NY-SABA
A report issued by the UN Secretary General children and armed conflicts on Monday has praised the efforts and measures the Yemeni government has taken to improve child protection in 2017.

The report welcomed the ongoing discussions between the Yemeni government and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen which aim to formulate a protocol on child fighter recruitment ban.

The report commended the directive of the Deputy Commander of the Yemeni Armed Forces to ban the recruitment of children into the Yemeni military and to take legal measures against any violations to this directive.

The UN Secretary General also welcomed the Yemeni government's signature of the Safe Schools Declaration last October. As a result of these steps taken by the Yemeni government, its name was removed from the list of governments that have not taken child protection improvement measures.

On the other hand, the UN Secretary General expressed his deep concern at the continued Houthi recruitment of child fighters from schools. The rebel Houthi militia was thus placed in the list of parties that do not respect the international law.