A/RES/61/146 36. Calls upon States: (a) When ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 21 to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment of persons into the national armed forces from that set out in article 38, paragraph 3, of the Convention, bearing in mind that under the Convention persons under 18 years of age are entitled to special protection, and to adopt safeguards to ensure that such recruitment is not forced or coerced; (b) To take all feasible measures to ensure the demobilization and effective disarmament of children used in armed conflicts and to implement effective measures for their rehabilitation, physical and psychological recovery and reintegration into society, in particular through educational measures, taking into account the rights and the specific needs and capacities of girls; (c) To ensure timely and adequate funding for rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for all children associated with armed forces and groups, particularly in support of national initiatives, to secure the long-term sustainability of such efforts; (d) To encourage the involvement of young people in activities concerning the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including programmes for reconciliation, peace consolidation, peacebuilding and children-to-children networks; (e) To protect children affected by armed conflict, in particular from violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law and to ensure that they receive timely, effective humanitarian assistance, in accordance with international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, 22 and calls upon the international community to hold those responsible for violations accountable, inter alia, through the International Criminal Court; (f) To take all necessary measures, in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law, as a matter of priority, to prevent the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, as distinct from the armed forces of a State, including the adoption of policies that do not tolerate the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, and legal measures necessary to prohibit and criminalize such practices; 37. Welcomes the valuable work of the United Nations Children’s Fund, and looks forward to the results of updating the Cape Town principles on child soldiers; 38. Reaffirms the essential roles of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council for the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children, including children affected by armed conflict, and notes the increasing role played by the Security Council in ensuring protection for children affected by armed conflict; 39. Notes with appreciation the steps taken regarding Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005 and the efforts of the Secretary-General to implement the monitoring and reporting mechanism on children and armed conflict in accordance with that resolution, with the participation of and in cooperation with national Governments and relevant United Nations and civil society actors, _______________ 21 22 10 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2173, No. 27531. Ibid., vol. 75, Nos. 970–973.