Summary:

Following the General Discussion on “Children in armed conflicts” (1992), the CRC recommended the General Assembly to study ways of improving the protection of children in armed conflicts (CRC/C/16). At its forty eight session, the General Assembly adopted resolution 48/157 entitled "Protection of children affected by armed conflicts".

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A/RES/48/157 7 March 1994

General Assembly resolution 48/157 of 20 December 1993: Protection of children affected by armed conflicts

Following the Day of General Discussion on “Children in armed conflicts” (5 October 1992), the CRC recommended to the General Assembly that it request the Secretary-General to study ways of improving the protection of children in armed conflicts (CRC/C/16). At its forty eight session, the General Assembly adopted resolution 48/157 entitled Protection of children affected by armed conflicts.

Here is the full text

General Assembly resolution 48/157 of 20 December 1993 Protection of children affected by armed conflicts

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, by which it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and its resolution 3318 (XXIX) of 14 December 1974, by which it proclaimed the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict,

Recalling that the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 1/ and the Additional Protocols thereto, of 1977, 2/ as well as article 38 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, accord children special protection and treatment,

Recalling the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children 3/ and the Plan of Action for

Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s, 3/ adopted by the World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and 30 September 1990, and stressing the necessity of implementing their provisions,

Taking note of the report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on its third session, held at Geneva from 11 to 29 January 1993, 4/ in particular its recommendation to the General Assembly that the Secretary-General should undertake a study of the ways and means of improving the protection of children from the adverse effects of armed conflicts,

Taking note also of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/83 of 10 March 1993, 5/

Mindful of the strong support of the World Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993, for the proposed study by the Secretary-General, as reflected in paragraph 50 of section II of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, 6/

Profoundly concerned about the grievous deterioration in the situation of children in many parts of the world as a result of armed conflicts, and convinced that immediate and concerted action is called for,

Convinced that children affected by armed conflicts require the special protection of the international community and that there is a need for all States to work towards the alleviation of their plight,

Recognizing the valuable work done in this field by United Nations bodies and organizations, as well as by other relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,

1. Expresses grave concern about the tragic situation of children in many parts of the world as a result of armed conflicts;

2. Calls upon States fully to respect the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Additional Protocols thereto, of 1977, as well as those of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which accord children affected by armed conflicts special protection and treatment;

3. Urges all Member States to continue seeking comprehensive improvement of the situation of children affected by armed conflicts with appropriate and concrete measures;

4. Requests bodies and organizations of the United Nations, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, within the scope of their respective mandates, to cooperate in order to ensure more effective action in addressing the problem of children affected by armed conflicts;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session a report on those concrete measures which have been taken, pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 above, to alleviate the situation of children in armed conflict; 6. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on its third session 4/ and the recommendations contained therein concerning the situation of children affected by armed conflict;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint an expert, working in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat and the United Nations Children's Fund, to undertake a comprehensive study of this question, including the participation of children in armed conflict, as well as the relevance and adequacy of existing standards, and to make specific recommendations on ways and means of preventing children from being affected by armed conflicts and of improving the protection of children in armed conflicts and on measures to ensure effective protection of these children, including from indiscriminate use of all weapons of war, especially anti-personnel mines, and to promote their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration, in particular, measures to ensure proper medical care and adequate nutrition, taking into account the recommendations by the World Conference on Human Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child;

8. Requests Member States and United Nations bodies and organizations, as well as other relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, including the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to contribute to the study requested in paragraph 7 above;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a progress report on the study to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session;

10. Invites the Commission on Human Rights to consider the study at its fifty-first session;

11. Decides to consider this question at its forty-ninth session under the item entitled "Necessity of adopting effective measures for the promotion and protection of the rights of children throughout the world who are victims of especially difficult circumstances, including armed conflicts".

________________ 1/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970-973. 2/ Ibid., vol. 1125, Nos. 17512 and 17513. 3/ A/45/625, annex. 4/ CRC/C/16. 5/ See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1993, Supplement No. 3 (E/1993/23), chap. II, sect. A. 6/ (A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.

Previous CRC - Basic Reference Document items

• 14/01/1994: Sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography : Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur
• 10/01/1994: Report on the fifth session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
• 08/07/1993: Report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
• 05/03/1993: Report on the third session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (11- 29 January 1993)
• 01/01/1993: Derechos del niño

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Last updated 12/04/2001 07:39:22

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