Getting It Done and Doing It Right. A Global Study on the United Nations-led Monitoring & Reporting Mechanism on Children and Armed Conflict

In July 2005, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1612. In addition to calling for other important measures to protect children, the Security Council requested that the Secretary-General establish a mechanism to monitor and report on violations of children’s rights in situations of armed conflict. The implementation of the UN-led Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) is an important step in improving the protection of children affected by armed conflict. However, some challenges remain. In an effort to address these challenges, Watchlist undertook a global study on monitoring and reporting and the implementation of the MRM between July and December 2007. This study documents and analyzes lessons learned, challenges, and successes in monitoring and reporting and provides practicable and action-oriented recommendations to key stakeholders and decision-makers to advance and improve monitoring and reporting on children’s rights. The findings and recommendations of this study are presented in five reports: one global study on the implementation of the MRM and four country-specific reports on monitoring and reporting in Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. While the global report and its companion country-specific reports identify challenges encountered in implementing the MRM, it is important to note that the purpose of this study is to highlight opportunities to strengthen the implementation of the mechanism and to build upon the successes to date.