Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2018
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which the EU and-or the UN continue to co-operate to combat the use of child soldiers in the various wars throughout Africa; the progress to date in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14492/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe promotion and protection of the rights of all children should be paramount. In this context, I consider the recruitment and use of child soldiers as among the gravest human rights violations. Ireland, the EU and UN are working to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict, first adopted on 2003 and revised in June 2008, set out EU policy in this area. These Guidelines aim to persuade governments and organisations around the world to apply humanitarian law and human rights that protect children from armed conflict. They commit the EU to address the impact of armed conflict on children and fight against impunity for those who are involved in the recruitment of child soldiers.
Since 2002, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has issued an annual report, on children and armed conflict which lists all armed groups – both state and non-state – that recruit and use children. The most recent report, published in August 2017, cites groups operating in eight African countries; namely the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Mali.
In 1999, the UN Security Council passed its first Resolution, UNSCR 1261, on the impact of armed conflict on children and condemned violations in that context. Ever since then, the Security Council has established vital tools to strengthen child protection and to support international standards, including the position of UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict who investigates and develops best practices to address the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Ireland continues to combat the problem of child soldiers with a focus on addressing the socio-economic causes through our development programme. Ireland also supports direct interventions by supporting specialist organizations including UNICEF, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. Ireland’s commitment to the eradication of the recruitment and use of child soldiers is highlighted in our Policy for International Development, ‘One World, One Future’.
