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News Section Children and international humanitarian law Section on the protection granted to children by humanitarian law. Reference to legal dispositions covering children; articles on children and armed conflict, including the problem of child soldiers. ©ICRC/Ursula Meissner / ref. iq-e-00035 / 04/2003
Baghdad. A mother and her three children live under the staircase.
Children are entitled to the full protection of the rules of international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilians, combatants and persons hors de combat. Recognizing their particular needs and vulnerability, IHL grants children special additional protection and sets a minimum age for participating in hostilities.
Legal basis
 Key document31-3-2003 Summary table of IHL provisions specifically applicable to childrenSummary table of provisions of international humanitarian law and other provisions of international law specifically applicable to children in war (Humanitarian law\Children in war) Includes PDF 28-2-2003 Legal Protection of Children in Armed ConflictFact sheet describing the obligations of States regarding the national implementation of the norms applicable to this particular aspect of international humanitarian law. (Humanitarian law\National implementation\Publications\Fact sheets) Fact Sheet Includes PDF International Review of the Red Cross31-12-2003 Victims and perpetrators: Issues of responsibility relating to the problem of child soldiers in AfricaThe responsibility under international law of those who recruit children and the responsibility of child soldiers who commit serious violations of the laws of war are both examined in this article, with particular reference to practice and experience in Africa. Specific examples are given of the practice of Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. (Info resources\International Review\2003 - No. 852) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 31-12-2003 Adolescents volunteering for armed forces or armed groupsThe focus of attention with regard to “child soldiers” has tended to be
on abducted children or those forced or coerced into fighting. When asked,
however, many children and young people themselves say that they volunteered. (Info resources\International Review\2003 - No. 852) International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF 30-9-2000 International humanitarian law and basic education(Info resources\International Review\2000 - No. 839) International Review of the Red Cross 30-9-2000 Optional Protocol on the involment of children in armed conflict to the Convention on the Rights of the Child(Info resources\International Review\2000 - No. 839) International Review of the Red Cross 31-3-1998 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child concerning involvement of children in armed conflictsPosition of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Geneva, 27 October 1997 (Info resources\International Review\1998 - No. 322) International Review of the Red Cross Official Statement18-11-2007 Promotion and protection of the rights of childrenUnited Nations, General Assembly, 62nd session, Third Committee, Item 66 (a) of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 17-19 Octobre 2007 (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\62nd General Assembly) Official Statement 6-2-2007 The ICRC says "no" to the recruitment of child soldiers Speech delivered in Paris on 6 February 2007 by Alain Aeschlimann, head of protection activities at the ICRC, on the occasion of the conference "Free Children From War" organized by UNICEF and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Humanitarian law\Children in war) Official Statement Includes Photo 16-10-2006 Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children United Nations, General Assembly, 61st session, Third Committee, item 63 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 16 October 2006 (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\61st General Assembly) Official Statement 14-4-2003 Rights of the Child59th Annual Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Agenda item 13 - 14 April 2003. Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC Activities\Humanitarian diplomacy\United Nations\Commission on human rights) Official Statement Photo Collection8-3-2005 Ivorian children look at war and the law The ICRC delegation in Côte d’Ivoire has taken the original step of asking street children in Abidjan, under the supervision of the Red Cross Society of Côte d’Ivoire, to produce illustrations relating to the basic rules of humanitarian law. The best drawings were published in a calendar. (Info resources\Photos\Africa) Photo Collection  |
