20 November 2003: CRINMAIL 527: Special Edition on Universal Children's Day ******************************************************************************************* - CHILD SOLDIERS: The Rights of Children Used as Soldiers: Good on Paper, Denied in Practice [press release] - ARMED CONFLICT: The ICRC and Children in War [press release] - LIBERIA, PALESTINE, AFGHANISTAN: Remembering Children in Conflict Areas [news] - PAKISTAN: Children's Rights in Pakistan [speech] - JAMAICA: It's Children's Day [news] - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Stop the Use of Child Soldiers [campaign] *********************************************************************************** Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at info@crin.org. Please note that we are unable to respond to emails addressed to crinmail_english@domeus.co.uk Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html ************************************************************************************ - CHILD SOLDIERS: The Rights of Children Used as Soldiers: Good on Paper, Denied in Practice [press release] [LONDON, 20 November 2003] - As the world celebrates Universal Children's Day, children continue to be forced to fight in increasingly protracted conflicts. Those children's rights look good on paper but are not respected or enforced in practice. Even in wars that might seem to be over, there is still a long way towards guaranteeing that former child soldiers are reintegrated, rehabilitated and freed from re-recruitment in yet another conflict. "Children's day will not be celebrated today by many children who are fighting as soldiers or have been used in conflicts all around the Globe", according to Casey Kelso, Coordinator of the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. "As new conflicts emerge or old conflicts linger, more children are recruited to replace those who have died or to inflate the ranks of armed forces and groups". The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which prohibits the use of children under 18 in combat, has been signed by 115 countries. Among the 66 countries that have ratified the Protocol are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sri Lanka, Rwanda and Uganda; Colombia has also signed it. Yet, armed forces and groups continue to recruit and use boys and girls as soldiers in all these countries and others like Yemen, Indonesia, Burundi, Burma and India. New conflicts have emerged in the past few years, increasing the risk of recruitment and use of children. In Afghanistan or Indonesia, that risk is evident; in Côte d'Ivoire, recruitment of children has been reported by all parties in the conflict Despite what look like important breakthroughs in DRC, Burundi and Sri Lanka, where heavily publicised peace accords and demobilisation programs have been signed recently, little has been done for the rights of child soldiers. Rehabilitation and reintegration programs in these countries reach few children, and girls are often excluded. In the case of Burundi and Sudan, recruitment of children has continued, as agreements between parties did not contain provisions on their demobilisation, or simply denied their existence. In countries where the conflict is over, like Mozambique, many former child soldiers still struggle to reintegrate themselves into their communities after having been used as soldiers for years, while international aid is long gone. In Angola, their very existence is denied by both the Government and the former opposition armed group Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). In the last three years, the United Nations Security Council has taken important decisions to tackle the recruitment and use of children as soldiers. Resolutions 1379 and 1460 regarding children in armed conflict were important steps to pinpoint those who recruit child soldiers, both governments and armed opposition groups. However, these resolutions are mere paper if they not followed by enforcement mechanisms - like effective military, travel or financial sanctions - to ensure that those previously identified groups and governments stop recruiting and using children as soldiers. The consideration of recruitment of children under 15 as a war crime by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is also a milestone in the quest to end impunity for those who use children as soldiers. Armed leaders and military commanders are ever more aware of international obligations criminalising the recruitment and use of children as soldiers in hostilities by Governments as well as non-state actors. Therefore, in many conflicts, it is not unusual to see highly publicised ceremonies of demobilisation of children. However, without proper enforcement mechanisms, these children become the target of other armed groups and may find themselves wearing a new uniform and fighting in yet another war. For more information, contact: Casey Kelso, Coordinator, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers 2-12 Pentonville Road, London N1 9HF United Kingdom Tel: +44 207 713 2761; Fax: +44 207 7132794 Website: www.child-soldiers.org --------------------------------------------------- - ARMED CONFLICT: The ICRC and Children in War [press release] [GENEVA, 20 November 2003] - On Universal Children's Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) once again calls attention to children's position as some of the most vulnerable victims of armed conflicts. Children have specific needs and must therefore receive appropriate aid that supports their development. Today, the anniversary of the signature of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the ICRC wishes to emphasise that international humanitarian law protects children from being recruited as soldiers, requires families torn apart to be reunited and helps rebuild childhoods shattered by war. As guardian of the Geneva Conventions and of international humanitarian law, one of the ICRC's top priorities is to promote the norms that protect children in wartime. The organisation also reunites children with their families, monitors the situation of minors in detention and helps child soldiers back into society. Moreover, the ICRC encourages States to ratify and ensure compliance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the recruitment of children and their participation in hostilities. Showing better understanding of children also means equipping them with the means to rebuild their lives so that they cease to be passive - or active - victims of war, and instead take the future into their own hands. [source: ICRC] --------------------------------------------------- - LIBERIA, PALESTINE, AFGHANISTAN: Remembering Children in Conflict Areas [news] [19 November 2003] - Universal Children's Day on November 20 has served to promote the plight of children worldwide since 1954. This year, while commemorating all of the children of the world, SOS Children's Villages would like to draw special attention to the suffering of children in conflict areas. ... Over the past decade, some progress was made to improve the lives of children across the globe. But the problem is far from being solved, and the situation of children in many parts of the world remains dire. Those particularly affected are in poverty and crisis-stricken regions, where 1.2 billion people live on less than one US dollar a day. Of these, 600 million are children under the age of five. This year, while commemorating all of the world's children, SOS Children's Villages would like to draw special attention to the devastating living conditions of those growing up in areas of war and violence. Currently, more than 50 areas of the world are affected by bloody conflicts. Children in these areas do not live accordingly