A/RES/58/27 A-B 13. Welcomes the start of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process by the Transitional Administration and the efforts of the international observer group to verify the fairness of the process, and calls upon the international community to assist the Transitional Administration in these efforts; 14. Also welcomes, in this regard, the accession of the Transitional Administration on 24 September 2003 to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 7 and urges Afghan groups to refrain from the recruitment or use of children contrary to international standards, while stressing the importance of demobilizing and reintegrating child soldiers and other war-affected children; 15. Emphasizes the necessity of investigating allegations of violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, including violations committed against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, as well as against women and girls, of facilitating the provision of efficient and effective remedies to the victims and of bringing the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international law; 16. Appeals to the Transitional Administration and the international community to mainstream gender issues into all humanitarian assistance and future rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes and to actively promote the full and equal participation of and benefit to both women and men in respect of those programmes, underlining the importance of a senior gender adviser position in this context; 17. Calls upon the Transitional Administration to provide Afghan children with educational and health facilities in all parts of the country, recognizing the special needs of girls, and to ensure their full access to those facilities; 18. Expresses its appreciation to those Governments that continue to host Afghan refugees, and reminds them of their obligations under international refugee law with respect to the protection of refugees and the right to seek asylum; 19. Calls upon the Transitional Administration, acting with the support of the international community, to create the conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons, welcomes in this respect the initiation of the National Area-Based Development Programme and the National Solidarity Programme, and calls upon the international community to provide adequate funding to these programmes which, inter alia, assist in the resettlement of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons; 20. Urges donors to fulfil promptly the funding commitments made in Tokyo at the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan and reiterated in Dubai on 21 September 2003, and invites them to provide additional resources beyond those pledged so far; 21. Urgently appeals to all States, the United Nations system and international and non-governmental organizations to continue to provide, in close collaboration with the Transitional Administration and Afghan civil society, all possible and necessary humanitarian, financial, technical and material assistance for the Afghan population, inter alia, a minimal degree of health care and health services in all parts of the country; _______________ 7 Resolution 54/263, annex I. 9