48 Pledges 2011 - Ministerial Intergovernmental Event on Refugees and Stateless Persons 5. Special Protection Needs: Situation of Unaccompanied or Separated Children In another vein, I am pleased to announce that CONARE has developed a “Protocol for the protection, assistance and search for durable solutions for unaccompanied or separated children seeking asylum”, together with the UNHCR Regional Office, UNICEF, IOM, the National Ombudsman, other national and local Government entities and civil society organisations, that was approved this year. In this context, the CONARE pledges to advance and deepen the implementation of all aspects of the Protocol in coordination with all national and local Government actors, and to promote and to secure the support of all competent provincial and local Governments. The Protocol includes special measures and procedures aimed at the immediate identification of unaccompanied children and of special protection needs, be it as an asylum-seeker, as a possible victim of human trafficking, someone with medical needs, etc. Application of the aforementioned Protocol will no doubt lead to an improvement in the comprehensive protection of refugee children and constitute an effective tool to achieve immediate assistance and the most appropriate integration solutions that are sensitive to their age and cultural diversity. 6. Legal Assistance for Asylum-Seekers Finally, I am pleased to announce that last August, an agreement was signed between the CONARE, the UNHCR Regional Office for South America and my country's National Ombudsman creating the “Programme of Legal Assistance and Representation for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers” within the scope of the National Ombudsman Office, which will begin functioning in February 2012. The aforementioned Programme will guarantee legal advice and representation, when necessary, to any asylum-seeker that so requires it. In this context, CONARE pledges to implement effective information and referral mechanisms so that the right to have effective, public and free legal representation by the National Ombudsman can be known and effectively exercised by any asylum-seeker; and to ensure that those people who do not apply for refugee protection are also properly guided and referred to the protection mechanisms that they may require.