Occupation

Volume 94 Number 885 Spring 2012conflicts, including in situations of occupation, without discrimination, such factorsmust be taken into account.Objective 2.1: To enhance the protection of children in armed conflictStates, National Societies and the ICRC will raise awareness of the protection ofchildren in armed conflict by international law, in particular internationalhumanitarian law.a) Prevention of recruitment of children in armed forces or armed groupsStates take effective measures to register children immediately after birth andendeavour to establish supplementary identification and registration systems for allchildren, including for particularly vulnerable children like internally displacedchildren and refugee children, to protect them from unlawful recruitment.States consider establishing domestic inspection regimes independentfrom the armed forces, such as ombudspersons or annual external inspectionscommissioned by civilian governmental authorities, to monitor the compliance ofarmed forces with the prohibition of child recruitment.States, in cooperation with National Societies and the ICRC, design and setup educational and vocational training programmes where possible, in combinationwith employment opportunities, to offer boys and girls viable alternatives torecruitment.b) Ratification, national implementation and enforcement of internationallaw relevant to the prevention and repression of participation in hostilitiesby children and the recruitment of children into armed forces or armedgroupsStates which have not already done so consider ratifying or acceding to the 2000Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on involvement ofchildren in armed conflict.States which have not already done so also consider adhering to the 2007Paris Principles and Commitments to protect children from unlawful recruitmentor use by armed forces or armed groups.States which have not already done so consider enacting national legislationor other measures to regulate the minimum age of recruitment into armed forcesand armed groups and to prevent the involvement of children in armed conflict inaccordance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Childon involvement of children in armed conflict.States ensure that those who unlawfully recruit children are heldaccountable for their acts through appropriate measures, inter alia, by referral tocourts especially when it constitutes a war crime, in accordance with applicableinternational law.385