Initial Report of the United States of America to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Concerning the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

摘要

The Government of the United States of America welcomes this opportunity to report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on measures giving effect to its undertakings under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict ('the Protocol'), in accordance with Article 8 thereof. The organization of this initial report follows the General Guidelines of the Committee on the Rights ofthe Child regarding the form and content of initial reports to be submitted by States Parties (CRC/OP/AC/1,12 October 2001). The Protocol deals reasonably with the issues of minimum ages for compulsory recruitment, voluntary recruitment, and direct participation in hostilities, while fully protecting the military recruitment and readiness requirements of States Parties that rely on national voluntary armed forces.