Twenty years ago, the world united to condemn and take action against the use of children in armed conflict.
Since then, over 130,000 boys and girls have been released as a result of Action Plans mandated by the UN Security Council aimed at ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children in conflict.
The Campaign
Launched in 2014, the campaign Children, Not Soldiers, an initiative of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and UNICEF, aimed to bring about a global consensus that child soldiers should not be used in conflict. The campaign was designed to generate momentum, political will and international support to turn the page once and for all on the recruitment of children by national security forces in conflict situations. The campaign received immediate support from Member States, UN, NGO partners, regional organizations and the general public. The UN Security Council and General Assembly welcomed “Children, Not Soldiers” and requested regular updates through the Special Representative’s reporting.
Watch a video recorded in 2014 by Forest Whitaker in support of the campaign.
At the time of the launch, the countries concerned by the campaign were:
Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
The campaign ended at the end of 2016, but the consensus envisioned is now a reality and thousands of child soldiers have been released and reintegrated with the assistance of UNICEF, peacekeeping or political missions, as well as UN and NGO partners on the ground. National campaigns to promote the objectives of
“Children, Not Soldiers” have been launched in most countries concerned and beyond.
Campaign achievements:
- All Governments concerned by the Campaign are engaged in an Action Plan process with the United Nations.
- The government of Afghanistan criminalized the recruitment of children, endorsed a road map to accelerate the implementation of its Action Plan as well as age assessment guidelines to prevent the recruitment of children;
- Chad put in place all necessary measures to end and prevent the recruitment of children in its armed forces and is no longer listed.
- A second country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) put in place all necessary measures to end and prevent the recruitment of children in its armed forces and is no longer listed for this violation in the annexes of the Annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict.
- Over 800 children (and youth recruited as children) were released from Myanmar’s army since the signature of the Action Plan in 2012. In September 2015, the country signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict;
- Somalia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in September 2015. The Government established a child protection unit in the Somali armed forces and put in place mechanisms for the handover to the United Nations of children found in the ranks of its army;
- Sudan signed an action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the country’s security forces;There is notable progress in the implementation of this Action Plan.
- In 2014, South Sudan recommitted to the action plan signed in 2012. Implementation has been stalled due to conflict;
- Yemen signed an Action Plan with the UN in May 2014. Implementation has been stalled due to conflict.
During the campaign, the Special Representative and UNICEF worked with their UN and NGO partners to support and strengthen their engagement with the concerned Governments.
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