To mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark United Nations report by Graça Machel, Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (A/51/306), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC) and UNICEF have co-convened a strategic review of the current situation faced by children in conflict situations. The 1996 "Machel Study" proposed comprehensive actions for the international community to improve the protection and care of children affected by armed conflict.
Much progress has been made in the last decade, including the Optional Protocols (2000), demobilization and reintegration programs for children and the prosecutions of perpetrators by international tribunals. Security Council Resolution 1612, which has established a monitoring and reporting mechanism of grave violations of child rights, furthers the commitment of the UN and Member States to this issue.
But much more needs to be done. Since the original release of the Machel Study, the context of conflict has changed dramatically. Diverse forms of political and armed violence have presented new threats to the protection of children. The overall aim of the Strategic Review is to provide a visionary and forward looking platform to address issues of children and armed conflict for the next 10 years.