UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has signed its first action plan over the weekend to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in Syria, according to the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said in a briefing that the United Nations signed this action plan with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of armed opposition groups.
Through this action plan, the SDF has committed to end and prevent the recruitment, identify and release boys and girls currently within its ranks, and put in place preventative, protection and disciplinary measures related to child recruitment and use.
Virginia Gamba, the special representative for Children and Armed Conflict, said that the commitment marks the beginning of a process to ensure that no child is recruited and used by any entity operating under the umbrella of the SDF.
In a statement, Gamba urged all parties to work towards a political solution to bring sustainable peace to the country, which remains the best option to prevent grave violations against children.
