United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan has condemned child soldiering as a “damaging and despicable practice”. Six UN Security Council resolutions have denounced it and half the world’s countries have committed themselves to end underage recruitment into armed forces. Despite this, children have fought in conflicts in 20 countries since 2001.

A report from the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers in the UK reviews child recruitment legislation, policy and practice in 180 countries. It notes that the use of soldiers under 18 by official government armed forces has declined since 2001. The end of conflict in Afghanistan, Angola and Sierra Leone resulted in the demobilisation of more than 40,000 children. However, up to 30,000 more were drawn into new conflicts in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. Child recruitment has also increased in Colombia and Sri Lanka.

Some governments that, under pressure, have stopped directly recruiting children support paramilitary groups and militias that continue to do so. Many states target children suspected of membership of armed opposition groups. They have reportedly been tortured to extract information in Israel, sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killed during ‘clean up’ operations in Burundi, Indonesia and Nepal and ‘disappeared’ by Russian forces in Chechnya.

The report finds many young people enlist willingly as they see few alternatives. War itself, lack of education or work and a desire to escape domestic servitude, violence or sexual exploitation are among the reasons. Many join to avenge violence inflicted on family members.

The report notes progress has been made:

• The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force in 2002: it sets 18 as the minimum age for direct participation in hostilities and compulsory recruitment by governments.
• Under the Rome Statute the International Criminal Court (ICC) is empowered to prosecute as war criminals those who recruit children under 15: investigations are now underway in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) programmes for child soldiers have been established in at least 12 countries.

Although the Optional Protocol has been signed by 116 states there are at least 60 governments – including Australia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA – that continue to legally recruit children aged 16 and 17. Governments that use children for front line combat include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Sudan and the USA. At least six governments that claim to have ended child recruitment continue to use children to gather intelligence, directly exposing them to the hazards of war or to violent reprisals.

The Coalition does not equate the legal use of children in armed forces with the more tragic use by governments and non-state armed political groups in conflicts, but does advocate for all recruitment to be limited to those over the age of 18. The Coalition also calls for:

• sustained long-term investment in DDR programmes
• ensuring that ex-girl soldiers are included in DDR schemes, particularly those stigmatised by their communities as a result of exposure to sexual violence
• moving beyond the ‘naming and shaming’ of those using child soldiers, to employing ICC prosecutions, restrictions on military assistance, travel restrictions and asset freezing
• concerned governments to support dialogue between warring parties.

It is not enough to get children out of conflict and back to their families and communities. Western governments and corporations have a moral responsibility to stop providing weapons to those who recruit children.

Source(s):
‘Child Soldiers Global Report 2004’, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, 2004 Full document.

id21 Research Highlight: 20 June 2005

Further Information:
Casey Kelso
International Coordinator
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
2-12 Pentonville Road (2nd floor)
London N1 9HF
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 207 713 2761
Fax: +44 (0) 207 713 2794
Contact the contributor: info@child-soldiers.org

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, UK

Other related links:
'Using schools to overcome sectarian conflict'

'Re-conceiving war-affected children: from passive victims to active survivors'

'The problem of child soldiers: listening to young combatants in East Asia'

'Reintegrating girls from fighting forces in Africa'

'Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration in the Republic of Congo'

'Military spending and development'