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Sri Lanka removed from UN child conflict blacklist | Sri Lanka removed from UN child conflict blacklist |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Sri Lanka has been removed from a United Nations blacklist after making progress in child welfare. | Sri Lanka has been removed from a United Nations blacklist after making progress in child welfare. |
The UN's annual report, Children and Armed Conflict, praised the country's efforts to improve health and education and to trace missing children. | The UN's annual report, Children and Armed Conflict, praised the country's efforts to improve health and education and to trace missing children. |
The whereabouts of almost 1,400 children who were recruited to fight in Sri Lanka's civil war is unknown. | The whereabouts of almost 1,400 children who were recruited to fight in Sri Lanka's civil war is unknown. |
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Sri Lanka had made serious efforts to trace those children. | UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Sri Lanka had made serious efforts to trace those children. |
He said this was the reason the country had been removed from the UN's list. | He said this was the reason the country had been removed from the UN's list. |
Sri Lanka was also praised by a Unicef board member who recently led a delegation visiting the country. | |
He said the government's efforts to distribute money for vaccinations and schooling during the war was "amazing". | |
He also said the country now had some of the best child-health indicators in the region. | He also said the country now had some of the best child-health indicators in the region. |
Sri Lanka's civil war came to an end in 2009, after 26 years of conflict and up to 100,000 casualties as Tamils fought for for self-rule. | Sri Lanka's civil war came to an end in 2009, after 26 years of conflict and up to 100,000 casualties as Tamils fought for for self-rule. |
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Sri Lanka says the country was once notorious for the use of children in conflict, most of them recruited by the Tamil Tigers. | |
Many children do remain missing: nearly 1400 out of nearly 7,000 that the Tigers recruited. | |
The whereabouts of five boys recruited by Tamil factions aligned with the government are being actively investigated by the National Child Protection Authority. | |
Mr Ban said the military had vacated a number of schools it had been occupying, but said he was concerned that 15 facilities were still being used by security forces. | Mr Ban said the military had vacated a number of schools it had been occupying, but said he was concerned that 15 facilities were still being used by security forces. |
Fifty-two countries are named on the UN's blacklist, with Syria, Yemen and Sudan among the most recent additions. | Fifty-two countries are named on the UN's blacklist, with Syria, Yemen and Sudan among the most recent additions. |
The report on Syria listed incidents of the torture and killing of children, as well as the use of children in conflict. | The report on Syria listed incidents of the torture and killing of children, as well as the use of children in conflict. |
As well as Sri Lanka, Nepal was also taken off the list after complying with UN Security Council programmes. | As well as Sri Lanka, Nepal was also taken off the list after complying with UN Security Council programmes. |
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