Louder than Words: An agenda for action to end state use of child soldiers

The report “Louder than words: An agenda for action to end state use of child soldiers” is published to mark the tenth anniversary year of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. It examines the record of states in protecting children from use in hostilities by their own forces and by state-allied armed groups. It finds that, while governments’ commitment to ending child soldier use is high, the gap between commitment and practice remains wide. Research for the report shows that child soldiers have been used in armed conflicts by 20 states since 2010, and that children are at risk of military use in many more. The report illustrates that whilst international commitment to ensuring the protection of children is high (over three quarters of the world’s states are party to the Optional Protocol), in practice a significant number of states have yet to translate their words into action.The report also contains a 10-point checklist to assist states and other stakeholders in assessing risk and identifying the legal and practical measures needed to end child soldier use by government forces and allied armed groups.