Statement by
H.E. Mr. Rezlan Ishar Jenie
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia
to the United Nations
Before
The Security Council
on
Children and Armed Conflict

New York, 23 February 2005

Mr. President,

Let me start by thanking you Mr. President for convening this meeting today on the pertinent issue of Children and Armed Conflict. My delegation also commends the Secretary-General for his timely Report contained in document A/59/695-S/2005/72, which covers a broad perspective on the protection of children affected by armed conflict.

Mr. President,

Indonesia is of the view that the rights of children in armed conflicts should be acknowledged and respected. Those rights should be an explicit priority of and should be firmly entrenched in peace- making, peace-building and conflict resolution processes. My delegation warmly welcomes the significant progress made so far by various parties in the context of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes of child soldiers, as well as in developing action plans to end their use in conflict situation. We also support measures to prevent grave violations against such children.

It is saddening to learn however that notwithstanding such progress, the situation for children remains quite serious and unacceptable. The international community is now faced with a cruel dichotomy. On the one hand, clear and strong armed conflict protection standards for children involved in conflict and important concrete initiatives, particularly at the international level, have been developed. On the other hand, atrocities against children continue largely unabated on the ground.

This gloomy picture is further exacerbated by the significant increase in the number of allegations of sexual misconduct against United Nations peacekeeping personnel. My delegation is of the view that peacekeeping personnel should help not harm countries and communities torn by war. It is therefore imperative that peacekeepers uphold the trust that the local population and the international communities have placed in them. In this regard, Indonesia appreciates current initiatives to undertake informal consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries to identify joint solutions to the problem.

Mr. President,

In general, my delegation is aware of the initiative of the Special Representative, Mr. Olara Ottunu, to come up with an Action Plan for the establishment of a monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism. Indonesia strongly believes that national authorities play a central and immediate role in providing effective protection and relief to children in danger. It is therefore necessary that all actions undertaken by United Nations entities and international NGOs at the country level should always be designed to support and complement the protection and rehabilitation roles of national authorities and not supplant them.

Mr. President,

In the case of Indonesia, law no. 23/2002 on Child Protection Articles 59 and 60/ oblige the Government to provide special protection for children in emergency situations, such as those internally displaced, those who become victims of internal conflict, natural disaster / and children in armed conflict. Article 63 clearly stipulates that no one shall engage in recruiting or manipulating children for military purposes. Those who violate such provisions will be brought to justice and be penalized as stated in article 87.

Indonesia is very much aware of the complexity of the issue of children and armed conflict. A concerted and comprehensive approach, rather than partial and selective ones, should be promoted in addressing the root causes of this problem. While national governments playa vital role, the international community should ensure generous support and assistance for national plans and programmes in this regard.

In sum, Mr. President, the future of humanity depends on children. The use of children in armed conflicts casts a dark shadow over their future, for children who are exposed to such violence often carry fears and hatred in their hearts and minds that have profound long-term effects. Hence, much needs to be done to alleviate their suffering and ensure their rightful place in society through through adequate support programmes. We are duty bound to extend our cooperation to the Secretary-General in his efforts to address the issue of children affected by armed conflict.

I thank you Mr. President.