Press
Centre
Bellamy and Otunnu hail entry into force
of Optional Protocol on Child Soldiers
NEW YORK, 12 February 2002 - The Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,
Olara Otunnu and UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy,
today hailed the entry into force of the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement
of Children in Armed Conflict. The protocol prohibits
the use of child soldiers.
"Children have no place in war and deserve the highest
level of international protection to keep them from being
used as child soldiers" said Mr. Otunnu. "This
new treaty is a victory for children who have been neglected,
abused and sexually exploited by warring factions for
decades."
Over 300,000 boys and girls are serving in government
or rebel forces in over 30 armed conflicts in the world
- as soldiers, runners guards, sex slaves, cooks or spies.
These children are frequently abducted from their homes,
schools, or refugee camps and forced into combat. They
are beaten or killed if they attempt to escape. Girls
are especially vulnerable - because they are often sexually
exploited and forced to be "wives".
"Too often, children are forced into combat. They
are terrorized in their homes and schools and subjected
to abductions, ill-treatment and sexual exploitation,"
Ms. Bellamy said. "The entry into force of the Optional
Protocol is vital to the protection of children in today's
conflicts."
The Optional Protocol that comes into effect today outlaws
compulsory recruitment of children under the age of 18
by both government and non-government armed forces. It
also raises the previous standard by obligating States
to ensure that members of their armed forces under age
18 do not take direct part in combat.
Regarding voluntary enlistment by governments, the treaty
raises the minimum age to at least 16 years of age and
includes specific safeguards to ensure that the recruitment
is not coercive. These include the provision of proof
of age and the consent of both the volunteer and the parents.
Bellamy and Otunnu - together with child rights advocates
and NGOs - advocate for a "straight 18" on all
recruitment, compulsory or voluntary.
As for insurgency groups and rebel forces, the treaty
outlaws the recruitment or participation of anyone under
18 "under any circumstances".
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights
of the Child was adopted by the General Assembly in May
2000, and has been signed by 96 countries to date. Fourteen
countries have ratified. These include: Canada, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Andorra, Panama, Iceland, Viet Nam, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, New Zealand, Monaco, Kenya, Czech
Republic, Romania, as well as the Holy See.
States ratifying the Protocol are expected to reform
national legislation in order to comply with its standards.
A monitoring mechanism is also introduced that requires
States parties to submit regular reports to the Committee
on the Rights of the Child detailing implementation measures.
"With the coming into force of the Optional Protocol
we have a universal standard which is also a rallying
call to the international community to work more diligently
to promote adherence and hold accountable those parties
that fail to comply and which continue to use children
as weapons of war," said Mr. Otunnu.
While many children are abducted and forcibly recruited,
others are driven into armed forces by poverty, hardship
and alienation. Often they are orphans whose parents have
been killed or have disappeared, leaving them without
opportunities for education or training. Both Bellamy
and Otunnu urged States to address the political, social
and economic factors that create the environment that
facilitates the exploitation of children in war.
The protocol urges States to work for the rehabilitation
and social reintegration of former child soldiers. Bellamy
and Otunnu called for increased resources for the demobilization,
disarmament and social rehabilitation of those children
who were forced to participate in war.
"The universal ratification and implementation
of the Protocol should remain a pressing priority for
the international community," Bellamy said. "Children
are not expendable - they belong in schools and in their
families. This is their right. It is our responsibility
to ensure that they are protected from the horrors of
warfare. UNICEF urges States to demonstrate their commitment
by ratifying the Protocol in time for the Special Session
on Children in the spring of 2002."
###
For further information, please contact:
Jehane Sedky-Lavandero, UNICEF Media Section,
New York (212) 326 - 7269
Email: jsedky@unicef.org
Mary Ellen Glynn, Office of the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and
Armed Conflict, (212) 963-964
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