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U.N.
Fights to Stop Use of Children in Global Armed Conflict |
Posted:
02.28.05
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More than 250,000 children were recruited to fight wars, abducted
for sexual slavery, and maimed in armed conflict across the world
last year, according to a United Nations report released this
month.
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The United Nations presented a plan and list of punishments to
reduce the number of child soldiers in countries where armed conflict
has killed more than 2 million children in the past 10 years.
 In
a speech on the report, Olara Otunnu, the special representative
for children and armed conflict, said 42 armed groups in 11 countries
are recruiting child soldiers. He said there is a need to implement
a monitoring and reporting "mechanism" to lower the
number of children hurt in places where abuses continue to occur.
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Children
fighting in wars |
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While the United Nations does not have a strict definition of
"armed conflict," the report looked at instances where
children seeking asylum or refugee status were denied humanitarian
relief.
In an attempt to shame armed military groups and the countries
that house them, the report named offending parties in 11 countries:
Burundi, Congo, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda in Africa;
Colombia in South America; and the Asian nations of Myanamar,
Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
 It
also listed the improved progress of countries such as Afghanistan,
Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia. There are also updates in
the report of children being attacked in the Mideast, specifically
Israel, Palestinian territories and Iraq.
The United Nations hopes that naming countries and armed groups
will draw attention, and could convince other governments to end
weapons sales and financial aid. The report said increased global
awareness brought a drop of 50,000 child soldiers last year.
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Possible
solutions |
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In the past, the United Nations has recommended three possible
solutions: travel restrictions on leaders of groups who have not
shown any progress in reducing the number of child soldiers; a
ban on those leaders from governing and amnesty in possible war
crime trials; and an embargo on arms, military assistance and
flow of money to those groups
The latest report presents a comprehensive "monitoring and
compliance mechanism" to keep track of groups that violate
children's rights.
 It
proposes a task force led by about a dozen separate child human
rights groups. Reports of child brutality will be tracked by local
U.N. peacekeepers or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such
as Save the Children.
The plan also seeks deals with groups that violate children's
human rights. For example, five armed groups in Burundi met with
U.N. officials in June 2004 and agreed to release child soldiers.
After discussions, several armed groups said they would stop recruiting
children under the age of 18 and work with a national child demobilization
program to transfer more than 2,260 children from war zones to
their respective homes and families.
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Too big a
task? |
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Some members of the United Nation worry that monitoring plan
is too ambitious to be effective.
Stuart Holliday, the U.S. ambassador, expressed concern that
already strapped U.N. workers would not be able to successfully
track and report problems.
The United Kingdom representative said the proposed mechanism
should be practical and realistic to ensure action was effective.
 Some
diplomats pointed out that some of the violations have been committed
by U.N. peacekeepers themselves. In the African nation of Congo,
25 U.N. civilian and military personnel have been investigated
for sexual abuse of women and children.
One U.N. peacekeeper has resigned and another is being held in
France on criminal charges.
In response to the sexual allegations, U.N. Secretary-General
Kofi Annan called for "swift action to punish those responsible
and bring the practice to an end in all peacekeeping missions."
--
Compiled by Evelio Contreras for NewsHour Extra
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American schools and financial aid should be only for legal citizens of the United States. There should be no exceptions to this.
