Girls in Armed Conflict - Joint NGO Statement to UN Human Rights Council

World YWCA

World Alliance of YMCAs

World Organisation Against Torture

Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas

UN Watch International

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2nd session of the 1^st Human Rights Council, 18 September – 6 October 2006

Joint NGO Statement on girls in armed conflict

Delivered by Yuriko Fukushima, 29 September 2006

Mr. Chairperson,

We would like to draw the attention of this Council to strengthen measures to ensure comprehensive protection of rights of the girl child in armed conflict.

Today, in every continent, wherever there is conflict, children are disproportionately affected. Among them, the girl child is especially vulnerable to sexual violence.

In situations of armed conflict, the girl child is especially vulnerable to sexual violence as they are targeted for rape, abduction into sexual slavery and prostitution. In many cases, girls face forced pregnancy, forced sterilization and murder as a consequence.

Sexual violence during armed conflict also accelerates the spread of HIV and AIDS. According to the UNAIDS, the rate of HIV infections among combatants are three to five times higher than those among local populations. Where rape is used as a weapon of war, the girl child is at a high risk of being infected with HIV.

The end of an armed conflict does not make the situation of the girl child less vulnerable. Inadequate health services, education and legal support do not ensure their physical and psychological healing. Furthermore, the social stigma attached to victims of rape and sexual violence often makes them reluctant to seek treatment and support.

Therefore, we call on this Council to take comprehensive and long-term action to ensure the rights, protection and well being of the girl child before, during and post armed conflicts.

We urge the Governments and the Human Rights Council:

To integrate human rights standards articulated in conventions and protocols[1] into the national legal framework so as to put an end to impunity for war crimes against the girl child and bring those responsible to justice.
To allocate financial resources for post-conflict reconstruction to ensure the adequate provision of social services to the girl child who has suffered sexual violence, including health and medical services, counselling and education.
To develop adequate resources which would ensure full access to social and legal support.
To integrate HIV prevention, care and treatment into conflict prevention programmes and support the girl child who has contracted HIV as a result of sexual assault in armed conflict situations.

Thank you, Mr, Chairperson.

[1] Over 25 articles of the four Geneva Conventions and the two Additional Protocols specifically concern children. One must also mention several other treaties relating to the protection of children affected by armed conflict: the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, adopted in 1990; the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and its 2000 Optional protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts; and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which makes recruiting of children as soldiers a crime.

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