Archives

Landmark treaty on child soldiers

The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which came into effect yesterday, marks a major step in international efforts to humanise armed conflicts the world over. It has been signed by 96 countries to date and ratified by fourteen states, including Sri Lanka. The basic aim of the Protocol is to prohibit states from recruiting persons under the age of 18 into combat units of their security forces. It also outlaws the compulsory recruitment of persons under the age of 18 by both government and non-governmental armed forces.

In the case of voluntary enlistment by governments, the minimum age of recruitment has been raised by the treaty to 16. Significantly, insurgency and rebel groups have been prohibited, under the treaty, from recruiting and deploying anyone under the age of 18," "under any circumstances".

Considering the fact that child soldiers are in the news once again, the adoption of the Protocol couldn't have been timelier. It serves to impress on both states and rebel groups, their unavoidable responsibilities towards children.

In their haste to win wars, some state and non-state actors have been resorting to the abominable practice of recruiting and deploying persons under the age of 18 in combat units in conflict zones. Besides flagrantly disregarding the rights and well being of children, such practices have played a significant role in brutalizing minds and rendering the world a more dangerous and sad place to live in. For, when children are habituated into violence and evil, the future well being and happiness of the world is dangerously undermined. Today's child soldiers eventually become tomorrow's violence-prone, lawless adults.

It follows, then, that if state and non-state parties are prohibited from recruiting child soldiers, the seeds would be sown for a more peaceful tomorrow. The Protocol, therefore, should be viewed as a landmark in the world community's march towards a humane global order.

Needless to say, enforcement of treaties is as important as ratifying them. Global conventions could be rendered ineffective if signatory states and other relevant parties are not firmly obligated into practising them. The same goes for the Protocol which could degenerate into a dead letter if not strongly enforced.

What is left to be done now is for the international community to ensure that procedures of accountability are adopted which would make it incumbent on both state and non-state actors to unflinchingly respect the terms of the treaty. Nothing could be left to chance in this context because much is at stake.

• Editorial of  The Observer - The politics of the A9 14.02.2002:
  

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager