The Council first established a mechanism for monitoring, reporting on and punishing those responsible for the recruitment of child soldiers in resolution 1612, adopted in 2005.

'The resolution sends a clear political message to stress that the 'obligations imposed by international law to all parties to armed conflict related to children's safety and well-being must be complied with, allowing for no exceptions,' said Claude Heller, the Mexican envoy to the UN and chair of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

'It represents a fundamental progress in the child protection agenda as it expands the criteria by which parties in conflict can be included in annual reports that secretary-general produces on this topic,' Heller said.

'Therefore, the responsibility of the parties to armed conflict who violate international legislation by engaging in killing and maiming, as well as rape and other forms of sexual violence against children could be a matter under scrutiny by the Security Council,' the Mexican envoy said.