World Report 2011 - Human Rights Watch

SCHOOLS AS BATTLEGROUNDSattacks, could have particularly far-reaching impact. The MRM was establishedin 2005 and now operates in 13 countries, feeding information on abusesagainst children in conflict from the field to the Security Council. The SecurityCouncil in turn has the power to take strong action against parties who commitabuses against children during armed conflicts, including imposing sanctionsand arms embargoes and referring perpetrators of war crimes and crimesagainst humanity to the International Criminal Court.At present the MRM is only “triggered” by evidence of the war crimes ofrecruitment and use of children as soldiers, sexual violence against children inconflict, and killing and maiming of children. Once it is operational in a country,however, the mechanism is required to monitor other abuses, includingattacks on education. The Security Council has rightly urged parties to conflictsto refrain from “attacks or threats of attacks on school children or teachersas such, the use of schools for military operations, and attacks on schoolsthat are prohibited by applicable international law.” 4 It has, however, made farfewer recommendations on education via the MRM than on higher profileissues such as child soldiers. The MRM is also not present in some places,such as southern Thailand and India, that continue to suffer repeated attackson school facilities and personnel.Supported by the MRM, the UN has achieved substantial successes reducingthe use of child soldiers by negotiating action plans with both governmentsand armed groups to demobilize children from their forces and end newrecruitment of children. To achieve similar success in ending attacks on education,the UN-led country teams that monitor violations against children inarmed conflict should improve their monitoring of attacks on education, providingthe Security Council with more information and recommendations foraction. Additionally, the Security Council should include attacks on educationas a “trigger” to start up the MRM.45