PARIS, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Representatives of 58 U.N. member countries are pledging to end the unlawful recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts.
The Tuesday conference in Paris was hosted by the government of France and the U.N. Children's Fund with the goal garnering political will to confront child recruitment. Delegates were from nations affected by conflict as well as donor countries.
"What this conference has shown is that there is a great deal of political commitment to ending the unlawful recruitment of children," said Rima Salah, UNICEF deputy executive director. "What needs to be done now is to harness this commitment and turn it into concrete action on the ground that protects children from recruitment and supports those already recruited to overcome their experiences and reenter their communities."
Several commitments were endorsed during the conference, including for governments to ensure conscription and enlistment procedures comply with international law. The conference concluded that political and legal efforts are not enough to end recruitment; they need to be enjoined by effective social programs that tackle the root causes of the problem.
To address this, the Paris Principles, a detailed set of guidelines for protecting children from recruitment and for providing assistance to those already involved, were revealed. The representatives committed themselves to uphold and apply these principles.
It is estimated that some 300,000 children -- boys and girls under the age of 18 -- are today involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide, according to UNICEF. Children are used as combatants, messengers, porters and cooks and for forced sexual services.
"We have the means to conquer this problem," said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. "We can do more. That is the aim of this meeting. For these children and young people it is essential to prove that another life is possible."
