heeft donderdag opgeroepen tot een grondige beschouwing van procedures nadat NAVO-luchtaanvallen het leven hebben geëist van negen kinderen.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, de speciale gezant van VN-secretaris-seneraal Ban Ki-moon, zei in een verklaring: “Kinderen die in Afghanistan worden gedood door luchtaanvallen is een reden tot grote bezorgdheid.”
De jongens van 12 jaar oud en jonger werden dinsdag gedood toen ze brandhout aan het sprokkelen waren in de Oost-Afghaanse provincie Kunar en door de NAVO onder vuur werden genomen.
De commandant van de NAVO-troepenmacht in Afghanistan, generaal David Petraeus, heeft inmiddels excuses aangeboden voor de tragedie. Hij schreef de oorzaak ervan toe aan een communicatiefout over de locatie van militanten.
Mevrouw Coomaraswamy verwelkomde de verontschuldigingen van de generaal, maar vraagt gelijktijdig om een diepgaande evaluatie van procedures om te waarborgen “dat alle nodige voorzorgsmaatregelen worden getroffen om ervoor te zorgen dat kinderen geen slachtoffer worden van geweld in Afghanistan”.
Coomaraswamy merkte op dat de buitenlandse troepen eerder vorig jaar nieuwe richtlijnen hebben ingesteld met als doel burgers beter te beschermen tegen luchtaanvallen. Hierdoor zijn in 2010 aanzienlijk minder kinderen gedood door regeringsgezinde strijdkrachten.
Het verslag van de VN:
UN envoy calls for military review after air strikes kill Afghan children
Posts tonen met het label Radhika Coomaraswamy. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label Radhika Coomaraswamy. Alle posts tonen
vrijdag 4 maart 2011
UN envoy calls for military review after air strikes kill Afghan children
The United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict today called for a thorough review of procedures after NATO air strikes killed nine children in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province on Tuesday.
“Children killed in Afghanistan by air strikes is a cause of serious concern,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Radhika Coomaraswamy.
According to media reports, the boys – aged 12 and under – were killed while gathering firewood. NATO commander General David Petraeus has reportedly apologized for the fatalities, which he said occurred due to a communication error about the location of militants.
Ms. Coomaraswamy, in a statement issued by her office, welcomed Gen. Petraeus’ apology for the incident and his commitment to investigate.
At the same time, she urged a thorough review of procedures “to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to prevent children from becoming casualties in the complex and volatile situation in Afghanistan.”
The Special Representative noted that early last year, the international forces introduced technical directives aimed at better protecting civilians during air strikes, which had resulted in a significant decrease in the number of children killed by pro-Government forces in 2010.
(VN: New York, Mar 3, 2011)
Zie ook:
Excuses NAVO voor dood 9 Afghaanse kinderen
“Children killed in Afghanistan by air strikes is a cause of serious concern,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Radhika Coomaraswamy.
According to media reports, the boys – aged 12 and under – were killed while gathering firewood. NATO commander General David Petraeus has reportedly apologized for the fatalities, which he said occurred due to a communication error about the location of militants.
Ms. Coomaraswamy, in a statement issued by her office, welcomed Gen. Petraeus’ apology for the incident and his commitment to investigate.
At the same time, she urged a thorough review of procedures “to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to prevent children from becoming casualties in the complex and volatile situation in Afghanistan.”
The Special Representative noted that early last year, the international forces introduced technical directives aimed at better protecting civilians during air strikes, which had resulted in a significant decrease in the number of children killed by pro-Government forces in 2010.
(VN: New York, Mar 3, 2011)
Zie ook:
Excuses NAVO voor dood 9 Afghaanse kinderen
dinsdag 8 februari 2011
Seksueel misbruik en rekruteren kinderen door politie Afghanistan
In een plan van aanpak dat is ondertekend met Afghaanse functionarissen in Kabul zegt de overheid toe om kinderen te beschermen die getroffen worden door het gewapende conflict.
Het gaat om een plan om het rekruteren van minderjarigen in de nationale veiligheidsdiensten te voorkomen, hen te beschermen tegen seksueel misbruik en hen te re-integreren in de burgermaatschappij. Dat melden de Verenigde Naties.
Het verslag van de VN:
NEW UN-AFGHAN PACT WILL HELP CURB RECRUITMENT, SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN – UN OFFICIAL
A new agreement between Afghanistan and the United Nations holds out the hope of ending the recruitment of children by armed forces and curbing the sexual abuse of young boys by powerful commanders, particularly in the national police, a top UN official said today.
“We look forward to try to play an important role in it, both in verification and monitoring and assisting the Government in its reintegration process,” the UN Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York. “I think we can do a pretty good job of monitoring the situation.”
