Children are increasingly vulnerable to recruitment and use by armed groups as conflicts around the world become more brutal and frequent, said UNICEF and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict on Thursday, on the occasion of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers.
This annual event was established in 2002, following the entry into force on February 12 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. To date, this protocol has been ratified by 159 member states.
“While it is true that governments around the world have made progress in recognizing that there is no place for children in their armies, the recruitment of child soldiers remains a huge problem, especially within armed groups,” said Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict, adding that out of the 59 conflict parties identified by the Secretary-General for the grave violations they have committed against children’s rights, 57 recruit and use child soldiers.
“The release of all children held by armed groups must take place without delay. We cannot wait for peace to help children caught in the turmoil of war,” said Yoka Brandt, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Investing in ways to keep children away from the front lines, including through education and economic support, is absolutely essential for their future and the future of their societies.”
On this International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, UNICEF and the Office of the Special Representative jointly called for urgent action to end these grave violations against children, urging parties in conflicts to respect their obligations under international law, especially in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, and Syria.
According to UNICEF, tens of thousands of boys and girls are associated with armed forces and groups in conflicts raging in about twenty countries worldwide. Many have been victims of or witnesses to acts of unspeakable brutality or forced to take part.
Thanks in part to UNICEF’s action, recently about 3,000 children held by the Cobra faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLA-IO) have begun to be gradually released. Over 500 children have been released in the past two weeks, receiving assistance to reintegrate into civilian life, and more releases are expected in the coming month.
This article is taken from the UN News Centre. (Context: The article highlights the issue of child soldiers in armed conflicts around the world. Fact Check: The information provided about UNICEF’s efforts and the release of child soldiers is accurate.)
