A/RES/51/77 Page 6 urges States to take further action to promote gender and age-appropriate mine-awareness programmes and child-centred rehabilitation, thereby reducing the number and the plight of child victims; 27. Welcomes international efforts aimed at restricting and prohibiting the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines; 28. Reaffirms that rape in the conduct of armed conflict constitutes a war crime and that under certain circumstances it constitutes a crime against humanity and an act of genocide as defined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,13 and calls upon all States to take all measures required for the protection of women and children from all acts of gender-based violence, including rape, sexual exploitation and forced pregnancy, and to strengthen mechanisms to investigate and punish all those responsible and bring the perpetrators to justice; 29. Stresses the need for all humanitarian responses in conflict situations to emphasize the special reproductive health needs of women and girls, including those that arise from pregnancy as a result of rape, sexual mutilation, childbirth at an early age or infection with sexually transmitted diseases, as well as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and their access to family planning services; 30. Urgently requests that appropriate measures be taken by Member States and United Nations agencies, within the scope of their respective mandates, to ensure humanitarian access to children affected by armed conflict, to facilitate the extension of humanitarian assistance, including education, and to ensure the physical and psychological recovery and reintegration into society of child soldiers, victims of landmines and victims of gender-based violence; 31. Recommends that whenever sanctions are imposed their impact on children be assessed and monitored and that humanitarian exemptions be child-focused and formulated with clear application guidelines; 32. Recalls the importance of preventive measures such as early warning systems, preventive diplomacy and education for peace to prevent conflicts and their negative impact on the enjoyment of the rights of the child, and urges Governments and the international community to promote sustainable human development; 33. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with Member States, international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations, to consider modalities for organizing regional training programmes for members of the armed forces relating to the protection of children and women during armed conflict; 34. Invites Governments to integrate into their military programmes, including those for peacekeeping personnel, instruction on their responsibilities towards civilian communities and in particular towards women and children; 13 Resolution 260 A (III). /...