[child-rights] West African leaders back UN envoy's calls for protecting war-affected children

WEST AFRICAN LEADERS BACK UN ENVOY'S CALLS FOR PROTECTING WAR-AFFECTED CHILDREN
New York, Feb  6 2003  5:00PM

Expressing "particular concern" over the violence perpetrated against 
children in West Africa, regional leaders have called for countries to act 
on a call by a United Nations envoy to protect youngsters from the deadly 
impact of war.

In the final communiqué adopted and issued last week in Senegal at the end 
of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of 
West African States (ECOWAS), leaders from that region declared their 
commitment to respect the "inalienable principles" contained in the African 
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the 
Rights of the Child.

They also called on Member States to implement the agenda for action 
proposed by the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, 
Olara Otunnu, which calls for the inclusion of child protection measures in 
ECOWAS peacekeeping activities, and the development and strengthening of a 
civil society network for protection and advocacy in the region.

The leaders' text also proposes to make ECOWAS a child solder-free zone 
with initiatives aimed at reducing the recruitment of youngsters as 
fighters and the strengthening of traditional African values for the 
protection of children.

"The most important asset for Africa is its enormous human resource and 
intellectual capital, especially that of its youth," Mr. Otunnu said as he 
pledged a partnership between the UN and ECOWAS "to ensure the protection, 
rights and well-being of all the children of this sub-region."

On the recommendation of Mr. Otunnu, ECOWAS established a child protection 
unit within its Secretariat last year.