GNV News – January 10, 2025

2024 was the 35th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including its Optional Protocol that prohibits the recruitment and military use of all children under 18. However, on December 31, 2024, it was reported that the recruitment and military use of children had increased in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Lake Chad Basin, Mozambique, the Sahel, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and Haiti. In these regions, most child soldiers are abducted and forcibly recruited, and the majority are girls who are raped, subjected to sexual violence, and trafficked. Beyond these areas, there are many other places where children are being recruited as soldiers, and between 2005 and 2022, more than 105,000 children are confirmed to have been recruited and used as soldiers.

In addition to serving as combatants, child soldiers are used in various roles such as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, and messengers. Engagement in dangerous labor and combat carries major risks of death, chronic injury, and disability. Forced drug use, participation in harsh training and initiation rites, and involvement in or witnessing torture and killings have severe impacts on physical and mental health. Even after leaving, it can be difficult to be accepted back by their families and communities in some cases. To help children survive armed conflict and gain access to peace and education, responsible implementation of human rights law, psychosocial support for children who have returned and their families, and support for children who have experienced sexual violence are needed.

Learn more about the realities of children around the world → “What are the realities of children around the world and the gap in media coverage?”

See art about child soldiers → “ The World of Banksy (Part 21): ‘Crayons of Child Soldiers’”

Child soldier in South Sudan (Photo: Isaac Billy / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])