A/RES/63/18 continued importance of the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of Afghan life, and of equality before the law and equal access to legal counsel without discrimination of any kind; 38. Welcomes the creation of a special fund for the protection of women at risk, set up by the United Nations Development Fund for Women with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 39. Also welcomes the implementation of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan and the significant efforts by the Government of Afghanistan to counter discrimination, urges the Government to actively involve all elements of Afghan society, in particular women, in the development and implementation of relief, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction programmes, and encourages the collection and use of statistical data on a sex-disaggregated basis to provide information on gender-based violence and accurately track the progress of the full integration of women into the political, economic and social life of Afghanistan; 40. Applauds the progress achieved on gender equality and in the empowerment of women in Afghan politics as historic milestones in the political process which will help to consolidate durable peace and national stability in Afghanistan, while noting the need to promote the empowerment of women also at the provincial level; 41. Strongly condemns incidents of discrimination and violence against women and girls, in particular if directed against women activists and women prominent in public life, wherever they occur in Afghanistan, including killings, maimings and “honour killings” in certain parts of the country; 42. Stresses the need to ensure respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of children in Afghanistan, recalls the need for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 9 and the two Optional Protocols thereto 10 by all States parties, as well as Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005 on children and armed conflict; 8F 9F 43. Expresses in this regard its concern about the ongoing recruitment and use of children by illegal armed and terrorist groups in Afghanistan, as described in the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 21 December 2007, 11 stresses the importance of ending the use of children contrary to international law, and welcomes the progress achieved by and firm commitment of the Government of Afghanistan in this regard, including the strong condemnation of any exploitation of children; 12 10F 1F 44. Welcomes the adoption by the Government of Afghanistan of the National Plan of Action on Combating Child Trafficking, also welcomes initiatives to pass legislation on human trafficking, guided by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 13 and stresses the importance of considering becoming a party to the Protocol; 12F _______________ 9 Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531. Ibid., vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531. 11 A/62/609-S/2007/757. 12 See A/63/372-S/2008/617. 13 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2237, No. 39574. 10 7