FORUM: The Human Rights Council

QUESTION: Preventing the Recruitment of Child Soldiers

SUBMITTED BY: The Syrian Arab Republic
THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, stating that every person is
born free and equal in dignity and rights,including rights to life, liberty and security
without distinction of any kind,
Having considered child soldiers as any individual under the age of 15 taking part in
military training and any individual under the age of 18 participating in live combat
or as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, sexual slaves and for political
advantage either as human shields or in propaganda,
Noting with deep concern that over 2 million children have died from armed
conflicts over the last decade, at least 6 million children have been permanently
immobilized or critically wounded, more than 1 million have been orphaned or
separated from their family and that they are an estmated 250,000 child soldiers
around the world,
Stressing the severity and inhumanity of using children for conflict related causes,
Bearing in mind that most areas where the use children as soldiers is widespreadare
underdeveloped areas where children are deprived of the most basic of
accomodation rights such as education, housing and nutrition, thus causing
children to pursue soldiery as a means of survival and that in a number of cases
they are taken against their will,
Affirming that all the children should be granted their rights which have been
recognized in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the UN General
Assembly Resolution 1386 of 10th December 1959,
Keeping in mind that the usage of child soldiers is in contradiction with article 2, 4,
7 and 9 of the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child,
Reaffirming its commitment to work for the protection and rights of the child,
Deeply convinced that child soldiers will not resolve the nations long term prblems
as their growth of citizens will be greatly comprimised,
1. Calls upon all nations to adhere to the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva
Conventions of 12 August 1949 stating that any who have not yet attained the
age of fifteen shall not be recruited or recieve military training and that any
under the age of 18 shall not take part in military conflict;
2. Requests that all member nations take effective measures in addressing and
eradicating the already recruited child soldiers within any armed forces in
their respective country, including but not limited to:

a. Governmentally controlled searches of illegal terrorist installments

which may contain child soldiers,
b. Permitted and providing the rescued child soldiers with education and
solving their basic needs;
3. Declares accordingly that all member states that have not already done so to
review, adapt, and create laws that coincide with the minimal requirements for
childrens rights according to UNICEFs policies and protect children from
becoming child soldiers;
4. Encourages the condemnation of any exceptions regarding the usage of child
soldiers, which allow them to be used under special circumstances;
5. Calls for severe international punishments -on any nations and/or armed
forces that recruit child soldiers into their ranks, or compel them in any way to
serve military purposes- increasingly till compiance, through
a. Economic Sanctions,
i.
Cutting off all trade with said parties,
ii.
Freezing off all international or local when possible- funds of
said parties,
b. Judiciary punishments in pursuing leaders of infringing parties by the
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) as war criminals to
be tried at the International Criminal Court instead of local courts;
6. Encourages the importance of international laws being changed to prohibit the
view of child soldiers as criminals and instead be viewed as victims and
offered relief not punishment and that any and all crimes committed by said
child soldiers be attributed to their recruiters, and they be held responsible for
them;
7. Urges that such matters be dealt with the moste utmost haste and importance
as they are concerning the violationof the most basic human rights;
8. Invites the use of greater educational environments as well as extracurricular
activites to occupy the minds of any and all able-bodied potential recruits in
order to cut off the source of soldiers for militias, as well as educate the
population of their options regarding the matter at hand to increase public
awareness and prevention;
9. Further requests that states where child soldiers exist implement government
funded rehabilitation programs for rescued child soldiers which include:
a. Health care checks to treats injuries and other health issues,
b. Psychological therapy to analyze and restore accordingly their
emotional and social health,
c. Recreational activities,
d. Academic and prevocational schooling,
e. Reintergration with families when possible;

10.Decides to remain further seized of the matter.