Developments in Afghanistan
The information below is based on the 2009 report of the Secretary General to the Security Council (A/63/785-S/2009/158) issued on 26 March 2009. More information is available in the report
Allegations of recruitment of children by armed groups, including those associated with the Taliban, have been received from all regions. Recruitment is prevalent in areas with high concentrations of returnees or internally displaced persons. Children living in the southern border areas were approached and offered money to carry out activities on behalf of armed groups. Due to inadequate age-verification procedures in its recruitment processes, children have been found in ranks of the Afghan National Police.
Children have been captured, arrested and detained by Afghan law enforcement agencies and international military forces because of their alleged association with armed groups. There is evidence of children being ill-treated, detained for long periods of time by the National Directorate of Security and prevented access to legal assistance, in contravention of the provisions of the Afghan Juvenile Code and international standards on juvenile justice.
Reports of child casualties due to the conflict have been received from all across Afghanistan. Children are caught between opposing sides in the ongoing conflict in the southern and eastern regions and are also victims of asymmetric attacks, which have included suicide bombings, improvised explosive devices and attacks by anti-government elements including the Taliban, which primarily target national and international security forces, governmental infrastructure and personnel.
There is an escalation of incidents affecting the education sector, including attacks on schools, students and teachers. As of September 2008, the Ministry of Education reported that 99 schools had been attacked, burned or destroyed by anti-government elements, including the Taliban, and 600 schools were closed since the start of the year. Students, teachers and other education personnel have been threatened or killed.
The conflict has negatively affected access to basic health services in almost half of the country, with the southern region being the most affected. Medical personnel have been targeted by anti-government elements, including the Taliban. Humanitarian access is increasingly restricted in conflict-affected areas, aggravated by recurrent threats, beatings, abductions and killings of humanitarian workers, attacks and looting of aid convoys.
Reports of children being sexually abused and exploited by members of armed forces and groups were documented. Although some incidents were investigated and perpetrators sentenced to imprisonment, in most incidents they are not officially reported for fear of retaliation, and only a few reach the prosecution stage. Nevertheless, a few cases of influential leaders of armed groups using young boys for sexual purposes were prosecuted.
Parties responsible for recruitment and use of children
Taliban forces: this party has also been responsible for the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access to children in the reporting period. Status: No Action plan. In September 2008, the country task force on monitoring and reporting initiated consultations with the Government of Afghanistan to devise a strategy to disseminate information to parties to the conflict on the monitoring and reporting mechanism, and on engaging with parties for the preparation of action plans to end child recruitment.