Last week on 16 June 2011 the government of the African nation Chad signed an action plan to end recruitment and use of children in its national army and security forces.  In a press release issued by the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.  The Secretary-General, Radhika Coomaraswamy, traveled to Chad to witness the signing of the plan.  The new action plan is an agreement with between the Chadian Government and the United Nations to end recruitment and use of child soldiers. The action plan spells out concrete steps, which when taken, will result in Chad being removed from the Secretary-General’s list of parties who recruit and use children.

The much needed and long over due agreement comes only one month after Chad was cited in the 11 May 2011 release in the Annual Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, for their violations against children and the use of child soldiers.  Each year the report is published to lists those parties involved in the recruitment of children in armed conflict, as well and use, kill and maim or commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children in conflict.  The report gives an overview of the situation of those children who are directly impacted by armed conflict and report on the actions by listed parties over the course of the previous year regarding their protection.


Previously published by Cassandra Clifford, please continue reading on the Foreign Policy Association: Children's Rights Blog: http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/06/22/chad-signs-plan-to-end-recruitment-and-use-of-children-in-national-army-and-security-forces/