The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of opposition factions in the Syrian civil war backed by the West, signed an Action Plan with the UN to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children under the age of 18.
SDF Force Commander General Mazloum Abdi signed on behalf of the group and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, signed on behalf of the UN during an official ceremony at the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, on June 29.
Through this Action Plan, the SDF commits to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children, to identify and separate boys and girls currently within its ranks and to put in place preventative, protection and disciplinary measures related to child recruitment and use.
The Action Plan follows the listing of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) for the recruitment and use of children in the Secretary-General’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict. The YPG operates under the command of the SDF.
“It is an important day for the protection of children in Syria and it marks the beginning of a process as it demonstrates a significant commitment by the SDF to ensure that no child is recruited and used by any entity operating under its umbrella,” said Gamba.
The signature of the Action Plan is the result of months of engagement between the United Nations and the SDF, in close consultation with the Special Representative.
Gamba commended the work of child protection partners on the ground, noting that the context in Syria remains one of the direst amongst the countries on her agenda with appalling consequences for children.
She highlighted the importance of Actions Plans to engage with parties to conflict, a strong tool of the CAAC mandate since 2003, per Security Council Resolution 1460.
“Actions Plans represent an opportunity for parties to change their attitude and behavior so that grave violations against children stop and are prevented to durably improve the protection of children affected by armed conflict. I urge all parties listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General annual report, in Syria and elsewhere, to seize the opportunity to engage with the UN and adopt Action Plans,” Gamba added.
As the conflict is continuing in its ninth year, Gamba also urged all parties to work towards a political solution in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) to bring sustainable peace to the country, as this remains the best option to prevent grave violations against children.
