Under-Secretary-General Olara A. Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, has been invited by the Government of Myanmar to visit the country within the context of his mandate to advocate for the rights, protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict. The main purpose of the Special Representative's visit is to assess first hand the impact of armed conflict on children in Myanmar as well as to verify recent reports on the existence of child soldiers and to promote a number of key initiatives related to his mandate. The engagement and input of NGOs and civil society organisations in the Special Representative's visit to Myanmar is vital to the success of this visit, not only during the visit itself but also in the preparatory stage and the follow-up to the visit. NGOs and civil society organisations are invited to submit their recommendations and input on all aspects of the visit, including: - reports, briefings and any other documentation relevant to the impact of armed conflict on children in Myanmar; - recommendations on key issues to be raised during the visit regarding the situation of children in Myanmar; - contact details of local and international NGOs and civil society organisations dealing with the issue of children in Myanmar. Please send your input, comments and suggestions to: Sofia Warttman Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Tel: 1 (212) 963 8460 Fax: 1 (212) 963 0807 E-mail: warttmann@un.org