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The Council had before it the report of the Secretary-General on Children and armed conflict (document S/2007/757), which covers progress in the implementation of resolution 1612 (2005) on that topic, from October 2006 to August 2007, and includes information on compliance in ending grave violations, such as the recruitment and use of child soldiers, as well as cross-cutting issues that have arisen due to the changing nature of conflicts.

MAGED ABDELAZIZ ( Egypt) said that the monitoring mechanism should be extended to situations related to children in occupied Palestine, as reflected in the report, as well as to the sufferings of Lebanese children from the extensive and unprecedented use by Israel of cluster bombs during the 2006 conflict in southern Lebanon.  All violations should be treated on an equal footing, and no child should be left under those or any other conflicts without international protection.   Egypt supported most of the Secretary-General's recommendations especially that equal weight be given to all categories of grave violations. He also supported the recommendations aiming at making adequate resources and funding available by donors to national Governments, the United Nations and partners to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of children in armed conflicts and address immediately the grave humanitarian, human rights and development consequences of cluster munitions.  In the annexes, it was necessary to include a reference to the violations of Israel of its commitments as an occupying Power, particularly those related to guaranteeing peace and security of children in the Occupied Arab Territories, in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. Egypt appreciated extensive efforts by the Working Group, according to its current mandate, without expanding it to include the imposition of targeted measures on parties who committed grave violations against children in all situations of concern.  Such an expansion of the mandate might affect the balance needed to deal with all aspects of situations of concern listed in the annexes, whether they were included on the Council agenda or not, without concentrating on a certain aspect at the expense of others.  To accomplish all targeted goals, the office of the Special Representative should coordinate with the new office of the Special Representative for Violence against Children.

Abductions of children by Iraqi armed groups related to the sectarian violence increased significantly, in addition to the number of children abducted for ransom. A survey conducted by several local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Baghdad indicated that at least 20,000 people had been abducted throughout the country in 2006, half of them women and children.6

Article 9 of the 2005 Iraqi constitution stated that “[t]he Iraqi Armed Forces and Security Services will be composed of the components of the Iraqi people with due consideration given to its balance and its similarity without discrimination or exclusion and shall be subject to the control of the civilian authority”, and that “[m]ilitary service shall be regulated by law”.

The government, through the Commission of Child Care, began to address the challenges confronting children in Iraq. The Commission established a committee, which recommended that the government sign the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.28

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In recent years, children have been actively engaged in fighting with armed opposition groups in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen.

he Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to monitor nations and rebel groups that abduct and abuse children or enlist them as soldiers and to consider sanctions against offenders, including travel restrictions, asset freezes and denial of amnesty provisions to military and political leaders. The United Nations said that in the last decade two million children were killed and six million disabled or injured in situations of armed conflict.

The United States, which wants to keep the option of sending soldiers into combat at 17, found itself with few allies in negotiations this week on an international agreement to set a new minimum age for recruitment and active military service.

The United States position was backed by Britain, Egypt, Kuwait and Singapore.

General Information on Egypt Official Name: Arab Republic of Egypt Capital: Cairo (Current local time) Government Type: Republic Chief of State: Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, president Population: 80.3 million Area: 386,000 square miles; approximately equal to Texas and New Mexico combined Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes Literacy: Total Population: [71%] Male: [83%]; Female: [59%] GDP Per Capita: $4,200 Year of Independence: 1922 Web site: Egypt.gov.eg (in Arabic)