    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [January 21, 2000]
    [Pages 101-102]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Geneva Protocol on Child Soldiers
    January 21, 2000

        Today the United States joined a consensus in Geneva on the text of
    a protocol that addresses the problem of child soldiers. I am very
    pleased with the final result, and I look forward to the early adoption
    of the protocol by the United Nations.
        The forcible recruitment of very young children--some no more than 9
    or 10 years old--into an increasing number of civil wars and other
    conflicts shocks the conscience and shames humanity. By addressing
    forced recruitment and the conduct of armed rebel groups, this agreement
    strikes at the heart of the problem of child soldiers. Countries that
    become parties to the protocol would prohibit the use of soldiers under
    18 by non-state forces and would cooperate in rehabilitating and
    reintegrating child soldiers into society.
        The protocol also deals in a realistic and reasonable way with the
    issue of minimum ages for conscription, voluntary recruitment, and
    participation in hostilities by national armed forces. The protocol
    would establish an 18-year minimum age for compulsory recruitment;
    require parties to raise their minimum age for voluntary recruitment to
    an age above the current 15-year international standard; and require
    parties to take all feasible measures to ensure that armed forces
    personnel who are not yet 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities.

    [[Page 102]]

        This protocol is an important advance for human rights. At the same
    time, it fully protects the military recruitment and readiness
    requirements of the United States. I am committed to a speedy process of
    review and signature and to working with the Senate on this historic
    achievement to protect the world's children.

    Note: The statement referred to the Optional Protocol to the Convention
    on the Rights of the Child on Involvement of Children in Armed
    Conflicts, adopted on January 21 by a working group of the United
    Nations Commission on Human Rights.