Actions taken:
For the years 2019-2023, the Government of Canada pledges to sustain attention and action to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers by:
- Working to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers in armed conflict and other situations;
- Working to disseminate IHL, including existing provisions that prohibit the recruitment and use of child soldiers, as widely as possible in military instruction;
- Sharing research, experiences and best practices where appropriate with other governments, militaries and organizations such as the Office of the UN SRSG for CAAC and the International Committee of the Red Cross; and
- Engaging with other governments and militaries to promote the Vancouver Principles and encourage their national implementation.
Actions taken over the 2019-2023 pledge period:
Canada is a strong advocate and donor in support of efforts to end grave violations of children’s rights in armed conflict, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Canada sustains attention and action to prevent the recruitment and use of children, and address the situation of children in armed conflict more broadly, through bilateral dialogue, multilateral engagement, and international assistance.
Over the reporting period, Canada has raised consistently the situation of children and armed conflict in its bilateral human rights consultations with a variety of countries, and regularly made statements in multilateral forums calling for the protection of children. Canada has also worked with key partners to ensure that UN resolutions, statements and platforms address child protection issues, where appropriate. Of particular note, Canada chairs and co-chairs Groups of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) around the world, notably in New York, South Sudan, Colombia, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Mozambique. Canada also participates in various other Groups of Friends of CAAC worldwide, including those focused on Somalia (based in Nairobi), Syria and Yemen (based in Jordan), and the United Nations in Geneva. Through chairship and membership in these groups, Canada plays a constructive role by drawing attention to and advancing action on the protection of children in armed conflict. These groups serve as platforms to raise awareness and exchange information on the situation of children in armed conflicts and engage in joint advocacy to prevent and address grave violations against children, including but not limited to the recruitment and use of child soldiers. For example, through the role of Chair of the New York Group of Friends, Canada has undertaken strategic advocacy with the UN Secretary-General and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict aimed at safeguarding and supporting the integrity and impartiality of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism and the Secretary-General’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict, which are key tools for the CAAC agenda and mandate.
Through engagement with other governments and militaries, both bilaterally and in multilateral forums, Canada has continued to draw attention to the recruitment and use of children while building support for the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers and encouraging their implementation. As a result of Canada’s sustained efforts (alongside the support and advocacy of invested partners), there have been 18 new endorsements of the Vancouver Principles over the reporting period and since our last report in this forum, growing to 107 endorsements.
Over the reporting period, Canada has also funded efforts aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers and advancing implementation of the Vancouver Principles. Canada has funded the UN Department of Peace Operations Child Protection Team to mainstream the Vancouver Principles across UN peacekeeping policy, guidance, and training ($CAD 2.3 million dollars over the reporting period, and this project was recently extended to 2026 and increased to CAD $4.3M total). Through this project, the UN Department of Peace Operations has integrated the Vancouver Principles into revised training and guidance for police, military, and civilian peacekeepers to be deployed to UN missions, identified early warning indicators for recruitment and use of children as well as other grave violations, strengthened child protection tools for leadership at peacekeeping missions, and gathered lessons learned on preventing recruitment and use of children. To promote their uptake and use, the UN Department of Peace Operations has shared these new resources and lessons learned with UN peacekeeping missions and Member States. Since 2023, Canada has also supported the UN Institute for Disarmament Research to build knowledge on how to prevent recruitment and promote sustainable reintegration for children and adults, through their project on Managing Exits from Armed Conflict ($CAD 0.8 million dollars). This project is increasing understanding of factors that can contribute to children’s association with armed forces and armed groups, and helping determine which interventions effectively support reintegration, for whom, and under which conditions. UN Institute for Disarmament Research is also sharing this action research directly with policymakers and practitioners, including relevant stakeholders in the UN system, so that they can use it to inform their work.
In 2019, Canada’s Minister of National Defence released the Implementation Guidance for the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, which provides endorsing Member States with practical guidance on how to translate the Principles into national-level policy, guidance, plans, and capabilities. At the same time, the Minister of National Defence announced the establishment of the Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security (DCOE-PS) within the Canadian Armed Forces. The DCOE-PS has a mandate to support the enhancement of the Canadian Armed Forces’ effectiveness, first by serving as an enduring platform for research and education on the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and subsequently by expanding to focus on other human security topics relevant to Canadian Armed Forces operations, doctrine and training. The DCOE-PS has developed a number of resources to support the implementation of the Vancouver Principles in the Canadian Armed Forces and works to share the best practices and lessons learned with other militaries and multilateral organizations.
In June 2022, a Chief of Defence Staff Directive was issued to guide the implementation of the Vancouver Principles by the Canadian Armed Forces. Upon completion of this Directive, the Canadian Armed Forces will have fully implemented the Vancouver Principles. This directive identified six concrete lines of effort for implementation, which are as follows: 1) joint doctrine; 2) Child Protection Focal Points; 3) strategic and operational-level processes; 4) training and education; 5) mental health; and 6) Vancouver Principles network. Since this Directive was issued, Canada’s Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces have made significant progress across each of these lines of effort, including through the promulgation of a Joint Doctrine Note which provides a common basis for the roles and tasks of the military in preventing the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers. In addition, pre- and post-deployment training for Canadian Armed Forces personnel integrates potential encounters with child soldiers.
Over the pledging period, Canada has engaged with other governments and militaries to promote the Vancouver Principles and encourage their national implementation, including through advocacy and the convening of events. In November 2022, Canada’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York hosted an event to mark the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Principles. The event brought together UN Member States, UN stakeholders, and civil society, and provided an opportunity to highlight good practices and lessons learned in promoting and implementing the Vancouver Principles. In another instance, Canada’s Embassy in South Sudan convened an event in February 2023 to mark the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day). The event provided youth peacebuilders and former child soldiers with a platform to share their stories in front of local decision-makers and representatives from the international community, while highlighting the importance of preventing the recruitment and use of children and the value of the Vancouver Principles as a tool to support this work. These advocacy efforts continue beyond the reporting period, as Canada encourages and supports the implementation of the Vancouver Principles by states around the world.
