U.S. Criticized on Child Soldiers
By GEIR MOULSON
.c The Associated Press
GENEVA (AP) - Human rights campaigners accused the United States on Monday of
blocking attempts to expand a worldwide ban on the use of child soldiers.
Washington has opposed efforts to raise the minimum age for recruiting
soldiers to 18 from 15, as specified in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of
the Child.
The United States, which allows 17-year-olds to join the armed forces, fears
the proposed new standard could constrain recruitment and training, and is
skeptical about adding new norms when old ones are ignored.
A coalition of campaigners, including Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch, said the U.S. position was ``completely unacceptable.''
The campaigners spoke to reporters as a working group of the U.N. Human
Rights Commission opened its annual meeting, trying to revive efforts to
draft an ``optional protocol'' for raising the age.
U.S. officials rejected the coalition's claim that Washington was attempting
to weaken any agreement by the panel.
Some 300,000 children under the age of 18 are ``actively participating in
more than 30 conflicts in nearly every region of the world,'' said coalition
spokeswoman Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch.
The coalition notes that the United States stands with Cuba, Pakistan and
Britain in opposing the 18 limit. Britain recruits 16-year-olds.
By making the protocol optional, the backers would leave it to each of the
191 countries that have signed the treaty the choice of committing themselves
also to the higher age limit. This year is the convention's 10th anniversary.
The United States has yet to ratify the original accord.
AP-NY-01-10-00 1331EST
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news
report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed
without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active
hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
By GEIR MOULSON
.c The Associated Press
GENEVA (AP) - Human rights campaigners accused the United States on Monday of
blocking attempts to expand a worldwide ban on the use of child soldiers.
Washington has opposed efforts to raise the minimum age for recruiting
soldiers to 18 from 15, as specified in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of
the Child.
The United States, which allows 17-year-olds to join the armed forces, fears
the proposed new standard could constrain recruitment and training, and is
skeptical about adding new norms when old ones are ignored.
A coalition of campaigners, including Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch, said the U.S. position was ``completely unacceptable.''
The campaigners spoke to reporters as a working group of the U.N. Human
Rights Commission opened its annual meeting, trying to revive efforts to
draft an ``optional protocol'' for raising the age.
U.S. officials rejected the coalition's claim that Washington was attempting
to weaken any agreement by the panel.
Some 300,000 children under the age of 18 are ``actively participating in
more than 30 conflicts in nearly every region of the world,'' said coalition
spokeswoman Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch.
The coalition notes that the United States stands with Cuba, Pakistan and
Britain in opposing the 18 limit. Britain recruits 16-year-olds.
By making the protocol optional, the backers would leave it to each of the
191 countries that have signed the treaty the choice of committing themselves
also to the higher age limit. This year is the convention's 10th anniversary.
The United States has yet to ratify the original accord.
AP-NY-01-10-00 1331EST
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news
report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed
without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active
hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
