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At its 75th meeting, held on 20 November 2018, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict examined the fifth report of the SecretaryGeneral on children and armed conflict in Myanmar (S/2018/956), which was introduced by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The report was submitted as a follow-up to the fourth report of the Secretary-General on the same topic (S/2017/1099), which was introduced by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict at its 69th meeting, held on 22 January 2018. The Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations also addressed the Working Group.

The members of the Working Group welcomed the report of the SecretaryGeneral, submitted in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), 2143 (2014), 2225 (2015) and 2427 (2018), and took note of the analysis and recommendations contained therein.

The members of the Working Group strongly condemned all violations and abuses that continue to be committed against children in Myanmar and expressed grave concern at the scale and nature of violations and abuses against children in Myanmar, including against children in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States, by all parties, including the Myanmar military and security forces, in particular against persons belonging to the Rohingya community and other minority ethnic communities, and about the lack of accountability for human rights violations and abuses and other violations of international law. The Working Group expressed appreciation for the progress made in recent years by the Government of Myanmar to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Tatmadaw, and expressed the hope that the completion of the action plan through full compliance with all agreed provisions, would be forthcoming without delay. The members of the Working Group also welcomed the agreement concluded at the third session of the Union Peace Conference (21st-Century Panglong Conference) in July 2018 to “set up and conduct programmes to ensure children’s rights, abide by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child for all-round development of children and eliminate the six grave violations against children”.

Further to the 75th meeting, and subject to and consistent with applicable international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), 2143 (2014), 2225 (2015) and 2427 (2018), the Working Group agreed to the direct action as set out below.