New York, US - Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, on Wednesday welcomed the UN Security Council’s decision to agree to apply sanctions against any individuals or entities that violate children’s rights.

'Starting today, in Somalia, if you kill, maim, recruit, use or sexually violate children, or if you attack their schools and hospitals, you can be sanctioned,” Coomaraswany said in a statement.

The statement, which was circulated at the UN headquarters, quoted the UN envoy as stating that, 'this is one step closer to ending impunity of the worst violators of children in war'.

She also urged all partners working in child protection, including the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), 'to redouble their efforts to gather reliable information on grave violations against children, so that they can help the Monitoring Group carry out its work'.

PANA recalled that UN Security Council members approved the tougher measures on Friday as part of a resolution extending and expanding the mandate of the eight-member UN Monitoring Group on Eritrea and Somalia.

The sanctions applied to individuals or entities which violate the rights of children include arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes.

Pana 04/08/2011