United Nations – International Child Soldier Day (12 February 2019)
On the occasion of International Child Soldier Day, France reaffirms that the fight against the recruitment and use of children by states and armed groups remains a top priority for its action.
For more than 20 years, France has played a key role in developing international rules for combatting this scourge, notably including the Paris Principles and Commitments which have already been adopted by 108 states. Thanks to these rules and the work carried out with civil society, more than 100,000 child soldiers have been released or reintegrated.
France would like to see universal commitment to combating the recruitment of child soldiers and calls on the countries that have not yet done so to adopt and implement the international rules. As Jean-Yves Le Drian underscored at the UN Security Council, new methods of recruiting and exploiting children, notably by terrorist groups must be taken into account. The fight against radicalization on the Internet and indoctrination form part of this.