A/RES/55/79 and abuse and to take all appropriate measures to promote their full recovery and social reintegration; V Protection of children affected by armed conflict 1. Welcomes the report of the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral on the impact of armed conflict on children, 14 and takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict; 15 2. Expresses its support for the work of the Special Representative in the fulfilment of his mandate, as established in paragraphs 35 to 37 of General Assembly resolution 51/77 of 12 December 1996, in particular in raising worldwide awareness and mobilizing official and public opinion for the protection of children affected by armed conflict in order to promote respect for the rights and needs of children in conflict and post-conflict situations; 3. Calls upon the Secretary-General and all relevant parts of the United Nations system, including the Special Representative and the United Nations Children’s Fund, to intensify further their efforts to continue to develop a concerted approach to the rights, protection and welfare of children affected by armed conflict, including, as appropriate, in the preparations for the field visits of the Special Representative and in the follow-up to such visits; 4. Calls upon all States and other parties concerned to continue to cooperate with the Special Representative in implementing the commitments that they have undertaken and to consider carefully all of the recommendations of the Special Representative and address the issues identified; 5. Welcomes the continued support for and voluntary contributions to the work of the Special Representative in the fulfilment of his mandate; 6. Also welcomes the large number of signatories to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 16 and calls upon all States to consider signing and ratifying it as a matter of priority with a view to its entry into force as soon as possible, bearing in mind the convening of the special session of the General Assembly to follow up the World Summit for Children in September 2001; 7. Urges all States and other parties to armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to put an end to any form of targeting of children and to attacking sites that usually have a significant presence of children, calls upon States parties to respect fully the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 17 and the Additional Protocols thereto, of 1977, 18 and calls upon all parties to armed conflict to take all measures required to protect children from acts that constitute violations of international humanitarian law, including prosecution by States, within their national legal framework, of those responsible for such violations; 14 See A/55/442. A/55/163-S/2000/712. 16 Resolution 54/263, annex I. 17 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970–973. 18 Ibid., vol. 1125, Nos. 17512 and 17513. 15 11