410 Revista del Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos Núm. 2 / 2013 participation in armed conflicts was called for. This Protocol was adopted on 25 May 2000. The same report shows how the legal regulations adopted up until that date should be sufficient to protect minors in situations of war, but that very often parties to the conflict do not respect the commitments. Based on this statement, the report argues that the International Community should guarantee that any deliberate aggression to children will not remain unpunished. Among the proposed measures, the report recommended that Member States that provide military, economic or political aid to parties to a conflict should only do so on the condition that the fundamental rights of children be respected. Resolution 1314 (2000) sets out a number of provisions and measures to reaffirm, reiterate and strengthen the commitments taken on by the International Community with Resolution 1261. The new resolution refers back to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted a few months previously and which includes provisions on the participation of children in armed conflicts. One of the innovative elements introduced is a call to, where appropriate, involve children in and listen to their opinions on peace negotiations and peace agreements, as well as the commitment to ensure the presence of advisers to protect them in future operations. It also recommends that regional organisations provide appropriate training to members of their peace operations on the rights and protection of women and children. By applying the gender perspective, the importance of considering the special needs and vulnerabilities of girls affected by armed conflict in all situations is emphasised: heads of families, orphans, victims of sexual exploitation and soldiers. Special attention should be paid to their rights, protection and wellbeing in all policies and programmes. It also raises awareness of the need to curb cross-border activities deleterious to children in times of armed conflict, such as the cross-border recruitment and abduction of children, the illicit movement of small arms and the illicit trade in natural resources. The UN Secretary General’s Progress Report35 makes special mention of military child protection advisers deployed in conflict zones. It refers specifically to the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stating that child protection advisers deployed with MONUC should ensure consistent and systematic monitoring and reporting on the conduct of the parties to the conflict as concerns their child protection obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and the commitments they have made. This is an additional recommendation to another included in the previous report, which states that Member States are asked to ensure that training be provided to 35 Document A/56/342–S/2001/852, of 17 September 2001.
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