A/RES/58/157 Children in armed conflict 44. Recognizes the inclusion in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 16 as a war crime, of crimes involving sexual violence and crimes of conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 years or using them to participate actively in hostilities in both international and non-international armed conflicts; 45. Urges all States and all other parties to armed conflicts to end the recruitment and use of children in situations of armed conflict contrary to international law and to ensure their demobilization, effective disarmament and rehabilitation, physical and psychological recovery and reintegration into society; 46. Urges all States: (a) When ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 17 to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment of persons into their national armed forces from that set out in article 38, paragraph 3, of the Convention, bearing in mind that under the Convention persons below the age of 18 years are entitled to special protection, and to adopt safeguards to ensure that such recruitment is not forced or coerced; (b) To protect children affected by armed conflict, in particular to protect them from acts that constitute violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law and to ensure that they receive timely, effective and unhindered humanitarian assistance as well as support for physical and psychological recovery; 47. Emphasizes the importance of giving systematic consideration to the rights, special needs and particular vulnerability of the girl child during conflicts and in post-conflict situations; 48. Regrets the fact that the report on a comprehensive assessment of the United Nations response to the issue of children affected by armed conflict, requested in resolution 57/190, has not yet been submitted, and reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to submit his report for consideration as soon as possible; Follow-up 49. Urges those States that have not yet done so to complete a national action plan as soon as possible incorporating the goals agreed at the special session of the General Assembly on children, as reflected in its outcome document entitled “A world fit for children”,8 and to place those goals within the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child;2 50. Decides: (a) To request the Secretary-General to prepare an updated report on progress achieved in realizing the commitments set out in the document entitled “A world fit for children”, with a view to identifying problems and constraints and making recommendations on the action needed to achieve further progress, and to submit his report to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session; _______________ 16 Official Records of the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court, Rome, 15 June–17 July 1998, vol. I: Final documents (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.I.5), sect. A. 17 Resolution 54/263, annex I. 12