United Nations Office of the SRSG Children and Armed Conflict definition of child soldier

The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges governments to take ‘all feasible measures’ to prevent children under 15 from direct participation in fighting. International law prohibits the recruitment of child soldiers under various provisions. 4 “Saudi Arabia hired Sudanese children to fight the war in Yemen – NYT.” TRT World, 29 December 2018, This article discusses the regulation of child soldiers under international law, a feminist perspective on the matter, rehabilitation and prevention strategies, and possible obstacles to these strategies.

3 “Child Soldiers World Index reveals shocking scale of child recruitment around the world – World.” ReliefWeb, 21 February 2018, For example, Saudi Arabia and the UAE employed Sudanese child soldiers to fight their wars against the Houthis in Yemen. Child Soldiers International shared in 2018 that children under the age of 18 were still being used for military purposes in 46 states. 2 “Children recruited by armed forces or armed groups.” UNICEF, In reality, the number is likely much higher. Between 20, more than 93,000 children were recorded as having been recruited for armed conflict. 1 “The Paris Principles on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2007).” UNICEF, While some children are abducted for service, others may voluntarily join to escape poverty, for defence purposes, to avenge or for any other reason. According to the Paris Principles on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2007), a child soldier is any person below 18 years of age who has been recruited or used by an armed group in any role e.g., combatants, cooks, porters, or for sexual purposes.

United Nations Office of the SRSG Children and Armed Conflict definition of child soldier