Child protection on peacekeepers' agenda

The recent deployment of a child protection adviser to the staff of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) will help to ensure that children's rights become a priority in peace-keeping operations. Olara Otunno, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Bernard Miyet, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, described the move as a "major step in integrating the protection of children's rights into the peace and security agenda of the UN," in a joint statement issued in New York on Tuesday. JoAnna Van Gerpen, UNICEF's representative in Sierra Leone, told IRIN on Wednesday that the child protection adviser, who had been seconded to UNAMSIL from UNICEF, would act as a "bridge between the humanitarian community and the peacekeeping forces." "It is important to have someone working with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations to promote child protection and to ensure that these issues are brought to the attention of the Security Council," she added. Van Gerpen said that UNICEF would retain its mandate for the coordination of operational activities of child protection agencies. "UNICEF is responsible for coordinating child protection activities in Sierra Leone as designated by the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR)" she told IRIN. There are some 5,400 children classified as combatants in Sierra Leone but there are an additional 5,000 to 10,000 "children associated with combat forces," who also require reintegration support, Van Gerpen said. Porters or girls used for sexual purposes are examples of children falling into this category, Van Gerpen said.