Why child soldiers are such a complex issue

Abstract

The use of child soldiers in armed conflicts is qualified as one of the worst forms of child labour and concerns up to 300,000 individuals under the age of 18 years, some of whom are much younger. Mostly they are in developing countries with the situation being worse in sub-Saharan Africa, where two-thirds of contemporary armed conflicts are raging. The phenomenon is not recent, but has nevertheless increased with the end of the Cold War and the multiplication of intra-state conflicts. International legal standards have been developed over the past 30 years. The difficulties in implementing them are due to the fact that, in most cases, child soldiers are present in the context of failed states, of internal conflicts, non-state actors, paramilitary organizations, organized crime, minorities and vulnerable groups, and/or mobile or displaced populations. This article attempts to list the main causes of the recruitment and use of child soldiers and suggests long-term cooperation and development as more effective approaches than the present disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes. © UNHCR [2009]. All rights reserved.