Office of the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for
Children and Armed Conflict

Since the World Summit for Children, in 1990, the United Nations has increasingly sought to draw international attention to the horrendous plight of children affected by armed conflict. In 1993, following a recommendation by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the General Assembly adopted resolution 48/157 of 20 December 1993, recommending that the Secretary-General appoint an independent expert to study the impact of armed conflict on children. Ms. Graça Machel, former Minister of Education of Mozambique, was appointed the expert of the Secretary-General, charged with the task of undertaking the study with the special support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Centre for Human Rights. In 1996, following two years of extensive research, consultations and field visits, Ms. Machel submitted her report, entitled Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (A/51/306 Add.1), to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session.

In response to the Machel report, the General Assembly adopted resolution 51/77, in which it recommended that the Secretary-General appoint for a period of three years a Special Representative on the impact of armed conflict on children. The Assembly also called upon States and institutions concerned to provide voluntary contributions in support of the work of the Special Representative.

The Secretary-General appointed Mr. Olara A. Otunnu as his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in September 1997. In announcing the appointment, the Secretary-General underscored the urgent need for a public advocate and moral voice on behalf of children whose rights and wellbeing have been and are being violated in the context of armed conflict.

Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy assumed the position of Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in April 2006. The 2006 report accordingly outlines the key priorities of the Office of the Special Representative in the new phase of the mandate, including the strategies that will be employed to ensure the institution of an “era of application” of international child protection standards and norms. The report also highlights some significant areas of progress in the efforts of the international community to deliver tangible protection for children affected by armed conflict.