Child Soldiers Prevention Act: Security Assistance Restrictions (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Oct. 11, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF10901 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Michael A. Weber |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The recruitment and use of children in armed conflict is
broadly viewed as a human rights problem, a form of
trafficking in persons, among the worst forms of child
labor, and a war crime. According to the United Nations
(U.N.), “tens of thousands” of child soldiers are involved in
local and regional conflicts in over 20 countries, within
both government forces as well as armed nonstate groups.
The U.N. has identified the recruitment and use of child
soldiers as among six “grave violations” affecting children
in war and has established numerous monitoring and
reporting mechanisms and initiatives to combat this
practice. U.S. efforts to eradicate this phenomenon
internationally are guided largely by the Child Soldiers
Prevention Act of 2008 (CSPA, Title IV of P.L. 110-457).
A number of bills in the 115th Congress, if passed, would
amend CSPA’s provisions relating to security assistance
restrictions (as discussed below).
