Information about war-affected children not translated into useful response - UN

A great deal of information about the abuse and brutalization of children in wars has been disseminated, but has not been translated into coherent and concerted action to protect the rights of those youngsters, the senior United Nations official overseeing war-affected children says in a report released today.

"The evolution and dynamics discussed in the present report underscore a watershed development - that the international community now has what it takes to reverse the trend of abominations against children exposed to war. It is now a matter of choice and will," Olara Otunnu, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, says in a report to the General Assembly.

The world has powerful means to influence warring parties, he says, such as international and local public opinion, international accountability before courts and tribunals, the need to import weapons and funds, measures to stop the illicit trade in natural resources, the strength and vigilance of civil society and media exposure.

"The core task is to establish a systematic and integrated monitoring and reporting network that can provide regular, objective reports on violations against children. Such reports should, in turn, serve as 'triggers for action' on the part of various international, regional and local bodies, mechanisms and actors, each employing all means and levers of influence at their disposal for the protection of war-affected children," Mr. Otunnu says.

Arranging for such responses would be the UN task for the next three years, the "era of application," he says.