Countries Share Lessons in Line with UN campaign ‘Children, Not Soldiers’

(OSRSG-CAAC) – Joint statement by Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui: During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Minister for Africa James Duddridge and Special Representative, Leila Zerrougui held a Ministerial roundtable on 25 September with several countries to identify ways to accelerate progress in ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children in conflict situations by national security forces. The meeting was held in support of the UN campaign, ‘Children Not Soldiers’. Ministers and Representatives from Afghanistan, Chad, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen, Liberia and Sierra Leone were joined by the Peace and Security Commissioner of the African Union. They shared lessons on ending the recruitment and use of children by government forces in conflict situations and to also help those with UN Action Plans accelerate their implementation.