Significantly, the Security Council acknowledged that children may be especially vulnerable and in need of particular psychosocial support, such as post-trauma counselling, and stressed that children need to be treated in a manner that respects their rights and protects their dignity in accordance with applicable international law. Against this background, the Office of Counter-Terrorism worked closely with partners, including legal scholars, civil society organizations, think tanks, international organizations and Member States, to develop this handbook to support Member States by providing practical guidance. In addition, at the instruction of the Secretary-General, my Office has coordinated the inter-agency development of key principles for the protection, repatriation, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of women and children with links to United Nations-listed terrorist groups, which lay out key human rights, humanitarian and operational principles to guide United Nations action in these areas. The handbook complements the key principles as a crucial part of my Office’s work on these issues. As laid out in the handbook, under international law there are already rich frameworks and standards to guide Member States in upholding the rights of children, including those affected by armed conflict and/or recruited by armed groups. The handbook highlights the standards applicable to issues pertinent to children affected by the foreign fighter phenomenon. The development of the handbook was possible thanks to the support of partners who provided critical expertise and guidance 10. throughout the process. I would like to thank, in addition to United Nations partners, Saudi Arabia and Belgium, whose generous contributions made this handbook possible. I hope that this handbook will lead to increased awareness and better protection of the rights of children, provided for under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, among other international instruments, in larger counter-terrorism efforts. Through this handbook, United Nations entities and their partners will also be better suited to offer practical support to Member States in tackling the difficult task of protecting the rights of the child in the context of countering and preventing terrorism. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism