pdf LEGAL PROTECTION OF CHILD SOLDIERS IN ARMED CONFLICT REVIEWED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

Abstract

Child soldiers' involvement is one of the most tragic offenses in modern warfare. Children who should have received protection are actually exploited as combatants. International Humanitarian Law (HHI) has developed a comprehensive legal framework to prohibit this practice and protect its victims. A minimum age limit of 15 years has become the "straight-18" standard as an international best practice. Furthermore, the recruitment and use of children under the age of 15 has been explicitly criminalized as a war crime. Law enforcement mechanisms through the International Criminal Court such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) have shown progress in breaking the chain of impunity even though implementation on the ground still faces various challenges