Forum: Youth Assembly

Question of: Protecting the rights of children within LEDCs

Main Submitter: Uganda
Co-submitters: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Ukraine

Reaffirming that the rights of children require special protection, and calling for
continuous improvement of the situation of children without distinction, as well as
for their development and education in conditions of peace and security,

Recognizing the special needs of those children who are particularly vulnerable to
recruitment or use in hostilities contrary to the present Protocol owing to their
economic or social status or gender,

Recognizes the link between abductions, recruitment into armed forces, sexual and
physical violence and trafficking many children face in LEDC's,

Alarmed by the high rates of children that are sexually abused in LEDC’s,

Recalling that, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations
has proclaimed that children are entitled to special care and assistance,

1. Urges member states to form a policy leadership to implement

systematic, disaggregated data collection and information systems around
children in displaced and homeless situations;

2. Implores states to prosecute personnel that commit genocide, crimes

against humanity, war crimes and other egregious crimes perpetrated
against children from amnesty laws and other similar provisions;
3. Calls member states to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol on the
Rights of the Child;

4. Calls upon member states to ensure full, safe and unhindered access and
entry of humanitarian aid and personnel and the delivery of humanitarian
assistance to all children in LEDC’s;

5. Encourages the formation of an awareness month that would bring

awareness to children located in LEDC’s in need and allow a form of
fundraising, that will help fund for their protection and or relocation this
can be done by:

i) Poster and advertisements in media,

6. Stresses the importance of long term and sustainable funding for mental
health and psychosocial programming in humanitarian context, ensuring
all children affected by homelessness traumas, different forms of abuse
and exploitation receive timely and sufficient support;

7. Urges local leaders in LEDC’s to offer safe haven, to publicly condemn

and advocate the ending and preventing violations and abuses against
children in their local communities and,
Further urges local leaders in LEDC communities to engage and collaborate
with governments and other relevant stakeholders to support the needs of
children in their communities;

8. Advocate for the enforcement of institutional practices in the community,

from the family up to school level, that safeguards the rights of children in
ways such as, but not limited to:
a) children protection committees in educational institutions such as
elementary and high school,
b) mandatory courses for teachers which instruct on ideas such as but
not limited to:
i) positive student-teacher relationships,
 ii) recognizing signs of abuse;

9. Suggests the creation of a confidence committee specifically geared

towards minority groups, ethnic or religious so that children and
teenagers of minority groups have a safe place to express their
concerns without the worry of prejudice;

10. Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.