[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 20 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 20

Expressing the sense of Congress that the global use of child soldiers 
   is unacceptable and that the international community should find 
                     remedies to end this practice.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2009

 Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mr. Honda, Mr. Lewis 
 of Georgia, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. Bordallo, and 
     Mr. Murphy of Connecticut) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the global use of child soldiers 
   is unacceptable and that the international community should find 
                     remedies to end this practice.

Whereas the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child promotes 
        principles in the best interests of the child and the United Nations 
        Commission on Human Rights, in its Resolution 1999/80 on the Rights of 
        the Child, has reaffirmed the urgent need to raise to 18 years the 
        current minimum age limit set by article 38 of the Convention on the 
        Rights of the Child on the recruitment and participation of any persons 
        on armed conflict;
Whereas, despite the efforts of the world community to address the effects of 
        war on children, more than 3,000,000 children under 18 years of age are 
        currently participating in armed conflicts worldwide;
Whereas the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998) 
        characterized as a war crime the conscripting to enlist or enlisting of 
        children under the age of 15 into the national armed forces of a country 
        or using such children to participate actively in hostilities;
Whereas the General Conference of the International Labor Organization adopted 
        Convention 182 (1999) prohibiting forced or compulsory recruitment of 
        children under the age of 18 for use in armed conflict, and the ILO 
        recommends in its Recommendation 190 that governments also prohibit, as 
        a criminal offense, the use, procuring, or offering of a child for 
        activities which involve the unlawful carrying or use of firearms or 
        other weapons; and
Whereas the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1261 (1999) 
        condemning the targeting of children in situations of armed conflict, 
        including killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction and forced 
        displacement, recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in 
        violation of international law, and attacks on objects protected under 
        international law, including places that usually have a significant 
        presence of children, such as schools and hospitals, and calling on all 
        parties concerned to put an end to such practices: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the global use of child soldiers 
is unacceptable and that the international community should find 
remedies to end this practice.
                                 <all>