Olara A. Otunnu
Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (1998-2005*)
Mr. Otunnu held the position of UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict from 1998 to 2005. In this capacity, he led the international campaign to mobilize action by the international community on behalf of children affected by war, as a moral authority advocating for these children, and he encouraged measures to protect them during wartime and facilitate their reintegration into society after conflicts. He was responsible for several major innovations, including: putting the protection of children on the agenda of the UN Security Council; a comprehensive set of protection norms and principles; and the inclusion in the Rome Statute of war crimes involving children as victims. As the Adviser for Child Protection: the “list of shame”; the international monitoring and reporting mechanism; and the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign. He was the architect of the regime aimed at ensuring the protection of children and holding violators of their rights accountable, which was adopted by the Security Council in its landmark resolution 1612 (2005). This regime officially established a comprehensive international system of monitoring and reporting on serious violations against children, to identify perpetrators and publicly list their names, hold them accountable, and ensure “respect on the ground” for international legal standards. In fulfilling his mandate, Mr. Otunnu conducted visits to several countries still in conflict or in post-conflict recovery.
*Ms. Karin Sham Poo served as the interim Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in the fall of 2005 and presented the report of the Office of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict to the General Assembly.
