A child soldier is any person under 18 years of age who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but not limited to cooks, porters, messengers and anyone accompanying such groups, other than family members. The definition includes girls recruited for sexual purposes and for forced marriage. It does not, therefore, only refer to a child who is carrying or has carried arms.
From: Cape Town Principles and Best Practices on the Recruitment of Children into the Armed Forces and on Demobilization and Social Reintegration of Child Soldiers in Africa (Cape Town, 27-30 April 1997). See UNICEF Children and Armed Conflict for more information.
And here is the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children into armed conflict from UNICEF:
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000) The protocol sets 18 as the minimum age for direct participation in hostilities, for recruitment into armed groups, and for compulsory recruitment by governments. States may accept volunteers from the age of 16 but must deposit a binding declaration at the time of ratification or accession, setting out their minimum voluntary recruitment age and outlining certain safeguards for such recruitment.
Filed under: Educational, Human Rights, Laws, Treaties, United Nations , child soldiers, children, education, Human Rights, research, War, world
Wow… it’s interesting to think that such a horrible trend can be summed up in so few words.
-xxxegxxx (welcometotheuniverse.wordpress.com)