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Watchlist Welcomes Radkhika Coomaraswamy as New UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict

Contact information: Julia Freedson
By Email: juliaf@womenscommission.org
Tel: 212-551-2743 or 917-804-9114

February 8, 2006 New York – The Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, a network of human rights and humanitarian agencies, today enthusiastically welcomed Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy to her new post as the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Ms. Coomaraswamy’s appointment was announced today by the Office of the UN Secretary-General.

“The Office of the Special Representative has been instrumental in advancing the children and armed conflict (CAC) agenda at the UN and around the world over the past several years,” wrote Kathleen Hunt (Chair of the Watchlist and representative of CARE International) and Julia Freedson (Watchlist Director) in a letter to the newly appointed Special Representative. “Now, the SRSG-CAC has a critical role to play in ensuring that the strong measures set forth by the Security Council are successfully implemented in the field, resulting in tangible improvements in the lives of children caught in armed conflicts. We are eager to work closely with you on this important endeavor,” they continued.

In previous correspondence with the Secretary-General, the Watchlist emphasized the imperative of selecting a new Special Representative with a strong track record in human rights and child protection. Among Ms. Coomaraswamy’s many qualifications, she has served previously as the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. In this post, she traveled extensively around the world to investigate and submit reports to the Commission on Human Rights on topics such as violence against women during armed conflict and trafficking of young girls.

The Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict is a network of NGOs that monitors and reports on violations against children in armed conflict. Watchlist is managed by a Steering Committee of leaders in child protection, including CARE International, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, International Save the Children Alliance, Norwegian Refugee Council, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, World Vision.