Delegates: Alexa Authorlee & Miles Modad

Country: Japan
Committee: UNICEF
Topic: Child Soldiers
Child soldiers
1. Overview and History
The international definition for a child associated with an armed group or force (child
soldier) is any person below 18 years of age who has, or who is used or recruited by an armed
group in any capacity, including but not limited to boys and girls being used as cooks, porters,
messengers, spies, fighters or for sexual purposes. The use of children in acts of warfare is not
a problem new to the world. Many children may be kidnapped from their guardians or place of
residence, some however may willing go, but only under because they were convinced under
false pretenses, such as freedom from poverty, a way to defend their community, and
successful revenge. An estimated 40 percent of child soldiers are girls and that all over the
world there are approximately 250,000- 300,000 child soldiers.
2. Actions taken by the UN and Government
There has been and international law passed that declares 18 as the minimum age
requirement for recruitment and use of children in hostilities, also the International Humanitarian
Law prohibits use or recruitment of children under the age of 15 for armed conflicts. In 2006
government of Japan contributed 6.78 million US Dollars to the development of former child
soldiers vocational skills and primary educational development.--"We provide them with
vocational training, also basic education, and psycho-social support. We also provide them with
microfinance after training. Then we let them try and stand up themselves." said Shingo Ogawa
from Terra Renaissance, the Japanese NGO.
3. Stance of Japan
Seeing as Japan has no army and uses the services of the United States of America, nor are
we as a nation or any sanctioned groups of our population involved in any armed conflicts other
than those such as the occasional "gang", we do not have any involvement in the usage of
children as child soldiers, but we do understand this is a pressing matter of the world and would
like to assist in assuring a better world for all nations. The nation of Japan would like to continue
in further assisting of the financial sector of putting a halt to the use of child soldiers and helping
those who have been victimized by these horrific acts.
4. Suggestions for a resolution
Japan would like to suggest that nations affected directly by the usage of child soldiers
continue the battle as they have and especially in seeking out the LRA (Lord's Resistance
Army), also that those nations that are in a more so "stable stance" on the situation attempt to
provide financial support to the victims of these horrific acts as doing so would promote the
country itself among those that they assist and may even spread good fortune to their trade
sector.

Sources
"11 Facts About Child Soldiers." 11 Facts About Child Soldiers. Web. 14 Jan. 2015. .
"Child Soldiers - Peace Direct." Peace Direct Child Soldiers Comments. Web. 14 Jan. 2015. .
"Press Centre." UNICEF. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.unicef.org/media/media_pr_childsoldiers.html>.
"Japan NGO Rehabilitates Ugandan Child Soldiers | ENCA." Japan NGO Rehabilitates
Ugandan Child Soldiers | ENCA. Web. 19 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.enca.com/africa/japan-ngo-rehabilitate-ugandan-child-soldiers>.