Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2021 to Question 56589, on Armed Forces: Children, what specific diplomatic steps the Government is taking in respect of listed governments and armed groups to help prevent the unlawful recruitment or use of children in armed conflict.

The UK is an active member of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. The UK applies diplomatic pressure to listed parties to enter into concrete UN action plans to prevent re-recruitment and ensure the provision of appropriate reintegration and rehabilitation assistance. We also press for the inclusion of child protection provisions in UN peacekeeping mandate renewals and resolutions.

The UK is also supporting the work of UNICEF in strengthening the UN-led Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) - enhancing the safe and accurate collection of timely, objective, and reliable data, ensuring the MRM remains robust.