AHMED UZAIR
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Social, Cultural and Humanitarian

Use of Child soldier in armed conflicts
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya believes that child soldiering is an issue that deserves special attention. It is accepted that child soldiering is the worst form of child labor, and that it has left many children vulnerable to various difficulties. Child soldiering is affront to a community. We believe that children, who have a right to play, enjoy their life and deserve the best possible education. Ironically they are left they are left helpless at the hand of these conflicts for which they are ill trained and inadequately equipped. Consequently, they die and even if they survive, they are psychologically and physically traumatized. Speaking of this reintegration is the actual part of the issue that needs special consideration. Keeping in mind it is said that children once thrown into violence cannot convert their ways to a peaceful life but this is not the case. Libya believes that careful training and proper environment can become the foundation on which these children can become good citizens. Child soldiering is not just associated with boys but also girls whose plight is even more vulnerable and defenseless. They are beaten, tortured, raped, and sexually exploited. Such exploitation causes irreparable psychological and physical harm. We agree that these children are the adults of tomorrow and their presence in such ruthless conflict is in no way justified. Children whether as fighters, sex slaves, or porters become the first and easiest victims of conflict. We have repeatedly heard the notion and it deserves further stress: “(we are) digging the graveyards for the future generations instead of securing for them a bright future.”
Out of the entire child soldiers (300, 000) nearly half (120,000) are in Africa. Libya has taken up a very strict stance on the matter and is strongly against child soldiering. We have ratified all the convention on the issue and fully support international steps.
Causes of the said problem can be categorized as follow
Ø Poverty
Ø Long standing civil wars
Ø High percentage of population is children
Ø Abduction, i.e. children captured.
Ø Changing nature of warfare i.e. from armies fighting to gorilla type fighting
Ø Lack of education and public knowledge
Ø Proliferation of small arms

Solution can be categorized in following ways
1.Prevention 2. Demobilization 3.Reintigraiton
We believe that systematic procedure should be developed to alleviate the root causes of child soldiering, returning of the children who are participating in war and pave the ay for the reintegration of these children. We would like to propose:
Ø Long standing conflicts should be resolved by international pressure and persuasion
Ø Poverty should be addressed
Ø Better Economic Infrastructure
Ø All parties should be pressurized to prevent the recruitment of children as soldiers
Ø There must be a mutual understanding of the drastic consequences of the child soldiering
Ø Immediately the parties should demobilize the children of war
Ø Children must be given consideration in all treatise
Ø Provide basic health care and educational facilities for the these children
Ø Provide Employment opportunities for these children