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 1996, Ms. Graça Machel, an independent expert appointed by the Secretary-General, submitted her report to the General Assembly entitled Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (A/51/306). The report led to the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 51/77 of 12 December 1996, establishing the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict for a period of three years. The Assembly has since extended this mandate four times and most recently by its resolution A/RES/63/241 of 13 March 2009.

In September 1997, the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Olara A. Otunnu as his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy has assumed this position since April 2006.

The Mission Statement of the Office of the Special Representative is:

"To promote and protect the rights of all children affected by armed conflict"

• The Special Representative serves as a moral voice and independent advocate for the protection and well-being of boys and girls affected by armed conflict.

• The Special Representative works with partners to propose ideas and approaches to enhance the protection of children and armed conflict and to promote a more concerted protection response.

• The Special Representative and her Office advocate, build awareness and give prominence to the rights and protection of children and armed conflict.

• The Special Representative is a facilitator, undertaking humanitarian and diplomatic initiatives to facilitate the work of operational actors on the ground with regard to children and armed conflict.

The Office of the Special Representative does not have a field presence but promotes and supports the efforts of operational partners.