Senator Boxer: End the Use of Child Soldiers

August 7, 2007

Many Americans find it hard to believe that, around the world, children often serve as soldiers. They are recruited or forced to become combatants in conflicts in places like Uganda, Burma, Sudan, and Colombia. In fact, Human Rights Watch estimates that today between 200,000 and 300,000 boys and girls are involved in conflicts in 20 nations.

As these children serve as combatants, porters, human mine detectors and sex slaves, their health and lives are endangered and their childhoods are lost. Especially troubling is that child soldiers too often serve governments that receive U.S. military assistance. I am proud to cosponsor the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, S.1175, which is intended to curtail the use of child soldiers in hostilities around the world. The Child Soldiers Prevention Act aims to end the use of American taxpayer dollars to support foreign militaries known to recruit or use child soldiers in government armed forces or government-supported militaries.

Under the terms of this bill, Foreign Military Assistance and other defense-related aid would be limited if countries are clearly identified in the State Department's Human Rights report as recruiting or using child soldiers. Military assistance would be limited to supporting the professionalization of their forces until they eliminate the use of child soldiers. If their practice of the use of child soldiers continued, U.S. military assistance would eventually be eliminated unless the President deems that it is in the national interest.

The protection of children has been a priority of mine all of my career, and I was pleased to lead the effort in 2002 to have the Senate approve the Optional Protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, also known as the Child Soldiers Protocol, to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Child Soldiers Prevention Act would continue this effort and protect countless children. It would also be in the best interest of our nation and military, as well. No one would want to ask American soldiers to face an armed child in battle. No one would want to ask American soldiers to return fire on a child. This legislation seeks to prevent such a tragedy.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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