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Activities » Activities Update » Activity Details
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| 2008-03-22 |
Children put at risk of physical harm in campaign activities: UNMIN election report |
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Kathmandu 22 March – In its first Election Report, released today, the United Nations Mission in Nepal highlighted the misuse of children in political party activities as breaches of the election code of conduct.
Reporting on a violent attack by members of the CPN-Maoist against members of the CPN-United Marxit-Leninist in Ramechhap district on 12 March, UNMIN noted that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights “was told by multiple sources that students as young as twelve had been taken out of school and enlisted by the Young Communist League.”
The United Nations continues to receive reports “that children are involved in campaign activities that sometimes put their physical safety at risk.”
Pointing to political party plans to mobilise large numbers of young people on election day, the report stated that “representatives of youth wings of major political parties have indicated that they plan to deploy large numbers of young people “to provide security” at polling stations on election day. Although the stated reasons for the planned use of volunteers are non-violent and are claimed to be to facilitate the process, the presence near polling stations of organised youth belonging to competing parties would carry a considerable risk of violence.”
Security Council Resolution 1740 establishing UNMIN stated that the Mission should pay particular attention to the special needs of children in the peace process. UNMIN, together with OHCHR, UNICEF and the members of a special monitoring and reporting task force, is working to help ensure that children’s rights are respected and that political parties and groups do not misuse children. This task force, based on Security Council Resolution 1612 on the situation of children affected by armed conflict, brings together national and international NGOs working for children’s rights. UNMIN has child protection teams working both from its Kathmandu headquarters and each of its five regional headquarters. These teams hold regular meetings with political leaders and groups to share information on the rights of children and the responsibilities of political parties towards children. |
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