A senior United Nations official has welcomed the move by lawmakers in the Central African Republic (CAR) to criminalize child recruitment.听 听
The National Assembly in CAR recently adopted the Child Protection Code, which criminalizes the recruitment and use of children, among other crimes.听听听
鈥淭his Code is a strong step for the protection of children and the prevention of grave violations. It also brings hope to the victims and I encourage the authorities to continue to pursue accountability for perpetrators of crimes against children and bring them to justice,鈥� said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,听.听听
The Code stresses that children associated with armed groups should be considered primarily as victims and addresses other grave violations, including sexual violence. Its adoption follows an extensive period of consultations and advocacy from the UN, according to a听听issued by the Special Representative鈥檚 office.听听
While the Government of CAR has taken a series of commitments over the past year to better protect children, the country continues to endure 鈥渄ramatic鈥� levels of grave violations.听听听
The Special Representative urged the Government to, among other steps, adopt the draft protocol for the handover of children associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors, so they can benefit from appropriate reintegration support, and called on the international community to support long-term reintegration programmes.听
