3. Calls on parliaments, especially those in countries experiencing situations of armed conflict,

internal conflict or occupation, to amend their existing legislation so as to prevent and

punish the recruitment of children for direct participation in hostilities and other forms of

exploitation of children in such situations; also calls on parliaments to prevent, suppress and

punish the exploitation of children by organized criminal groups, in line with relevant

international law;

4. Also calls on parliaments to design efficient legislative tools for the legal protection of

minors, thus establishing a legal framework effectively guaranteeing the rights of children

and to enact legislation aimed at establishing comprehensive and effective protection

systems with adequate resources and coordinated by a high-ranking government official in

order to ensure the best interests of the child;

5. Urges parliaments to enact specific legislation aimed at protecting unaccompanied migrant

girls and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations from trafficking, sexual

exploitation, sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, and many forms of harmful

practice, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation;

6. Encourages parliaments to enact legislation aimed at addressing the special needs of

separated and unaccompanied children and children involved in armed conflicts which, as a

minimum, should provide for specific procedures in keeping with the rule of law;

7. Urges governments to take action so that separated and unaccompanied children fleeing

illegal recruitment by armed forces or groups can cross borders and exercise their right to

request asylum and so that no child in this category is returned to the border of a State

where his/her life is truly at risk;

8. Also urges parliaments of countries with compulsory military service to raise the minimum

age to 18 years and to ban the voluntary recruitment of children under the age of 18; further

urges parliaments to take appropriate steps to have amendments made to Article 2 of the

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of

children in armed conflict, Article 77 of Protocol I additional to the Geneva Conventions of

12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts,

and Article 4 of Protocol II additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and

relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts, with a view to

banning the voluntary recruitment of persons under the age of 18;

9. Encourages parliaments to underscore the importance of working together with United

Nations bodies, non-governmental organizations and other entities in order to collect

accurate and reliable data on the number of separated or unaccompanied migrant children

and children involved in armed and internal conflicts and situations of organized crime in

their respective countries;

10. Also encourages parliaments to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children involved in

demonstrations and political rallies, including their right to protection from violence and to

freedom of association and expression;

11. Urges parliaments to discourage the premeditated use of children in violent demonstrations;

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