UN Says Signed Deal With SDF To End Child Recruitment In Armed Conflict

UN Says Signed Deal With SDF to End Child Recruitment in Armed Conflict

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have struck with the United Nations an action plan to cease and prevent the recruitment of minors during the country's ongoing war, according to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd July, 2019) The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have struck with the United Nations an action plan to cease and prevent the recruitment of minors during the country's ongoing war, according to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

The agreement was signed back on June 29 between the special representative of the UN secretary-general for children and armed conflict, Virginia Gamba, and SDF Force Commander Gen. Mazloum Abdi.

"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," Gamba said, as quoted in her office's statement on Monday.

Under the deal, 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 office stressed that the plan's signature had resulted from "months of engagement between the United Nations and the Syrian Democratic Forces," after the People's Protection Units, which operate under the SDF's command, were listed in the secretary-general's annual report on children and armed conflict as recruiters of minors during wartime.