After the Trade
Child soldiers
The international community has widely condemned the use of child soldiers, with 167 countries to date supporting the UN's Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Each year, the United States develops a list of countries using or recruiting child soldiers as part of US law under the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008. Unfortunately, waivers can be dispensed which circumvent restrictions on American arms and training to nations which use child soldiers.
Experts: Shannon Dick, Daniel Mahanty, Rachel Stohl
Key resources:
Recent Expert Publications*:
*publications in which Forum-listed experts were involved. Inclusion on the Forum on the Arms Trade expert list does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others.
The international community has widely condemned the use of child soldiers, with 167 countries to date supporting the UN's Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Each year, the United States develops a list of countries using or recruiting child soldiers as part of US law under the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008. Unfortunately, waivers can be dispensed which circumvent restrictions on American arms and training to nations which use child soldiers.
Experts: Shannon Dick, Daniel Mahanty, Rachel Stohl
Key resources:
- Rachel Stohl and Shannon Dick, "What America Can Do to Stop the Practice of Child Soldiers," The National Interest, Nov 6.
- Stimson, "U.S. Military Assistance to Governments Using or Supporting the Use of Child Soldiers FY11 – FY17 under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act"
- State Department - Trafficking in Persons report, June 2017 - see chapter on child soldiers.
- White House – presidential memorandum on child soldiers, September 2014.
- Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008 – text.
- United Nations - members list on the Optional Protocol regarding child soldiers.
Recent Expert Publications*:
- Rachel Stohl and Shannon Dick, "Child Soldiers Pose a National Security Threat," The National Interest, Feb 12.
- Rachel Stohl, "What America Can Do to Stop the Practice of Child Soldiers," The National Interest, Nov 6.
- Rachel Stohl, "The Trump Administration Has Failed its First Test on Child Soldiers," Foreign Policy, June 30.
- Rachel Stohl, "President Trump, you can stop the use of child soldiers," CNN, April 26.*
*publications in which Forum-listed experts were involved. Inclusion on the Forum on the Arms Trade expert list does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others.