Under an action plan which Ms. Coomaraswamy signed with Afghan officials in Kabul, the capital, on Sunday, the government committed to protect children affected by armed conflict, prevent the recruitment of minors into the national armed forces, reintegrate them into civil society, and end the practice of Bacha-bazi, or so-called dancing boys.
“Very powerful warlords and regional commanders from all the security forces as well as anti-government forces have young boys who are taught to dance,” she explained. “They dance in front of them – in some kind of party situation – and then they are sexually exploited, sexual abuse of boys. We’re concerned because it’s sort of considered a sense of power and strength how many you have and parade.”
The Afghan government, the Ulema (Moslem scholars) and the fundamentalist Taliban now fighting the government are all officially against the practice, as is civil society. “So everybody’s against this practice but it continues with impunity,” Ms. Coomaraswamy said. “It seems to be widespread and it has to be fought and we need some prosecutions if we’re going to turn things around.”
She cited photographic and other evidence that the Afghan police in particular were recruiting minors and using boys in Bacha-bazi, noting that boys aged from 12 to 16 were being used to search vehicles or man checkpoints.
She said the UN country team will monitor the situation, adding that she did not have numbers for those recruited by the government or anti-government forces.
Last April, the Afghan National Police was cited in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report on Children and Armed Conflict for its recruitment of children. The government responded by establishing an inter-ministerial steering committee which developed the action plan with the UN-led country task force on children and armed conflict.
The plan sets out various issues that the government will address, such as the strengthening of birth registration and age-verification mechanisms, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of under-age recruitment and sexual violence.
Feb 3 2011 5:10PM
Zie ook:
http://afghanistan-veiligheid-kinderen.blogspot.com/2011/02/politie-afghanistan-rekruteert-en.html
De VN-persconferentie:
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2011/110203_Coomaraswamy.doc.htm
Het gaat om een plan om het rekruteren van minderjarigen in de nationale veiligheidsdiensten te voorkomen, hen te beschermen tegen seksueel misbruik en hen te re-integreren in de burgermaatschappij. Dat melden de Verenigde Naties.
Het verslag van de VN:
NEW UN-AFGHAN PACT WILL HELP CURB RECRUITMENT, SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN – UN OFFICIAL
A new agreement between Afghanistan and the United Nations holds out the hope of ending the recruitment of children by armed forces and curbing the sexual abuse of young boys by powerful commanders, particularly in the national police, a top UN official said today.
“We look forward to try to play an important role in it, both in verification and monitoring and assisting the Government in its reintegration process,” the UN Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York. “I think we can do a pretty good job of monitoring the situation.”
Under an action plan which Ms. Coomaraswamy signed with Afghan officials in Kabul, the capital, on Sunday, the government committed to protect children affected by armed conflict, prevent the recruitment of minors into the national armed forces, reintegrate them into civil society, and end the practice of Bacha-bazi, or so-called dancing boys.
“Very powerful warlords and regional commanders from all the security forces as well as anti-government forces have young boys who are taught to dance,” she explained. “They dance in front of them – in some kind of party situation – and then they are sexually exploited, sexual abuse of boys. We’re concerned because it’s sort of considered a sense of power and strength how many you have and parade.”
The Afghan government, the Ulema (Moslem scholars) and the fundamentalist Taliban now fighting the government are all officially against the practice, as is civil society. “So everybody’s against this practice but it continues with impunity,” Ms. Coomaraswamy said. “It seems to be widespread and it has to be fought and we need some prosecutions if we’re going to turn things around.”
She cited photographic and other evidence that the Afghan police in particular were recruiting minors and using boys in Bacha-bazi, noting that boys aged from 12 to 16 were being used to search vehicles or man checkpoints.
She said the UN country team will monitor the situation, adding that she did not have numbers for those recruited by the government or anti-government forces.
Last April, the Afghan National Police was cited in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report on Children and Armed Conflict for its recruitment of children. The government responded by establishing an inter-ministerial steering committee which developed the action plan with the UN-led country task force on children and armed conflict.
The plan sets out various issues that the government will address, such as the strengthening of birth registration and age-verification mechanisms, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of under-age recruitment and sexual violence.
Feb 3 2011 5:10PM
Zie ook:
http://afghanistan-veiligheid-kinderen.blogspot.com/2011/02/politie-afghanistan-rekruteert-en.html
De VN-persconferentie:
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2011/110203_Coomaraswamy.doc.htm
donderdag 11 september 2008
UN envoy: “Children becoming increasingly vulnerable in conflict situations”
The changing nature of warfare around the world has meant that more and more children are being used in conflict situations, a senior United Nations child advocate said Tuesday, urging that greater action be taken to protect the rights of young people.
"The main challenge we face for children and armed conflict lies in the changing nature of warfare where civilian life is far less protected," Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, told the Human Rights Council today in Geneva.
