eng - World Organisation Against Torture

Programme Framework for Children inArmed Conflict of 2001 (PresidentialExecutive Order No. 56) which promotesrescue, recovery and reintegration ofchildren involved in armed conflict.Notwithstanding these positive stepstaken by the State party, theCommittee expresses its deep concernabout children, sometimes as young as11 years old, being recruited by armedrebel movements, such as the NewPeople’s Army, the Moro IslamicLiberation Front, and the Abu SayyafGroup, to serve as combatants, spies,guards, cooks or medics.76. The Committee is concerned that theState party is able to provide only the arrestedchild soldiers with physical andpsychological recovery and social reintegrationservices, but the majority ofchildren involved in and affected byarmed conflict is never reached.Furthermore, the Committee is concernedabout the continuing displacementof children and their limited accessto social and health services, educationand, above all, to development due to theadverse effects of internal armed conflict.In addition, the Committee is concernedat the impact of internal armed conflicton children not involved in hostilities,particularly Muslim children living inthe Mindanao region.77. The Committee recalls that the Stateparty has undertaken to respect and ensureall the rights set forth in theConvention for all children within its jurisdictionat all times. In the light of articles38, 39 and other relevant articlesof the Convention, the Committee urgesthe State party to continue its peace effortswith armed rebel movements in orderto urge them to immediately ceasethe recruitment for and involvement ofchildren in armed conflicts, and to ensureprotection of all children who havebeen involved in armed conflict. TheCommittee recommends to the Stateparty that it provide children involved inand traumatized by armed conflict withadequate assistance and counselling fortheir physical and psychological recoveryand social reintegration into societyin cooperation with national and internationalnon-governmental organizationsand United Nations bodies, such asUNICEF. The Committee recommendsthat the State party provide girl child soldierswith adequate gender-specific rehabilitationand reintegration services.84