Despite the Council's pronouncements, we note that, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the situation has not improved; rather, it has worsened. There are alarming reports of imprisonment, beatings, disappearances and even violent deaths. Of similar concern are attacks against women journalists, who are even more vulnerable during armed conflicts.

Attacks on journalists also take the forms of abduction, hostage-taking, harassment, intimidation and illegal arrest. Women journalists are increasingly becoming victims of sexual harassment and rape.

This debate is a reminder of why the Security Council's work is so important. The Secretary- General's report (S/2013/245) documents hideous violations — thousands of children killed and maimed by explosive weapons and continuous shelling, the systematic rape and torture of girls and boys and the forcible use of children as human shields.

Thailand cannot stress strongly enough the importance we attach to the mandates of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We believe that children and women alike must stop bearing the brunt of war and conflicts.

Thirdly, concerning sexual violence against children, how is it possible that the crimes committed by those terrorist armed groups, including rape and sexual violence, the murder of children, and acts of violence against girls and women throughout Syria were not mentioned in the report? How could the taking of girls and women as spoils of war and sex slaves not be mentioned?

In Mali, which has been included in the report for the first time, children were recruited by all armed groups active in the north. We also received information that boys and girls were associated with pro-Government militias in performing various tasks, including participation in combat.

As Ms. Zerrougui pointed out this morning, the absence of clear front lines and identifiable opponents and the tactics used by terrorist groups make children vulnerable in conflict situations. Children have been used as suicide bombers and human shields. Schools continue to be attacked, which particularly affects girls' education.

Thousands of child victims of violent attacks by M-23 have suffered serious physical and psychological damage. Adequate reparations are needed to cover emotional damage, for example in cases of depression, loss of self-esteem, stress, involuntary abortions for young girls who were raped, infant mortality and sexually transmitted infections.

In fact, the language of weapons and violence has resurfaced in North Kivu since the M-23 rebels who deserted from the ranks of the Congolese army in April 2012 turned their weapons on the regular army.

In the case of the LRA, attacks often target schools, where the rebels recruit children for use as child soldiers or to carry loot and stolen and pillaged items if they are boys or as sex slaves and cooking staff if they are girls. It is the same for other rebel groups, in particular the Séléka, which has recruited children for the same tasks.