Ms. Coomaraswamy said this is true not only in places that she has recently visited, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the occupied Palestinian territories, but in many others that are grappling with the scourge of terrorism.
"In the battle between terrorism and counter-terrorism, many insurgent groups are not only mobilizing children in their political and military activities but are using them as child suicide bombers," she said.
The Special Representative also drew attention to children who are held in military detention without adequate judicial process, and the fact that children are often the victims of aerial bombardments which result in collateral damage.
"This Council must make it clear that the rules of engagement as defined by international law must be implemented and civilians, especially children, must remain a protected category."
Another problem is that non-State actors are engaging in violations against children during armed conflict. "By tolerating their actions, including the recruitment and mobilization of children, a climate of impunity prevails and grave violations against children and the general population continue unabated, making life less secure for everyone," she stated.
It is important that the Council deal comprehensively with the issue of all non-State actors, including making them accountable for human rights violations, she added.
Ms. Coomaraswamy also noted that sexual violence continues to be prevalent, but added that it was not just limited to girls. She said that during her visit to Afghanistan, she was appalled by the scale of sexual violence committed against boys by war lords and commanders.
The vulnerability of boys is an often neglected aspect of war, she noted, adding that the report on Afghanistan that will be published next month might help redress this situation.
(Source: UN)
"The main challenge we face for children and armed conflict lies in the changing nature of warfare where civilian life is far less protected," Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, told the Human Rights Council today in Geneva.
Ms. Coomaraswamy said this is true not only in places that she has recently visited, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the occupied Palestinian territories, but in many others that are grappling with the scourge of terrorism.
"In the battle between terrorism and counter-terrorism, many insurgent groups are not only mobilizing children in their political and military activities but are using them as child suicide bombers," she said.
The Special Representative also drew attention to children who are held in military detention without adequate judicial process, and the fact that children are often the victims of aerial bombardments which result in collateral damage.
"This Council must make it clear that the rules of engagement as defined by international law must be implemented and civilians, especially children, must remain a protected category."
Another problem is that non-State actors are engaging in violations against children during armed conflict. "By tolerating their actions, including the recruitment and mobilization of children, a climate of impunity prevails and grave violations against children and the general population continue unabated, making life less secure for everyone," she stated.
It is important that the Council deal comprehensively with the issue of all non-State actors, including making them accountable for human rights violations, she added.
Ms. Coomaraswamy also noted that sexual violence continues to be prevalent, but added that it was not just limited to girls. She said that during her visit to Afghanistan, she was appalled by the scale of sexual violence committed against boys by war lords and commanders.
The vulnerability of boys is an often neglected aspect of war, she noted, adding that the report on Afghanistan that will be published next month might help redress this situation.
(Source: UN)
woensdag 27 augustus 2008
Afghanistan: UN child rights official voices alarm at high civilian death toll
The United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict has strongly condemned the deaths of a large number of civilians, mostly children, as a result of recent military operations in Afghanistan.
Yesterday the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan UNAMA reported that an investigation by its human rights team found that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, during operations carried out by international and Afghan military forces on 21 August in Shindand district in Afghanistan's western Herat province.
"I am really alarmed by the number of casualties caused by this air strike and other similar military operations," the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Radhika Coomaraswamy, said in a statement. "Children are bearing the brunt of this conflict and also experiencing physical and psychological trauma."
Echoing the call made yesterday by Kai Eide, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Ms. Coomaraswamy reminded the international and Afghan military forces that "they must review their operational procedures to avoid such tragic events from reoccurring."
Ms. Coomaraswamy raised the issue of civilian casualties with the leadership of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and the United States-led Operation Enduring Freedom during a recent visit to Afghanistan, stressing to them the need to minimize collateral damage with clear directions and procedures.
"It is important to put in place measures to prevent the excesses, to have prompt investigations and where necessary to pay adequate compensation," she had stated at the end of that visit.
Yesterday the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan UNAMA reported that an investigation by its human rights team found that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, during operations carried out by international and Afghan military forces on 21 August in Shindand district in Afghanistan's western Herat province.
"I am really alarmed by the number of casualties caused by this air strike and other similar military operations," the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Radhika Coomaraswamy, said in a statement. "Children are bearing the brunt of this conflict and also experiencing physical and psychological trauma."
Echoing the call made yesterday by Kai Eide, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Ms. Coomaraswamy reminded the international and Afghan military forces that "they must review their operational procedures to avoid such tragic events from reoccurring."
Ms. Coomaraswamy raised the issue of civilian casualties with the leadership of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and the United States-led Operation Enduring Freedom during a recent visit to Afghanistan, stressing to them the need to minimize collateral damage with clear directions and procedures.
"It is important to put in place measures to prevent the excesses, to have prompt investigations and where necessary to pay adequate compensation," she had stated at the end of that visit.
Abonneren op:
Posts (Atom)