The Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers
Study Guide PDF: here Doodle: here
Draft Resolution: Here
Introduction to …
… the Committee
The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits. The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.
The Council consists of 54 Member States, which are elected yearly by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are allocated ensuring equitable geographic rotation among the United Nations regional groups, with 14 being allocated to the African Group, 11 to the Asia-Pacific Group, 6 to the Eastern European Group, 10 to the Latin American and Caribbean Group and 13 to the Western European and Others Group.
… the Topic
Children in the military are children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as persons under the age of 18) who are associated with military organizations, such as state armed forces and non-state armed groups. Throughout history and in many cultures, children have been involved in military campaigns.
Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world. Between 2005 and 2020, more than 93,000 children were verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict, although the actual number of cases is believed to be much higher.
Often these boys and girls suffer extensive forms of exploitation and abuse that are not fully captured by the term “child soldier”. Warring parties use children not only as fighters, but as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, messengers and more. Many, especially girls, are also subjected to gender-based violence.
Children become part of an armed force or group for various reasons. Some are abducted, threatened, coerced or manipulated by armed actors. Others are driven by poverty, compelled to generate income for their families. Still others associate themselves for survival or to protect their communities. No matter their involvement, the recruitment and use of children by armed forces is a grave violation of child rights and international humanitarian law.
The Life of a Child Soldier
Children who are recruited into military organisations lose all semblance of their childhoods. Many of these children are often detained without food, medical care or endure other inhumane conditions. Alongside these conditions they may undergo intense indoctrination in order to establish an immediate and unconditional obedience to their superiors. In addition to this, there are instances of children being armed with lethal weapons while being given alcohol and drugs to make them more accepting of violence. Providing the children with these substances also forces a higher level of dependency on the group that recruited them.
These children are placed in danger by being forced to fight on the front lines or participate in suicide missions. Military organizations often implement child soldiers to also terrorize and blackmail citizens by employing them as spies, messengers and lookouts. Being forced into sexual slavery is also a regular occurrence for girls.
As a result of what these children experience during their time as child soldiers, survivors often display grave aftereffects. Alongside poor literacy and behaviour problems, psychiatric illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression are commonplace. Studies have shown that survivors are more likely to exhibit aggression and anti-social behaviour, with their futures often leading to a high risk of poverty and unemployment in adulthood.
Instances of Recruitment of Child Soldiers
The majority of children are recruited by non-state groups, but some countries do employ them in their state militaries. Due to this, it makes it harder to identify where many of these child soldiers are, as a result of the lack of visibility and negotiability with these groups. Some countries of note that recruit child soldiers into their state forces are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Overall, west and central Africa house the highest number of child soldiers in the world. Many of the countries in these regions are embroiled in conflict, leading to an increase in recruitment from state and non-state armed groups, such as national armies, local militias and terrorist organisations.
Another important aspect to consider is the effect the pandemic has had on the recruitment of child soldiers. During the time of lockdown, many children were left idle. Many armed groups took this as a recruitment opportunity, creating a new generation of child soldiers. A prime example of this occurrence can be seen in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) recruitment of Colombian children.
The Process of Reintegration
Reintegration of child soldiers into a normal society proves to often be very difficult. With the consequences of serving as a child soldier being very serious, it is important that these children are provided with the proper care and time in order to overcome the long-term effects of war. Reintegration includes psychosocial support, vocational training, quality education and healthcare. Reintegration serves as a way to improve the child’s mental and physical state. Alongside this, it grants them opportunities to develop the skills to become members of society through an education that they missed as child soldiers.
A common problem, however, is that many girls who tried to reintegrate into society are often viewed as tainted, due to the fact that many of them were forced into sexual slavery. It is due to this stigma and possible rejection from their families that many girls refuse to even attempt reintegration. Many reintegration programs battle these stigmas in order to provide a peaceful setting for these survivors.
Reintegration serves an important role, as child soldiers who are not properly reintegrated have a higher chance of being recruited again. Unfortunately, many reintegration programs are often underfunded and understaffed, not being able to fully provide the child with the support they need. Overlooking reintegration of child soldiers can often lead to broader problems within their communities, such as increased violence and an overall stagnation in economic and social development.
What has been done so far
Instrumental in driving most of what has been accomplished pertaining to this topic is UNICEF, one of the many programs that are part of the ECOSOC. One example of UNICEF’s work is that of the Cape Town Principles. Adopted in 1997, the Cape Town Principles were the result of a symposium organised by UNICEF and the NGO Working Group on the Convention on the Rights on the Child to develop strategies for preventing recruitment of children, demobilising child soldiers and helping them to reintegrate into society. The Principles have obtained recognition well beyond this original group to become a key instrument to inform the development of international norms as well as shifts in policy at the national, regional and international levels.
On a request by UNICEF these original principles were then once again reworked through 2006-2007 and yielded the Paris Principles which simply implemented some of the lessons learned from the weak areas of the Cape Town Principles.
The disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration standards (DDR) which were introduced by the UN in 2006 are another outline of how international efforts should be conducted and they are always used when United Nations Peacekeeping Operations are conducted within a country.
Programs that aim to rehabilitate and reintegrate child soldiers, such as those sponsored by UNICEF, often emphasise three components: family reunification/community network, psychological support, and education/economic opportunity. These efforts take a minimum commitment of 3 to 5 years in order for programs to be successfully implemented. Generally, reintegration efforts seek to return children to a safe environment, to create a sense of forgiveness on the behalf of the child's family and community through religious and cultural ceremonies and rituals, and encourage the reunification of the child with his or her family.
Reintegration efforts can become challenging when a child has committed war crimes, as in these cases stigma and resentment within the community can be exacerbated. In situations such as these, it is important that the child's needs are balanced with a sense of community justice. If such situations are not addressed children face an increased likelihood of re-enlistment.
Questions a Resolutions must answer
How can we ensure the proper reintegration of child soldiers into society?
Which steps should be implemented internationally and which nationally to increase likelihood of successful rehabilitation?
What is the best way to implement the DDR standards or realise the Paris Principles?
In what way should countries be supported or sanctioned that condone the use of child soldiers?
Country suggestions within ECOSOC
In no particular order:
Afghanistan
Belgium
China
Colombia
Côte d’Ivoire
France
India
Liberia
Nigeria
United Kingdom
