Recruitment and use of children in armed conflict under international humanitarian law

Abstract

The phenomenon of recruiting children and involving them in armed conflict is one of the most serious issues at present, particularly with the increase in international and non-international armed conflicts, children are now exploited by armed forces and groups to be used in hostilities, the transfer of equipment and weapons, the collection of information, acts of sabotage and other forms of participation in hostilities, and as a result there is an urgent need to prohibit children from participating in armed conflicts, and reduce the violations they are subjected to.

Despite all the international conventions and documents dealing with the phenomenon of child recruitment, and increased international efforts to eradicate this phenomenon, what we are witnessing today is the increasing number of children recruited and involved in hostilities, which has made the phenomenon of child soldiers a source of concern for the international community, which needs the concerted efforts of the states and international organizations concerned to reduce them.

 This led to the highlighting of the principle of prohibiting the recruitment and participation of children in hostilities under international humanitarian and international human rights law, in addition to indicating the legal status of children involved in armed conflicts and, the rules of protection guaranteed to them by international humanitarian law.