Children in Hostilities. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding the use and recruitment of children in hostilities

The minimum age of recruitment into the military should be 18 years. At present, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is 15 years. The change could be achieved through the adoption of an Optional Protocol to the Convention. Existing international law protects only persons under the age of fifteen years from recruitment into armed forces or participation in hostilities. This is Save the Children’s position on children under 18 taking part, directly or indirectly, in any armed conflict.