Disarmament Diplomacy

News Review

Security Council Urges Protection of Children in Armed Conflict

On November 20, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1379 urging UN member states and relevant organisations to undertake a range of measures to increase the protection of children in armed conflict. The resolution expresses the Council's "determination to give the fullest attention to the question of the protection of children in armed conflict when considering the matters" before it, "explicitly to include provisions for the protection of children when considering the mandates of peacekeeping operations", and, where appropriate, "to call upon the parties to a conflict to make special arrangements to meet the protection and assistance requirements of women, children and other vulnerable groups". For full text and summary of debate, see UN Press Release SC/7219.

Efforts to put in place international legal protection were boosted on November 12 when New Zealand became the tenth state to ratify an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibiting the participation of children (under 18) as soldiers in armed conflicts, or their conscription or forced recruitment as soldiers under any circumstances. The ratification means the Protocol will now enter into force on February 12, 2002. On November 13, the development was heralded by Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch: "This is a huge advance in the effort to end the use of children as soldiers. A growing consensus that children are not acceptable tools of war is now backed up by binding international law." The other nine states to have ratified the Protocol are Andorra, Bangladesh, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Holy See, Iceland, Panama, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The US, a signatory, has submitted the Protocol for the Senate's consideration.

Reports: New ban on child soldiers to take effect, Human Rights Watch Press Release ( http://www.hrw.org), November 13; Child soldier ban to take effect in February, OneWorld US, November 19; UN Security Council takes action to help children caught up in war, Washington File, November 20; US Statement on children in armed conflict, Washington File, November 20.

© 2001 The Acronym Institute.