Canada, along with the Rom茅o Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, is opening a new front in the international community鈥檚 fight against the use of children as weapons of war with the launch of the .
The principles, announced at the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in Vancouver this week, will be critical in ensuring that peacekeepers are prepared to face and ultimately prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers. The principles have been signed off on by more than 50 countries so far.
鈥淲ithout effective training, peacekeepers who face child soldiers will either underreact, overreact or not react at all,鈥� said LGen Rom茅o Dallaire, founder of the Rom茅o Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. 鈥淭he Vancouver Principles pushes the international community boldly forward on issues related to peacekeeping and protecting children used as weapons of war and ensure peacekeepers are prepared.鈥�
Preventing recruitment and use
The purpose of the Vancouver Principles is to prioritize and further operationalize child protection within UN peacekeeping with a focus on preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers. The principles ensure that children are no longer relegated to the margins on the international peace and security agenda, but are central to it.
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The Vancouver Principles were conceived by the Government of Canada in partnership with the 鈥� based at AV俱乐部 鈥� and developed in consultation with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, UNICEF, the Special Representative to the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, child protection actors and civil society partners, and UN Member States.
鈥淭he Vancouver Principles represent the culmination of years of hard work and advocacy by the Rom茅o Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative and its staff鈥� said Shelly Whitman, executive director of the Rom茅o Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. 鈥淭oday marks an historic day, a day we will mark as central to our mission to ensure that we can prevent the use of children as weapons of war.鈥�
Working towards a better future
The Vancouver Principles represent a busy year for the Dallaire Initiative and the Canadian Government on promoting the protection of children. The Vancouver Principles builds off earlier steps that includes Canada signing the Safe Schools Declaration and the creation of the Canadian Armed Force Joint Doctrine Note on Child Soldiers鈥攂oth supported through the work and advocacy of the Dallaire Initiative.
"A future where children are no longer used as weapons of war is within our grasp 鈥� but only if we choose to make children a priority to achieve peace and security," said Dr. Whitman.
Learn more about the Rom茅o Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative .