A/HRC/RES/19/37 schools and hospitals, denial of humanitarian access and the forced displacement of children and their families, and urges all parties to armed conflict to end all violations and to seek to end impunity for perpetrators by ensuring rigorous investigation and prosecution of crimes committed; 44. Reaffirms the essential role of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council in the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children, including children affected by armed conflict, and takes note of Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict, in particular resolutions 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005, 1882 (2009) of 4 August 2009 and 1998 (2011) of 12 July 2011, and of the undertaking by the Security Council to pay special attention to the protection, welfare and rights of children in armed conflict when taking action aimed at maintaining peace and security, including provisions for the protection of children in the mandates of peacekeeping operations, as well as the inclusion of child protection advisers in these operations; 45. Notes with appreciation the steps taken with regard to Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009) and 1998 (2011), and the efforts of the SecretaryGeneral to implement the monitoring and reporting mechanism, including in collecting and providing timely, objective, accurate and reliable information on children and armed conflict in accordance with those resolutions, with the participation of and in cooperation with Governments and relevant United Nations and civil society actors, including at the country level, and recognizes in this respect the work of the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; 46. Takes note of the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (the Paris Principles), and encourages States that have not endorsed the Paris Commitments to protect children from unlawful recruitment or use by armed forces or armed groups (the Paris Commitments) to consider doing so, and to consider using the Paris Principles to inform their work in protecting children from the effects of armed conflicts, and requests the relevant entities of the United Nations system, within their mandates, and invites civil society, to assist Member States in this field; 47. Calls upon States: (a) When ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment of persons into their national armed forces from that set out in article 38, paragraph 3, of the Convention, bearing in mind that, under the Convention, persons under 18 years of age are entitled to special protection, and to adopt safeguards to ensure that such recruitment is not forced or coerced; (b) To take all feasible measures, in particular long-term educational and social and economic measures, to ensure the demobilization and effective disarmament of children used in armed conflicts, and to implement effective measures for their rehabilitation, physical and psychological recovery and reintegration into society, taking into account the rights and specific needs of girls affected by armed conflict, and paying special attention to their protection and welfare; (c) To ensure that children accused of committing crimes during conflict while associated with armed forces are also treated as victims and that, in cases where accountability of the child is sought, the decision takes into consideration the best interests of the child and his or her reintegration into society; (d) To take effective preventive measures against sexual exploitation and abuse by military and civilian peacekeepers, to ensure that investigations and prosecutions are 10