…according to new report by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
The new report that came out yesterday - Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 – the third written by the Coalition and encompassing research from April 2004 to October 2007, states that the number of conflicts involving child soldiers dropped from 27 in 2004 to 17 by the end of 2007.
On another note, governments still actively using child soldiers from April 2004-October 2007 were:
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
- Israel
- Myanmar
- Somalia
- Sudan & Southern Sudan
- Uganda
- Yemen
- Additionally, the United Kingdom deployed under-18s to Iraq where they were exposed to risk of hostilities
The countries where children were actively involved in armed conflict from April 2004-October 2007 were:
Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, the DRC, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and theOccupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand and Uganda… Peace agreements brought an end to internal conflicts in Aceh/Indonesia in 2005 and in Nepal in 2006.
…leaving the current number at 17.
Tthe Coalition cites some successes:
The Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict has been ratified by 120 states; special war crime tribunals and the International Criminal Court are becoming a more important means for bringing the perpetrators of crimes against children to justice. The Security Council has established a working group to closely monitor developments in states where child soldiers are used and the UN has devoted substantial resources to this problem. Most recently, the Paris Priniciples and Guidelines on children associated with armed forces and armed groups have been endorsed by 66 governments…
Filed under: Educational, Human Rights, Intl Criminal Ct , child soldier, Child Soldiers Global Report 2008, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, conflict, countries with child soldiers, number of child soldiers, War crime
