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Iraq

Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Iraq (S/2011/366)

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Summary

The present report was prepared pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005) and 1882 (2009). It is the first report on the situation of children and armed conflict in Iraq to be presented to the Security Council and its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. It covers the period from January 2008 to December 2010.

The report highlights trends and patterns of grave violations committed against children in the context of the continuing conflict in Iraq, such as the recruitment and use of children; including use of children as suicide bombers, the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. The report also identifies parties to the conflict responsible for such grave violations.

The report appreciates the security challenges facing the United Nations and child protection stakeholders in Iraq, and notes that access to affected populations and children for monitoring and verification purposes was not consistent. The report welcomes the efforts of the Government of Iraq to address some of the child protection concerns during the reporting period. The report also highlights areas for advocacy and response, and concludes with a series of recommendations to all parties in order to address remaining challenges and further enhance child protection.