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

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.