to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and are, in many cases, deprived of security, food, clean water, health services and educational facilities. ... The escalation of crisis in Liberia in July 2003, for example, dramatically worsened the already destitute living conditions in the Northwest African country. An estimated 1.3 million people, mostly children and women, are increasingly vulnerable to disease. The numbers of those suffering from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, measles and cholera have risen considerably. ... In the Palestinian territories, some 500 children have been killed since the start of the current intifada and a further 9,000 injured, of which several hundred have permanent disabilities. Over the years, significantly greater numbers of children are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a psychological syndrome causing, among others, insomnia, vomiting and loss of voice or consciousness. ... Due to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, the country now has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world. Immunisation is a key concern in Afghanistan, where some 35,000 children die per year of diseases such as measles. An estimated 400,000 people have been internally displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict, while a further five million Afghans have sought refuge in neighbouring Pakistan over the past years. ... The list of ongoing conflict zones is long. The above are just three examples of conflict areas where SOS Children's Villages has made long-term commitments to improve the lives of children. On Universal Children's day, SOS Children's Villages asks the world to remember children in these areas, while at the same time celebrate all of the children across the globe. [source: ReliefWeb/SOS-Kinderdorf International] -------------------------------------- - PAKISTAN: Children's Rights in Pakistan [speech] Speech by Mr. Zia Ahmed Awan, President LHRLA, to the participants of a Seminar and Launching Ceremony of Madadgaar Docudramas [KARACHI, 20 November 2003] - 20th November was designated Universal Children's Day by the United Nations in 1954 with a recommendation that all countries observe it as a day of fraternity and understanding between children, and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children. 20th November is also the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. ... LHRLA President informed that the population of Pakistan is estimated at 141 million with annual growth rate of 2.6%. The 55% of the population i.e. 78 million are children under 18 years of age. Among them one third are those falling under the age bracket 10-18 years. The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees equal rights for all citizens and categorically forbids discrimination of any kind. But the majority of the children do not get their rights as guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan in relation to survival, development and protection. Pakistan is also the signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC). Unfortunately despite the existence of local and international laws children are not secure in our society. ... While pointing those children who are in conflict with the law Mr. Zia Awan informed that majority of the children in Pakistani jails are brought in for petty crimes. They are thrown in the jails for long periods of time and nobody is concerned about their release. A lot of them are destitute children or have families that do not have the resources to get them release. He added that there are only two juvenile jails, also known as Borstal Jails, in Pakistan, one in Karachi and the other in Bahawalpur and only one Remand Home in Karachi. Due to the lack of juvenile jails in the country, children are also placed in adult jails, but in separate cells. The incidents of child physical and sexual abuse, under detention, are rampant all over the country. For more information, Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) D-1, Ist Floor Court View Apartment Court View Road Opp. Sindh Assembly Building Karachi Pakistan. Tel: +56 85824 111-911-922 Email: lhrla@fascom.com Website: www.lhrla.com / www.madadgaar.org --------------------------------------------------- - JAMAICA: It's Children's Day [news] [Jamaica, 20th November 2003] - In recognition of Universal Children's Day, the Jamaica Coalition on the Right of the Child will today officially launch its child rights awareness project, which it said will foster the development of a rights-centred learning environment for primary school children and ultimately throughout the education system. "We will be working with primary school teachers to identify problems that exist in the schools, partner them with community entities to search for a solution," Carol Samuels, executive director for the coalition said. The project that will be launched at the Jamaica Pegasus, is endorsed by the Ministry of Education and funded by Environmental Foundation of Jamaica and UNICEF. [source: The Jamaica Observer] --------------------------------------------------- - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Stop the Use of Child Soldiers [campaign] Over the past five years, tens of thousands of children have been forced to fight alongside government armed forces and armed political groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). >From the beginning to the end of their military service, these children are subjected to harrowing and dehumanising experiences, including beatings, rape and other forms of torture. They are forced into combat and to commit serious human rights abuses. A generation is being traumatised. Appallingly, despite the signing of a peace agreement and the formation of a new transitional government of national unity, the rate of child recruitment is actually believed to be increasing in some areas of the DRC. Many, if not all, armed political groups fighting in eastern DRC are still actively recruiting children. The DRC government army also still contains thousands of serving child soldiers, although it has reportedly now ended recruitment of children. Furthermore, although some efforts are being made to demobilise child soldiers, these have been too limited in scale to have had any real impact on the problem. There is a desperate need for adequately resourced programs to rehabilitate child soldiers and offer them opportunities to develop their lives and potential so that they are not compelled to rejoin armed groups to survive or to live on the street where they are vulnerable to crime and exploitation. Representatives of many of the armed groups still recruiting children recently took up senior positions in the new transitional government. This new DRC Government needs to make demobilisation and rehabilitation of child soldiers a priority of its administration. [source: Amnesty International. For more information about Amnesty's actions on Children's Day 2003, go to: http://web.amnesty.org/pages/childrensday-index-eng] ************************************************************************************* The CRINMAIL is an electronic mailing list of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN). CRIN does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to the CRINMAIL. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator. ************************************************************************************* -- The "child-rights" mailing list provides information on issues related to children's human rights. Archives of "child-rights" messages, as well as instructions on how to (un)subscribe to the list, can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/child-rights/markup/maillist.php
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